Education
Wildlife Wednesday 12/04/2024
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! Let’s meet Mikey! If you’ve visited The Wilderness Center, you’ve probably met our hard-working animal ambassadors, Zea the corn snake and Barnaby and Gus the Eastern box turtles. Occasionally things happen that prevent wild animals from living in their native habitats, which is the preferred ideal home for wildlife. For example, an animal…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 11/27/2024
Gobble gobble! It’s #WildlifeWednesday and we are celebrating the Wild Turkey! Preferring woodland habitat interspersed with open spaces such as fields, pastures, and orchards, these large heavy-bodied birds with long necks and small heads feed on the ground, strutting and striding through forests and grasslands like small prehistoric dinosaurs. Adult males, or toms, weigh in…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 11/20/24
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! As the freezing autumn and winter weather approaches, an animal that uses hibernation as a survival strategy is the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. Also known as the striped gopher and leopard ground squirrel, this rodent is related to prairie dogs and is found in grasslands and open areas of Ohio. They may also use…
Read MoreNovember 2024 Full Beaver Moon
November’s full Beaver Moon rises at 4:23PM EST on Friday, November 15. Full Moons rise as the Sun is setting. The Sun sets at 5:06PM on this day – another indicator that nights are growing longer. The traditional full Moon names we use today originated with the Algonquin tribes that lived from New England to…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 11/13/2024
Whooooo’s ready for our upcoming owl prowl? It’s #WildlifeWednesday and we will highlight the 3 species of owls we are most likely to encounter on our grounds this time of year. The Great Horned Owl is the largest owl in Ohio and with its enormous yellow eyes, long ear tufts, and deep hooting call, it…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 11/06/2024
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! It’s that time of the year! That time of year when the cold weather begins to set in and Ohio enjoys the arrival of large flocks of the “snowbird,” also known as the Dark-eyed Junco. These cute sparrows with pink bills and long tails with flashy white outer-tail feathers are an abundant winter…
Read MoreFive-spotted Hawk Moth
Known for their rapid flight and ability to hover over a flower while feeding, the five-spotted hawk moth is another important nighttime pollinator. Although found throughout the U.S. it is more often found in northern states including Ohio. They’re found in various habitats, including gardens, meadows, woodlands, and even urban areas if they provide the…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 10/30/2024
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! You may have noticed Eastern chipmunks are particularly active right now. The cheeky rodents are busy with their winter preparations, which means gathering as much food as possible to stockpile in their dens. Their dens are located underground, with extensive tunnel systems and multiple entrances. They conceal the entryways by covering them with…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 10/23/2024
Slow down for wildlife! It’s #WildlifeWednesday and the time of year when our state mammal, the white-tailed deer, is most active. As a result it is also the time of year when vehicle collisions with the large hoofstock most frequently occur. The breeding season, or rut, takes place in Ohio from mid-October through December, with…
Read MoreOctober 2024 Full Hunter’s Moon
Did you see the full Hunter’s Moon on the evening of October 17? If not, it will still look full and bright when it rises on October 18. This is the third of four consecutive supermoons this year and it will be the closest full Moon of the year – 222,055 miles from Earth at…
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