mating damselflies

One Picture, So Many Questions

What are these animals? This is a pair of stream bluet damselflies, Enallagma exsulans, a common species found in every Ohio county. Damselflies, along with dragonflies, make up the insect order Odonata (so, to enthusiasts, they are called odonates, or…

two-lined salamander

Who Needs Lungs Anyhow?

There’s no more relaxing way to spend a summer day than creekin’. Wander down a local creek and you’re sure to scare up a variety of critters: minnows and darters swim off to undisturbed waters, crayfish skitter under the nearest…

indigo bunting on a branch

Kind of Blue

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue….INDIGO. What is that color, the “I” in ROYGBIV? According to Wikipedia, ”indigo” might refer to a number of hues in the range from blue to violet. But if you look at the jazzy birds singing…

red bat in flight

Bats in the Beech Tree

Bats in the Beech Tree With the arrival of April, lots of animal migrants are returning north to Ohio from their wintering grounds. In the tops of sycamore trees, yellow-throated warblers sing and flash their colors. Out in the wetlands,…

Red-winged blackbird

Blackbirds Announce Spring!

Waiting for this moment: blackbirds announce spring Spring is coming; the signs are all around! Robins have emerged from the forest and are plucking worms from lawns and fields. Back in the woods, the year’s first wildflowers, like harbinger-of-spring and…

Tattered great spangled fritillary on bergamot

Lessons on Aging

As time goes by: Lessons on aging from the birds and the bees While changing over the calendar from 2024 to 2025, it’s only natural that thoughts turn to the passage of time and the advancement of years. Aging and…

Schoolhouse Park shelter

2025 Shelter Reservations

Perfect for birthday parties, graduation parties, family reunions and more, large group shelters are available in eight of the Centerville-Washington Park District community parks. Reservations for the 2025 calendar year may be made beginning at noon on Thursday, January 2.  …