As the chickadees buzz in and out of the blossoming redbud branches hanging overhead and the plants sprout so fast you can almost watch them grow, it is the youngest visitors that draw my attention. After emerging from a class in which their tiny hands gingerly plucked apart a flower to study each part, the […]

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 […]

The sun is content to linger above the horizon a bit longer each day. A slightly warmer breeze whispers, promising change. Songbirds call louder, establishing territories to impress each other. Raptors take to the skies, spreading their wings to catch thermals wafting up from the earth. Spring is almost here! Some animals get an early […]

“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, with my twin nephews usually leading the expedition. Together, we discovered that the spring thaw revealed very hungry goldfish in […]

The arrival of spring is a time of renewal in natural systems. Flowers start to bloom, birds pair up and frogs call to one another to create future generations. Beneath the waves – escaping the notice of many park patrons – fishes throughout the parks are preparing to spawn as water temperatures rise. The fishes […]

Sometimes it’s nice to take a moment from our busy lives and just appreciate nature. Take a walk in the woods, listen to the quiet and smell spring. This time of year reminds me of a poem by Everett E. Eckstein. Born in Shelby, Ohio, Everett attended Wittenberg University in Springfield and lived and worked […]

While most deciduous trees are slowly waking up from a long winter of dormancy, the first woodland wildflowers have already pushed through the leaves, transforming the forest floor with a rapid cascade of color. Spring walks seem so peaceful to our eyes, but these young plants have a job to do and for them the race […]