Insects employ clever ways of coping with winter cold
CAMERON SVOBODA, Naturalist Blacklick Woods Insects may be small, but they make up the majority of animal life. Whether or not we like them, we need them. Insects pollinate a …Read More
Coming Soon To A Vernal Pool Near You
ANDREA KRAVA, Blendon Woods/Rocky Fork Senior Naturalist We’ve definitely had our fair share of snow and single-digit temperatures this winter. By late February to mid-March we’ll start having warmer days (by …Read More
Rangers ensure clean parks with Greenways clean up
AMANDA MARKS, Park Ranger Pickerington Ponds As a ranger at Pickerington Ponds Metro Park in Canal Winchester, it’s my job to ensure that the park remains a safe and clean …Read More
Harbingers of spring
CODY BERKEBILE, Blacklick Woods Naturalist Harbingers of spring can be slow in coming for most of us. Toward the end of a cold and snowy winter, many of us are …Read More
New Year’s resolution leads to new love of Metro Parks and a visit to them all
MEGAN EAGAN, Guest Blogger As residents of Gahanna, my husband, Michael, and I had always frequented Metro Parks closest to home: Blendon Woods, Inniswood and Sharon Woods. It was on …Read More
Migrating birds turn frozen parks into a winter oasis
DUSTIN DAVIS, Greenways Ranger While the recent frigid weather has probably kept most of us indoors, waterfowl travel from afar to reach Ohio. Every winter, our waterways become an oasis …Read More
Eagles make their homes in Metro Parks
HIGHBANKS METRO PARK (Naturalist Craig Biegler) A pair of eagles started nesting along the Olentangy River at Highbanks in 2010. Since then, they have raised about 15 eaglets. It takes four …Read More
Winter fun starts at Metro Parks
There’s a youngster that lives in all of us, whatever our real age might be. All alike, we feel excitement and delight as the snow falls and the hills beckon …Read More
Winter Fun with Kids at Five Metro Parks
JULIE MILLER, Guest Blogger With kids, I often think of summer as the time for hiking and exploring parks. When winter comes, I am inclined to hibernate instead. However, that …Read More
Strolling through the decades
TINA FRONK Social Media Specialist Blacklick Woods Metro Park opened 69 years ago, just as Sam Nonnamacher was settling back into civilian life. He served in World War II as …Read More
Beaver tales
JILL SNYDER, Highbanks Naturalist Most of us are familiar with cartoon images of a beaver building a dam. Beavers are often portrayed with big buckteeth, cutting down trees, piling up …Read More
Ohio Dreamin’ in California: I miss my Metro Parks
MELISSA GEBAUER, Guest Blogger After what felt like a continuous 30-hour day and counting I finally landed in Columbus after an overnight flight from California. I was coming home for …Read More
Daytime Owls
JEN ROSA, Naturalist Prairie Oaks It’s commonly believed that owls are nocturnal, but barred owls and short-eared owls prove to be exceptions. They tend to be active during the day, …Read More
Count our feathered friends and help ensure their future
Spend the morning in the fields at a Metro Park with birds and birders this December and start a new holiday tradition as you take part in the 118th Annual …Read More
The fruit that looks like a monkey brain
ANDREA KRAVA, Naturalist Blendon Woods Osage orange trees aren’t native to Ohio, but they arrived here in large numbers in the 1800s, mostly brought by settlers. They grow thick trunks …Read More
You can’t miss the vibrant red wahoo
ALLISON SHAW, Naturalist Sharon Woods The eastern wahoo, an often-overlooked tree, is a beautiful find in autumn. It grows up to 20-feet-high and you will notice its bright red fruit …Read More
If you get in a rut, try a little headbanging
BRANDON NOVOTNY, Ranger Prairie Oaks November marks an exciting time in Metro Parks, just as a yearly tradition is taking place. The white-tail deer rut is in full swing and …Read More
Five species I’ve never seen at Blacklick Woods
CODY BERKEBILE, Naturalist Blacklick Woods One of the best parts about being a naturalist is the opportunity to continually learn about and see new things. Working at Blacklick Woods for …Read More