Enjoying the Simple Joys of Spring
“Tess! Tess!” my four year-old nephew shouted.“The mud, it’s changed, it’s changed to dirt!” Over the past month, my four nephews and I have been exploring my parents’ backyard. Every day we discover new life,…
Nature is Calling
Hello Friend! How are you today? Have you been outside? Oh yes, I know the weather can be unpredictable in Cincinnati, but you should try to be outside. Why you ask? Because nature is calling.…
Snow Birds
I had first come to admire gulls when I was younger during a short visit to Cedar Point, just off the coast of Lake Erie. The gulls were everywhere! They would follow you for food,…
The Return of the Herons
As spring approaches, the return of the great blue herons begins. For the last few years, we have had the pleasure at Winton Woods of watching many great blue herons grow up. That’s because we…
Busy Beavers
While walking along the Oakleaf Trail at Miami Whitewater Forest, you may notice the handiwork of nature’s most skilled architect: the North American beaver. This rascally rodent leaves behind a lot of evidence for visitors…
Birds of a Feather Do Stick Together!
Have you ever wondered how our local birds survive this winter’s bitter cold temperatures? Birds are warm-blooded (like humans), so they can produce their own body heat. They take it a step further, though. Birds…
Have You Heard Who, Who, Whooo is Dating??
Really? The great horned owl is feeling amorous in the frosty, freezing winter?? Yes, indeed this large, year-round resident owl is busy hustling and hooting up a storm, carrying out the earliest wild courtship in…
Frogs in Flight?
One afternoon I booted a partially frozen frog high into the air—it was more like two or three of them, actually. I didn’t mean to. I just happened to be shuffling along my backyard, enjoying…