Education
Wildlife Wednesday 02/26/2025
Happy #Wildlife Wednesday! The fisher is a forest-dwelling carnivorous mammal in the mustelid family. Mustelids include animals such as otters, weasels, badgers, ferrets, wolverines, and minks. Fishers have long thin bodies with glossy fur coats and weigh around 5 to 15 pounds, with males being larger than the females. Despite their common name, fishers do…
Read MoreGray Tree Frogs
The gray tree frog is one of two native species of tree frogs. The other is Cope’s tree frog which happens to look exactly like the gray tree frog though a bit smaller in size. They can be distinguished by their calls – the gray tree frog has a slower, more musical call. The gray…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 02/19/2025
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 MoreWildlife Wednesday 02/12/2025
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! Valentine’s Day is approaching and love is in the air, especially for coyotes! February is the peak of coyote mating season, which spans from late January until early March, and is one of the best times of year to hear their howls! Coyotes are highly adaptable animals that make their homes in a…
Read MoreFebruary 2025 Full Snow Moon
“… A silvered pine, spattered stardustagainst an inky sky — I wonderwho the owl calls for on this Snow Moon Night. …” From Hunger Moon by Erika Burkhalter February’s full Moon is called the Snow Moon, and it occurs on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 8:53AM EST. For us the Moon sets at 7:40AM EST…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 02/05/2025
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! It was just the big day for everyone’s favorite prognosticating rodent, so let’s celebrate with some groundhog info! The groundhog, Marmota monax, is also known as a woodchuck and a whistlepig. Groundhogs prefer open country habitat and woodland edges, and they rarely venture too far from an entrance to their underground burrows. Their…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 01/29/2025
Happy #WildlifeWednesday from the woolly bear caterpillar! Woolly bears are the larval form of the Isabella tiger moth, a yellowish orange moth with black spots that occurs in the United States and Canada. Being found in very cold locations including the Arctic, there is much folklore surrounding woolly bears and their ability to predict the…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 01/22/2025
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! January is perhaps the best month to see Golden Eagles in Ohio. The enormous and regal raptor is quite rare in Ohio, with only a handful of sightings each year. The Golden Eagle has a wingspan of over 7 feet and large specimens tip the scales at 14 pounds. Their body plumage is…
Read MoreEastern Cottontail Rabbits
Eastern cottontail rabbits are everywhere in Ohio. Their ancient ancestors appeared at least 33 million years ago during the late Eocene Epoch. Adaptable creatures, they evolved into the eastern cottontail rabbits we have today. They’re the most common rabbit species in North America – ranging throughout North America, Latin America and Northern South America. While…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 01/15/2025
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! To some people one of the best parts of a cold Ohio winter is the lack of irritating bugs and biting creepy crawlies. However, one small critter that is cold tolerant and makes a noticeable appearance in the winter is the snow flea! Native to North America, these tiny dark blue and black…
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