• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

MarionMade

People, Places, Products, Programs

Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On YoutubeCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Instagram
We Are Having Fun!We Are Presidential!We Are Generous!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
    • MarionMade! 5k Sign Up
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Chad Grote

By MarionMade! on October 5, 2017

CHAD GROTE.

He is one of 88 in Ohio and planned it that way since the 6th grade. Chad Grote’s love of the outdoors at an early age set him on a career path that led to his current post as the Wildlife Officer for Marion County. He says his love of field and forest drew him to pursue a career with the Ohio Division of Wildlife–“what better way to protect what you care about than to enforcement of its laws?”

He has been at it for 10 years, that last eight in Marion, and says, even though he is on call 24/7, he doesn’t tire of the job because, “the community is very supportive and really are a big help in keeping an eye on Marion’s natural areas.”

More than 90 percent of Chad’s time is spent with people who are friendly and following the rules. While there is the occasional violator to contend with, he spends most of his time educating and building relationships. Along with patrolling Marion’s public wildlife areas, the largest being Big Island at 6,000 acres, Grote works with local organizations like Scout groups, fish and game clubs, youth groups, and more to educate the next generation of outdoors enthusiasts.

In addition to Big Island, Chad patrols the Beaver Wildlife Area, Marion County sections of Killdeer Plains and Delaware Wildlife Areas, as well as the Marion Tallgrass Trail. Having a green four-wheel drive truck as an office is exactly as Chad would have it, saying “the best part of the job is that you never know what each day will hold–like, meeting birders from Florida or hunters from Michigan who have come to Marion to enjoy our woods, fields, and wetlands.”

For Grote, his mission to protect Marion’s outdoors has a far-reaching goal, “I want to make sure your children’s children’s children have these natural areas to enjoy.”

#MarionMade #WeArePeople

Recent MarionMade! Stories

  • Marion Offers Opportunities to Generations of the Cramer and Bosh Families

    Ron Cramer’s roots in Marion County run deep. His maternal grandfather, Don F. Bosh, worked at the Marion Power Shovel as a master machinist while living on a family farm in Iberia. Cramer remembers, as a 12-year-old, pushing a reel mower for six hours to cut his great-grandfather’s grass at the family home in Marion […]Read More »
  • Wyandot Popcorn Museum

    The Wyandot Popcorn Museum opened in early September of 1982, just prior to the 2nd annual Marion Popcorn Festival. Not only is it one of only two Popcorn Museums in the world, it also represents the largest collection of restored popcorn antiques. The Museum concept is an outgrowth of a historical research project by George K. Brown. […]Read More »
  • Teen Institute

    TEEN INSTITUTE. Teen Institute has been around Marion County in one form or another since 1993. In fact, the very first Marion County Teen Institute Retreat was held in the spring of 1993 in Dayton, Ohio. That year, 43 youth and three adults spent the weekend learning about peer drug and alcohol prevention programs and […]Read More »
  • Youth Engaged in Philanthropy

    What is philanthropy? Youth Engaged in Philanthropy is a program of Marion Community Foundation helping area high school students not only learn the answer to the “philanthropy” question, but also put it into practice. High school seniors from each of the Marion area schools meet monthly to learn more about our local community, organizations, and […]Read More »

Share Your MarionMade! Story

Click Here to share your story about MarionMade! people, places, products, and programs!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Downtown Marion Love INC Marion Public Library Marion Area Chamber of Commerce Marion CANDO! Marion Community Foundation United Way of Marion County Marion Technical College

© 2025 · MarionMade! is a community initiative led by Marion Technical College · Website is powered by Neighborhood Image