
Rock Springs Nature Center manager Richie Wolf shows Webelo Scouts how to identify trees by their branches while they earn their 'Into the Woods' pins at Rock Springs Conservation Area in December 2016.
DECATUR — Richie Wolf, executive director of the Macon County Conservation District, has died. He was 46.
His death Thursday at his home sent shock waves through the district and the Rock Springs Nature Center, where he had his offices, posted a note on Facebook on Saturday saying it would be shut down for the remainder of the weekend and Monday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
“To allow staff and volunteers time to honor Richie’s memory,” the posting added.
Wolf’s memorial visitation will take place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday at Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home and additional services will follow in Loudonville, Ohio, his hometown.

Richie Wolf, Executive Director of Rock Springs Nature Center, and other volunteers for the Macon County Conservation District work in December 2020 to plant 25 acres of native prairie at Fort Daniel Conservation Area.
“We will miss him terribly, that is for sure,” Karen Schneller, President of the conservation district’s board of trustees, told the Herald & Review on Sunday.
She described Wolf as an innovative leader who was focused on introducing children and their families to the joys of the great outdoors and the fun and adventure to be found in the natural world.

Richie Wolf, front, and Kyle Anderson observe cardinals during the Great Backyard Bird Count in February 2018.
“He was always focused on family and children and bringing people out into the woods and helping them discover the delights of nature, which is what recharged his own batteries,” Schneller added. “Replacing him won’t be an easy job.”
Wolf had arrived at the district in 2013 to assume the newly-created position of nature center manager and had previously served as superintendent of education and recreation with the Byron Forest Preserve District. A graduate of both Toledo University and the University of Illinois, he was promoted to the conservation district’s executive director post within the past year.

Rock Springs nature center manager Richie Wolf shows an area where volunteers would remove trash as part of the Macon County Conservation District volunteer cleanup effort in April 2017.
Schneller said she did not know and could not comment on the circumstances of Wolf’s death at such a young age. She said it had come as a terrible surprise and conservation staff members and volunteers of all ages were struggling to come to terms with the loss of their leader.
“They are in the phase of absorbing the shock right now, and it's a very difficult time,” Schneller said. “But they are a close-knit group and they will lean on one another and they will get through this.”

The president said her board would be meeting Monday to make some immediate short-term decisions needed to handle the running of the district. “Our commitment to Richie is to keep things going,” she said.
Wolf’s family have asked that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the Macon County Conservation District.
The most affordable states to buy a house in 2021
The most affordable states to buy a house in 2021
The most affordable states to buy a house in 2021

Why do people choose to live where they do? Affordability is a major factor.
Using U.S. Census data, Rocket Homes released a list of the most affordable states to buy a home in 2021. It based rankings on the most recently available data for median home values, median household incomes, and what percentage of their monthly incomes homeowners with mortgages spend on housing costs.
1. Indiana

Indiana population: 6,732,219
Median household income: $57,603
Median home value: $156,000
Source: U.S. Census data, compiled by Rocket Homes
2. Iowa

Iowa population: 3,155,070
Median household income: $61,691
Median home value: $158,900
Source: U.S. Census data, compiled by Rocket Homes
3. Ohio

Ohio population: 11,689,100
Median household income: $58,642
Median home value: $157,200
Source: U.S. Census data, compiled by Rocket Homes
4. West Virginia

West Virginia population: 1,792,147
Median household income: $48,850
Median home value: $124,600
Source: U.S. Census data, compiled by Rocket Homes
5. Michigan

Michigan population: 9,986,857
Median household income: $59,584
Median home value: $169,600
Source: U.S. Census data, compiled by Rocket Homes
6. Wyoming

Wyoming population: 578,759
Median household income: $65,003
Median home value: $235,200
Source: U.S. Census data, compiled by Rocket Homes
7. Wisconsin

Wisconsin population: 5,822,434
Median household income: $64,168
Median home value: $197,200
Source: U.S. Census data, compiled by Rocket Homes
8. Missouri

Missouri population: 6,137,428
Median household income: $57,409
Median home value: $168,000
Source: U.S. Census data, compiled by Rocket Homes
9. North Dakota

North Dakota population: 762,062
Median household income: $64,577
Median home value: $205,400
Source: U.S. Census data, compiled by Rocket Homes
10. South Carolina

South Carolina population: 5,148,714
Median household income: $56,227
Median home value: $179,800
Source: U.S. Census data, compiled by Rocket Homes
Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid