If you were to make a list of animals rarely seen in our area, you probably would not put a salamander on that list. However, spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) are one our region’s most elusive finds. Surprisingly, it is not due to their rarity. But rather, their lifestyle. Scientists group spotted salamanders into a family […]

Look at a map of Winton Lake (Figure 1), Miami Whitewater Forest Lake (Figure 2) or Sharon Lake (Figure 3), and you will notice the irregular, elongated shape of these bodies of water. They appear stretched out and contorted with pointy branches that extend in different directions. In fact, these distinctive features are an indication […]

In 2003, the state of Ohio had an estimated 3.8 billion ash trees existing in our forests, woodlots and in our own backyards. Today, that is not the case. The emerald ash borer (EAB) has swept across our state at record pace and is wiping out ash trees where they stand. EAB was first detected near Toledo […]

When you hear a barred owl calling “whooo, who cooks for you?” in the woods, chances are it’s calling from a nest cavity in the limb of a dying tree. When you see the bright red head of a woodpecker as it streaks through the forest, chances are it’s flying from the home it excavated […]

2016 is winding down and it was another exciting and very productive year at the Shaker Trace Nursery. The harvest has been exceptional in both quantity and duration due, in part, to the amount of rain we received. Seed processing is still going on and we won’t know the total yield until later, but it’s safe […]

In 2013, Great Parks began a park-wide assessment of habitat quality through plant surveys. FQAI, short for Floristic Quality Assessment Index, allows us to compare habitats in different parks, as well as to other preserves outside the parks. Why do we do this? Because being able to compare areas helps Great Parks determine where to […]

Snowy winters can be a great time to get outside and see wildlife. Although some animals are less active in the winter, one advantage to the season is the ability to track their movements in the snow. It’s also a fun reason to get outside in the winter while keeping your mind off the cold. […]

These two beautiful photos show a stream meandering through the forest in Miami Whitewater Forest. But what does it mean to say that a stream is “meandering?”   Many of us may be familiar with this word, knowing that it means that the stream winds back and forth, but have you ever wondered why a […]