Posts Tagged ‘education’
March 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…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 03/13/24
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! You may have noticed more large dark birds circling and soaring in the sky overhead lately. While some Turkey Vultures stay in Ohio all year, most migrate for the winter, traveling to the southern USA and even as far as South America. While often associated with death and decay, the Turkey Vulture is…
Read MoreLeo the Lion
Leo, the Lion, is one of the 12 zodiacal constellations that mark the apparent path of the Sun and planets through the sky and it’s one of the first constellations of spring. In fact, when you see his head poking above the eastern horizon in early February you know spring isn’t far off. Leo is one of…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 03/06/24
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! The Sandhill Crane is a tall elegant bird with a heavy body, soaring 6-foot wingspan, red crown of feathers on its head, and a fluffy bustle of gray plumage at its back end. This graceful long-necked avian has a loud rolling trumpet-like vocalization that can be heard for miles. Mated pairs will engage…
Read MoreCoyotes
The coyote is a fascinating creature. Not native to Ohio, coyotes originally called the open deserts and prairies of the West home. However, being intelligent, adaptable animals, coyotes can make a home anywhere there is food, water, and shelter. They began moving eastward as settlers cleared the forest for fields and pastures. At the same…
Read MoreWildlife Wednesday 02/28
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! It is the time of year when we observe, appreciate, and celebrate Ohio’s state amphibian (and a TWC mascot), the spotted salamander! A type of mole salamander, this cute creature with bright yellow spots and a perpetual smile lives most of its life underground. After a long winter of brumation (similar to hibernation),…
Read More2024 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 More