I have been thinking about this story and its lesson since it was relayed to me a few months ago. In the 10 years that I was based at Winton Woods as a Nature Interpreter, I had heard about mink living down near the Kingfisher and Great Oaks Trails, but had never witnessed their presence […]

With autumn here at last, the weather is growing colder, and the days shorter. Fall isn’t just the season of pumpkin spice-flavored everything, however. It’s also one of the best times to look and listen for nocturnal wildlife. Falling leaves make it easier to spot roosting birds, especially when the now-bare branches are backlit by […]

Around the same time every year — late summer through early fall — our fields, meadows, prairies and wetlands take on a golden-yellow hue. This color change is primarily caused by a priceless pollinator plant, goldenrod. Goldenrods are members of one of the largest plant families in the world, Asteraceae. There are about 60 different […]

Earlier in the summer, we at Great Parks said goodbye to our old friend and co-worker, Missy. Missy was responsible for training nature interpreters to work with birds of prey and teaching children the importance of a healthy ecosystem. She interacted with well over 50,000 people in her 32-year tenure with Great Parks. Missy wasn’t […]

    Native to Ohio and found along shady hillsides, the pawpaw tree (Asimina triloba) will soon begin producing its highly sought-after fruit. The pawpaw fruit is unique, as it’s one of the only large native fruits in the Midwest, and can often be found in great abundance ­– if one knows where to search. […]

As August ends and the warm weather persits, home gardens are still going full throttle. The cute, little tomato, cucumber and zucchini plants I optimistically tucked into the ground in the spring have exceeded all my expectations, and are beginning to overwhelm my kitchen and pantry. (Despite years of gardening for a family of three, […]

It may not be an official holiday, but September 6 is a holiday for bibliophiles: National Read a Book Day. Of course, every day is a great day to read a book! But, in honor of this novel holiday and celebrating the remaining days of summer, here are favorites, classics and new reading recommendations from the Great […]

More than 360 anglers competed in the six Bass Series Tournaments in 2018. Only the top 20 earned a spot in the Bass Series Championship, where the winners would be awarded a $1,000 shopping spree to Bass Pro Shops. This was a two-day tournament. Day one was at Miami Whitewater Forest on August 25. Every […]