Naturehood Plant Rescue at Arcelor Mittal

Over the last two years, the Museum's Natural Areas Division has been involved with an ad-hoc committee known as Naturehood. The Naturehood committee was formed to brainstorm ways to transform vacant city lots in to urban native plant gardens, and consists of volunteers and staff from various Community Development Corporations, the Earth Day Coalition, the Natural History Museum, the Green Triangle, the OSU County Extension Service and many others. Last Fall, Naturehood began work on preparing our first native plant garden on Holmden Avenue in Tremont and completed the plantings this May. By the end of the growing season, this once barren vacant lot was transformed in to a beautiful display garden consisting exclusively of plants native to Ohio.

The Naturehood group has now begun work on our second vacant lot which is located On West 48th Street in the Stockyards neighborhood. To save on costs, we are trying to salvage much of the plant material from local sites. On November 20, the Naturehood group traveled to the flats to conduct a plant rescue on the Arcelor Mittal Property. Many native shrubs and perennials were dug from the property and transplanted to the Stockyards garden. Transplanted shrubs included staghorn sumac and gray dogwood. Herbaceous plants included umbrella sedge, boneset, evening primrose and dogbane. Thanks go out to Arcelor Mittal for arranging for us to come out that day!

Owl Banding on Kelleys--October 23, 2009

Despite a day of heavy rain, sixteen attendees had spectacular weather for our owl banding field trip on Kelleys Island. We arrived at the banding site on Scheele Preserve at 7:00 pm. Tom Bartlett had already set up the nets and had an owl recording playing in the woods. On his first pass of the nets with ten Museum members, he found a Northern Saw-whet Owl! Watching Tom band this little owl made everyone's evening complete. The rest of the evening was slow, until around 10:00 pm when Tom called in an Eastern Screech Owl. This feisty little owl clamped onto Tom's hand for some stunning photos. What a memorable evening for all who attended.

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Eastern Screech Owl

Mentor Marsh--September 19, 2009

A visit to 3 different areas within the Mentor Marsh gave participants great views of Green Heron, Osprey, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, Sanderlings, American Pipit, and several warbler species. Other animal species included American Lady butterfly and a beautiful male Shadow Darner. While the winds were brisk along the beach, the warm sunny day proved to be a great one to be out searching for nature.

Shadow Darner

Green Heron-Juvenile

Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plover

Sanderlings

Osprey

Glorious Gomphids on the Grand--June 28, 2009

A rousing good time was had by all, especially with the discovery of Green-faced & Splendid Clubtails, young Queen Snake, Dragonhunter, Spinylegs and American Rubyspot nymphs and mating Stream Bluets. In between bouts of rain, the participants found the stream corridor to be colored by the beautiful Canada Lily and Flowering Raspberry in full bloom. Chad Edgar made the trip especially memorable with his netting prowess and interesting water acrobatics!

Splendid Clubtail

Queen Snake

Canada Lily

Green-faced Clubtail

Dragonhunter nymph

Kelleys Island Bird Banding--May 16, 2009

A lovely day with Tom Bartlett and lots of smiles to go around. Right now, I have some of the birds done, the people will come later. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is not dead or sleeping...he just hasn't figured out that he is perfectly capable to get up and fly away, which he did seconds later! I know we all feel like we have flycatcher "hair" most mornings when we awaken, but he is just too funny in this photo!! And lastly, A wonderful Lake Erie Watersnake felt obliged to stay out long enough for all to see.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Great-crested Flycatcher

Lake Erie Watersnake

Canada Warbler

Indigo Bunting

McCoy State Nature Preserve--April 25

The McCoy State Nature Preserve hike on April 25 was as successful a day for locating Trollius as could be imagined. The blooms were extremely fresh with new ones just opening on the 80 degree temperature day. The Sandhill Cranes were not evident, but the group was greeted in the parking area by two fly-overs of an immature Bald Eagle, very low, displaying its patchy white and brown colors. Northern Red Salamanders and a very cooperative, immature black rat snake topped off this day. While a couple of members found themselves briefly "glued" in place, they were extracted successfully and none were left behind!

Singer Lake Bog Wine Tour--April 11, 2009

We held our first Natural Areas Wine Tour of the season last Saturday. It is good when Naturalist Stanley Stine looks skyward!! See Sandhill Crane images below. After hiking, the group traveled to Viking Vineyard for a light lunch and wine tasting.