tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754075274681257722024-02-26T11:35:20.302-06:00Weedpicker's Journal:Cheryl's Flora and FliersWeedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.comBlogger757125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-8044532225365523082017-10-26T16:06:00.000-05:002017-10-26T18:31:03.872-05:00Forests as communities, not commodities.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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: <a href="http://cherylharner.blogspot.com/2016/01/big-birding-in-texas.html">Goose Island State Park, TX</a>,, <a href="http://cherylharner.blogspot.com/2015/04/chasing-trees.html">Congaree S.C</a>, and <a href="http://cherylharner.blogspot.com/2013/10/old-growth-forest.html">Cook Forest, PA</a>.</div>
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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. </div>
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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.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMEZMYUDSIwXOFQmNqilpqNjwy5o3ekd4_KOquUboFeflGvG7RrgqNaTTaXUS8tY5gPspo9BZtLQIOBp2lC9pJsdENeYovEsnZSxTceJ80gTvDTZVrCKrCEmXQdhaY6FgjoIWxScVeJXD/s1600/The+race+of+man.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="786" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMEZMYUDSIwXOFQmNqilpqNjwy5o3ekd4_KOquUboFeflGvG7RrgqNaTTaXUS8tY5gPspo9BZtLQIOBp2lC9pJsdENeYovEsnZSxTceJ80gTvDTZVrCKrCEmXQdhaY6FgjoIWxScVeJXD/s640/The+race+of+man.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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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 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO5FwsblpT8">pale blue dot</a>.<br />
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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 man<span style="font-family: inherit;">y destroyed </span>for short term gains.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/362136023/2017-Mohican-Forest-Petition"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="585" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDU0I3f8xhD3Ufie4Nt0f1WBIBvefUCnfyFYEmJiJMlgUL2GuMS-21mpsUEBA42JfA1Zj0eXMmjO449qYoZLcXKjg8isgKyDAJIOG8TEi_RhUq8_NhEXZFMr5i4jG5MFcgZsbxDFQW5R_/s640/Banner_PrintScreen_Mohican2017.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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North Central Ohio Land Conservancy is circulating a <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/362136023/2017-Mohican-Forest-Petition">petition </a>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.<br />
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"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."<br />
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Please follow this<span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/362136023/2017-Mohican-Forest-Petition"><span style="color: blue;">link</span> </a>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.Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-1728094778926001792017-09-07T22:36:00.001-05:002017-09-07T22:59:01.940-05:00Howard Marsh- the excitement begins.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This week the Division of Wildlife held their annual Wildlife Diversity Partners' meetings. It is an opportunity for the birders, butterfliers, snake handlers and nature center representatives from all across Ohio to get together and share ideas and learn the latest offerings by Division of Wildlife.</div>
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We also vote on the photo that will be on the Wildlife Diversity Stamp. This year's winner is a garter snake, but oh, what a snake it is! You'll be proud to display it as a sign of your commitment to non-game species being helped by Wildlife dollars in Ohio.</div>
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We also took a tour of a wetland complex the Toledo Metroparks has teamed with the Division of Wildlife to create. Next spring when you are at Magee Marsh and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, go a few miles more to the west and your find the newly created Howard Marsh Metropark.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQIhnBp6e0f4qTs078qnqsjmemZ05ujGH_BU7b46rWmEDLNC-zaOP3poZmPSjPqjXCV6b2OaAC7GKflCzRIs2Fbmk4UU7oTyfh2-oFAKy7FXOuXVLrSlQj-zXZlY-TCNtvTV34073aPGj/s1600/Howard+Marsh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQIhnBp6e0f4qTs078qnqsjmemZ05ujGH_BU7b46rWmEDLNC-zaOP3poZmPSjPqjXCV6b2OaAC7GKflCzRIs2Fbmk4UU7oTyfh2-oFAKy7FXOuXVLrSlQj-zXZlY-TCNtvTV34073aPGj/s640/Howard+Marsh.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Howard Marsh as seen from Metzger Marsh causeway.</span></b></td></tr>
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If you drive down the causeway at Metzer Marsh, look to the west and you'll see some newly created impoundments and water handling systems.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLA-W3bwhue3ubPE7C2l8Bg4WvNrsaXdhJmgeXigUTyja7oBEiyH3SUdUUflHM9Y4LT8Ss2H4JrYXyW7BMgbufAANCN7eJNWrdcymg51xqiXFJRbKs_CugxKEQqb64h9_LiX3mftsbbY1I/s1600/sign+howard+marsh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLA-W3bwhue3ubPE7C2l8Bg4WvNrsaXdhJmgeXigUTyja7oBEiyH3SUdUUflHM9Y4LT8Ss2H4JrYXyW7BMgbufAANCN7eJNWrdcymg51xqiXFJRbKs_CugxKEQqb64h9_LiX3mftsbbY1I/s640/sign+howard+marsh.jpg" width="640" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sign of the times.</b></span></td></tr>
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The sign for Howard Marsh includes the many partners that have given this 700 acre project a boost.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKleFRZMb7sAoF-0O3nD-jEWwVPncjpLC2Ys-C21av5ZZLb1LwoTD77FtBMb5EduBxMQ9ji3UMNQ41gPbsA0iLSqmUPZuQ7Gc9hLGf4Hs5zrylE8okziIvtxM14x9YV308hFcdwZ64F33e/s1600/Denis+Franklin+Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKleFRZMb7sAoF-0O3nD-jEWwVPncjpLC2Ys-C21av5ZZLb1LwoTD77FtBMb5EduBxMQ9ji3UMNQ41gPbsA0iLSqmUPZuQ7Gc9hLGf4Hs5zrylE8okziIvtxM14x9YV308hFcdwZ64F33e/s640/Denis+Franklin+Map.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Dave Sherman from Division of Wildlife and Dennis Franklin from Toledo Metroparks carefully explained the project with the aid of detailed map and artist's renderings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanNNtATUw0psn2WRheVab3-R45vwXnDkSaKadVONvQK-kRj7liFX8RogyZL9W16omedKvz5-tO3q7qD3BCoLR6oVAeZvlGtDQAsTGGMq5-Cpzm960uCbg_T39TxkEXvHAqQo4-3nkezgt/s1600/Howard+Marsh+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanNNtATUw0psn2WRheVab3-R45vwXnDkSaKadVONvQK-kRj7liFX8RogyZL9W16omedKvz5-tO3q7qD3BCoLR6oVAeZvlGtDQAsTGGMq5-Cpzm960uCbg_T39TxkEXvHAqQo4-3nkezgt/s640/Howard+Marsh+water.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Newly created topography.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Howard Marsh will offer miles of hiking trails, a kayak launch, and multiple bridges and observation decks. The first stage was to create some depth and topography in the fields which were once known as Howard Farms. Restoring this area back to a marsh is far closer to the original form of the land when the Black Swamp occurred here.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Black Saddle</span></b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">bags dragonfly</span></b></td></tr>
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Wetlands are filled with biodiversity, from the blue Asian day-lilies to the myriad of dragonflies species that will immediately begin to use the impounded water as breeding grounds. Wetlands are the cradle of life in northwestern Ohio.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHgeM_0nBM2Byj2XQGvedPsWqohhsTJ4uBxZ0XJu1tK5kfoIWMSdIqSd2mdpQqla9frnxeUjOqnqd7g-x1niUFF4ARcI6bSebz0D0nSzK0hjHvRWFVY2VN461S6k0mDrWDROGYPAp1NDl/s1600/Wetland+Drama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHgeM_0nBM2Byj2XQGvedPsWqohhsTJ4uBxZ0XJu1tK5kfoIWMSdIqSd2mdpQqla9frnxeUjOqnqd7g-x1niUFF4ARcI6bSebz0D0nSzK0hjHvRWFVY2VN461S6k0mDrWDROGYPAp1NDl/s640/Wetland+Drama.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Big cloud drama, provided by stormy skies.</span></b></td></tr>
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Wetlands reflect light and color back to the cloud-filled skies on a September afternoon. If you aren't a huge fan of wetlands yet, just try spending one afternoon in their appreciation. Once you've found a couple frogs and hear the Sandhill Cranes calling as they wing across the sky... you <i>may</i> never be the same again.Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-31837963038551424902017-08-29T07:47:00.000-05:002017-08-29T12:46:03.700-05:00Getting Down to Business for Mohican<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dear Friends,<br />
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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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w0LMA30oaWJDv-EK2m0nTZ62yWM_iojWcMxo6P1Sy1_PKsIFO9x1wm4MILrZv6FhbCKRqwq1LoHylSv2qnr6oXaQL7w9KXq2zP0s83A-XdEESxEB6WTQkLGx6Pkb38UDXUuF4WNa4A71/s1600/image-2017_banner_MohicanForest_petition.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="632" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w0LMA30oaWJDv-EK2m0nTZ62yWM_iojWcMxo6P1Sy1_PKsIFO9x1wm4MILrZv6FhbCKRqwq1LoHylSv2qnr6oXaQL7w9KXq2zP0s83A-XdEESxEB6WTQkLGx6Pkb38UDXUuF4WNa4A71/s640/image-2017_banner_MohicanForest_petition.PNG" width="640" /></a><br />
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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:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgf9xWtx0PUW1-T2xHXGLK7tEuLohByZhFsoDgWlSxoBlJGsmLZkSCzcVubcQH2W4ztvaVPW_0J3fxqPYMfRG6pJfInik9olyAo6YqVYhUkFil5BnW4GtYm58Zu3pXkHeHUKsPXNaw4awn/s1600/Real+cost+of+timbering+_pg2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="585" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgf9xWtx0PUW1-T2xHXGLK7tEuLohByZhFsoDgWlSxoBlJGsmLZkSCzcVubcQH2W4ztvaVPW_0J3fxqPYMfRG6pJfInik9olyAo6YqVYhUkFil5BnW4GtYm58Zu3pXkHeHUKsPXNaw4awn/s640/Real+cost+of+timbering+_pg2.PNG" width="491" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHuwiwA6gSf-1FnafGWxvwZ2WRnCqEQrhyH3zGenP5Bq0nDWxAmjUky0eskhbhyphenhyphenhZ1hL0gYHl5iEi1Omk5UvUZPUzPSuU-oIwNiOT_Vgtk40ocMIfUvTJpzGfvMNOWLaA61vmr8bkzXDa/s1600/WHY.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="722" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHuwiwA6gSf-1FnafGWxvwZ2WRnCqEQrhyH3zGenP5Bq0nDWxAmjUky0eskhbhyphenhyphenhZ1hL0gYHl5iEi1Omk5UvUZPUzPSuU-oIwNiOT_Vgtk40ocMIfUvTJpzGfvMNOWLaA61vmr8bkzXDa/s320/WHY.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Please click on the PNG photo/form below to print and send! </b>We have a right to request our public forests be used primarily for recreation, conservation, and health benefits for people and the land. <b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62sese3CNToabhjA2UCdYSke1_1wWu03qLa7h6ogy9lZ3-7SLiXhChMgGGTB7T6QL6NxLpp_oIJrFmVwaJddzRXWVHTXpE7YpZQhtvHLPT1eXZ6peHu_EzfVuqSTv-BVm9-6yEQqUuJ7i/s1600/image-2017_MohicanForest_petition.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="969" data-original-width="1263" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62sese3CNToabhjA2UCdYSke1_1wWu03qLa7h6ogy9lZ3-7SLiXhChMgGGTB7T6QL6NxLpp_oIJrFmVwaJddzRXWVHTXpE7YpZQhtvHLPT1eXZ6peHu_EzfVuqSTv-BVm9-6yEQqUuJ7i/s640/image-2017_MohicanForest_petition.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Remember, sharing is caring! </b><br />
<br />Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-91015729347387583572017-08-18T15:00:00.003-05:002017-08-20T07:37:02.425-05:00Mohican love.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZay-8APndaDxita327WBfKqI_kD7q30vWVW4lV4TbfCsxXbDKxPKP6EsSJrJDPPp6ihLJGphtti1afSGx67BxDnA2wnroJR4SuRPTdMGXOBN7ei0UMVH5ZJXwIo6Qq0Zf_UODxJaowX-/s1600/14.5+hike++9-1-05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="623" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZay-8APndaDxita327WBfKqI_kD7q30vWVW4lV4TbfCsxXbDKxPKP6EsSJrJDPPp6ihLJGphtti1afSGx67BxDnA2wnroJR4SuRPTdMGXOBN7ei0UMVH5ZJXwIo6Qq0Zf_UODxJaowX-/s320/14.5+hike++9-1-05.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "calibri regular";">We don’t
</span><i><span style="font-family: "calibri italic";">want</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri regular";"> 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.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">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. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mohican should not
be treated like other state forests, it is simply too special.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span>
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cheryl Harner, Weedpicker</span></div>
</div>
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Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-47414088990091388012017-05-20T10:48:00.000-05:002017-05-21T06:46:39.604-05:00Admiring Trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This week has been peak bloom for mid-Ohio's native Black Locust trees. Their Latin name <i>Robinia pseudoacacia<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b> </b></span></i><span style="font-family: inherit;">is a reflection of its Acacia-like flowers. </span>You need to look no further than Ohio's highways and byways to find their white blossoms standing out like a beacon. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The extra inches of rain we had this winter/spring must have super-sized their fragrant flowers. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWUOXqy1H0shkyuuMTdODY5F3dJ9cipmtdbppEkBa7f9P9XsEk6HO3NJCMRlVrCNKVpX6VCLHsWEo8zLA5NxH5KW5_GyiEzb6yqOnQEuF8fVNITzVHQvKgcNvZnV32zToxOnGDOMBhTRo/s1600/black+locust+_Chesterville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWUOXqy1H0shkyuuMTdODY5F3dJ9cipmtdbppEkBa7f9P9XsEk6HO3NJCMRlVrCNKVpX6VCLHsWEo8zLA5NxH5KW5_GyiEzb6yqOnQEuF8fVNITzVHQvKgcNvZnV32zToxOnGDOMBhTRo/s400/black+locust+_Chesterville.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two landscape specimens near Chesterville, Ohio.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Any landscaper or nurseryman would be likely to snuff and dismiss this native tree with a "too weedy, too thorny." However, I am noticing the spectacular beauty of specimen trees from long-ago landscapes. I never realized Black Locust could become such a sizable tree. Each of these two are about five feet in circumference, and the older trunks are thornless.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrtUvM1WRK4ZDF3rVWg3LxxnfgLsFT62kXaiI2EzBffRLhEI1lxtc5sm6vXAaNK2GTQKvCbYGSJmd6x-efIxqdbJrNkKAEZsUeM1jM-Nn-wpfU2cFj3VFipjhEe8MgNY5B_7olyxYjHoG/s1600/blacklocustflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrtUvM1WRK4ZDF3rVWg3LxxnfgLsFT62kXaiI2EzBffRLhEI1lxtc5sm6vXAaNK2GTQKvCbYGSJmd6x-efIxqdbJrNkKAEZsUeM1jM-Nn-wpfU2cFj3VFipjhEe8MgNY5B_7olyxYjHoG/s320/blacklocustflower.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Acacia like flowers of Black Locust.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These flowers are the real selling point. Giant pea-like blossoms waft an incredible fragrance across the country-side. Bee keepers know that Black Locust is favorite for their striped wards. I've been told the honey tastes like cotton candy.<br />
<br />
In honor of pollinators, let's all plant a few of these bee trees.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGePeDPIKfGk78A-JAnDcKktJ9x2nY59ZINWYYBnmXo6d5UD8ytTYAUHJBVP3E20ZJjqzm77d24d-PDTLuQySHFxTnyrqZCycfnPhvz9OfIeFLNEPlhdvCaI0mpyyyos6uMqnqTBxbXzl-/s1600/Schafer+Black+Locust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGePeDPIKfGk78A-JAnDcKktJ9x2nY59ZINWYYBnmXo6d5UD8ytTYAUHJBVP3E20ZJjqzm77d24d-PDTLuQySHFxTnyrqZCycfnPhvz9OfIeFLNEPlhdvCaI0mpyyyos6uMqnqTBxbXzl-/s400/Schafer+Black+Locust.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This unexpected behemoth resides in Ontario, Ohio.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It did my heart good to find this venerable old locust on the edge of a landscaper's parking lot of a in Ontario, Ohio. One can only hope the owner appreciates the size and age of this over-sized tree and continues to allow it to grace the property. It would take the outstretched arms of at least two adults to encircle this massive tree.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wicpyVLLsPx3fZz3KpQsWezN-0O7jjWqTWqBZDaZOj87t1YK0ckfj-1Qwvs9GnBEJ5B_zyB2Nybnb7Bw1-QHfBV6q5tpy-xbfGtmxu0B_ZzpneE_jnDq7PRD74RNY_pcUsUBxHoll8XE/s1600/ABC%252C+Sandy+Springs%252C+Scioto+Co+9-10-08+043+Silver-spotted+skipper+Larva+on+locust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wicpyVLLsPx3fZz3KpQsWezN-0O7jjWqTWqBZDaZOj87t1YK0ckfj-1Qwvs9GnBEJ5B_zyB2Nybnb7Bw1-QHfBV6q5tpy-xbfGtmxu0B_ZzpneE_jnDq7PRD74RNY_pcUsUBxHoll8XE/s320/ABC%252C+Sandy+Springs%252C+Scioto+Co+9-10-08+043+Silver-spotted+skipper+Larva+on+locust.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Who is this funny-looking caterpillar?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Black locust are not just beneficial to bees. They are also the host plant to the strange stripey caterpillars of the Silver-spotted Skipper.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJUoqxeEcpVUTtqLbY76xvDz-grPHP1C7nmh3CbHgVWDOoW3QBnYpSKPpLkzoYcLUpX3bgvqe-UXE08hG9e227x7msSM3HsbzM8MR3mHGnDujqU0YnZVAO5zAw2Sswo4hNz_JkzWNCETr/s1600/Sliver+Spotted+Skippers+mating%252C+AU+Prairie%252C+Ashland+6-2-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJUoqxeEcpVUTtqLbY76xvDz-grPHP1C7nmh3CbHgVWDOoW3QBnYpSKPpLkzoYcLUpX3bgvqe-UXE08hG9e227x7msSM3HsbzM8MR3mHGnDujqU0YnZVAO5zAw2Sswo4hNz_JkzWNCETr/s320/Sliver+Spotted+Skippers+mating%252C+AU+Prairie%252C+Ashland+6-2-06.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Silver-spotted Skippers... doing what they do.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The only Silver-spotted Skipper photo stored in my files was this mating pair. Funny how we forget to photo document the most common butterflies and birds we see. This should be a lesson to us. Five years ago when the Monarch butterflies were in the worst year of their decline, we all wished we had taken more photos of them when they were considered commonplace.<br />
<br />
<b>If you want to know what a person treasures, look at their photographs.</b> As for me, I am taking more photos of Black Locusts, bees and butterflies.<br />
<br />Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-46391755953404240322017-04-23T07:03:00.005-05:002017-04-23T07:06:12.653-05:00Hiking KY. with Friends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A recent trip to Kentucky celebrated friendship and a love of nature. A large group of us invaded the Gen. Butler State Park (Ky.) for some hiking and lots of time with friends. There were some nice wild flowers, but not the most pristine hiking. We'll cover that later.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSC6nLNvmF4sw0uyYOJLSlFVPzSWkykLtOI4YJsYC2mtmRcO1eHutz5DcSgBoiuJnwtlKBkof_FWhevkzMY5_4k629CkDVwdLuukpbGnOb4Tl78tbmYBP7R12xYQJnfHCrowxbfb3_-JJ/s1600/IMG_7681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSC6nLNvmF4sw0uyYOJLSlFVPzSWkykLtOI4YJsYC2mtmRcO1eHutz5DcSgBoiuJnwtlKBkof_FWhevkzMY5_4k629CkDVwdLuukpbGnOb4Tl78tbmYBP7R12xYQJnfHCrowxbfb3_-JJ/s400/IMG_7681.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan Voelker, Connie Sauter, Jim Davidson and Susan Nash</td></tr>
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A portion of my hiking buddies are noted here. There was a much larger group, but these three were my cabin mates plus Jim Davidson. Most of us have met through Jim Davidson and he has mentored us in plants, mushrooms, butterflies, dragonflies and all things moving around outdoors!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxffifqzXQSWkyOyXvjPSckRvbfeBsiHdzMfszNUQPUY7SnHwLEwvKNBz5uGe8hA8ZXoy57kvqC5HwpwKnmFPIWbV2E0MJvaZbO39-trRW22XtdmQCqdSLy00jvTurtCi38Vt7dOlJ0Nb1/s1600/IMG_7758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxffifqzXQSWkyOyXvjPSckRvbfeBsiHdzMfszNUQPUY7SnHwLEwvKNBz5uGe8hA8ZXoy57kvqC5HwpwKnmFPIWbV2E0MJvaZbO39-trRW22XtdmQCqdSLy00jvTurtCi38Vt7dOlJ0Nb1/s400/IMG_7758.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connie moving in for the shot</td></tr>
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The Miami Mist, <i>Phacelia purshii</i> was in magnificent bloom at the Gen. Butler mansion's trail to the cemetery. It was one of the few relatively level walks we made. Much of the terrain and trails were steep and in none too good of repair.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftklvbLcG_82GekxXK7HhTvHFHVmGRuJVe1Zgpvmwb6L7hr-RQK63IqS85xmZqcEKd46UDDf3letU3Se2PBTA0PO-G69hA0p29iJRt9r-36ZGK6Uuo3i64_LVcaUhLPxekamq1CnV55GC/s1600/IMG_7761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftklvbLcG_82GekxXK7HhTvHFHVmGRuJVe1Zgpvmwb6L7hr-RQK63IqS85xmZqcEKd46UDDf3letU3Se2PBTA0PO-G69hA0p29iJRt9r-36ZGK6Uuo3i64_LVcaUhLPxekamq1CnV55GC/s400/IMG_7761.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miami Mist, <i>Phacelia pershii</i></td></tr>
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If you go to see wildflowers in Kentucky, I'd recommend using the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wildflowers-Tennessee-Valley-Southern-Appalachians/dp/1551054280">Wildflowers of the Tennessee ans Ohio Valley </a>(also good for Shawnee Park and Forest in Ohio.) There are several types of Phacelia, but only two species have this lovey fringed edge on the flower. Miami Mist is the larger and more colorful of the two species.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQNP9OPQVdqK3wUKB0mD_oqYPhX7RH1baWhGFwAmMBRZFPhbfyeIgSoQ0sgZzosMM636y-NGaiHS8mRAX1bK66No-ZRvmK3FVT00NtCozG3NUCqRvGX4s3mRvwvVyml_PBFttmt21g8WU/s1600/IMG_7795+Juniper+Hairstreak.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQNP9OPQVdqK3wUKB0mD_oqYPhX7RH1baWhGFwAmMBRZFPhbfyeIgSoQ0sgZzosMM636y-NGaiHS8mRAX1bK66No-ZRvmK3FVT00NtCozG3NUCqRvGX4s3mRvwvVyml_PBFttmt21g8WU/s400/IMG_7795+Juniper+Hairstreak.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juniper Hairstreak butterfly</td></tr>
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A green butterfly is always a show stopper. The only green butterfly in our part of the U.S. is the tiny Juniper Hairstreak. Several were seen this day and chased about by excited naturalists! This one was most cooperative as it nectared on Butterweed. Butterweed is a native <i>Senecio </i>(Southern U.S.) that has been moving steadily north in the last 10 years. Climate change, much?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsn3gCseezggo7uhuiMHRSnSqNjoOpU5lT6Sctcg9P-Ec5bj4g-ZQsNWJwCf8ZFTj4AZzONNZ6GzEkJbf6FHVP21zlPic3QhqnRsbgAM9HiCxEJgPjTawVOVtkdZ4nOLUZXAXmxeErFg7m/s1600/IMG_7804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsn3gCseezggo7uhuiMHRSnSqNjoOpU5lT6Sctcg9P-Ec5bj4g-ZQsNWJwCf8ZFTj4AZzONNZ6GzEkJbf6FHVP21zlPic3QhqnRsbgAM9HiCxEJgPjTawVOVtkdZ4nOLUZXAXmxeErFg7m/s400/IMG_7804.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemmed Satyr</td></tr>
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The Gemmed Satyr may be more common that we think, as this tiny butterfly looks pretty non-descript until one sees the "gems". It too, is a show stopper if you manage to get the sunlight glinting off the gem spots. This butterfly has erratic "flippy" flight, commonly associated with satyrs. Take a moment to look closer at those little brown bugs!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeYj8_SKjCRwKRzht5RQpVMrXzGUL4G-arwH-w0LOpIE5zCTkx0EtWkvqoyVkRYG48Wyg3eqEVmKEoGZLLDWjF6B_HhVkz1rUuJsxhkBYVfRSFW6Gp-heUBsHuyMW-BTeuwCgAb4m5FXT/s1600/IMG_7713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeYj8_SKjCRwKRzht5RQpVMrXzGUL4G-arwH-w0LOpIE5zCTkx0EtWkvqoyVkRYG48Wyg3eqEVmKEoGZLLDWjF6B_HhVkz1rUuJsxhkBYVfRSFW6Gp-heUBsHuyMW-BTeuwCgAb4m5FXT/s400/IMG_7713.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Davidson and Cheryl Harner</td></tr>
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Parting shot: your blogger getting in trouble! I can't help myself. Jim Davidson is such a dear friend to so many who have learned from him and enjoyed the songs of yesteryear. We have a tendency to walk and burst forth with old botanizing songs like: "Oh, Dear, What Can the Madder be?" Never underestimate the power fun has on learning capabilities. It is far more fun and memorable to sing names than it is to argue over botanical nomenclature. I wish everyone could have a mentor like Jim!<br />
<br />Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-72266551276764344662017-03-27T09:13:00.001-05:002017-03-27T09:13:12.488-05:00Gardening, Birding, Bees and Much More!!<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>If you haven't made your reservation yet, </b></h3>
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<b>CALL TODAY!! </b><b>(740) 503-5108</b></h3>
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<a href="http://www.fourseasonsofgardening.com/">www.FourSeasonsofGardening.com</a></h3>
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The Licking County Master Gardeners put on a great program and I am thrilled to be able to return this year! They have ordered up some of the best nature-related speakers in Ohio. This program is a FULL HOUSE of top-notch programs to help you enjoy and prepare for spring.</h3>
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Please join us on Saturday, April 1. </h3>
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You love the vendor Market Place and the programs offered.</h3>
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<b>Hope to see you there!</b>Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-25339509036086203552017-03-17T15:22:00.002-05:002017-03-18T06:07:24.752-05:00Big thoughts on big trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The next couple of months I am booked to do several programs on trees. Some of the best naturalist in the state of Ohio and beyond have formed my opinion on trees. That opinion has been further refined by numerous books and tree-tourism. </div>
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Whether the program is focused on trees for birds, or legacy trees, or trees for your yard, the admiration for trees should be obvious. Look to the side-bar on your right for more information about upcoming programs.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Richland Co. Ohio Big Tree Tour 2006</b></td></tr>
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Steve McKee started my interest in big trees with a tour he put together in Richland County. One truism I have discovered by looking over 10 years or more of tree photos- people love to be photographed with a tree! We should start a #BigTree hash tag just to share all these magnificent photos.<br />
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If you are a birder, you might recognize the name on the cover of this book. David Sibley wrote and illustrated this excellent guide to trees. This is a broad, brush-strokes book. It might not have the details a botanist would want, but I love the artistic impressions and discoveries David portrays of American trees. It might give you some fresh perspectives, too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Your blogger with a giant Eastern Hemlock in West Virginia.</b></td></tr>
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Trees make me happy. Big trees make me downright giddy. Maybe if we spent more time with big trees we would have a better understanding of our brief and temporary lifespan on this earth. This tree was around before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock; I hope is it still standing long after I am gone. It was an honor to spend time in the shadow of its greatness for one afternoon. It certainly had more impact on me, than I had on it.<br />
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If you, too, are interested in trees and would like to plant more habitat in your yard or local plot, please go to <a href="https://riversidenativetrees.com/">Riverside Nursery's excellent web-app</a> and see which native trees grow in your Ohio county. You will also want to factor in if your tree-site is wet or dry. It is all right there, based on <u>The Woody Plants of Ohio</u> book by Dr. E. Lucy Braun.<br />
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<a href="https://riversidenativetrees.com/"><img alt="https://riversidenativetrees.com/" border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcvQC-LaSU69yW3DyvWacWUoaCVQ_-IHamooVNwtIS6sEtHAOp1STLNdFvZTO75o7jjUz4G5KilXXmbiUgRoCad0TQEucEIux87CycxEl1P518EnTam0-MwSXr03F4rt1K_d1FeYsO74u/s320/RiversideNursery1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Spring is coming! Let's get out and plants some native Ohio trees.Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-65089918467259353182017-03-12T09:23:00.000-05:002017-03-12T09:23:56.268-05:00Shreve Migration- a SENSATION!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 18 for a hometown bird-extravaganza !</div>
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Shreve Migration Senesation never fails to charm. If you like food, fun, birds, field trips, speakers or just an awesome opportunity to see kids having a great time! </div>
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This is the all weather (indoors or out) all day, all purpose event! We never know if it will rain, snow, or be gloriously warm. No matter, it is the most affordable fun you can have in March in Ohio!</div>
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I hope to see you there, Details below, or go their website to see the speaker schedule:</div>
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<a href="http://www.happypages.com/migration/index.htm">Shreve Migration Schedule</a></div>
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<br />Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-88693119558283357412017-01-23T13:21:00.000-06:002017-01-23T13:21:03.514-06:00Wildlife Diversity Conference 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hope to see you all in Columbus at the annual Wildlife Diversity Conference on March 7th. The program poster is below, and the online registration is found at: <span style="color: #1f497d;"><a href="https://apps.ohiodnr.gov/wildlife/diversityregistration/"><span style="color: blue;">https://apps.ohiodnr.gov/wildlife/diversityregistration/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-66501435640080623912016-12-23T11:45:00.000-06:002016-12-24T12:59:56.808-06:00Conserving History- Green Lawn Cemetery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This may seem like an odd topic for this time of year. One might not think a cemetery would be in a Weedpicker's wheelhouse. However, historical cemeteries were often 1 part arboretum, 1 part picnic area and parade ground. These large open spaces set aside within metropolitan areas have often become oasis for wildlife, botany and migratory birds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Green Lawn cemetery in Columbus is one of those special places. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> M</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">any times, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have birded, botanized, and enjoyed the historical trees and interesting landmarks therein. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately it just receive very rough treatment at the hands of vandals. There is no "Allstate" fix for this type of problem. To set things right will take an enormous amount of time and money, and I hope you will consider going here to help out. Even ten dollars would be a start in the right direction.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/h9-restore-green-lawn-cemetery?"><span style="color: blue;">Go Fund Me- Green Lawn Cemetery</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To read the whole story, please follow this link to the <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/12/21/rewards-offered-to-nab-green-lawn-cemetery-vandals.html"><span style="color: blue;">Columbus Dispatch.</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/12/21/rewards-offered-to-nab-green-lawn-cemetery-vandals.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/12/21/rewards-offered-to-nab-green-lawn-cemetery-vandals.html</span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Got Merlin?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Green Lawn is an designated Important Bird Area. If I want to show someone a Merlin in the winter months, Green Lawn is the first place I would head. It would be an oversight not mention that is a very handsome <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_coffeetree">Kentucky Coffeetree</a> the bird is hanging out in!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvOUHhc-Yr5jN6iQTp5hTGjivEZNPA41LCAj-omH6pdzHg3n5VmK0S9jsO5xGHwT0kVNCQ5EUmzN-gKUEBhTQo2LANDGAuIl3G8hIWgO1V4Q3Z9o-yB5SZLaP44jlWiN2FY3M4AL0zDft/s1600/Pine+Siskin_Pine+Warbler_+3-6-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvOUHhc-Yr5jN6iQTp5hTGjivEZNPA41LCAj-omH6pdzHg3n5VmK0S9jsO5xGHwT0kVNCQ5EUmzN-gKUEBhTQo2LANDGAuIl3G8hIWgO1V4Q3Z9o-yB5SZLaP44jlWiN2FY3M4AL0zDft/s400/Pine+Siskin_Pine+Warbler_+3-6-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pine Sisken and Pine Warbler</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There is also a very active bird feeding station near a pond in the center of the cemetery. It is a hot spot for rarities all winter long. The cemetery management has been extremely accommodating to birders and I hope you might join me in sending our friends at Green Lawn a little Christmas love. Happy Holidays!</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/h9-restore-green-lawn-cemetery?" style="text-align: center;">Go Fund Me- Green Lawn Cemetery</a></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-41800462691811047442016-11-25T07:34:00.002-06:002016-11-25T08:07:51.438-06:00#Opt Outside on Black Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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. </div>
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Spend time on a nature trail today. I guarantee shopping in Black Friday crowds will provide none of those health benefits to you.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mko_Yr7Fmzj6B3So5SirOFGVJflJT4xoqQlZr6Xk5OYJxgRuGfv9shYAE143WXptmOQPdRxW3UggSItHOjglp8ZdoVAd_UEWiVXy8t3kMy107hZXQ2IOLZMrIuuc71enxWdjH1HIZgoO/s1600/white+cedars+fall2+lkm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mko_Yr7Fmzj6B3So5SirOFGVJflJT4xoqQlZr6Xk5OYJxgRuGfv9shYAE143WXptmOQPdRxW3UggSItHOjglp8ZdoVAd_UEWiVXy8t3kMy107hZXQ2IOLZMrIuuc71enxWdjH1HIZgoO/s640/white+cedars+fall2+lkm.jpg" width="640" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>White Cedar tree trunk at an Adams County State Nature Preserve</b></span></td></tr>
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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. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiacyqgWz-AWdP30oz_RvIB8PU8MBzW_jqaAAQ-dXo6LakKvUi7PtaMvFk_1SstGg-t2lKLhcCCuFigi76Ng7SQYlJ1zgxfR1G6yc6wX7gR9RUelHc6sDvxG5SS8hBX_PRVsh1WC2FCufDB/s1600/Colm+visits+Mohican++%252824%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiacyqgWz-AWdP30oz_RvIB8PU8MBzW_jqaAAQ-dXo6LakKvUi7PtaMvFk_1SstGg-t2lKLhcCCuFigi76Ng7SQYlJ1zgxfR1G6yc6wX7gR9RUelHc6sDvxG5SS8hBX_PRVsh1WC2FCufDB/s640/Colm+visits+Mohican++%252824%2529.jpg" width="480" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Lyons Falls at Mohican State Park attract hikers from around the world.</b></span></td></tr>
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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!<br />
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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!<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.tpl.org/blog/protect-our-public-lands-so-everyone-can-opt-outside?gclid=CK-UvJOJxNACFQGPaQodc2oMfw">Trust for Public Land - Protect our lands</a></span></h3>
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<a data-href="https://www.rei.com/opt-outside" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiDyJja-sPQAhUEOCYKHeBjBMMQFggdMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fopt-outside&usg=AFQjCNHMewZcqgsfdlKToDLAEO3GOrCHTA&sig2=W91kB0d87iFLFgxDjhKrAA" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">#OptOutside with REI on Black Friday - REI.com</span></a></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QqYkp9LHhXNqdisyiB_TjJxnXVUoBfJMuX6cA_NahW1romWyZ1Vh7yRGyV_ofirO65zcwxjhyphenhyphenHTBLWPlFDmvF3eXDd8cnkBclxSLGtcRcA3jVY6vAWGS8K8aMY07PK_OlRBAkJ0PktTo/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QqYkp9LHhXNqdisyiB_TjJxnXVUoBfJMuX6cA_NahW1romWyZ1Vh7yRGyV_ofirO65zcwxjhyphenhyphenHTBLWPlFDmvF3eXDd8cnkBclxSLGtcRcA3jVY6vAWGS8K8aMY07PK_OlRBAkJ0PktTo/s1600/logo.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyln0gX2nnfyWehBxT5Jm_dTeP8jbpS_qOZsNGhw_0XKm7eO5fepJnKCysG923qG0eARrh2gegdmxzflkKYlOuKHiTg2_fqR_q3YLfbtH44XNESP5bmAZOwT0EvPlbTJK4e8L5jw10E3Wb/s1600/DSC00561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyln0gX2nnfyWehBxT5Jm_dTeP8jbpS_qOZsNGhw_0XKm7eO5fepJnKCysG923qG0eARrh2gegdmxzflkKYlOuKHiTg2_fqR_q3YLfbtH44XNESP5bmAZOwT0EvPlbTJK4e8L5jw10E3Wb/s400/DSC00561.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I hope you'll join my friends and me as we improve our health and release happy thoughts and<br />
good vibrations into the natural world. While you are at it, hug a tree!<br />
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<b>Kick your endorphins up a notch- #OptOutside !</b>Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-11111692203733135982016-11-09T09:54:00.004-06:002016-11-09T09:54:47.410-06:00Scenes from a Covered Bridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;">Let us ponder on lovely and peaceable things. </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"> My best advice is to go forth into nature, breath deep and re-set your inner compass. </span><span style="color: #222222; text-align: left;">The Stoics offer some wisdom for times of unrest. Go within your heart and mind. Immerse yourself in good thoughts and mental images. </span></span></div>
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<i style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><b>You have power over your mind - not outside events. </b></span></i></div>
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<i style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><b>Realize this, and you will find strength. </b></span></i></div>
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<i style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"> <b>Marcus Aurelius</b></span></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDSM9BHcwa4wuuRzhj7qgzdymU4Yb8nP94k9qoiWfIpaInxhfLcgLeH_CqwYFH5W_4BT2SVYT2uB2tsZjAtUVN2MatZxy4AGFYFpwx-3iCHnmXQspzTF32ZyebHF-Ue7qoG_rFkiZ8idx/s1600/20161101_121002_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDSM9BHcwa4wuuRzhj7qgzdymU4Yb8nP94k9qoiWfIpaInxhfLcgLeH_CqwYFH5W_4BT2SVYT2uB2tsZjAtUVN2MatZxy4AGFYFpwx-3iCHnmXQspzTF32ZyebHF-Ue7qoG_rFkiZ8idx/s640/20161101_121002_resized.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A fall photo from the covered bridge within the Mohican State Park and Forest reminds me to simply be. Today will continue as tomorrow and this river will flow. Know that good exists in the world. We only need to look within ourselves for love and kindness. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnQ4uGzOicK9NbPWHEism2DH_AeV_GS-U-5-uKOrKMPlcwEF3rlOGKD2HJoBNS1pTAq3EI3tKMNrAKF3bVW-O_kS0Ei-y_NNrgU3GaRqP47PvfoLx7DWdn25Zs0b6fZSqo3XA1pO7mdcY/s1600/Covered_Bridge_Mohican_CBH.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnQ4uGzOicK9NbPWHEism2DH_AeV_GS-U-5-uKOrKMPlcwEF3rlOGKD2HJoBNS1pTAq3EI3tKMNrAKF3bVW-O_kS0Ei-y_NNrgU3GaRqP47PvfoLx7DWdn25Zs0b6fZSqo3XA1pO7mdcY/s400/Covered_Bridge_Mohican_CBH.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Mohican Covered Bridge </span><br /><a href="https://goo.gl/maps/YV4gvPiyH1C2"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click here for map</span></a></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLJgqSayLFgM91TJmpIy6cGndqZkJG1B1Z-HUT8i-xfQ2gx8XmNamgtQ3lTT_t64sJ1mVabwpkuRK6ls9r_VTqTQV5Z_EMomWkPE7GUgEoH0G3E2u1JKUYGxW9O5-D7ZdgJDU02YGgonG/s1600/20161101_120658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLJgqSayLFgM91TJmpIy6cGndqZkJG1B1Z-HUT8i-xfQ2gx8XmNamgtQ3lTT_t64sJ1mVabwpkuRK6ls9r_VTqTQV5Z_EMomWkPE7GUgEoH0G3E2u1JKUYGxW9O5-D7ZdgJDU02YGgonG/s640/20161101_120658.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Offering you peace like a river...</span>Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-22497384854845026782016-11-04T10:55:00.005-05:002016-11-04T11:06:50.347-05:00OOS holds a Rally for Rails <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This article is reproduced from The Cerulean, To see the OOS newsletter in it's entirety go here:</div>
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<a href="http://ohiobirds.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=71a40c19ecabf621792f19744&id=d13f638dbd&e=3d4ac73130"><span style="color: blue;"><b> The Fall Cerulean 2016</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68msQhygZgeM5_YGZPI4L5psXkPUdDJIEL4X78Wfg5iKEQ23EJgZvlthn8mEztY6RIMmbE4KtCvzMqBkCXGJhKi43IDkLKONKyYGFtpknQBJg3qmbKuzgigBmaQ3urdhx527-u2GgAqr6/s1600/RAILS+writeup1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68msQhygZgeM5_YGZPI4L5psXkPUdDJIEL4X78Wfg5iKEQ23EJgZvlthn8mEztY6RIMmbE4KtCvzMqBkCXGJhKi43IDkLKONKyYGFtpknQBJg3qmbKuzgigBmaQ3urdhx527-u2GgAqr6/s640/RAILS+writeup1.jpg" width="538" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYIp9-Wy9ydUFJdAKaWLPFVsEAH5c8-21BF0jtMZupCYaiqo49Ux_AuvjFcHI5HaluaBmRpuV3aatNKvyrKpxQf0vM_Q8MoeJslf2EEFl2lS4NtcZ8Aln9IRUCGZqufigD3loBqaS75tW/s1600/RAILS+writeup2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYIp9-Wy9ydUFJdAKaWLPFVsEAH5c8-21BF0jtMZupCYaiqo49Ux_AuvjFcHI5HaluaBmRpuV3aatNKvyrKpxQf0vM_Q8MoeJslf2EEFl2lS4NtcZ8Aln9IRUCGZqufigD3loBqaS75tW/s640/RAILS+writeup2.jpg" width="518" /></a></div>
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<br />Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-59675484643553666512016-09-01T15:19:00.001-05:002016-09-02T10:39:45.953-05:00More Meadowbrook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is no secret, one of my favorite places in Marblehead, Ohio is Meadowbrook Marsh. It is a park opperated by the Danbury Township Trustees. It has turned out to be a birding hotspot and a nature fix for those in need of a little natural TLC.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNAxw6bQxAGpTLomEyl9XrJ3aAuCOWbPXdL96cXnovJZy9JdrviGWtbdkinmMuxyP8Ihj_ltBbiA9kpKtGJCYaqSAouvuaY_OwKUN7Mv_jfeHUvEfxr8ybxlv-Mgt3xhs_2mkCpduWwBQ/s1600/IMG_6340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNAxw6bQxAGpTLomEyl9XrJ3aAuCOWbPXdL96cXnovJZy9JdrviGWtbdkinmMuxyP8Ihj_ltBbiA9kpKtGJCYaqSAouvuaY_OwKUN7Mv_jfeHUvEfxr8ybxlv-Mgt3xhs_2mkCpduWwBQ/s400/IMG_6340.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A young Bald Eagle circles over head with a full white-headed adult.</b></span></td></tr>
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Today's surprise was found overhead. Two Bald Eagles circled above and conducted a series of dives and aerial flip flops. The recovery story of Bald Eagles on our North Coast never ceases to make me smile. How lucky are we to see these magnificent birds high in our skies!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOlq82-bp3nh_08b4NXpf0it8cCXRbqnLGH_dH9HMiCIX1XmVjY14sB9duC17ZyaRSzQP9Apzh4iA3WnjBL29M6Rt9R92xWrQne4h7nYCoVFad_B75nvxyt4JQNaPyWfbCPjxsSEK8Z6D/s1600/Red+Spotted+purple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOlq82-bp3nh_08b4NXpf0it8cCXRbqnLGH_dH9HMiCIX1XmVjY14sB9duC17ZyaRSzQP9Apzh4iA3WnjBL29M6Rt9R92xWrQne4h7nYCoVFad_B75nvxyt4JQNaPyWfbCPjxsSEK8Z6D/s400/Red+Spotted+purple.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-Spotted Purple butterfly</td></tr>
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Butterflies were numerous today as well. Red-spotted Purples have been in short supply this year, but we saw numerous warming up in this morning's sun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqe5aVwn0jWJ28EH4kSNilGveWM9P6Ofa-56lYqu27LJbcD-rXvhc38TDxGhiOS9Jjo2AgoGzBDWS8gI93yvHvNFjSdo-fVSUu1JQi_qTS0ObSAataICndKq33XfJ2_8LDTYr7RYcmo-OS/s1600/RSP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqe5aVwn0jWJ28EH4kSNilGveWM9P6Ofa-56lYqu27LJbcD-rXvhc38TDxGhiOS9Jjo2AgoGzBDWS8gI93yvHvNFjSdo-fVSUu1JQi_qTS0ObSAataICndKq33XfJ2_8LDTYr7RYcmo-OS/s400/RSP.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Under wing of Red-spotted Purple</span></td></tr>
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People always seem puzzled when we announce a blue butterfly as a "Red-spotted Purple." It is the under wing that tells the true story, Ah, red spots on a field of purple, now it makes sense<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwlpwnISxiDvNz0AQUavbWX6kkEzmEuC-Dy095dbEWtTQLuuyk8rVYU_vue5eGycmZCowdT2T0MR_Nm6vQ75XuD1skPxiqlgypoG6lozvRZ2xX4gxpDv7irzHTD4MRYovsiJ9W5e4mMfw/s1600/Twaney+emporer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwlpwnISxiDvNz0AQUavbWX6kkEzmEuC-Dy095dbEWtTQLuuyk8rVYU_vue5eGycmZCowdT2T0MR_Nm6vQ75XuD1skPxiqlgypoG6lozvRZ2xX4gxpDv7irzHTD4MRYovsiJ9W5e4mMfw/s400/Twaney+emporer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hackberry Emperor, </span></td></tr>
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One of my favorite trees at Meadowbrook is the Northern Hackberry. But why am I talking trees when this obviously a butterfly photo? The Hackberry tree is the ONLY host plant for the Hackberry Emperor. Three types of butterflies feed on Hackberry in their larva stage: Tawney Emperor, Hackberry Emperor, and the American Snout. This particular Emperor was resting on a Common Milkweed plant. </div>
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Milkweed does not play a role in the life cycle of the Tawney Emperor, but it is the host plant of the Monarch butterfly. When you think of butterflies- remember it is not just the Monarch at needs a host plant to survive. Hackberry trees are important, too.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wetland species Swamp Milkweed and American Lotus</span></td></tr>
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Meadowbrook is known for its marsh and Swamp Milkweed is right at home in a marsh. These beautiful pink flowers are perfect for young Monarch butterfly larva. Just beyond the water edge, those large circular leaves belong to the American Lotus. One of our most beautiful native aquatic plants is just finishing its bloom cycle. (To see more on American Lotus <a href="http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/plant-identification/alphabetical-index/american-lotus/">http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/plant-identification/alphabetical-index/american-lotus/</a>)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">American Lotus seed head.</span></td></tr>
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The stunning white lotus flowers have given way to the seed heads, which famously look like shower heads! Some believe the seed pods are as striking as the flowers.<br />
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Come on out to <a href="http://www.flora-quest.com/">Flora-Quest 2016 </a>and you can choose your own trip to see aquatic specialties in the marshes and wetlands on the North Coast.<br />
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Registration has been extended to Sept. 15, 2016. Sign up now for an eco-tourism adventure!Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-8351280833198120662016-07-16T11:41:00.002-05:002016-08-28T17:40:15.725-05:00I'll BEE there: Native Plants and Pollinators<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
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Our friends at the Midwest Native Plant Society are hosting a Pollinator Workshop at Caesar Creek on August 13th, 2016. In my book, this is a not-to-miss event. There is a tremendous amount of interest in pollinators all across the country and it is not all European honeybees doing the work!<br />
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<b>Get ready to "Bumble"!</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8Hw7d5SwkhpuqwR7nsXihg_G6TShv7GlKr9nkfy2hfhpq5vvBs19mM3BEprvMUAIoHv9TR8eC2tWYTDZ1XwoGRG4upA6V6e9UgOS_IQSFYXd6sys7GXc1sNBP2dM3uSTp_m-6M8khU_e/s1600/Bee+Knees.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8Hw7d5SwkhpuqwR7nsXihg_G6TShv7GlKr9nkfy2hfhpq5vvBs19mM3BEprvMUAIoHv9TR8eC2tWYTDZ1XwoGRG4upA6V6e9UgOS_IQSFYXd6sys7GXc1sNBP2dM3uSTp_m-6M8khU_e/s400/Bee+Knees.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Bumblebees come in many "flavors."</span></b></td></tr>
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There are several types of bumblebees native to Ohio. It would be great to understand their differences!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Tiger Swallowtail and Spicebush Swallowtail! </span></b></td></tr>
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Butterflies are pollinators, too! And while we have heard plenty about declining numbers of Monarchs, there is more to the world of Lepidoptera than all gloom and doom.<br />
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We can help you sort out the common butterfly species on our afternoon field trips.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38nEOik98bl4nVAeedBNlT3cvBcqaR1fw-7YP9OuXsKG3plQt00tl3zoDSdzXZfIapO2vLtL70rQXN7WGuozN5LmaaozmcTnutOMMvFR0YEzBxaleyXoXCikfchuIHS6dju58ZdsT7pBK/s1600/Gorman+NAture_Butterflyweed_Halactrid_sweat+bee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38nEOik98bl4nVAeedBNlT3cvBcqaR1fw-7YP9OuXsKG3plQt00tl3zoDSdzXZfIapO2vLtL70rQXN7WGuozN5LmaaozmcTnutOMMvFR0YEzBxaleyXoXCikfchuIHS6dju58ZdsT7pBK/s320/Gorman+NAture_Butterflyweed_Halactrid_sweat+bee.JPG" width="320" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Native bees and pollinating flies abound!</b></td></tr>
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I can't wait to learn more about the unique relationships between native plants and pollinators.<br />
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Good thing we have Heather Holm speaking at this Pollinator Workshop at Caesar Creek on August 13th, 2016. She will have her awesome book for sale too!<br />
<u><br /></u><u><b>Pollinators of Native Plants</b></u> is "an excellent guide that will help you attract, observe and identify native pollinators! Her presentation is a fascinating journey showcasing the development of different flower types and the presentation of floral resources to pollinators. Heather will provide many specific examples of how native plants are pollinated and what pollinator is most effective and why."*<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Heather Holm and her fabulous book.</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Author of Pollinators of Native Plants, Heather Holm owns a Minnesota-based landscape design and consulting firm specializing in pollinator landscapes and native landscape restorations. She is currently working the University of Minnesota Extension faculty on a three year study to determine the types of native bees that visit cultivated blueberries in Minnesota. The study includes developing customized forage plantings for the native bees identified, and providing additional or enhancing existing nesting sites within the farms. Heather is an environmental educator and frequent presenter at conferences in the Midwest and Northeast. She writes for Houzz, a social media website, about pollinators, beneficial insects and native plants."*</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I'll be there leading field trips for this event and I hope to see you there, too!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"> Registration at</span><a href="http://www.midwestnativeplants.org/"><span style="color: #1d2129;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">http://www.midwestnativeplants.org/</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Quoted text from Midwest Native Plant's website.</span></div>
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Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-13788823875256182772016-07-07T11:02:00.000-05:002016-08-28T17:41:58.038-05:00Lakeside Flowers and Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>The best vacations often combine beauty, relaxation and fun</b>. Our family thinks Lakeside, Ohio fits the bill perfectly. It has been our long-standing tradition to be there for the annual Fourth of July festivities. But a huge part of my enjoyment comes from visiting the non-stop flower displays generously sprinkled across the grounds. Lakeside's lakefront has been declared as the "Most Beautiful Mile" in Ohio.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyl6RDhXTqCmLHu_VkxJNOahKmypUU7JQaRZ2pQMRnXfYrEu5vr_VzeY0JlGhLhXzjZWWDnbDe-TbxRoGRvlZGOobq2EjRckAgE4HL1puWikx6snmZGPuTqiQkZEgVKSqSV1Kyg7hDAQzT/s1600/13599872_10157089278365371_342962304699406120_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyl6RDhXTqCmLHu_VkxJNOahKmypUU7JQaRZ2pQMRnXfYrEu5vr_VzeY0JlGhLhXzjZWWDnbDe-TbxRoGRvlZGOobq2EjRckAgE4HL1puWikx6snmZGPuTqiQkZEgVKSqSV1Kyg7hDAQzT/s400/13599872_10157089278365371_342962304699406120_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Hollyhocks as colorful as fireworks</span></b></td></tr>
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The Gundlach Garden is an old-timey cottage style garden on the west end of town which features a brilliant firework-like display of hollyhocks. Visitors often photograph these stately flowers against the back-drop of Lake Erie. Every article written on hollyhocks warns us not to plant them in windy locations, so Lakeside hollyhocks persist with a spirit that defy all odds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwvvcUlGHOCNLKHScF7TPqU-zlpgypzi37Xqp0XIzsOTWpXyG1OK8JRaPXeuFLrhLd-fv_i5QyiEugJEhC35R7eTp5f5NjaFxJfmDa97J16FfMsV1_BEcPWIQGcIujAVNYpGYGFV4GO_K/s1600/13626631_10157089278485371_8684762212362801960_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwvvcUlGHOCNLKHScF7TPqU-zlpgypzi37Xqp0XIzsOTWpXyG1OK8JRaPXeuFLrhLd-fv_i5QyiEugJEhC35R7eTp5f5NjaFxJfmDa97J16FfMsV1_BEcPWIQGcIujAVNYpGYGFV4GO_K/s400/13626631_10157089278485371_8684762212362801960_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A closer look at the heavy pollen.</span></b></td></tr>
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A closer look betrays a heavy pollen load at play here. Most literature I read says they are very attractive to bees and hummingbirds. Hummingbirds? Where is the nectar reward? I'll be watching to see what takes an interest in these old-fashion favorites. It is interesting to look closely at our plants and to better understand their ecosystems at work.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting a nature, science and beauty "fix."</td></tr>
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Leave it to Lakeside to encourage one tho think "out of the box" a bit. The Lakeside Campground Association was offering science courses to woman back in the 1890's! The long standing tradition of education, recreation, religion and cultural arts are the very pillars of the Lakeside <a href="http://www.lakesideohio.com/about/chautauqua-movement">Chautauqua Movement.</a> It is intentionally designed to feed both mind and soul.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Historic Hotel Lakeside</span></b></td></tr>
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Our Hotel Lakeside is a Victorian hotel which perfectly combines modern needs with the beauty of an age gone by. You too can stay in this Grand old Gal from June to early October. It is one of our designated conference hotels for <a href="http://www.flora-quest.com/">Flora-Quest</a> and OOS's <a href="http://www.ohiobirds.org/">Rally for Rails</a>. This is your chance to see Lakeside in the off-season.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMpAPuvxgoIFUBW_hJvboLQ22rBwrXs4aIHdscgk0EhyOmM4Ah7-EgY4eSnUjPyAx-KJ8WtjW318k_GtjuJNqQRnAggP39rT9FHOAbmPEjblGaseczLnUBxCoRetLLlpeA6LBuzlcS4TE/s1600/13599988_10157089278925371_3970344759298748145_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMpAPuvxgoIFUBW_hJvboLQ22rBwrXs4aIHdscgk0EhyOmM4Ah7-EgY4eSnUjPyAx-KJ8WtjW318k_GtjuJNqQRnAggP39rT9FHOAbmPEjblGaseczLnUBxCoRetLLlpeA6LBuzlcS4TE/s400/13599988_10157089278925371_3970344759298748145_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Summer fun on Lake Erie</span></b></td></tr>
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During the summer the lakefront is active with swimmers and boats. A good, stiff lake breeze will bring out a fleet of Sunfish sailboats, too. This is all part of the recreation for which Lakeside is famous. Mini golf, swimming, shuffleboard, tennis, bike riders, fitness walkers and plenty of runners keep this active town on the move!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBzQEmMhN7yea2tHqTdHL_olhicbp2jz0eQqMm8ssPmta__rds4tRM_iXtS6QqvYZ1dab0cNOCxtWGaU6XgxNHOgZIFDQphTcJ1aOOCfr2rKF17DnWJQKdSPiTzcK65SjScuY3kib-_8I/s1600/Lakeside+2011+July+%252870%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBzQEmMhN7yea2tHqTdHL_olhicbp2jz0eQqMm8ssPmta__rds4tRM_iXtS6QqvYZ1dab0cNOCxtWGaU6XgxNHOgZIFDQphTcJ1aOOCfr2rKF17DnWJQKdSPiTzcK65SjScuY3kib-_8I/s400/Lakeside+2011+July+%252870%2529.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Happy Fourth of July!</b></span></td></tr>
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So here's to a wonderful Holiday! I hope you all were able to spend time with your family and friends, enjoying beauty, fun and some physical activity. Next year, feel free to join me and a couple thousand of my friends on the shore of Lake Erie! Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-34018053706548654372016-06-05T10:21:00.002-05:002016-06-28T22:02:57.522-05:00The Holy Grail of Ohio Rails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Birds in the family Rallidae, or rails, are notoriously secretive. They live and breed in wetlands, a habitat which is difficult to bird. Scientists and hunters who frequent the marshes during fall migration tell me they are numerous. So why are they so hard for birders to see?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqG6N6N3nivNo3ApoYdmW5C80lcMQa4at85twoe0MHRaIOVcC7zd7EpYtkhvhb4L0qZ3nFIN_DvHxvFJfdGnfT2JuXAtVfln2PjeZ580GOhN5MKWFG-bBDbrQmla6ZHXqJT5kId2UZSJM/s1600/Wet-King+Rail-BFKmiller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqG6N6N3nivNo3ApoYdmW5C80lcMQa4at85twoe0MHRaIOVcC7zd7EpYtkhvhb4L0qZ3nFIN_DvHxvFJfdGnfT2JuXAtVfln2PjeZ580GOhN5MKWFG-bBDbrQmla6ZHXqJT5kId2UZSJM/s400/Wet-King+Rail-BFKmiller.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>King Rail at Glacier Ridge, photo by Bruce Miller.</b></span></td></tr>
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Birders are willing to travel many miles and stand for hours for an opportunity to see a King Rail in Ohio. Are King Rails that rare, or are they just difficult for the novice to find? Since rails are generally limited to wetlands, and Ohio has lost 90-93% of our wetlands, would it be surprising if rail populations are also limited?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHwnqq1Uua3Tdp3EXUqj9S0ca13vBtySnGp-UMG9PhDrZ_Ec3478TWEle75zt4SrTommpC6pWzzLc4sLhRF5MI10VTmiap5ke65p7vYHtC7ZCqnYNE-9kgma_c6qgfr6gbCEmwGVmR4u-/s1600/RAils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHwnqq1Uua3Tdp3EXUqj9S0ca13vBtySnGp-UMG9PhDrZ_Ec3478TWEle75zt4SrTommpC6pWzzLc4sLhRF5MI10VTmiap5ke65p7vYHtC7ZCqnYNE-9kgma_c6qgfr6gbCEmwGVmR4u-/s400/RAils.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BSBO's Mark Shieldcastle with King and Virginia Rails in hand.<br /> Photo by Hugh Rose.</b></span></td></tr>
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The best way for a birder to see more rails, is to support the scientific endeavors to study them. Black Swamp Bird Observatory has been conducting studies on rails in the Lake Erie Marsh for many years. Biologist Mark Shieldcastle will be telling the story of BSBO's study during the Fall "Rally for Rails" being held in Lakeside.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pTJ5qzWIUKrTQpeLFa85u4XGtWYbCIE7ummW88KczDL3cZyZJJab9fEv1r0n-ZbxHLlkxdzjRA5MO-FTkkf-ZMaCO1ocfRr9w5hVtuijXRl8CyrQhmjUhbEK7mFHJ4Q616g6pyRHmQQE/s1600/best+king+closeup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pTJ5qzWIUKrTQpeLFa85u4XGtWYbCIE7ummW88KczDL3cZyZJJab9fEv1r0n-ZbxHLlkxdzjRA5MO-FTkkf-ZMaCO1ocfRr9w5hVtuijXRl8CyrQhmjUhbEK7mFHJ4Q616g6pyRHmQQE/s400/best+king+closeup.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></div>
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<b>King Rail outfitted with transponder. Photo courtesy of Winous Point.</b></div>
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A very large King Rail study has been going on at Winous Point Marsh Conservancy. Transmitters have been attached to King Rails to help scientists better understand their migratory movements, life history- and possibly shed light on the sheer numbers of their population.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LWQ3sotHBxdkzjGn3g4pLKF9Li-UFAVUJnTWorh7sXxcXJ2-hCQe5JOjlijtuSH-DpfKlRVjT_kDOxeAUbwMU7wFk7TNGeQKl9NvQy4k5bVY6BX20QsZa2rzii3HM6tKURpZxPXxWdjl/s1600/IMG_5003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LWQ3sotHBxdkzjGn3g4pLKF9Li-UFAVUJnTWorh7sXxcXJ2-hCQe5JOjlijtuSH-DpfKlRVjT_kDOxeAUbwMU7wFk7TNGeQKl9NvQy4k5bVY6BX20QsZa2rzii3HM6tKURpZxPXxWdjl/s400/IMG_5003.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">This Virginia Rail was a re-capture, already outfitted with a transmitter.</span></b></td></tr>
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The Soras and Virginia Rails are outfitted with a much less expensive transmitter that helps to track their localized movements within the marsh. This helps the team understand preferred habitats and life history while present in Ohio's marshes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpknO7RYNIas_QOcfH7MgBt5wAr-eb1gVbvQHs_KFVCud5HgZ-fhIdmU7bazTAeFERNnChHs6wfzAtIrlhcPpidqFBIBecl_I69bIMcfsXlEYNx_tcMAJCs0MmzcmcZywyX7z0Nw6kQ-dC/s1600/IMG_5009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpknO7RYNIas_QOcfH7MgBt5wAr-eb1gVbvQHs_KFVCud5HgZ-fhIdmU7bazTAeFERNnChHs6wfzAtIrlhcPpidqFBIBecl_I69bIMcfsXlEYNx_tcMAJCs0MmzcmcZywyX7z0Nw6kQ-dC/s400/IMG_5009.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>John Simpson examines a recently captured Sora.</b></span></td></tr>
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These scientists at Winous Point take their jobs very seriously. The birds are treated with the utmost care while being weighed, measured and fitted with tracking devices. Good information is reliant upon healthy and normally functioning birds. The primary goal is to gather information with the least disturbance to the population.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYXlest6gBYvuG6k-fLs1tZsQcRdOvvbTtgkcsAPXIWB5H_zv2KxBTpvDhIK1sk9U6PmSUCBrQpgWvhO-GnpA6Z3YyGUVPP92zvcFcuH_x5Pyp1t69YNbf59e6aY8y9uNe7oDL7E5KTOM/s1600/IMG_5010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYXlest6gBYvuG6k-fLs1tZsQcRdOvvbTtgkcsAPXIWB5H_zv2KxBTpvDhIK1sk9U6PmSUCBrQpgWvhO-GnpA6Z3YyGUVPP92zvcFcuH_x5Pyp1t69YNbf59e6aY8y9uNe7oDL7E5KTOM/s400/IMG_5010.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A closer look at the Sora.</span></b></td></tr>
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Soras are one of Ohio's more abundant rails. Other better known Rallidae, or at least one more frequently seen by birders, are coots and gallinules. Because King and Virginia Rails are difficult to monitor visually, the tracking devices are providing needed information about those populations.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wkCulA-k9CaP-6JmuA_tgGXHlVb04gc7f-M5DhUTEVhCLUjvw9fmKAIA3PnYXXM1aCcHAMfiFZ3oc_XK_lMPHq7sMkQYDOku2uTSfoKjND7PUAXN5JeHkbjR3uyoJVd8vWWc7_YQ62M7/s1600/IMG_5012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wkCulA-k9CaP-6JmuA_tgGXHlVb04gc7f-M5DhUTEVhCLUjvw9fmKAIA3PnYXXM1aCcHAMfiFZ3oc_XK_lMPHq7sMkQYDOku2uTSfoKjND7PUAXN5JeHkbjR3uyoJVd8vWWc7_YQ62M7/s400/IMG_5012.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Oliver Cornet and Brendan Shirkey gently fit a harness on the Sora.</span></b></td></tr>
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The transmitters are attached to a harness, much like a micro-backpack. The biologists gently work the harness onto the bird and double check to assure the bird's wing movement is not restricted. The bird's feathers settle back around the harness. The actions and walking gait of a recently "harnessed" bird appear normal and unencumbered.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGESBtkohyphenhyphenr6fr5rPshZJyQ905dCufunHdYN-nRhlZrCRALh0lRRc4-aJoWaR6pFI6SI90-gMnEtPy8VMM8WHanrNtr_mBvkV1w6tePuCu4PKP7R3CxHGkdDr4tAWKcMuscfq_43Stk7bj/s1600/IMG_5020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGESBtkohyphenhyphenr6fr5rPshZJyQ905dCufunHdYN-nRhlZrCRALh0lRRc4-aJoWaR6pFI6SI90-gMnEtPy8VMM8WHanrNtr_mBvkV1w6tePuCu4PKP7R3CxHGkdDr4tAWKcMuscfq_43Stk7bj/s400/IMG_5020.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Brendan adjusts the harness for comfort.</span></b></td></tr>
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Brendan Shirkey will be sharing more details about the work of Winous Point and the Marsh Conservancy at the Ohio Ornithological Society's "Rally for Rails." It will be held in conjunction with our fall Annual Meeting in Lakeside, Ohio. Registration is now on line at<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://ohiobirds.org/category/rails/#">http://ohiobirds.org/category/rails/#</a></span><br />
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Special funds generated by this program for the conservation and study of rails will be directly applied to programs designed to conserve these wonderfully secretive birds. Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-66356748734910144062016-05-30T13:07:00.000-05:002016-05-31T21:37:24.962-05:00The Point of Conservation.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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They call it Winous. Winous Point.<br />
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It may well be the best kept secret in Ottawa County. It had its origins as a shooting club in 1856. That makes it the oldest continuously operating hunt club in America. Impressive, to be sure, but it may seem an odd place for a Weedpicker and her fellow conservation enthusiasts to visit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnyun5drRVL32OicP3GjKzj6OkHKcdOfxgCdSMWHXZVBH3cEkObGs0bbxa1PABYFRYx284QH9bHQ7r1rcqKf3-aMv__lUaiA0Rkzg6U2YT1sZBgalac_5TPkye-SJX2ftDRAREIrdp4xX/s1600/Winous+Point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnyun5drRVL32OicP3GjKzj6OkHKcdOfxgCdSMWHXZVBH3cEkObGs0bbxa1PABYFRYx284QH9bHQ7r1rcqKf3-aMv__lUaiA0Rkzg6U2YT1sZBgalac_5TPkye-SJX2ftDRAREIrdp4xX/s400/Winous+Point.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The main Clubhouse at Winous Point, <br />complete with Canada Goose weather-vane.</b></span></td></tr>
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Winous Point Shooting Club is a repository of history of hunting. Through limited use, it protected the shores from development along the Sandusky Bay near the Sandusky River and Muddy creek. Winous Point conserves about 5,000 acres of wetlands and shorelines, providing some of the last remaining places for the massive water fowl and shorebirds migrations, as well as year round habitat for all forms of wildlife.</div>
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Historically, Winous Point is a Shooting Club, but in 1999 the Winous Point Marsh Conservancy was formed to study the marsh and the inhabitants therein. We will particularly focus on their on-going rail study. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Rail habitat- is the edge habitat. </span></b></td></tr>
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Winous Point is key to the educational experience <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.flora-quest.com/">Flora-Quest</a> </span>and the <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.ohiobirds.org/">Ohio Ornithological Society</a> </span>have planned for birders and plant lovers this fall. Several members of our OOS Conservation Committee visited the Winous Point conservancy experts to see their rail study in action. We ventured out to the sedge meadows and edge habitats where lures were set to attract these secretive birds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkekZa7mpU027wmO-gQSJApjTR7E0QIccu11xnXx9EhfLSZVLschfz9feGs_o1qivJVbEko5OgqE-2Tp7Unb4XseTg9o4doxqcNGaix4qkqKAL77cO5V6XKmmkUIDprTo4nANAaKG-O-6E/s1600/IMG_4993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkekZa7mpU027wmO-gQSJApjTR7E0QIccu11xnXx9EhfLSZVLschfz9feGs_o1qivJVbEko5OgqE-2Tp7Unb4XseTg9o4doxqcNGaix4qkqKAL77cO5V6XKmmkUIDprTo4nANAaKG-O-6E/s400/IMG_4993.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Oliver Cornet discusses the plant life at Winous Point</span></b>.</td></tr>
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One of our guides for the morning, Oliver Cornet, specializes in the management of invasive plants. It was fascinating to learn more about the efforts to improve vegetation and create viable habitats for various shorebirds birds, rails and waterfowl. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Brendan Shirkey demonstrates the rail trap.</span></b></td></tr>
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Brendan Shirkey will be one of our guest speakers at the OOS Rally for Rails in October 1 and 2nd. You will not want to miss the details of their humane live trapping and data tracking of Ohio's most secretive birds. We are just starting to peek into the lives of these marsh inhabitants, and the Winous Point study (partially funded by Ohio Division of Wildlife) is providing much of the critical data.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh_phoTIniXTo59if_3O_PxAta54bRmsw-h8jisNZaXubdAIzJks0TsZp2xdNV29kYhJ4UUOlVOeL3b5GynQif6jPdvtqDsYIDl28GrelgMT5P7IwuyJ6-h_IKk4TgxXy2oFXpDdwJkxy/s1600/IMG_4998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh_phoTIniXTo59if_3O_PxAta54bRmsw-h8jisNZaXubdAIzJks0TsZp2xdNV29kYhJ4UUOlVOeL3b5GynQif6jPdvtqDsYIDl28GrelgMT5P7IwuyJ6-h_IKk4TgxXy2oFXpDdwJkxy/s400/IMG_4998.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Brendan retrieves a Virginia rail unharmed.</span></b></td></tr>
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The third trap of the day held a surprise: a Virginia rail which was already outfitted with a radio transmitter! This bird was a recapture. Brendan returns to the awaiting trucks with the unharmed bird.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0dUlGYBe5iYV5lMzSJJQeN4tp0n0m6qlxWTlLZ9w8mAfk1qTUnGQQ0dSHUFM4zgtGKt_IlVb1qyHdXjV4engmdViYfA1PcFjjkgcleYJX71SJrqwWerPcRlWegX5z-IG2jfmGdG0HDFS/s1600/IMG_5001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0dUlGYBe5iYV5lMzSJJQeN4tp0n0m6qlxWTlLZ9w8mAfk1qTUnGQQ0dSHUFM4zgtGKt_IlVb1qyHdXjV4engmdViYfA1PcFjjkgcleYJX71SJrqwWerPcRlWegX5z-IG2jfmGdG0HDFS/s320/IMG_5001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Virginia rail seeking companionship.</b></span></td></tr>
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As Brendan said, "This guy must be looking for love in all the wrong places." <br />
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After the rail was gently bagged we returned to the station to take its general health updates for the study. We learned this bird has been found in the trap three times! After gathering their data, the birds are returned back to the area in which they were originally found. Apparently, the experience must not be too traumatic or this Virginia rail would have likely avoided the trap the second time.<br />
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- To be continued.Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-49136963605716242432016-05-24T06:14:00.000-05:002016-05-30T11:00:31.768-05:00Wetlands at work.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you love plants, birds and mammals -biodiversity in general- you should seek out wetlands. Often called the "cradle of biodiversity," these places are crawling with life!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0s7wdIrDF9zdMN7tilhrRS0qtPv_rsRCjSH5T9leBaxMoyXNFxreBrVuIUHZfgJeQfTphqb_BVdDJFuSzNuS-5k0uhgNupo4uB6h-D2VfSCCoBjXry1u3XsQTkbPnV53KbFj-ErPOjgF/s1600/IMG_4948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0s7wdIrDF9zdMN7tilhrRS0qtPv_rsRCjSH5T9leBaxMoyXNFxreBrVuIUHZfgJeQfTphqb_BVdDJFuSzNuS-5k0uhgNupo4uB6h-D2VfSCCoBjXry1u3XsQTkbPnV53KbFj-ErPOjgF/s400/IMG_4948.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">One of Ottawa N.W. R. newer projects</span></b></td></tr>
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A few years back, during the Midwest Birding Symposium held in Lakeside, Ohio, we collected donations for Carbon Offset Birding Project. The Ohio Ornithological Society also kicked in funds to seed some efforts on a wetland restoration in Ottawa county. This previously wet county was part of the Great Black Swamp. It had been mostly drained for farming, but now a few of those fields are being re-purposed back in to wetlands for wildlife.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dottie McDowell enjoys the boardwalk and viewing platform.</span></td></tr>
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The area was enhanced with a viewing platform and parking area, as well as native plantings- both forbs and trees.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ36wjicBrw7kN6TL_mcMZYssGipNA2ubuAgBoFLgSK7nfbnZfvMDke_c8ZUMq6kDcv_buwj9lQHe5bKqbKx3SWg5W3P6LXG3YPltFGOBoI0lZkofuVs1r300vllTbgKVXa1pRbKdKWRUE/s1600/IMG_4951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ36wjicBrw7kN6TL_mcMZYssGipNA2ubuAgBoFLgSK7nfbnZfvMDke_c8ZUMq6kDcv_buwj9lQHe5bKqbKx3SWg5W3P6LXG3YPltFGOBoI0lZkofuVs1r300vllTbgKVXa1pRbKdKWRUE/s400/IMG_4951.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This reconstructed wetlands is attracting loads of migratory birds this spring. It has been educational to watch the tranformation from corn field to natural looking wildlife habitat in just a few short years.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQccqkBng-B9iK6XhdpvV5rqQfj5mrde6QB3UJiUQVVnhcQ1aCu2Bnc7IeVHbtKfvkbpETWpMgbjL2TYueq-yWUoqn5I_yGXTACBnOHlzw_GmAOo54BxfAwKBDJZ3mXhNCLppIdLiikJB6/s1600/Ranunculus+ONWR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQccqkBng-B9iK6XhdpvV5rqQfj5mrde6QB3UJiUQVVnhcQ1aCu2Bnc7IeVHbtKfvkbpETWpMgbjL2TYueq-yWUoqn5I_yGXTACBnOHlzw_GmAOo54BxfAwKBDJZ3mXhNCLppIdLiikJB6/s320/Ranunculus+ONWR.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mystery plant!<br />Certainly of the Ranunculus family.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>The mystery plant has been solved!</b> Check the comment below- by Helen. It certainly is in the buttercup family, and commonly called Cursed Buttercup or <b>Cursed Crowsfoot</b>, <i><b>Ranunculus sceleratus</b></i>. It is reported to cause blistering - especially in the mouth- when eaten by mammals. Hence the "cursed" part. BUt then again, most of the buttercups are rather toxic when eaten.<br />
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This is exactly why <a href="http://www.flora-quest.com/">Flora-Quest 2016</a> is undertaking wetland plants as the topic for 2016. Too often we learn the Spring ephemerals and never learn about the amazing botany driving the wetlands in Ohio! Time to broaden your plant horizons. Sign up now, as quests are filling!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9wEWrO3l3c31K-cb-OUepC_MnJBZCGsXzDpvAgc6lJsKlKEEdxXHRqnS0OW_mOjM1EORMLTbxkjZnKkQmhBRN3C4WLRl79rM-J0FD5h_pB6jMMDQz96ICpPHslphlBYJ-BQSrOj7aaVj/s1600/IMG_4952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9wEWrO3l3c31K-cb-OUepC_MnJBZCGsXzDpvAgc6lJsKlKEEdxXHRqnS0OW_mOjM1EORMLTbxkjZnKkQmhBRN3C4WLRl79rM-J0FD5h_pB6jMMDQz96ICpPHslphlBYJ-BQSrOj7aaVj/s400/IMG_4952.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Just a few of the birds being sighted here!</span></b></td></tr>
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Wetland birds and mammals need wetlands. Ohio has lost over 90% of our wetlands to development and agriculture. Our federal dollars and the massive work of conservation minded hunters has protected the few significant wetland remaining in Ohio. If you have not yet visited Ohio's Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, sign up for the Flora-Quest which offers a bus ride to normally off-limit sectors.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUN3pn3usmOukaggs4k5gcIqQeqPy8eEzc_e8-yhqDJ_y1_TkCmhLFOMrMW__C6A9w9IcwG2doCAwVrnP2kRC0HuCZ9uo8YeROB3QvfgkSENIEE0XSp7CKn30sqijLiDHSVNSnqi7F4w9g/s1600/IMG_4953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUN3pn3usmOukaggs4k5gcIqQeqPy8eEzc_e8-yhqDJ_y1_TkCmhLFOMrMW__C6A9w9IcwG2doCAwVrnP2kRC0HuCZ9uo8YeROB3QvfgkSENIEE0XSp7CKn30sqijLiDHSVNSnqi7F4w9g/s400/IMG_4953.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Working together for conservation.</span></b></td></tr>
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Conservation leaders in Ohio, like Friends of Ottawa, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Ohio Ornithological Society and Toledo Naturalist Association all pitched in for this project. Flora-Quest is partnering with many of these organizations for our fall workshop in Lakeside. We want to help people understand some of the major plant players in these exciting and dynamic wetlands. So go ahead, dive in and <a href="http://www.flora-quest.com/registration.html">join us on Sept. 30, 2016.</a>Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-26034566612374079112016-05-18T11:11:00.003-05:002016-05-18T15:33:18.090-05:00A Birder's Life for Me.Fresh off a natural high from the <a href="http://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/">Biggest Week in American Birding</a>, here is an effort to encapsulate a week-plus of birding. A special thanks to Rob Ripma and Lester Peyton for allowing me to drive and guide birders on behalf of <a href="http://www.bsbo.org/">B.S.B.O. </a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4BDguDke_sEBwVayaLOa2-3IgmDVcGYxKNbEjepujwbjTmWzbhTDFJZyBGHVTEF9flAKK4F4wq0sQDIfbbbhLPk7oZfl0Tpxe_MA_7oQrC3Kx1Slo74G3QKVaKYmO5G8le1Uwf2SvYsE/s1600/Blackburnian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4BDguDke_sEBwVayaLOa2-3IgmDVcGYxKNbEjepujwbjTmWzbhTDFJZyBGHVTEF9flAKK4F4wq0sQDIfbbbhLPk7oZfl0Tpxe_MA_7oQrC3Kx1Slo74G3QKVaKYmO5G8le1Uwf2SvYsE/s400/Blackburnian.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Blackburnian Warbler. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Once you have seen this bird, you are hopelessly hooked.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>There are a hundred reasons to love this event! </b>We meet the neatest people and go to the best birding locations. Sure, you may hear how crowded the boardwalk at Magee Marsh is getting, but we take folks away from the boardwalk at Magee. We know twenty other cool places to bird, and many of them have incredible warblers like this Blackburnian warbler! In fact, many of our locations are private areas and you only get in to see them with a Biggest Week Tour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSW0S8nZU6WskaltVzwf4V_1hM3ZZbGX8jhUJr_jr54yhPxUNbAU4qiuzr8kb8bglsi4njPiLBpdgphbwlvgy2GB5N-8H8VMQXNtUdR-eGfh8fDrpph-IuNSOuR6PKwsf2tenhHnYoynK/s1600/Scruffy_Julia+Plummer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSW0S8nZU6WskaltVzwf4V_1hM3ZZbGX8jhUJr_jr54yhPxUNbAU4qiuzr8kb8bglsi4njPiLBpdgphbwlvgy2GB5N-8H8VMQXNtUdR-eGfh8fDrpph-IuNSOuR6PKwsf2tenhHnYoynK/s400/Scruffy_Julia+Plummer.JPG" title="Cheryl Harner bird in the hand" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Bird-in-your-hand birding. Crazy stuff!!!</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Photo provided by Julia Plummer.</span></td></tr>
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Take this location for example:The Arnold property. We had a lovely time birding around the diked wetland, often seeing Wood Ducks and warblers. The Yellows and Common Yellowthroats were everywhere! Can you imaging be tired of warblers?!<br />
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Then, in swoops <b>Scruffy the Black-capped Chickadee</b>. The property owners, Robin and Gena, have the little guy trained to take seeds from hand. Imagine how exited folks from California were to see this! Black-capped Chickadees were a life bird for them one day, and the next day we are posing with a chickadee perched on our hand! Mind. Blown.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Redstart at Pipe Creek Wildlife Area</td></tr>
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We visit other locations, which are well-known and well-loved. <a href="http://ohiobirds.org/birding-at-pipe-creek-wildlife-area/">Pipe Creek Wildlife Area</a> in Sandusky, Ohio has a long history of providing rarities. The warblers were dripping off the trees the morning we birded at Pipe Creek! Our guide, Tim, also has a knack for working the Soras! Good birding doesn't only happen at Magee.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-tIdWLn0WudliGSNp9mA97HgqKJB2xQSGkFmRWI_uR-J03FCnExEi7GYaeK68fBfKlpVSA2A_5VcFsIcj9m7bsdqKDhIBw2LE1_-SMoGpQavsuLWlQWWW0DnAEKDsNUPWxHWS2om2QkF/s1600/20160513_072451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-tIdWLn0WudliGSNp9mA97HgqKJB2xQSGkFmRWI_uR-J03FCnExEi7GYaeK68fBfKlpVSA2A_5VcFsIcj9m7bsdqKDhIBw2LE1_-SMoGpQavsuLWlQWWW0DnAEKDsNUPWxHWS2om2QkF/s400/20160513_072451.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Erie County trip with Tim Jasinski (</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">far right.</span><span style="font-size: small;">)</span></td></tr>
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Meeting people, learning from other guides, enjoying the great outdoors, oh yeah, and birds. Every day was different, every trip was wonderful! And when the birding was slow, patrons were likely to get introduced to some local plants! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">New friends from New Mexico: </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Roberta Winchester</span><span style="font-size: small;"> (almost </span></b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">my twin!) and Linda Rockwell.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Much of the Biggest Week is about seeing friends, old and new.</b> My long time friends Hugh Rose and Judy Kolo-Rose put me up (and put up with me) for the whole week! They should get extra hugs from everyone in the birding community that knows them. They have also been sharing their knowledge and teaching others about birds for many years as well! We birders love to share.<br />
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It is also about sharing our love of Ohio's special places with travelers. I couldn't wait to get my friends from New Mexico on some gorgeous birds at <a href="http://naturepreserves.ohiodnr.gov/sheldonmarsh">Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve</a> in Huron, Ohio. One can hardly believe that few minutes after I took this shot, it started to snow in mid-May! Agh, Mother Nature, give us a break.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJ02yas143yVQgiEuijlg1CL2a5vZlQeSMf0CtcK0bLho3xNwUfiTVJpwrPPG8OeTUgs1bNV98I-Y0uSkYEVeN2ASboqjDjOOoKLr6KWSebAUJzaFNtknp9GY63Diqgie69Cfj6p35CTk/s1600/IMG_4870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJ02yas143yVQgiEuijlg1CL2a5vZlQeSMf0CtcK0bLho3xNwUfiTVJpwrPPG8OeTUgs1bNV98I-Y0uSkYEVeN2ASboqjDjOOoKLr6KWSebAUJzaFNtknp9GY63Diqgie69Cfj6p35CTk/s400/IMG_4870.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Red-headed Woodpecker</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>It is not all about warblers</b>. This Red-headed Woodpecker (a non-migrant) made a huge impression as well. Even common-to-us birds, like Blue Jays are often a life bird to the visitors from the west coast. All of these birds are exciting and a part of our bigger ecosystem </div>
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Whether you are a new birder or some jaded, old life-lister, the Biggest Week had something for everybody: Curlew Sandpiper, Whip-poor-wil in your face, Kirtland's Warbler! </div>
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<b>The Biggest Week in American Birding: Come for the birds, stay for the love. </b></div>
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Hi-diddle-dee-dee. It is a birder's life for me!</div>
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Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-34346658149992455852016-05-05T09:12:00.000-05:002016-05-05T09:21:45.545-05:00Our Public Land: Shawnee Forest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Each year a rush of naturalists head to Shawnee State Park and Forest in Southern Ohio. It is the first blush of spring, in a magical land of forest and flowers. It was the home base of <a href="http://www.flora-quest.com/">Flora-Quest</a> for many years.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7z4EjhbA7qflS56k8HMckm9yS9EaqoZaUg0Ug3A5bqZPjOWT7KnuKgqmu-xXj_MYw1sfhAK4Guuxe_gbSKsmGFsFbk0RrBZNYMGxxhBQvnow0sNW-AY-HJFO6SuvdP_l3u_dh0JM_eb0L/s1600/20160501_121709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7z4EjhbA7qflS56k8HMckm9yS9EaqoZaUg0Ug3A5bqZPjOWT7KnuKgqmu-xXj_MYw1sfhAK4Guuxe_gbSKsmGFsFbk0RrBZNYMGxxhBQvnow0sNW-AY-HJFO6SuvdP_l3u_dh0JM_eb0L/s400/20160501_121709.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Pinxter Azalea, <i>Rhododendron periclymenoides </i></span></b></td></tr>
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<b>You'll notice a sweet smell. </b>Shawnee is home to the fragrant Pinxter Azalea, a southern specialty. Look along the steep road-side embankments where they cling for dear life.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQpCdvaQNARQhmwZZkcD71TWFT-6ZFRw4Eh-uEla46gMcDrDzsmQooVbz771o2YJfROSW79aCDIshwmRWQWliLjdjOW2RhMFak-kPtgw3f04E6ODC9sNsikX4QK61hqDzS3RCfKenqCZb/s1600/IMG_5541+Squawroot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQpCdvaQNARQhmwZZkcD71TWFT-6ZFRw4Eh-uEla46gMcDrDzsmQooVbz771o2YJfROSW79aCDIshwmRWQWliLjdjOW2RhMFak-kPtgw3f04E6ODC9sNsikX4QK61hqDzS3RCfKenqCZb/s400/IMG_5541+Squawroot.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Squawroot,<i> Conopholis americana</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<b> Look along the base of Oak trees</b> for the parasitic Squawroot, some times called Cancer-root. Its sickly-white color attests to its lack of green-pigment or chlorophyll.<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwK4xBtezuqSVkZyOTl0qSqMSm8Hjc1fN949QPgxWgAMgJestqIBDHzDyxVe3C0FScOIwjir2y5KSyYToe7ZLaIndQ_0TeOvMoJZNrbmQWoKrEhjXUSE6Bs_CbEio3V34DYlO6wmNqbGqk/s1600/IMG_5437+Yellow-breasted+Chat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwK4xBtezuqSVkZyOTl0qSqMSm8Hjc1fN949QPgxWgAMgJestqIBDHzDyxVe3C0FScOIwjir2y5KSyYToe7ZLaIndQ_0TeOvMoJZNrbmQWoKrEhjXUSE6Bs_CbEio3V34DYlO6wmNqbGqk/s400/IMG_5437+Yellow-breasted+Chat.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Yellow-breasted Chat</span></b></td></tr>
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<b> Listen to wood song.</b> This Yellow-breasted Chat performed his entire repertoire in rapid fire. He would have been a welcomed sight for any of the birders on the recent <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ohiobirds.org/posts/1338081189541480?fref=nf&pnref=story">OOS field trips</a> </span>which filled the lodge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBr1D7OHTC9iZFMyE-hlHx8vIgS5CMezFQTo0Z62o8yUQe7na16BW50GGN1p4GmCX0NHzSeJmSVM9mW27M28PSb5ZPnzBQMy6-1oBIe3GTpnWt_EPUMso-TGjYCMUFWyegGHcuuCL94ARu/s1600/IMG_5453+black+huckleberry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBr1D7OHTC9iZFMyE-hlHx8vIgS5CMezFQTo0Z62o8yUQe7na16BW50GGN1p4GmCX0NHzSeJmSVM9mW27M28PSb5ZPnzBQMy6-1oBIe3GTpnWt_EPUMso-TGjYCMUFWyegGHcuuCL94ARu/s400/IMG_5453+black+huckleberry.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Black Huckleberry, <i>Gaylussacia baccata</i></span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Even the simplest of under-story shrubs has a story to tell.</b> This is where the Newcomb's Wildflower Guides come out, and we note each detail of the low-woodland shrubs. The berries to come will provide sustenance for forest foragers.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-puhjFHShi6vShb9UwbO4HWJ-IjCuRMoAHc-ir50aw1nDLFVH_43qFWXjOjgZaSg2NkFBJgQeD-f2z6-YtRh2zNcrCulsQ0XwglZTSRb_ySFbI-We_lTtCKynwEtLbzRP73AdPm_yqChO/s1600/IMG_5485+Lonicera+sempervirons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><b><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-puhjFHShi6vShb9UwbO4HWJ-IjCuRMoAHc-ir50aw1nDLFVH_43qFWXjOjgZaSg2NkFBJgQeD-f2z6-YtRh2zNcrCulsQ0XwglZTSRb_ySFbI-We_lTtCKynwEtLbzRP73AdPm_yqChO/s400/IMG_5485+Lonicera+sempervirons.JPG" width="400" /></b></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><b>Trumpet Honeysuckle, <i>Lonicera sempervirens</i></b></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></td></tr>
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<b> Look closer at the seemingly common vines</b>. This is Trumpet Honeysuckle a rarity to Ohio. It is spreading along a forest opening created by an ice storm eleven years ago. The first time I ever visited Shawnee was on a trip to document this rare plant!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04bgiR_N2CI9ynnEmttsM4rXHo7Q3BIWN1OyjB-5ZGhkXV0D_Dvj-Q-vR80GkhByJFor071OWswIzKcWXdq6U0r3HX_IJ9gX0R6lrmm4a3iGsexF_5mGXRm8k1q122IFpSml7F27GBuFy/s1600/20160501_064020.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04bgiR_N2CI9ynnEmttsM4rXHo7Q3BIWN1OyjB-5ZGhkXV0D_Dvj-Q-vR80GkhByJFor071OWswIzKcWXdq6U0r3HX_IJ9gX0R6lrmm4a3iGsexF_5mGXRm8k1q122IFpSml7F27GBuFy/s400/20160501_064020.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Native pollinator on the Wood Betany</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>We forget the abundant pollinators in a forest.</b> As Ohio and the nation ramps up our efforts to protect habitat for native pollinators, we destroy the habitat we already own! This forest is a buzz with pollinating bees, bumblebees, bee-flys, wasps and butterflies. It is not just the forest flowers- trees provide pollen, too! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr69KQSF56ckepciCEM2iW4Jz98CixcDj1Q7AsGLbffDJ8wCGkdxXlv6mfs9vLiENTszNjQgyGwRlPFGT-O839g6-cTV8MvX7A-byVtRqBduaETpGSaD3MYe7K0ILlmguYZC9J7jpurlGe/s1600/IMG_5523+Showy+Orchis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr69KQSF56ckepciCEM2iW4Jz98CixcDj1Q7AsGLbffDJ8wCGkdxXlv6mfs9vLiENTszNjQgyGwRlPFGT-O839g6-cTV8MvX7A-byVtRqBduaETpGSaD3MYe7K0ILlmguYZC9J7jpurlGe/s400/IMG_5523+Showy+Orchis.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Showy Orchis, <i>Galearis spectabilis </i></span></b></td></tr>
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<b> Orchis are orchids, and they grow along the road.</b> Look closely or you will miss this beauty! Good photos must be taken from a prone position.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8mxXLjwXxQxsrmNExNbCPLPcCBc2hRVPnTzVuyooO2mMkNFHkNT7zV2dsEPVmRO0TVNOi3Za7Y8NTqek-wp-MXkZ4CLPKqHRyA3g9Cc4JAk6sQg4I4S5wBpBbnBeJcRiiTVwNYo6Q-_U/s1600/20160429_103759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8mxXLjwXxQxsrmNExNbCPLPcCBc2hRVPnTzVuyooO2mMkNFHkNT7zV2dsEPVmRO0TVNOi3Za7Y8NTqek-wp-MXkZ4CLPKqHRyA3g9Cc4JAk6sQg4I4S5wBpBbnBeJcRiiTVwNYo6Q-_U/s400/20160429_103759.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Woodland flowers: Crested Iris and Wild Geranium </span></b></td></tr>
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<b> Shawnee park and forest are a reservoir of wildlife, </b>both flora and fauna. Bird song and insect hum fill the air. Ohioans from far and wide travel to this far off corner of the state to revel in nature. No one looks up and wonders how many board-feet of lumber this forest would make. How much pulp wood can we send to China from our tiny 3% of Ohio's public lands?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Where have all the flowers gone?</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>We should ask ourselves, "Is this the way we want our lands managed?" </b> Do we need clear-cuts, logging roads and habitat destruction in our public forests? This is not the way Ohio managed our public lands ten years ago. Have we become so needy- or greedy- that we must sell off the last of our woods?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkimcVdFVoKbkkqKFeGo5xWzGyFLXJFfjpwYap31DNp5bqpLgXcmedQUs9C3sn0OXhKccw7V7YV4NeFNKcpfHyOjn-3KBqCuH3gLZAc8RqKXLvn3j1UoBW_xqGTPkreIEaANoeabselVAp/s1600/IMG_5486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkimcVdFVoKbkkqKFeGo5xWzGyFLXJFfjpwYap31DNp5bqpLgXcmedQUs9C3sn0OXhKccw7V7YV4NeFNKcpfHyOjn-3KBqCuH3gLZAc8RqKXLvn3j1UoBW_xqGTPkreIEaANoeabselVAp/s400/IMG_5486.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Why are we spring-mowing?</span></b></td></tr>
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<b> More grass, fewer flowers.</b> Ecologists note the loss of flowering forbs in constantly mowed areas. We are losing our forest flowers to grass maintenance. Certainly, road edges need to be cut in the fall to manage for woody sucessionals. But deep mowing can wait- the birds and bees need the nectar and insects the flowers bring. Let's go back to the days of a two-foot clearance mow on the edge of the forest, and leave something for the bees... and me.<br />
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<br />Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-26974352080593343902016-05-03T20:12:00.005-05:002016-05-04T12:10:33.784-05:00OOS 2016 in Shawnee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>When the Ohio Ornithological Society</b> gets together for spring birding in Shawnee, you know we are going to have fun. And we are going to see birds!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Our special guest- Terry the Turkey Vulture.</span></b></td></tr>
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However, 2016 may go down in history as having a bird for speaker. This is rather inventive even for us (oos?)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Julie Davis, our President</span></b></td></tr>
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Friday night's introductions and announcements were given by OOS President Julie Davis. Our Vice President, Randy Rogers got in on the action as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Terry the TUVU and Randy Rogers introduce Katie Fallon.</span></b></td></tr>
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Terry the T.V. was thrilled to introduce his favorite author Katie Fallon. He has heard Katie is currently working on her second book, which is about Turkey Vultures!<br />
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Yes, Terry had a little help from V.P. Randy. Our board members are not above having a little fun at these events! Even Katie seemed to be enjoying the show.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZ6R0gSpe-42_jvZF1wFeCpB-4KqJU0Fs1pJX3DY6i-4fzSM9odzGnXxvsPcOakNH_HYkODETUJ4DYX_mlfcP7eTZu7NoDTqTxeTto-APCR1mL2XJqA8aWF_L_Suvh6WQd-QB7CBkPPj_/s1600/Cerulean+Blues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZ6R0gSpe-42_jvZF1wFeCpB-4KqJU0Fs1pJX3DY6i-4fzSM9odzGnXxvsPcOakNH_HYkODETUJ4DYX_mlfcP7eTZu7NoDTqTxeTto-APCR1mL2XJqA8aWF_L_Suvh6WQd-QB7CBkPPj_/s320/Cerulean+Blues.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Katie Fallon, author of <u>Cerulean Blues.</u></span></b></td></tr>
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After all the silliness, Katie entertained and informed the audience on the plight of the Cerulean Warblers and their loss of habitat in both West Virginia and on their wintering grounds. She is an excellent speaker and the perfect start for our event. The OOS logo boasts a Cerulean Warbler and any effort we make to protect or conserve Ceruleans would be a worthy cause.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold;">*Anybody have photos from Saturday night of Petey the 'Possom and me, or Harvey Webster? Willing to share?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0g4enmeCr0A-ZB2Ck04cK41iBb9pWUInsGYynQRU33DTsZivCgrp5y_JBW_Tez7NNTm1Zvm0TBEO6rHyV7XuaPgjYdQrvs6KqlwvMkYAAEeQLt9ioq-1OB5NX3RQbx0NCLco34gsVunJ/s1600/IMG_5505a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0g4enmeCr0A-ZB2Ck04cK41iBb9pWUInsGYynQRU33DTsZivCgrp5y_JBW_Tez7NNTm1Zvm0TBEO6rHyV7XuaPgjYdQrvs6KqlwvMkYAAEeQLt9ioq-1OB5NX3RQbx0NCLco34gsVunJ/s640/IMG_5505a.JPG" width="640" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Our group- Birds and Butterflies- convened in the parking lot.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">(Front)Shari Jackson and Ronnie Macko (back) Melissa Holewinski, Tim Colborn, John and Joanne Smale, Someone hiding, Patty Kelner and Jim Heflich. (not shown- Lloyd and Lois Kuck)</span></td></tr>
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Bright and early Saturday morning field trips met up in the Lodge parking lot for our field trips. The weather was under 50 degrees all day, and quite drizzly in the afternoon. Here is our Birding and Butterfly group getting ready to head out. Birding was pretty decent, with an unusual highlight of a calling Northern Bobwhite and plenty of botany along the way<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_habIVSLeRhG56rhfSC9BWEf50rzfg2xNiT3QdewEhZcOa21jiy8Bf8Qm3Vxv4tNXp4OIUhjjQEU0HrionlqNjkJ99OCJ9zJ0pR8GfxDxUsxCgwoK8pcQrZTDPNOK28DTCpswO1GKyEow/s1600/IMG_5511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_habIVSLeRhG56rhfSC9BWEf50rzfg2xNiT3QdewEhZcOa21jiy8Bf8Qm3Vxv4tNXp4OIUhjjQEU0HrionlqNjkJ99OCJ9zJ0pR8GfxDxUsxCgwoK8pcQrZTDPNOK28DTCpswO1GKyEow/s200/IMG_5511.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju12j9SwprCU-LNvqZ0DyOV_AKBqDac9Uw170feJPQzcy68gvFHVhbcMo2Iow7IiwWV7EHeq-syxWfUTo5kuAzAHUOaCBAPG2goXeUoOD3n5Xzp2QX81g8eHWKcEbZXssCbBkehausOiR4/s1600/IMG_5509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju12j9SwprCU-LNvqZ0DyOV_AKBqDac9Uw170feJPQzcy68gvFHVhbcMo2Iow7IiwWV7EHeq-syxWfUTo5kuAzAHUOaCBAPG2goXeUoOD3n5Xzp2QX81g8eHWKcEbZXssCbBkehausOiR4/s320/IMG_5509.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Out in the forest we were able to locate many species of warblers, including this Kentucky Warbler. One of our keen-eyed participants, Lois Kuck, noticed this Luna Moth hanging out on a wall near Roosevelt Lake's Mackletree shelterhouse. Good save, Lois!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ30zr0ePjFBfPXxUwv43gQBTZmteK03GXOXk0xSQoBMNKGn6xRTWIA0kZKkHplulXukRVV32wPXFXIeGbq0h4wTwlJjxVg7qf0_IJqMJ5_rpsBRzAHI__43zU1QGRMROskdkJlVyGR5vp/s1600/Birding_+Susan+Nash+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ30zr0ePjFBfPXxUwv43gQBTZmteK03GXOXk0xSQoBMNKGn6xRTWIA0kZKkHplulXukRVV32wPXFXIeGbq0h4wTwlJjxVg7qf0_IJqMJ5_rpsBRzAHI__43zU1QGRMROskdkJlVyGR5vp/s400/Birding_+Susan+Nash+photo.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tim</b> (the tallest one) <b>Colborn was our main birding guide.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="text-align: start;">Photo by Susan Nash</span></span></td></tr>
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Fellow OOS guide, Tim Colborn led us on an excellent course through the forest, stopping for various warblers preparing for spring breeding. This particular location yielded excellent looks at a Worm-eating Warbler. <br />
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<b>It just goes to prove, early birders get the worm-eater!</b><br />
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Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-51479714121660602922016-04-26T19:17:00.000-05:002016-04-27T08:37:47.587-05:00Kentucky: Naturalists get an early jump on spring.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>In April the naturalists get an itch to go south to meet the on-coming spring.</b> We just can't wait another day! About 12 of us headed down to Jenny Wiley State Park near Prestonburg, Kentucky.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZaUb3NYJzRSgpcON53Jk4-1oJVdhnFcKPNc5SRQlHGjxur640lYOCgiTrtplwiehSF8VQpcJvigTCUz0fUHxIklcaz-3L0AHbdUuAHFeKACw_9yny0IRQYIE6HWNVhO86Nq_MOVQv_JC/s1600/IMG_5113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZaUb3NYJzRSgpcON53Jk4-1oJVdhnFcKPNc5SRQlHGjxur640lYOCgiTrtplwiehSF8VQpcJvigTCUz0fUHxIklcaz-3L0AHbdUuAHFeKACw_9yny0IRQYIE6HWNVhO86Nq_MOVQv_JC/s640/IMG_5113.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Crossvine, <i>Bignonia capreolata</i></b></span></td></tr>
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A southern species, found only on the southern most locations in Ohio, Crossvine was ever present. A sun-lover, it winds up to the tree top canopy to rain individual florets upon the forest floor. We spent lots of time looking up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLa4TZ_NDz5euspnVZx0ZhSid1wWHKkmE0k35dvVMqw1LBDrV-uTuSmMXHEtHdMoHcR8IBH_59NFapTeSZWAC3EVXTSnvItsCwdufbXZ3QuQc_l2rr2MT0pbtpIWcwpaqRZ-zr45yMS82/s1600/IMG_5379+Fence+Lizard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLa4TZ_NDz5euspnVZx0ZhSid1wWHKkmE0k35dvVMqw1LBDrV-uTuSmMXHEtHdMoHcR8IBH_59NFapTeSZWAC3EVXTSnvItsCwdufbXZ3QuQc_l2rr2MT0pbtpIWcwpaqRZ-zr45yMS82/s400/IMG_5379+Fence+Lizard.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Fence Lizard</span></b></td></tr>
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We also looked down, at the Eastern Fence Lizard, <i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sceloparus indulatus</span></i>. This handsome guy was enjoying a little sunbath as well. He was a hefty guy of nearly a foot in length, with a tinge of blue at the throat. He should impress the lady lizards.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGGhTVhPMoHlomfWdLiDIFUh8r290giZ6axNRfDEyit4I0SwLzL6YHkee6n5v3qcqWJ9r1mVxGDkmhGzVDyomofGLY_EXZHyNls7Ht4Pm21GCsQ2bLJzex3BI0rpaPyT6Zs0L64VvwyBW/s1600/IMG_5289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGGhTVhPMoHlomfWdLiDIFUh8r290giZ6axNRfDEyit4I0SwLzL6YHkee6n5v3qcqWJ9r1mVxGDkmhGzVDyomofGLY_EXZHyNls7Ht4Pm21GCsQ2bLJzex3BI0rpaPyT6Zs0L64VvwyBW/s320/IMG_5289.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Pinxter Flower</span></b></td></tr>
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Next, we are out on a limb. That's where you'll find the Pinxter Flower, <i>Rhododendron periclymenoides</i>. It is a showy pink azalea confined to southern states-and the Appalachian regions of Ohio. Take time to smell this one. Heavenly!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix_1Hrg59qAgGVxitISq_z88jfKfRGBBKi9SFS6ix1L7EYfMcsY4lWOYCwFaxc0zcuqGzXa6TQdFlUVpSh6CqPyBa6g7tkAjI_ScxB6ymJ39zHMS2gXsq_OXATjC6C0oH9lcT_9hIK71CY/s1600/IMG_5275+Jim+Davidson+and+Sandy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix_1Hrg59qAgGVxitISq_z88jfKfRGBBKi9SFS6ix1L7EYfMcsY4lWOYCwFaxc0zcuqGzXa6TQdFlUVpSh6CqPyBa6g7tkAjI_ScxB6ymJ39zHMS2gXsq_OXATjC6C0oH9lcT_9hIK71CY/s400/IMG_5275+Jim+Davidson+and+Sandy.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jim and Sandy Davidson</span></td></tr>
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Our hiking hero, Jim Davidson, and his wife, Sandy, are still burning up the trails in their eighties! Well, maybe not exactly "burning up," but they are definitely out for a pleasant morning shuffle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDE8pqzJOBygMxtbckkmF46nN8zgWlQ5gSchZ86D8RiekP4J89O3CQriXsnM9DzGQxV3FkAY6slC3POVDSBgGZJueByDDXvLQbc_zfusdjhL9H11qSX3SU9cND_L95ow7SjZxXBy3v7luV/s1600/group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDE8pqzJOBygMxtbckkmF46nN8zgWlQ5gSchZ86D8RiekP4J89O3CQriXsnM9DzGQxV3FkAY6slC3POVDSBgGZJueByDDXvLQbc_zfusdjhL9H11qSX3SU9cND_L95ow7SjZxXBy3v7luV/s400/group.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">The Day Hikers from Ohio</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Bill Marsh, Jan Voelker, Cheryl Harner, Greg Ratterman, (Mary Ratterman is hiding)<br />Joe Murra , Diane Weeks, and Deb Marsh. Photo by Susan Nash</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrUWB8REagqeB-M1aLFZ2rdIkxwpSUBdyTj3gNLgtcV7og771liyPvxWvww9hPpaMA4uzGryoPfBXJ9ArlvxWnHyW36-Pq3lHfEgms2O9nOCwwKo4Gsow5AcI6t57X-1Ozn8kkq7k-5Rb/s1600/Mothing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrUWB8REagqeB-M1aLFZ2rdIkxwpSUBdyTj3gNLgtcV7og771liyPvxWvww9hPpaMA4uzGryoPfBXJ9ArlvxWnHyW36-Pq3lHfEgms2O9nOCwwKo4Gsow5AcI6t57X-1Ozn8kkq7k-5Rb/s320/Mothing.jpg" width="240" /></span></b></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KyqNh7pwlllW-18lgebBIh7fzkl31Nkz6ZQlHYtEuSRWsej0hLowOzakt9SV2ozbRaE6ZwZTJI0KyBD_eix5SHGmJRJRSduots6mL-b6a9pHDlT3v2hhZL9WpkeP4-D2M80D0YlfE1t-/s1600/IMG_5243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KyqNh7pwlllW-18lgebBIh7fzkl31Nkz6ZQlHYtEuSRWsej0hLowOzakt9SV2ozbRaE6ZwZTJI0KyBD_eix5SHGmJRJRSduots6mL-b6a9pHDlT3v2hhZL9WpkeP4-D2M80D0YlfE1t-/s320/IMG_5243.JPG" width="248" /></a></div>
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Anytime Greg Ratterman is involved, there will be black lights and mothing! We enjoyed see what was flying on all three nights. All sizes and shapes were present and accounted for. We had a high count of seven Rosy Maple (<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Dryocampa rubicunda</i></span>) Moths in their full pink and yellow glory.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQZO7nSQKnGoZnW055UDPVBJkva6bgQKnDDiKmO5IOY98oaTfvcRe2fmazX4A0RzjS6lHhe63ub38W_sN5vYZzvfKLPJI28QIK9i2znDcKEvNohMdVfVX8hVVfdqhtHFg7xlmyAD_w9HQ/s1600/IMG_5252Luna+Light.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img alt="" border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQZO7nSQKnGoZnW055UDPVBJkva6bgQKnDDiKmO5IOY98oaTfvcRe2fmazX4A0RzjS6lHhe63ub38W_sN5vYZzvfKLPJI28QIK9i2znDcKEvNohMdVfVX8hVVfdqhtHFg7xlmyAD_w9HQ/s400/IMG_5252Luna+Light.JPG" title="Mr. Bug by Luna Light photo by Cheryl Harner" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Mr. Bug by Luna Light</span></b></td></tr>
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<b> We bid you good-night as Mr. Bug basks in the light filtered by a Luna Moth.</b> Not a bad way to end the day...<br />
<br />Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775407527468125772.post-19387545417620102442016-04-15T14:23:00.002-05:002016-04-15T14:27:39.107-05:00Rarity Watch: Old-Growth Forests<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many authors occupy space on my shelves. Wendell Berry has moved my heart, but<a href="http://cherylharner.blogspot.com/2012/09/among-ancients.html"> <span style="color: blue;">Joan Maloof</span> </a>has moved my feet. After reading Maloof's "Among the Ancients" I had to go see the last remains of our Old-Growth Forests: Cathedral Woods West Virginia, George Washington Nation Forest in Virginia, Cook Forest Pennsylvania, <a href="http://cherylharner.blogspot.com/2015/04/chasing-trees.html"><span style="color: blue;">Congaree National Park</span></a> in South Carolina, and Ohio's own Johnson Woods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Only by immersing ourselves into true Old-Growth Forests can we measure what we have lost. These forests boast of many species and great biodiversity. Well-fed chipmunks and birds scamper across rotting logs that are protein rich in beetle larva. The hydrology is deeper, moister. Wildflowers respond in abundance to the sponge-like humus of the forest floor. the woodland fungi run unseen, beneath the leaf-covered forest floor and bind together the rotting bark. These fungal components of our forest play important roles in the ongoing drama. They are the communication system called the "woods wide web." This tree communication system draws forth nutrients and sends out signals of impending attack. No need for Druids or sprites in a forest, the fungi help trees "talk" to each other through their entangled roots. It may stretch our limited imaginations, but scientists are documenting this "web" in current studies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Breath deeply in an Old-Growth Forest... the Japanese call this "deep forest bathing" of Shinrin-yoku. The documented health benefits include lowered blood pressure, boosted immune system, stress reduction, increased energy level, and improved sleep. You too, will probably feel better taking deep breaths in an Old-Growth Forest. It is part of our DNA.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ohio has but a handful of these protected forests. Mohican has the Clear Fork State Nature Preserve. <span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://cherylharner.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-big-woods.html"><span style="color: blue;">Johnson Woods</span></a> </span>near Wooster offers a peek into our past.<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://cherylharner.blogspot.com/2016/04/land-of-giants-dysart-woods.html"><span style="color: blue;">Dysart Woods</span></a> </span>near Belmont remains lauded, but endangered by underground mining. Ohio wold benefit by setting aside more sites like these.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One walk in an Old-Growth Forest teaches anyone attuned to nature the vast difference between 100-200 year old forests and the single-species woodlots used for timber production. Wood lots for timber production are as important as any other type of farm, but forests only begin to reach their true potential with the passage of time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A visit to witness astounding, centuries-old trees commune in a natural Old-Growth Forest is an experience one long remembers. Never again will you believe "woods can 'over-mature'."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cheryl Harner</span></div>
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Weedpicker Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529273252200443042noreply@blogger.com0