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Blog


Insects employ clever ways of coping with winter cold

Posted on March 6, 2018December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

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

Harbingers of spring

Posted on February 5, 2018December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

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

Migrating birds turn frozen parks into a winter oasis

Posted on January 23, 2018January 25, 2019 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

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

Posted on January 18, 2018December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

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

Beaver tales

Posted on December 28, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

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

Daytime Owls

Posted on December 11, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

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

The fruit that looks like a monkey brain

Posted on November 28, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

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

Posted on November 22, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

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

Posted on November 21, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

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

Posted on November 7, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

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

We’re Buckeyes because…

Posted on August 30, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

CODY BERKEBILE Blacklick Woods Naturalist Now that football season is here, Ohioans turn their focus to The Ohio State Buckeyes. Living in Columbus, it is impossible to ignore the barrage of …Read More

How to grow a butterfly

Posted on August 29, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

It’s that time of year when monarch butterflies begin their magical migration south to the mountains of Mexico, where they’ll spend the winter. I’ve been seeing monarch butterflies in the …Read More

World Snake Day: Celebrating Memaw and snakes around the globe

Posted on July 12, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Educators
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

July 16 marks World Snake Day, a time to celebrate snakes and the vital roles they play in the ecosystem. The Metro Parks have several different snakes, including Memaw, a …Read More

Butterflies of the Night

Posted on July 12, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

Butterflies get all the attention. They’re pretty, and they fly during the day when us fellow day-dwellers are likely to actually see them. Moths, on the other hand, are mostly …Read More

The importance and beauty of forests

Posted on June 28, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

A summer walk in the cool green forests at any of your 19 Metro Parks will inspire your imagination and stir your senses. Forests are the centerpiece of most parks, …Read More

Unsung beauties lie ready for discovery in the fields

Posted on June 21, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

A stroll or run through a Metro Park provides many views—forest, fields, mid-succession areas and mowed lawn areas. Fields provide a habitat for many plants and animals and are typically …Read More

Simply Succulents is simply fascinating

Posted on June 7, 2017December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

A long-standing tradition at Inniswood Metro Gardens is the seasonal garden theme for the display beds. This theme is chosen at the beginning of every year to help guide the …Read More

Caution, turtle crossing

Posted on August 23, 2016December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

Why did the turtle cross the road?  To get to the other side, actually! We saw this gorgeous woodland box turtle crossing the Beech Woodland Trail at Rocky Fork Metro …Read More

Driving me batty!

Posted on August 5, 2016December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

I remember when I was child my aunt and uncle had so many bats on their farm that my cousins were afraid to play outside in the evening. I loved …Read More

Prairies dazzle and delight us through summer

Posted on July 26, 2016December 4, 2018 |
  • Nature
  • The Metro Parks Blog

One of the great pleasures of a summer trip to the parks is the sight of a prairie in full bloom. A vast golden canvas of ashy sunflower, gray-headed coneflower …Read More

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