April 2024 Pink Full Moon
The Pink full Moon of April occurs on April 23 at exactly 7:49PM EDT. No, the Moon itself will not be pink in color. The Pink Moon symbolizes springtime and new growth. It was given the name “pink” after the herb moss pink, also called creeping phlox, a plant native to the eastern U.S. that…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 04/17/2024
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! They’re on their way! A truly delightful harbinger of spring is the dazzling appearance of hummingbirds as they return from their wintering grounds in Central America. The most common species of hummingbird in Ohio is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which is the only hummingbird that breeds in the eastern part of the United States.…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 04/10
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! One of the first spring wildflowers to appear at TWC this spring is cut-leaved toothwort. Also known as pepper root and crow’s toes, this woodland wildflower is part of the family of flowering plants known as mustards. Cut-leaved toothwort is widespread in the eastern United States and also found in Quebec and Ontario…
Read MoreTotal Solar Eclipse (April 8, 2024)
The long awaited total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, is almost here. The path of totality, where the Sun’s light is totally blocked by the Moon, through Ohio is 200 miles long and 115 miles wide. If you’re anywhere within this path, you will see the total eclipse. Those outside this path will see…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 04/03/2024
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! Peent! It’s the time of year for American Woodcocks to display! The courtship flights and rituals can be observed in fields, pastures, forest openings, and other clearings at dawn and dusk during the spring. Affectionately nicknamed the “timberdoodle,” the American Woodcock is a plump round shorebird that lives in forest thickets, probing moist…
Read MoreAmerican Bullfrogs
The American Bullfrog is native to every state east of the Mississippi River. They are nocturnal and the largest true frog found in North America. They can be up to 8 inches long and weigh over a pound. Even their tadpoles are large, some reaching up to almost 7 inches long. The croaking of a bullfrog is a familiar…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 03/27/24
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! Our trails at TWC are currently bursting with Virginia springbeauties! These small pink and white flowers are native to the eastern United States and Canada, and can be found in a variety of habitats including forests, woodlands, meadows, ravines, parks, and lawns. The perennial plants grow from underground tubers, giving them the nickname…
Read MoreMarch 2024 Full Worm Moon
March’s full Worm Moon, the first full Moon of spring, occurs at 3:00AM EDT on March 25, 2024. To our eyes the Moon will look full and round the nights of March 24, 25 and 26. Traditionally it’s called the Worm Moon because March is when the ground begins to thaw, and earthworms begin to wiggle up…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 03/20/24
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! The first native spring wildflower to bloom in Ohio is skunk cabbage. Its flower structures are thermogenic (able to produce heat) and will emerge even through snow and ice! The spathe, or hood, is the first part of the flower to appear from the ground and has a distinctive color combination of purple,…
Read MoreYucca Moth
While many may think of moths as the butterfly’s ugly cousin, a small boring insect flying around their porch lights at night, they are anything but. Ohio has over 3,000 species of moth. Most of them are nocturnal, many are colorful, some are large, and all are important members of their ecosystem. One of these moths is…
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