Forests as communities, not commodities.

It is no surprise to anyone who knows me, I am a very big fan of trees.  In fact, most of my educational programs in 2017 were about trees.  Those programs included stories about incredible, ancient trees.  Including trees and forests worthy of a special trip to see:  Goose Island State Park, TX,, Congaree S.C, and  Cook Forest, PA.

One of those enduring forests is in nearby Mohican State Park and Forest (near Loudonville, Ohio.)  You will find the Old-Growth portions within the Clear Fork Gorge State Nature Preserve. There you can visit trees over 300 years old. 

Imagine, trees older than your parents' parents. Older than your great-grand-parents' parents.  Human being beings are such a short -lived species, and yet we rarely take time to notice those who have been on this planet --living, breathing-- and releasing oxygen to sustain the mammals beneath them.

Pardon my paraphrasing of Aldo Leopold's quote to "meme" this magnificent picture of friend, Dan Boone.  The photo was taken in the Clear Fork State Nature Preserve by the talented Andrew Lane Gibson.  Both Dan and Andrew are tree guys, and they have a deep and abiding respect for these giants who will live long past our time on this pale blue dot.

We people of the forest admire not only the trees, but also the plant communities or ecosystems which support- and are supported- by our planet's trees.  We are better off  for having visited these quiet place to commune with nature.  We admire the birds and salamanders.  We study the lichens and ferns. We don't take our forests for granted, as we have seen too many destroyed for short term gains.

Once again, the environmentally savvy find ourselves speaking up for the protection of Mohican and the Hocking Hills.  These trees' value to the local tourism economies far out-weighs the paltry dollars brought to the State coffers by timbering the very trees people come to visit and enjoy.

North Central Ohio Land Conservancy is circulating a petition requesting Gov. Kasich  permanently protect Mohican.  Please consider the merits of its text:  "The State of Ohio has no compelling need to timber our valuable forest lands. Timbering only reduces the value for tourism and recreation.

"These ecosystems provide habitat for breeding species of state threatened birds, bats, and flowers.  Pine groves and hemlocks protect the watershed from erosion and condition the riparian corridor for gamefish and the state endangered Hellbender salamander."

Please follow this link to the NCOLC petition and print two copies.  You, too, can help preserve the trees and habitats Ohioans love to visit.  Use your voice to preserve Mohican in its entirety as a State Park, and allow future generations an opportunity to see these grand evergreen forests in Mid-Ohio.

Getting Down to Business for Mohican

 Dear Friends,

We only have -days- to comment to forestry about the sweeping changes they want to enact in Mohican State Forest.  If you like hiking, birding, botanizing, fishing or enjoying the sweet sounds of nature, you already know you do not want to see our "little jewel" of Mohican become an industrial timber lot.



Some places are just too special to have commercial timber operations interfering with tourism. Ohio Division of Forestry has made some very questionable calls in the past on places they thought were appropriate for timbering:

Please click on the PNG photo/form below to print and send!  We have a right to request our public forests be used primarily for recreation, conservation, and health benefits for people and the land.  

Remember, sharing is caring! 

Mohican love.

Some things are simply too special to be treated like the rest.  Your grandchildren for example, are somehow more- dear to your heart.  Or the Vietnam Memorial, feels like a yet fresh wound.  Something we treat a bit differently than a Revolutionary War relic.

Mohican State Forest is like that.  Sure, when it was set aside as a State Forest, it was because the land had been misused and eroded.  It needed the protection offered by the State. The Civilian Conservation Corps planted thousands upon thousands of trees to restore the land. A Memorial Forest was set aside, as a tribute to those who had died in American wars.   The land, like our country, began to heal.

Today, those pines stand tall.  Occasionally, with a glimpse from the right angle, you’ll even notice the straight lines in which they were planted.  But the course of time has changed things, dramatically.  These are no longer the saplings our forefathers planted.  They are tall, nearly century old trees.  A forester might say they are “over-mature”.  But in the scale of deep-time and the ages, they have barely started.  Compared to rock and the soils in which they stand, they are mere kindergarten trees.

Trees, like people, don’t always age well.  Some get disease, other are victims of invasive insects, accidents, or calamitous weather events.  Death is a part of life, and death in the forest means regeneration.  The fallen- feed the molds and microbes until they become one with the soil again.

The openings created when a tree falls become an interior island of biodiversity.    Pioneering plants, waiting as seeds in the soils, react to the sunlight with luxuriant growth.  Young trees quickly race toward the sky to fill the hole. Birds and other wildlife, respond to these edge habitats, filling them with song and young.

Not all of Mohican is planted pines.  The Mohican Gorge is a gift from the Ice Age.  The steep banks and soft native Hemlocks create habitat for ground thrushes, like Veery and Wood Thrush. Wintering migrants, such as crossbills and Evening Grosbeak seek the shelter of our dense evergreen forest, unlike the 4%-5% of evergreen cover the Division of Wildlife cites for the rest of Ohio.

We don’t want Mohican to look or feel -or sound- like the rest of Ohio.  It is special.  From the Clear Fork State Nature Preserve and the trails at the Covered Bridge to the pine woodlots, Mohican is more than a good place to produce pulpwood and timber.  It is not just a forest for the trees.  As in any dynamic ecosystem, Mohican needs all stages and ages of lifeforms- including trees.

Ohio Division of Forestry would like us to think of Mohican as an industrial woodlot.  And yes, they are the experts on producing board feet of timber and pulp.  However, if another stick of lumber never came out of Mohican, we would have no “timber crisis” or shortage in Ohio.  Our private foresters are serving us well, producing 97% of Ohio’s timber products on private lands.  But Mohican’s public land is simply too special to be in a timber rotation, or subject to selective cuts.

Mohican is for Moms and Dads. It is a place for family picnics and hikes.  The roar of saws and timber trucks should be as infrequent as the ones in our own backyards at home: restricted to safety issues and truly hazardous trees.

Most of all, Ohioans own Mohican and should not be brushed aside by the Division of Forestry to use our recreational haven for their timber crop.   

Mohican should not be treated like other state forests, it is simply too special.

Cheryl Harner, Weedpicker

#Opt Outside on Black Friday

Does nature speak to you?  It has plenty to say, if only we'll take time to listen: Relax. Reduce your stress levels.  Improve your health.  Breath easier.  

Spend time on a nature trail today.  I guarantee shopping in Black Friday crowds will provide none of those health benefits to you.

White Cedar tree trunk at an Adams County State Nature Preserve

Go outside and breathe deeply.  Find a path awash in fall beauty.  Ohio's countless State Parks and State Nature Preserves are calling to you.  Or find your oasis in a locally funded county park or land trust preserve.  

The Lyons Falls at Mohican State Park attract hikers from around the world.

When friends and family visit our house, my first instinct is to take them some place "wild".  Let's get back to nature and opt out of shopping on Black Friday.  Go take a hike instead!

For more information, follow these links to Trust for Public Land and REI- the retailer who has closed their doors today to get you OUTDOORS!

Trust for Public Land -  Protect our lands

#OptOutside with REI on Black Friday - REI.com

I hope you'll join my friends and me  as we improve our health and release happy thoughts and
good vibrations into the natural world.  While you are at it, hug a tree!

Kick your endorphins up a notch- #OptOutside !

Flora-Quest 2015 finale

For those who know me, the fact that I devote a good part of my year organizing Flora-Quest comes as no surprise.  Flora-Quest was the brain-child of Jim McCormac, and Paula Harper and I provided the first "boots on the ground" so to speak.  From 2007-2015 it has been a good run, many of those years were held in Shawnee State Park and Forest.  This year it was time for something new, and Flora-Quest 2015 moved to Mohican Forest and Malabar Farm State Park.

Maidenhair Spleenwort, photo by Steve McKee

With a name like Flora-Quest one might expect flowers.  Most of our Quests have been flora-centric, however this year we focused more on eco-systems. We wanted to convey a better understanding why the hemlock trees and hellbenders are as important as rare ferns, like this Maidenhair Spleenwort, and Roundleaf Orchids.

Mohican's own Steve McKee,  photo by Jennifer Kubicki

But a long time ago I learned what was really important at Flora-Quest: the people.  The incredible guides who share their knowledge.  The fascinating attendees - often guides, authors, conservationists and professional naturalists- who bring so much collective intelligence to our programs.  Many of them are old friends and even more of them have become our new friends.

Long-time guide, Bob Scott Placier and friends. Photo  by Mark Dilley

Bird Banding, photo Zach Pocock

Many of our guides have dedicated their lives to environmental and outdoor education.  Bob Scott Placier recently retired from a long career teaching Dendrology and Ornithology at Hocking College. He is Flora-Quest lifer,  and a guide I can always count on to pitch in and help out in the wee hours of the morning.  There is nothing in the world to capture one's heart like seeing a tiny wild bird, up-close and personal. Bob makes that happen.

Judy Semroc, photo by Jennifer Kubicki

One of our sponsors, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History sends people to our event.  Guides Judy Semroc and Larry Rosche are experts in the field.  They literally wrote the book on Northeast Ohio's Dragonflies. Their combined abilities identifying birds, bugs and plants is legendary.

Greg Lipps and Hellbender, photo by Jeff  Belth.

This year we went to -hellbender- in a basket, or rather a plastic tube. Greg Lipps, Ohio's foremost expert on these endangered, prehistoric aquatic creatures brought some fauna to our flora program. The health of our watersheds matter and the flora we love filters the run-off to our rivers.  Eco-systems are important and we must protect entire ecosystems to protect individual charismatic species, like hellbenders.

Lousie Warner, Chis Riley, Clyde Gosnell 

 For me, the addition of interns or Flora-Fellows took the entire event to a whole new level.  We provide students and young professionals the opportunity to meet the movers and shakers in the world of conservation.  Pictured here, Chris was sponsored by The Stratford Ecological Center (represented by Louise and Clyde.)

Tim McNiven, intern Nicole Hoekstra and Greg Blum

 Nicole Hoekstra brought her many talents to us as an intern, and she was funded by two wonderful individuals who have attended past Flora-Quests.  Greg and Tim wanted to provide this educational opportunity to someone who would not be able to attend without a scholarship.

These are the people of Flora-Quest: intelligent folks who want to share their knowledge and love for nature. People who care.

Mark and Michelle Goodman-  photo selfie

Especially nice for me, my daughter and son-in-law helped by coordinating the efforts of those interns. They also remind me why bringing people closer to nature and learning about our environment really matters.  We do this, not only for our own enjoyment, but rather for future generations.  We are growing a constituency for our parks and forests.

Sure, we all feel better when we breath clean air. We are happier when we are trotting down a wooded trail. My friends all want to have a personal encounters with a bird, butterfly or beetle. Flora-Questers are the people who help us ensure these special places are here for the next generations as well.

Special thanks to all those who have sent in photos!  I rarely have time to get decent pictures during the event. This blog is strictly the result of using the photos I have been given to share.  There were 20 fabulous guides, 4 awesome interns, 1 energetic emcee, 4 excellent speakers- and I will hope to share more of their photos in the future.  For now I would like to say thank you to the paying participants; YOU make this event happen.  "Thank You." 

Mohican Thaw

A hemlock gently hangs above a thaw-swollen river.  Rivulets of snow-melt are coursing down the sandstone embankments of the Mohican Gorge, filling our river to over-flow.

Eastern Hemlock, place holder for the Mohican's Clear Fork river bank.

Riparian trees are place holders, against the currents of time and water.  They are soil stabilizers and embankment safe-guards, leading the fight against erosion and siltation of our state listed Scenic River.

Jim Davidson studies lichens along the trail.

My friend Jim Davidson and I took a spring-thaw hike along the Hemlock Gorge trail.  We didn't get far,  for the melt water soon made the path impassable.  But we studied both the lichens and trees along the way.

Smokey-eye Boulder Lichen

This four inch lichen, commonly found on rocks had discrete spots he called apothecia, which are gray-blue in this species.  This particular lichen often grows in conjunction with mosses. Jim believed this to be Smokey-eye Boulder Lichen, which is one of the lichen featured in ODNR's excellent new booklet: Common Lichens of Ohio.  I recommend that you call 1-800-WILDLIFE to order your own free copy.  They will mail it right to your door!

Clear Fork State Nature Preserve

Next we ventured to the Clear Fork State Nature Preserve.  This piece of Mohican is most heavily protected from timbering, and it has some old growth trees. Jason Larson will be leading one of our Flora-Quest trips into this very special preserve. His trip will also feature Hog-Hollow, a lovely hike that follows a stream down the hillside to the river.

Joe and Jim stand next to a massive White Pine.

White pine was native to this area and many excellent examples remain along the Clear Fork State Nature Preserve trail. Breath deeply.  This place is good for both body and soul.  It is rather mind-expanding to be in the presence of these giant trees.  It is also pretty awesome to spend a day with giants the likes of Joe and Jim, too!

An over-the-shoulder look as we leave the preserve.  It is almost remarkable how the Hemlocks condition the air in this woods.  It generally feels a good ten degrees cooler than the surrounding woods and reminds us of a hike in Canada.  This is where you will experience the importance of our evergreen Hemlock, a key-stone species.

Turkey Vultures

Oh yeah, these locals said they can't wait to meet you, too!  In the summer, both Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures hang out by the Pleasant Hill Dam and enjoy drafting-off the upward air currents created by the rock formations and the dam.

Feel free to stop-by and have lunch with them, but it is B.Y.O.C.  Bring your own carrion!

Ohio's best grassland birding-

May has swooshed by in one amazing fog!  Your blogger has traipsed all across this state and into another!  I admit, these blog posts got a bit behind as I was just running too hard and having too much fun to sit down to write.

Greg Miller birding with Ronnie and Sharron from Nova Scotia

My friends and I traveled from  Shawnee State Park (Flora-Quest) and Forest, to Maumee Bay (Biggest Week in American Birding), to Mohican State Forest, Byers Woods, Hocking Hills, and Cranberry Glade, WV.

Sharron and Ronnie- doing what birders do.

 We found nice, quiet spots off the beaten path, where we enjoyed both birds and botany throughout Ohio.

The Greater Mohican Audubon Society spotted Cerulean Warblers from the Mohican Covered Bridge.

Some of these travels were "pay back birding."   Ronnie was my birding host when I visited Nova Scotia in search of Atlantic Puffins last year.  In return, I promised to help him find Cerulean Warblers.  This photo was from the day we saw at least four Ceruleans singing their hearts out along the Clear-Fork River in Mohican.  Debt paid in FULL!

Sharron Marlor, Luisa Martinez and Ronnie D'entremont at Byers Woods, a landfill- turned bird sanctuary.

Of all our jaunts, Ronnie spent the most time working his photographic charms at Byers Woods.  He was amazed at the numbers of Bobolinks we found there.  In addition to numbers, the shear proximity to these grassland birds is a bit mind boggling.  You don't even need binoculars for the most part.

Bobolink with landfill vent in the background, photo by Ronnie D'entremont

This stunning in-flight photo of a Bobolink was taken by Ronnie.  We counted over forty Bobolinks in flight- calling across the grassland looking for love.  Most Bobolinks land in all the WRONG places- farm acreage that will be mowed or harvested before the young are able to fledge from the nests built on the ground.

Bobolink in grassland repose, photo by Cheryl Harner

By now the Bobs have found their mates, built nests on the ground and may well be incubating their eggs.  It could be tough to see much activity during this quiet period.

Welcoming sign at Byers Woods

We know this timing well, because the Greater Mohican Audubon Society hosts a festival to celebrate the Bobolinks at Byers Woods each year. Join us on June 22nd and you'll be likely to see some active Bobolinks feeding young in their nests.

Join us for a fun free event. You'll see more Bobolinks than you can shake a stick at!  We have come a long way with 6 years of conservation.  Go to the GMAS website for more details.  This is your opportunity to go on a walk with Jim McCormac, Lisa Rainsong, or take the beginner's walk with local expert Tim Leslie.  Greg Miller will also be there to help you see a Bobolink in a spotting scope.

Bobolink numbers have been in great decline all across the country.  It is not just Ohio that has seen changes in their numbers.  For more information, the University of Connecticut has a Bobolink Project for the protection of Bobolinks.  

It seems we have been leaders in conservation right here in Ashland County!  Thanks to all of their friends in Greater Mohican Audubon and the Ashland Park District, central Ohio's Bobolinks have a place to call home.

Winter World

Don't think of it as winter, but rather- our rest. 

One might believe Spring has refused to come to Mid-Ohio, and a new ice age has crept across our land.  Winter winds howled as several inches of snow blanketed our lawns and the spring flowers we had hoped to see. This too, shall pass.  No harm has been done, as our spring ephemerals are the most cold tolerant of flowers. Once temperate weather returns, the grass will get green and the wildflowers will make up for lost time.  

Meanwhile, I plan to inhale deeply; one last breath of winter and rest, before I dive into the madness we call May. The next blog posts will surely be of flowers and warblers, but let's admire the wonders of winter one last time. 

Ice formations at Mohican Outdoor School, photo by Michael Godfrey.

Festooning the rock walls at the Mohican Outdoor School, water has been captured mid-air and hardened into sculptures of ice. Our Hemlock Falls is one of the true winter beauty spots of the Mohican area.

Mohican Outdoor School

The mosses retain their green when the ice recedes, in spite of the coldest weather.  These hills are alive with ferns, lichens and mosses. They create an enchanted isle of emerald even in mid-winter.

A mini resort, for Chippy.

At home, I have created a mini island of moss covered rock, complete with icicles.  The stacked sandstone fountain in my bird friendly landscape now reminds me of my favorite Mohican haunts.  Mr. Chipmunk seem to approve.  We both enjoy this natural element in my suburban lawn. Nature is the best teacher, and winter is an excellent time to reflect on nature's perfect ways.

Winter is best spent with a warm fire and a good book.  My book of choice, during these days of rest and reflection, is Bernd Heinrich's Winter World.  It is my new favorite on my book shelf.  Heinrich reveals the ingenuity of animals and their winter secrets for survival.  Give me one more day to finish this book, and then we can all happily move on to spring. 

Birds Count!

 We just can't help it, birders love to have our  "Merry Little Christmas" Bird Counts!

And doggone if we don't see some of the best birds that way.  A couple years back we had heart-stopping views of White-wing Crossbills at the Mohican Gorge Overlook.  You can read a great post about it- over at Jim McCormac's blog.

White-winged Crossbills in Hemlock

 I am no photographer, but here are a couple crossbills scampering around at eye-level.

Roger Troutman compiles both Wooster and Mohican CBC data.

It is a challenge to get a photo of the participants at the Mohican CBC, as our Amish friends prefer not to be photographed. They are a huge part of this count and do much of the leg-work.  They leave the driving to the non-Amish, or "English."

Northern Mockingbird

Historically, Northern Mockingbird is a great bird for the Wooster Count.  This year we had four in my territory alone.  That seems like a significant change.

Keeping consistent data, year after year tells us which birds are rising in number- like the Mockingbird- and which are in decline.  We have over 100 years of information, thanks to "citizen scientists", folks like you and me.

Evening Grosbeak

We'll hope for some Crossbills again, and you can bet we will be trying hard for the Evening Grosbeaks in Mohican as well.  I spotted them this week, and maybe we can find them again for our big day next Saturday.  See the Greater Mohican Audubon website for details.

I hope you'll join a Christmas Bird Count this year.  I do four counts each year, and find them both rewarding and fun.  The best part: this year there is no charge.  Audubon will compile the information and post it on-line.  Since there will be no magazine printed, they have eliminated the fee.

 But I hope you will join me and send them a little cash anyway. Go right HERE, and make a donation to the National Audubon Society today.  This is important work we do each year and helps scientist get a better understanding how bird populations change locally and globally.  Here's what they have to say:

The data gathered by this army of citizen scientists is critical to Audubon’s bird conservation work in the years ahead.  Past counts have shown that many common birds—ones we have grown up with—are rapidly declining in numbers. 

•	The Evening Grosbeak has declined by more than 90 percent.

Female Evening  Grosbeak.

 So join our count and if you are really lucky- you'll get to see one of these!

Fall Color Watch- Beech

 Having traveled from the shores of Lake Erie to the forests of Shawnee, all within the last week, I can say with certainty- No place in Ohio is more beautiful with fall color than the Malabar and Mohican State Parks.

 Last evening the color was absolutely stunning.  

It is fun to play the game- "What tree is it?" using only fall color as an identifier.  It can be done with some accuracy, once you get to know the players.  For example, concentrate on the middle- lower tree in the above photo.  Pay no attention to that bright orange tree screaming out to you (we will get to it later.)

Look at the subtle copper tones of fall:

Copper tones of the American Beech

Cool nights in October transform beech leaves into these copper colored beauties.  There are no other leaves that take on this tone.  

This slide from one of my programs illustrates wonders of the American Beech.  Most people recognize its smooth gray tree bark- not unlike an elephant's skin.  It also has wonderful nuts, most desirable for wildlife.

Now you know it has coppery colors in the fall.

The view from Malabar's Mt. Jeez is incredible this time of year.  There was literally a crowd there last night.  Six car loads of people were admiring the "fireworks" of fall color blasted onto the landscape. The colors at sunrise would be even better, with the sun at our backs.

Take a little time to enjoy this brief flash of color before winter sets in, and try to identify some trees by color alone. You'll gain an even greater appreciation for the wonders in our own backyards.