Staff photo / Bob CouplandMarshall, center, was recognized for his programs and presentations on local birds at the park. From left are Jamison Conley, park ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Steve Craiger of Bristol, a park volunteer, Jason Lee, a park naturalist for Mosquito Lake State Park and Becky Dobson, a retired science teacher from Bristol High School.

Marshall, 81, has been presented the Cardinal Conservation Award from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for his volunteering at the lake and the different projects he has done at the park, mostly for cavity nesting birds who live in birdhouses.

Three others were honored with the statewide award.

Marshall also received the Blue Feather Award from the Ohio Bluebird Society, which recognizes an individual for being active in the society and promoting bluebirds to the public. Only one award is given out annually.

Marshall has worked with the state park, Trumbull County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Army Corps of Engineers on wildlife projects.

“I have always had an interest in birds, nature and the outdoors. After I retired as an engineer from Delphi, I began volunteering at the park. I always looked for programs about nature,” he said.

Marshall said he has met many people through the nature programs. He will be helping during the third annual Birding Weekend Memorial Day weekend at the park. Marshall will set up displays and give presentations.

“People who come to the park have an interest and are always asking questions about birding or to find out about things they never knew,” Marshall said.

He has helped with nesting programs for the prothonotary warbler and bluebirds, which have nests at the park. Marshall has been involved with the Christmas bird count and counts for bald eagles and sandhill cranes.

“I still want to stay involved at the park, not as the chief, but as an indian. I have always been interested in birds when my family would go camping or on vacation,” he said.

Marshall said he will always enjoy the outdoors.

WORKING WITH MARSHALL

Becky Dobson, a retired science teacher from Bristol High School who is active with the cavity nesting birds program at the park, said Marshall would often speak to her students and help them build bird boxes and discuss various birds.

“It was nice for the students to get to hear his perspective on birds,” Dobson said.

She said Marshall got her involved in birding and wildlife and she was able to get some of her students involved. Some of the students now are studying science and nature in college.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife diversity conference in March had the theme “Pass the Torch.”

Jamison Conley, park ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said Marshall engages visitors as well as teaching the park rangers about cavity-nesting birds.

Conley said prothonotary warbler nesting and the bluebird program have developed at Berlin Lake and Shenango Lake, which were modeled after what Marshall has done at Mosquito Lake Park.

Conley said the former Go Get Your Bird On program at Mosquito Lake has developed into the larger birding weekend event.

Steve Craiger of Bristol, who is a park volunteer, said he met Loyd at the Go Get Your Bird On program when he was on the observation deck watching birds.

“I was looking at a prothonotary warbler and had no idea what it was and Loyd walked up to me and started talking about it. After talking, I soon became a part of his team. It is Loyd’s nature to teach. He should have been a teacher and not an engineer, ‘ Craiger said.

Jason Lee, park naturalist at Mosquito Lake, said Marshall was a volunteer for more than 23 years at the park but it was the past 15 years that he has become more active.

He said he met Marshall when he took his science students from Howland High School to Mosquito Lake for field trips.