Aquatic Adventures

If it is flying, flapping or swimming, it is worth chasing, studying and sharing with friends.

Spatterdock Darner

Today we were harassing dragonflies at the Gorman Nature Center in Mansfield, Ohio. For a little pond, the list was amazingly varied!   Eastern Amberwings, Eastern Pondhawks, Dot-tailed White-face, Comet and Green Darners, Slaty and Twelve-spotted Skimmers, and many others- including this amazing Spatterdock Darner! It was a feast for the eyes.

Judy Semroc and Larry Rosche

Two of my favorite guides and dragonfly experts Judy and Larry gave an excellent program and led the field trips.

They do professional outreach for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The are also the authors of one of the best dragonfly and damselfly guides written in the Eastern U.S.  If you don't have it, you can buy it on-line: just click here.

The bridge at Gorman Nature Center's pond.

If you are interested in learning about Odonates (dragonflies and damselflies), the pond behind Gorman Nature Center is a well-stocked location. You can spend an afternoon and see up to fifteen species!

Our field trip to the pond.

We did plenty of milling around, catching the adult fliers and netting some aquatic life in the form of immature Odonates, water bugs and frog tadpoles galore!

 Judy waded right out into the water to get the best specimens, while Larry identified all the goodies we brought to him on shore.  If you have never ventured into the field with these exceptional leaders, you have been missing out on a lot of fun!

They will be leading part of the Aquatic Adventures for Flora-Quest, Aug. 27-29, 2015  in the Mohican Area.  For those of you in the Cleveland area, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History  is offering a sign-up on line to drive down in the bus from CMNH. Just go to this link to sign up from the CMNH calendar.

Or go directly to the Flora-Quest website to see all our offerings.  If you are interested in plants or natural history, this is the conference for you.  Hotel rooms are limited, so contact me if you need help finding a room.

Hope to see you there, chasing Dragon Hunter dragonflies and Hellbenders!

LEAPing into 2015

Some of the best meetings I attend are at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  The have a working group called: Lake Erie and Allegheny Partnership for Biodiversity.  We like to call ourselves LEAP.

 LEAP members are involved in identifying, protecting and restoring ecosystems and habitats.  They also actively try to help educate about native plants.  Each year they come up with these fabulous cards with a tree, shrub and forb you can use in your home landscape.  This project is sponsored by the Cleveland Metroparks.

Pawpaw is the tree of 2015. If you like to see butterflies in your yard, think Zebra Swallowtails! Pawpaw is a host plant for Zebra butterflies and is a deer-resistant plant for your yard and garden. This is one of my all-time favorite plants.

Buttonbush is a shrub that loves wet spaces and would be perfectly suited for you rain garden.  Bees and butterflies love to nectar on Buttonbush. You will be helping our pollinators by planting this shrub.

Stonecrop is an easy-to-care for flowering native that thrives on drier soils and neglect.  It makes a great ground cover. To see past year's selections go to the LEAP website.

Renee Boronka  of CMNH heads up the meetings.

These meetings gather a diverse group of land managers from Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and many Land Trusts and Conservancies. We struggle with the difficult problems of land management.


                   Like this one....

White-tailed  Deer

White-tail deer, a.k.a.  Bambi, Botany Browsers, and last but not least, Tick Transporters.  Nothing creates a bigger stir in land management.  They are sooo cute but they create so much damage to the land, ecosystems and the other inhabitants in the woods.  A few deer are a wonderful addition to the landscape.  A few too many? Deer are the enemy of biodiversity, and left unchecked, quickly become the scourge of all lower life forms, except ticks.  Ticks love 'em.

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 These gatherings are the Who's Who of Land Management and attended by some of the finest land managers in the state of Ohio and Pennsylvania.  We look closely at a potential problems and assess them from all angles.

 i.e.: Could birth control be used on deer?  Unfortunately, we know it would have a trickle-down effect on the reproduction of Bald Eagles and other scavengers as well. It is just not that simple.

To learn more about LEAP, the conservation problems we are currently tackling and helpful tips about native plants- http://leapbio.org/   is the link to click.

The Point of No Return

For those of you who were unable to attend the recent Conservation Symposium at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, here is a little recap.  The line-up was a wonderful selection of people involved in or studying conservation in one form or another. Dr Bridget Stutchbury spoke on Conservation Triage, with an interesting twist.  Let's just say, we can and should make conservation a budget priority.

Dreams of Martha - Painting by Kristina Knowski

This year's topic of extinction plays well, as it is the 100 anniversary of the death of Martha, the last known Passenger Pigeon. Other topics discussed were Mussels, a program by Dr. Thomas Watters, and Conserving Plants by Dr Valerie Pence.

Chad Pregracke shows his photo of the pollution in the mighty Mississippi River.

The afternoon keynote was a real live wire!  Chad Pregracke, the founder of of Living Lands & Waters spoke on the efforts to clean up America's Rivers, from the bottom up. As CCN's Hero of the Year for 2013, there is some pretty awesome footage of this young man and his organizations efforts.  Do yourself a favor- and go HERE to see the CNN story.  It makes you realize one person can make a difference!  We can each be a force for positive change.  It was an honor to meet Chad!

Greg Lipps, one of Ohio's leading herpetologists, spoke on the effort to captive rear and re-introduce Hellbenders in Ohio's waters. Tim Krynack gave an update on the bats imperiled by White-nosed Syndrome, and Harvey Webster told the compelling story Of Mast, Men, and Memory, about the Passenger Pigeon and the lessons we should learn from its extinction.

It was my good fortune to play a role in the program as well:

My program featured the latest information on our Midwest Monarchs, and their flight for life. Generally, migration is a behavior that benefits a species, but now migration is putting our Monarchs in harm's way.  Our "migration Monarchs" are counted each year during their diapause- or rest period- in the central highlands of Mexico.  This well documented data shows a declining trend for the last 20 years.

Generally, the data is reported in hectares but World Wildlife Fund has converted that to acres and reports the population that inhabited nearly 10 acres in 2010 was a down to 1.6 acres in 2013.  In 2014 the surviving population occupied less than 1 acre. 

In a mere four years, we have lost 90% of our Midwest Monarchs.

There is currently a movement to get Monarchs listed as a "Threatened" species.  Because the two populations of Monarch on the coasts (both have very limited migrations) are doing fairly well, the species is not endangered.  It is the Midwestern Migration Phenomenon which is endangered.

We are certainly on the brink of having Monarchs extirpated from Ohio.

There are many factors at play here.  A loss of milkweed (Monarch's host plant) and a rise in the use of herbicides, pesticides and even fungicides are being implicated.  Add in climate change, which has dumped snow on wintering populations, and decimated the spring migration start-up in the drought impacted Texas.  Hopefully, the Monarch will rebound some this year, but only time will tell.

Even if their numbers increase this winter, it is time to look toward serious Monarch conservation. They should be considered the "Bald Eagles of insect conservation".  That which improves the chances for Monarchs would also benefit other insects, especially other pollinators.

So please, plant milkweed, but only if you discontinue the use of chemicals in your yard! Better yet, let's start asking our great State of Ohio to champion the cause of the Monarchs and actively manage milkweeds in Wildlife Areas, State Parks and Forests.

It would be a terrible loss to no longer have Monarchs to be tagged and raised in school programs. They are the best introduction to natural science and basic entomology!

It is far better to start conservation efforts now than to react after they are extirpated.  Please help us help the Monarchs.

Re-thinking your lawn

 Today I had a marvelous time with the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs at their annual meeting, which was held at Mohican State Park Lodge. They asked for a program on attracting  critters into one's yard with native plants.  That happens to be my favorite topic!

 The program ended up entitled Native Plants Add Drama.  Believe me, they do!  I can hang out all day taking pictures and following the birds, butterflies and mammalian wildlife around in my yard.  It is an ongoing circus, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

This saying from "The Wild Ones" tells the tale best.  IF you don't have action in your yard, you need to re-think your plants and your chemical usage. One of my most requested programs is Butterflies as Bioindicators.  If your yard is healthy and chemical free you should be seeing butterflies.

Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor philenor

 The latest hatch in my yard was Pipevine Swallowtails. But before one can have these lovely insects, you must have their host plant. I believe my pipevine is Aristolochia tomentosa. Good thing I planted one several years ago and it now festoons the side of my barn.

Prickly-ash, Zanthoxylum americanum in seed

 Another unusual plant on my property is the Prickly-ash.  It occurs naturally along the edge of my woodlot, and is the host plant for Giant Swallowtails.  Imagine my surprise when I realized there was already a well established population right in my own yard!

Giant Swallowtail, Papilio cresphones

These seven inch beauties have two broods each year.  The early spring brood loves to nectar on my Azalea plants, and the second brood heads for the Purple Coneflowers. I also had a Giant nectaring on a Common Milkweed a week or so ago.  It is important to cultivate milkweed for Monarchs, but other species of butterflies and bees will use milkweed too.  It is a staple in my home's habitat and vital to Monarch conservation.

Thursday Aug. 21th at 7:00 pm I will be previewing a program Midwestern Monarchs at the Gorman Nature Center in Mansfield.  I will also give this program for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's Conservation Symposium- The Point of No Return- on Sept. 5th.  They have a stellar line up for that event, and I encourage you to go the notice in the side panel of this blog, and follow the link to register.  There is a lot of information on Monarchs that has slipped past the general public and I hope you will join me for one of these programs.

The Battle of Lake Erie

Two hundred years ago cannons fired across Lake Erie.  The war began in 1812, but the deciding battle was fought just off the shores of Put-in Bay in the summer of 1813. Today, towering over South Bass Island, stands a highly visible landmark: a monument to Oliver Hazard Perry and the sailors who fought bravely for this new country.  

Commander Perry as he is transported to the ship Niagra.
 Battle of Lake Erie by William Henry Powell, painted 1865 / Wikipedia

Once again, the tall ships are coming to Lake Erie. There will be a reenactment of the battle over Labor Day weekend 2013 and tourists will flock to Lake Erie to join the festivities. But are these modern day sailors aware of the new "Battle for Lake Erie"?

http://cherylharner.blogspot.com/2011/10/our-lake-becomes-eerie.html

This is my photo from 2011 is from a Weedpicker blog on the water quality of Lake Erie. If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention.   We have alien invaders and toxic algae threatening the health of Ohio's greatest lake.

If you ready to learn more about this amazing ecosystem, Cleveland Museum of Natural History has just the offering for you! Ohio's most important natural resource is fresh, potable water; it is the resource we should be fervently protecting.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History will host its annual Conservation Symposium on Friday, September 6, 2013. This year's theme is The Battle of Lake Erie--focusing on current threats to, as well as the status of, our Great Lake Erie ecosystem. Our keynote speakers are...Peter Annin, professor at University of Notre Dame and author of The Great Lakes Water Wars, will update us on the status of the "water wars." And Dr. Eddie Herdendorf, retired director of Stone Lab (OSU), will give us an historic overview of how Lake Erie was formed and functions. 
For a schedule of all speakers and to register, please click on the link below:http://cmnh.org/site/Conservation/ConservationSymposium/Schedule.aspx

Sign up TODAY;  I look forward to seeing you there!

Among the Ancients

We humans are are but short lived species, compared to some of the ancients on earth.  The term "Old Growth Forest" has many different meanings, but a general rule of thumb would be a forest that has attained significant age (pre-settlement in America) without significant disruption.  They are filled with ancient trees.

These forests are rare and unique communities, and probably less than 1%  of them remain.  Giant Sequoias certainly come to mind, but there are a few examples in our Eastern deciduous forests as well.

 Recently I have been entranced by this book listing 26 forests in the east.  You can believe I have map-quested my way to the ones within striking distance and have made plans to re-visit Ohio's representative in the book: Johnson Woods.  Yes, it is one of our Ohio State Nature Preserves.

 Joan Maloof, the author, gave a compelling program at last week's "Forest Management" seminar at Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  Not only is she a admirer of these big, bodacious trees, she is working hard to protect the last of our giants in arboreal natural history.

Old Growth Forests are rated as more beautiful.

Old Growth Forests are not only more beautiful, they are quantifiably more diverse and often protect unique organisms.  Is it any wonder some of our extinct or nearly extinct bird species (Ivory-billed Woodpeckers, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Black-backed Woodpeckers) prefer these- now nearly extinct forests?

But is not just beauty and diversity these forests add.  They are also good for our environment.  They have enhanced hydrology and are excellent at carbon sequestration. Both are huge pluses for a world undergoing climatic change. For a long time we thought young forests were better at carbon sequestration, because young trees take up carbon at a higher rate.  However, now we know due to their additional mass, old growth trees sequester carbon just as well.

Learn more about these forests and the goal to protect our remaining ancient trees.  Joan is quick to say she has “no problem with forests set aside for production.”   However, she also believes some

“public forests should exist for more than fiber and dollars.”  

Let's work to set aside ancient forest for our children's children.  These trees can easily outlive us, but only if we protect them now.  Go here to read more about the Old Growth Forest Network.  It is truly  America's Next Idea.

This Bug really STINKS!

We have a new player in the forest: Viburnum Leaf Beetle.  If you have native or ornamental viburnums on your property, this bad boy is coming for you. 

 Another day, another invasive- it could really get an environmentalist down.  There seems to be no end to the foreign assaults on our forest and flora of America.  But in the name of patriotism, let's arm ourselves with education.

Leaf damage of the Viburnum Beetle

On a recent field trip to Singer Lake Bog, we saw many viburnum riddled by this invasive insect.  The beetles have hatched out and are feeding.  While I did not find any larva or beetles to photograph for you, the damage was evident.  Several times I commented,  "What is that stench?"  

Apparently these beetles have a distinctive smell.  (Think Multi-colored Asian Lady Bugs: have you ever smelled them?) Not everyone noticed it, but I believe some of us could "sniff" our way to infestation in the forest!  

 Our leaders told of the recent defoliation of the viburnum in Northeast Ohio, and how it weakens the plant each subsequent year.  After three to four years of defoliation, the plant dies.  My questions were, "What are we doing to identify them?"  and  "What are we doing to protect the Viburnum?"

We didn't seem to have the answers to that- so far... most are watching the viburnums die. The sad truth is: most folks attuned to ecology are hesitant to pull out the blazing guns of chemicals.  We are wary of the "collateral damage" we have seen in the past on our good and beneficial insects when predator species are set lose (think: Gypsum moth predators killing our Silk Moth larva.)

Viburnum Leaf Beetle larva being eaten by an orange and black Lady Beetle larva, Photo Courtesy of Cornell's Website

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/vlb/manage.html

 So I have been reading on this pest and the simple things we can do to put a hurt on them.  Follow that link to Cornell and let's start rounding these stinking beetles up!  Watch for egg laying damage on viburnums.  If we remove eggs masses in the fall- it is a good start.  Next we bring out the lady bugs.  Lord knows, we already have them, so lets hope they develop a taste for Viburnum beetles.  Click on that link above to educate yourself on this pest.  Forewarned is forearmed.   GO CORNELL!!!

Let's embrace the pro-active options, verses the OSU attitudes of  "...Ohio's nursery industry is the nation's fifth largest. Quarantines imposed, as a result of establishment of VLB in Ohio, would represent an economic burden to the many growers who export nursery stock from Ohio."  

Follow this link to read it yourself:  http://ohioline.osu.edu/sc195/013.html   There is some good info on the OSU page, but I really prefer Cornell's take.  Proactive, hands on and low chemical usage.  Print that Cornell page and pass it around to your friends.

Judy Semroc and Larry Rosche of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Thank you to Judy and Larry for leading this fine field trip as part of the CMNH program on tree conservation.  It was an excellent opportunity to educate myself, and every field trip with Judy and Larry is an education.  Stay posted for more info from the actual conference.

Forest Management: Seeing the Forest and the Trees

Hope you will join us at :

This year's Cleveland Museum of Natural History Conservation Symposium is not to be missed!


Forest Management: Seeing the Forest and the Trees
Thursday, September 6 through Saturday, September 8, 2012, with a full day of talks scheduled on Friday, September 7 at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.


You can register today for only $15/person.  To register or read more about the event, visit: http://www.cmnh.org/site/ConSym.aspx



On Thursday, the Museum will host a day long training session on the Invasive Earthworm Rapid Assessment Tool (IERAT). Dr. Cindy Hale from the University of Minnesota will lead the workshop with classroom instruction on the history of the earthworm invasion in North America and their impact on the forest ecosystem, including the correlation between worms and invasive plants. She'll also lead an afternoon field component that will include visits to several locations in Northeast Ohio which have varying degrees of earthworm impact.


Friday is the typical full day symposium featuring two key speakers. 


Dr. Joan Maloof, author of Among the Ancients: Adventures in the Eastern Old-Growth Forests, will address old-growth forests in North America. Maloof’s research has shown that unmanaged old-growth forests contain the highest levels of biodiversity, absorb the greatest amounts of carbon dioxide, recover most quickly from disturbance, and are, measurably, the most beautiful. 

Dr. Michael Saunders, Assistant Professor in the Department of Forestry at Purdue University, will give the presentation Ten 'Little' Things to Increase Forest Resiliency. Saunders will discuss what resiliency is, how historical management affected it and outline 10 practices that increase resiliency. Other discussions will include Redback Salamanders, non-native earthworms, forest-dependent birds, butterflies and moths, grapevine management, shale gas drilling and much more…

Symposium registration includes a field trip of your choice on either Thursday, September 6 from 1 - 4 pm or Saturday, September 8 from 9 am - 12 pm. Leaders will be touring participants through our region’s most outstanding forest ecosystems. For a complete list of field trips and to register online today, visit www.cmnh.org/site/ConSym.aspx.

A Night at the Museum

Complete with scary noises and giant shuffling dinosaurs, the movies don't have anything on the original: Cleveland Museum of Natural History. It was an exciting place to visit when the kids were little, and even more fun now that my daughter is a professional science-type! J.J. and I spent most of Wednesday afternoon banging around the museum, and we found the intriguing array of displays both entertaining and informative.

Calling all plant lovers! Fieldwork: The Rare & the Wonderful at Singer Lake Bog is a new exhibit you will want to see! Tons of photos and information on this N.E. Ohio bog which is chock-full of both plant and insect rarities: Elfin Skimmer dragonflies, Bog Willow are just two of the specialities. If you have not yet been to this bog, at least treat yourself to the display. You can enjoy some of Ohio's coolest plants, without donning your waders!

Getting up close and personal with Ohio plants is as easy as walking down the hall.

Since I was there for Dr. Andy Jones' fun and fascinating program on the latest bird journal reviews, hosted by the Kirtland Bird Club...

it was an awesome opportunity to study the bird "skins" in the lower hall. There is nothing like looking at the real thing for comparisons.

The Cleveland Museum has a wonderful display of Ohio's birds, and we studied these sandpipers pretty intently. Now if we could just get someone to put those little tags on the ones we see out in the field!