The raccoon is a very unique animal. Its behavior and look are so interesting, that people took raccoons from their native home in North America and released them in Europe where they can now be quite a nuisance. Because of its immigrant status, each of the raccoon’s new-found countries gives it a local name. Almost […]

As a Great Parks’ naturalist for the past 18 years, one thing I have noticed lately is how difficult it can be to pull children and adults away from electronic devices long enough to enjoy the great outdoors. Rather than fighting the challenge, I have found a way to embrace it. Great Parks is jumping […]

Tom Jones once sang, “Love is in the air everywhere I look around. Love is in the air every sight and every sound.” I’m convinced he was thinking of springtime and all the animals. Everywhere you look in nature, from the smallest of insects to the largest of mammals, there are babies. We’ve all been […]

Many studies have shown that spending time outdoors can be linked to less stress, improved creativity and better health. With that in mind, I feel no guilt about leaving the dishes in the sink after dinner to explore all that nature has to offer this time of year. And if your family is anything like […]

Recently, a call came into the naturalist desk at Winton Woods inquiring about the identification of an injured bird. I took the call and had the woman on the phone describe the bird as best she could. She told me that it was small and brown with a long beak and a white stripe. I […]

Can you smell it? Spring is in the air. I don’t mean the aroma of flowers or rain or anything most people find remotely pleasant. It’s actually the first trace of skunk that makes me happy. Their stirring from winter dens is proof the ground is warming, creeping toward the next season. This boldly marked […]

As the old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” If there is one animal that truly puts this saying into action, it’s worms. These little creatures are nature’s version of the Greek myth of King Midas, who was said to be able to turn objects into gold just by touching them. Now, […]

As I bundled up for the cold blast of air descending upon us this week, my thoughts wandered to a most remarkable feathered friend, the golden-crowned kinglet. Only slightly larger than a hummingbird, it weighs in at one-fifth of an ounce (or two pennies), and it is a common winter visitor to Ohio. Some overwinter as […]