Posts by Sarah Watson
2024 February Full Moon
“The full snow moon will rise to see what once were fields of hay, She’ll gaze upon the barren rows, snowed in from yesterday. She’ll share here night with stars ablaze, yet spreading little heat …” From “The Full Snow Moon …” by Joy A Burki-Watson February’s full Snow Moon occurs on the 24th at…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 02/21
Being in nature can be very magical to many people. There has even been a history of different mythical beings that live in and are even connected to nature. One of the most popular being the discussion of fairies. One of the most common fairy sightings that people often see are “fairy rings” that pop…
Read MoreAurora Borealis (Northern Lights)
The dancing ribbons of light called aurora borealis or northern lights have mesmerized people for millennia. Galileo named these dancing lights “aurora borealis” in 1619, after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas. The earliest depiction of the auroras may be a cave painting in France dating…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 02/14
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! It is Valentine’s Day and love is in the air, especially for coyotes! Today marks the peak of coyote mating season, which spans from late January until early March. Pairs are monogamous and stay together throughout their lives, the strong bond breaking only upon the death of a mate. Coyotes are highly adaptable…
Read MoreLittle Brown Bats 02/09
The nocturnal little brown bat is one of Ohio’s 13 native bat species. It is found in North America from the Alaskan and Canadian boreal forest south through most of the U.S. and into central Mexico. Once the most common bat species in Ohio, it is now listed as endangered in the state and is…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 02/07
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! While bird migration during spring and fall can be thrilling with colorful warblers, rarities for your life list, and huge flock numbers, winter birding in Ohio is exciting too, even if simply through a window of your warm and cozy home or local nature center. With leaves having fallen from the deciduous trees…
Read MoreConservation Update
The Wilderness Center’s Conservation team has been busy with changes in personnel, projects, and places. Our new Associate Director of Conservation and Land Management began in April (Daniel Volk), a new Land Steward is starting in June 2023 (Zachary Justus), and we are hiring a Building and Grounds Manager to round out our Conservation team.…
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