Out of all the good work being done in Hamilton to give back and improve the community, there is one that stands out in particular. Kathy and Troy Schwable have been working non-stop to help improve several natural areas in Hamilton, specifically the 200 acres of Riverside Natural Area so that it can continue to be a place for people to spend their free days, walking along the paths or observing the various species that call the natural area home.
Kathy and Troy felt their first urge to volunteer their time when they were visiting the Riverside Natural Area several years ago and found they could barely walk down the paths because they were so overgrown. They wanted to give back to the city so they decided to start mowing down the 5 ½ miles of paths so that people could easily enjoy them, which ended up turning into a bigger job than people could have imagined.
Now, Kathy and Troy are certified naturalists since 2016 and with the help of many volunteers, spend their free time mowing down the paths, ridding the area of invasive species and sowing various types of trees and naturally occurring plants. They reuse and recycle almost everything in order to make the 
park as eco-friendly as possible for visitors and the species that live there.
“We have an absolute gem here,” said Troy. “We have coyotes, deer, beavers, wild turkey and 193 different species of birds that have habitats here. We even found the footprint of a bobcat one time.”
Troy says that the Parks Conservancy has had a big hand in helping the Schwable’s make the natural areas what they are today. The Conservancy never minds the work that is being done by Kathy and Troy and are incredibly friendly, allowing the Schwable’s to use their equipment and tools whenever they need.
After five years of working on this project, the Schwable’s have big dreams for the natural area.
The Schwable’s would like to be able to create a program for at risk schools in Hamilton to be able to experience nature while still staying inside the city. Aside from a program for impoverished kids, they hope to construct a building on the property to become a nature center as well as build two picnic shelters and a place for people to easily go kayaking down the Great Miami River.
At the moment they are currently working on restoring a building that sits where the old Joe Nuxhall Driving Range used to be. They intend to use it as the basis of their operations, with a media section, kitchen, office and woodshop where people can work on projects. They also plan on adding a hoop house right next door.
The Schwable’s work has improved the Riverside Natural Area drastically but Troy Schwable humbly says that it has definitely been a learning process.
“We have failures just like everyone else. It doesn’t matter how many classes we go to, every day we learn what works out here and what doesn’t,” says Troy.
Aside from the Riverside Natural Area, the Schwable’s have also been working on the 20 acres at the Hamilton Bird Sanctuary. They have created this area in order for birds to have a habitat to mate, raise young and continue their lifecycle without human intervention.
If you are interested in volunteering at one of the reserves, head over to any of the Schwable’s three Facebook pages to get in contact – Riverside Natural Area, Hamilton Conservation Corporation, or Hamilton Bird Sanctuary. You can also get in contact with Karen Wittmer who is the Hamilton Program Coordinator for Volunteers.