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 […]

Great Parks of Hamilton County manages four conservation areas that are dedicated solely for the protection of natural habitats and the wildlife that reside within these areas. One of these conservation areas is Newberry Wildlife Sanctuary, a state-dedicated natural area that was acquired in 1975. It is home to a variety of plant and animal […]

Have you ever sat in the garden or near a patch of flowering plants and been amazed at the buzz of activity going on around you? Well that “buzz” is presented to us by the task-oriented heroes of the insect world: the pollinators! Without pollinators, that cup of coffee you enjoy daily, that pumpkin pie […]

Which of these do not belong? Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) or celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)? The answer (which may or may not be obvious) is lesser celandine. The reason it does not belong is because it is not native to Hamilton County, southwestern Ohio, or even North America. Native to Eurasia, it was introduced in […]

It was only two weeks ago that the region was buried in snow and now the rivers are flowing, creatures are stirring and plants are starting to flower. One of our favorite signs of spring in the parks is the emergence of eastern skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus). Skunk cabbage is amazing because its flower produces […]

Most people associate the month of March with the end of winter and the beginning of spring. However, in the Stewardship Department, we recognize March as the beginning of our prescribed burn season. Prescribed burning is a pre-planned management tool using fire to achieve our management objectives. Historically, fire was a common feature of the […]

As cold temperatures settle in across the Midwest and our lakes and ponds freeze, many people look forward to winter activities such as ice skating and ice fishing. But fun opportunities like these can only exist because of the unusual properties of water. For many substances, as their temperature decreases, their density increases until they […]

While we may not get snow during the holidays, you can still find reminders of the season outdoors. Just recently Stewardship staff found this American holly tree (Ilex opaca) along the Parcours trail at Triple Creek park. Many people are familiar with hollies from Christmas decorations and landscaping plants, but did you know they are […]