Birds’ nests serve a number of functions. One of those, of course, is to provide a secure place to lay and incubate eggs and, for many species, to raise young. In addition, the design and structure of nests may help…
Toads at a Cocktail Party
In some ways, frogs and toads (amphibians in the order Anura, meaning “no tail”) are visual creatures. Their eyes are finely attuned to movement, and they feed on insects that make the mistake of crossing their visual paths. But when…
Periodical Cicadas: What’s the Buzz?
Image: courtesy of Katja Schulz, Creative Commons I have lived in Dayton, OH, since 1986. This May and June, for just the third time in those 35 years, I look forward to the spectacle of Magicicada Brood X, the 17-year…
Harbingers of Spring
Spring! It’s the season when robins and red-winged blackbirds regale us with song and, in Ohio, when Hinckley welcomes back its turkey vultures. Who doesn’t look forward to the lengthening daylight and warming weather? But why wait for the robins…
The Gall of Those Goldenrods!
In late summer, at their colorful flowering peak, goldenrod (Solidago) flowers provide an important source of nectar for the late-season activities of butterflies, bees and wasps, flies, and other insects. But even in winter, when the plants have long since…
New Grant Park Master Plan Adopted
The Centerville-Washington Park District began work on the Grant Park master plan project in March 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, proposed community engagement sessions were modified to include an online survey and a virtual community meeting. The online survey…
To Hibernate or Not To Hibernate
Squirrels are among the most recognizable local wildlife; they’re noisy, they’re active, and they always seem to be around. But there’s more than one way to be a squirrel! Squirrels are members of the rodent family Sciuridae, and our local…
Amazing Migrations
With the season of diminished daylight upon us, the shift from summer wildlife to winter wildlife is pretty much complete. Insects have substantially disappeared from the meadows. You’re not likely to see a snake in your path through the woods.…
Honeysuckle Removal Protects Wildlife and Improves Visitor Experience
Honeysuckle was introduced in the United States in the mid to late 1800s as an ornamental plant. It has since become one of the most aggressive invasive, non-native plants in the state of Ohio. Honeysuckle shades out desirable native woodland…
Look Around, Leaves are Brown
We have been lucky again this autumn, living as we do in the temperate forest biome of Ohio, to witness one of nature’s spectacles, as summer’s green leaves turn to red, orange, and yellow. Now, as the weather cools, those…