Nature Blog at NeoNaturalist.com

Winter Hiking at its best

2010-02-21T04:42:00.002-05:00

Cleveland Metroparks' North Chagrin Reservation is one of my favorite places. The big, old woods of the park beckon us to explore their secrets, even in the dead of winter. From a wide variety of trees to deep cold ravines, to rock outcroppings above frozen streams, this park is truly a winter wonderland.

I took this photo of a black-capped chickadee on my hand at the overlook shelter at the end of the Overlook Trail in A.B. Williams Memorial Woods, a National Natural Landmark located in North Chagrin Reservation. People have fed them there for years, so they are very tame. It is a great place to take kids for a surreal natural experience they will never forget.

Check out a few of the trails at North Chagrin:

Do you think of yourself as a visitor in Nature, or a part of it?

2010-02-08T21:21:00.003-05:00

In our fast-paced society, we seldom make time for Nature. When we do, it is a quick visit to a park or a short trek along a favorite trail. These brief intervals surrounded by the natural world refresh and relax us.

Then, we return to our "real" lives. Deadlines, commitments, paperwork, phone calls. What a strange way to view the world. People are, and always have been an integral part of Nature. The more removed from Nature we are, the more removed we are from our true selves.

Too often, environmentalists implicitly underwrite and perpetuate the false assumption that humans are trespassers or interlopers. Granted, we as a species have wrought horrific terrors upon the earth, and taken many concepts to extremes which threaten the health of the earth. The answer to that, however, is not a strict preservationist's "hands off" attitude. The answer to that problem is moderation and a realization that what we do to the earth, we ultimately do to ourselves.

Living in balance, there are many uses we can make of our natural endowment that can enhance our lives and still leave the system healthy. This ultimately brings us closer to Nature, and to our own ultimate reality. Check out "Thumping Hickories," a new essay from naturalist William Hudson, and then get outside, learn something, and refresh your soul.

Night Hikes!

2010-01-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

Okay. We all know it gets dark early during winter, making it difficult to to lots of outdoor activities after work. Of course ski slopes are lighted, so downhill skiing is an option. But, what about a night hike?

During winter, the trees are laid bare, abandoned by those fair weather friends, the leaves. This allows moonlight to penetrate to the forest floor. On nights with a full moon, the effect is transformative. Instead of a dark, shady hike, winter night hikes under a full moon are magically alive and bright.

Try it and you will be surprised. Don't use a flashlight. Just let your eyes adjust and get out in the woods. If you are reticent to try it alone, join an organized hike. Here are two upcoming full moon hikes being held at Cuyahoga Valley National Park:

Saturday, January 30
This easy 3.75-mile hike on the Valley and Towpath trails will begin at the Everett Road Covered Bridge at 7 p.m. and end at approximately 8:45 p.m.

Sunday, February 28
Another easy 3.5-mile hike on the Towpath Trail between Boston and Red Lock will depart from Boston Store Visitor Center and runs from 7 - 8:45 p.m.

Check out the Darke County Park District

2010-01-24T02:43:00.004-05:00

The Darke County Park District has 12 parks with 500 acres of passive recreation opportunities. If you have never been to Darke County, it is northwest of Dayton, near the Indiana state line.

Check out a new page on the park district that we have just added thanks to Robb Clifford, Senior Naturalist with Darke County Parks: Darke County Park District, Western Ohio Parks.

This photo of the sugar shack at Shawnee Prairie is courtesy of the Darke County Park District.

Malabar Maple Syrup Festival

2010-01-15T16:10:00.001-05:00

From a press release from Malabar Farm State Park:

The 33rd Annual Maple Syrup Family Festival is planned for the first two weekends in March (DATES: March 6,7,13,14, 2010) from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. daily. This free festival is a great opportunity for families and friends to step back in time, learn, and enjoy the history of Ohio syrup making at Malabar Farm State Park.

This festival includes demonstrations of sugaring techniques from the early days, when Ohio was home to Native Americans, through present day. A self-guided tour of the sugar camp and sugarhouse will reveal the evolution of sugaring equipment and how maple sap is transformed into maple syrup. A peek inside the summer bell house, behind the Pugh Log Cabin, will take you back to Ohio’s past. Presented by the Richland County Museum, the summer bell house is now set up as a pioneer’s cabin, where kids and adults can take part in daily pioneer chores like washing clothes, tending fire, making candles, and cooking. Kids and adults will also enjoy the horse-drawn wagon rides to the sugar camp provided by the Central Ohio Draft Horse Association.

Free samples of maple syrup will be available at the sugar house. Pure Ohio maple syrup, homemade Maple Walnut Fudge, Maple Cotton Candy, Maple popcorn, and other maple products will be on sale during the event, and in the Malabar Farm Gift Shop throughout the season. Live musical entertainment will be provided along with light refreshments and snacks during the festival in the Pugh Log Cabin located near the event. Bromfield’s historical 32-room mansion will be open for self-guided tours. Tickets can be purchased in the Visitor’s Center Gift Shop.

The Malabar Farm Restaurant will offer lunch and dinner specials featuring Malabar Farm products and maple food items both weekends – kids menu available. For reservations or more information call 419-938-5205.

Additionally, overnight accommodations for individuals, groups, and families are available at the Malabar Farm Hostelling International – call 419-892-2055 for reservations.

7 Reasons to visit a park during Winter

2010-01-11T01:44:00.006-05:00

Don’t be a fair weather outdoorsman. Instead of being a wintertime couch potato, get outside and enjoy these extraordinary benefits:

Feel good
Getting outdoors and exploring nature provides an opportunity to exercise. Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins make you feel better. What better cure for the wintertime blues?

Enjoy solitude
Witness the peaceful majesty of the winter landscape. By being one of the brave few that opt for a hike on snow covered trails, you will experience a unique solitude that is rarely possible at other times of the year.

Escape to another world
A snow covered landscape can impart an otherworldly feeling that may take you back to childhood or it might instill thoughts of places like Alaska or Antarctica. Icicle encrusted cliffs are particularly great places to visit during the winter for the feel of a real magic kingdom.

See more
During the dormant season, deciduous trees are bare and most ground cover has died back. This allows hikers to get longer views of the landscape, and sometimes reveals hidden gems, like glimpses of far off waterfalls, or cloistered little ravines that escape notice during greener times of the year. Go to a familiar landscape during winter and look upon it with new eyes. You just might like what you see.

Winter Tracking
What better way to learn or practice your tracking skills? Follow a deer through its daily routine. Creep along the path of a raccoon. It is much easier to track animals further with a nice blanket of snow.

Winter Tree Identification
Want a real challenge? Impress you friends by taking them on a winter hike and identify trees by their bark or twigs. It isn’t that hard when you know what to look for. And you can exercise your brain and body at the same time.

Sledding!
So much for the solitude listed above! Sometimes Nature appears to be chaotic. No where can that aspect of Nature be more apparent than on a busy sledding hill. With or without kids, there is no excuse to get out the old toboggan or sled and head to the nearest snow covered hill. That exhilarating rush that comes from gliding down a hill nearly out of control can’t be beat.

More evidence that Nature is good for you and not just an extra.

2010-01-02T12:45:00.002-05:00

I found this article on the Beacon Journal's web site and thought I'd share it: Ohio.com - Plants can boost health and spirits in '10: "reduced negative emotions, increased positive feelings, increased sociability and reduced need for health care."

The article mainly discusses plants and gardens, but there is also a bit about proximity to green space. Take a look and then think about this. We complain about raising health care premiums while there is a way (exposure to nature) to reduce recovery times by large percentages. We worry about the supposed obesity epidemic when one part of a cure is nearly free (Get outside and hike!).

Some of the benefits of green space are felt simply by looking out the window. Think how much more valuable Nature is to people who actually go outdoors and immerse themselves in reality for an hour a day.

While the beginning of the new year is not any different than any other day, maybe we can all use it as an excuse to commit to getting outside in a natural setting every day.

Think about how much better off you would be. If you have kids, start this habit for them right now. Your lives will be enriched beyond measure.

Get outside and enjoy the snow!

Experience trails in dormant season

2009-12-02T02:14:00.000-05:00

Don't just be a fair weather hiker! Check out this news article Akron Ohio News - Experience trails in dormant season then get outside and enjoy!

Candlelight Christmas Tours at Malabar

2009-11-20T09:47:00.004-05:00

Visitors have the chance to celebrate the beauty of the holidays during the annual Candlelight Christmas Tours at Malabar. This special four-day holiday event will be held Thursday - Saturday December 10,11, 12 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 13th from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Holiday decorations will feature greenery, candles, bubble lights, and many other items common to the 1940’s. Six trees will be decorated with a special theme by volunteer organizations. The Malabar Farm Country Store will be open for holiday shopping featuring unique Ohio made products, Malabar Farm’s all natural beef and pork, and fresh made fudge.

The four-day special Candlelight Christmas celebration will Christmas music, freshly baked cookies, hot wassail , and a visit with Santa Claus. Admission is $5.00 for adults, $4.50 seniors and $3.00 for children age 6-17 for a self-guided tour of the decorated Big House.

The Mansfield/Richland County Public Library will sponsor a reading for children of The Night Before Christmas in the rustic Pugh Cabin on Thursday and Friday evenings at 6:00pm. For more information and to make reservations for the story reading program, contact children services at the main public library at 419-521-3130. Space is limited, call early.

Malabar Farm is the former home of Pulitzer Prize winning novelist and conservationist Louis Bromfield. His home was designated as an Ohio State Park in 1976 and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. For more information about this and other events, contact the Malabar Farm State Park Office at 4050 Bromfield Road, Lucas, OH 44843-9745, or call 419-892-2784. Be sure to visit their web page at www.malabarfarm.org.

For up to date information from Ohio State Parks visit OhioStateParks.org and join them on FaceBook.

Hoot and Harvest Festival

2009-09-23T17:35:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, October 10, 2009, Western Reserve Land Conservancy's Medina Summit Chapter will hold its annual harvest festival to celebrate fall and the last year's land conservation accomplishments.

There will be pumpkins on hand for children to paint and decorate, hayrides, a campfire(with s'mores), face-painting, live music, and an after-dark owl walk.

The Medina Raptor Center will also present a program featuring live owls, giving festival-goers a chance to learn about these fascinating creatures of the night.

A harvest dinner will include hot dogs, beer, hot chocolate, macaroni and cheese, white chicken chili and cornbread.

Bring your kids and friends and enjoy an evening of fellowship and dun while you hear about the Conservancy's amazing accomplishments.

DATE
Saturday, October 10, 2009

TIME
5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

LOCATION
Hill'n Dale Club
3605 Poe Road
Montville Township, Ohio.

MORE
Tickets are $12 for adults
$6 for children ages 4-12
and free for those 3 and under.

RSVP
by October 2, 2009 to Gina Pausch at gpausch@wrlc.cc or 440-729-9621.

Ohio Heritage Days

2009-09-20T08:48:00.002-04:00

DATES: September 26-27 (Saturday and Sunday)
TIME: 10AM - 4PM
FEE: FREE!!!!
Barn Dance: Saturday, September 26 at 7PM-10PM

As part of Ohio’s Agricultural History, Malabar Farm will host the 34th Annual Ohio Heritage Days from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. This popular festival is one of Ohio’s largest free outdoor craft and living-history festivals and is open to the public.. Craftspeople will be demonstrating their talents and various old-fashioned trades in period clothing. Among the crafts being demonstrated will be spinning, weaving, woodworking, broom making, apple butter making, quilting, and more. Most craftspeople will have items for sale throughout the event.

The Malabar Antique Tractor Club will display vintage Willy’s jeeps, antique tractors, and many types of antique farm machinery. Local community non-profit groups will be offering a variety of foods from pumpkin items to funnel cakes. Vendors will also offer refreshments throughout the event including homemade sarsaparilla root beer and roasted nuts.

Louis Bromfield’s mansion, the Big House, will be open throughout the weekend for self guided tours.

The Malabar Farm Smoke House will be in full operation on both Saturday and Sunday. Visit Malabar Farm’s Naturalist at 1:00PM at the smokehouse for free smoked samples of Malabar raised bacon and ham. All of Malabar Farms ham and bacon, as well as other meat products including beef patties, sausage, bratwurst and more, are sold in the Gift Shop located in the Louis Bromfield Visitors Center.

Music Lineup

Music: Bud Preston
Date: Saturday and Sunday
Location: In front of the Visitors Center.

Clearfork Valley String Band
Date: Saturday
Location: Working Farm Area

John Henry and Friends
Date: Saturday & Sunday
Location: Main Farm Area (near Big House)

Stone Soup
Date: Sunday
Location: Working Farm Area

Back Porch Swing Band
Date: Saturday at 7PM to 10PM (Square Dance)
Location: In the Main Barn

Living History Demonstrations

Civil War Hospital (NEW)

Live demonstrations of a typical field hospital attached to Ohio regiments during the American Civil War. Live amputations!

Ohio Light Artillery Regiment

Live firing demonstrations and artillery displays.

Sons of Confederate Veterans (NEW)

Information pertaining to descendents of Confederate veterans who served during the American Civil War. Yes, there were soldiers from Ohio who served in the Confederacy.

Flint Knapping and Artifact Display (NEW)

Demonstrations and a four table display of local pre-historic artifacts brought to you by the Richland County chapter of the Ohio Archaeological Society.

Pioneer and Buck Skinners Encampment

Blacksmithing demonstrations, weaponry demonstrations and more!

Barn Dance

On Saturday evening, our traditional Square Dance will be held in the main barn next to the Big House. The dance will run from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and will feature live music and square dance calling. The barn dance is sponsored by the Mohican Resort and Conference Center. This dance is open to all free of charge. Experienced dancers and beginners are welcome. Loudonville FFA Alumni will have refreshments and hot food available at the dance.

Hostelling International Open House

This is a very special year for hostelling! 2009 marks the 75th Anniversary of HI-USA and the 100th Anniversary of the worldwide hostelling movement. Stop by the Malabar Farm overnight hostel for a tour and to learn more about hostelling.

The Malabar Farm Restaurant will be open on Friday and Saturdays 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Sundays 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Tuesdays through Thursdays 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; For reservations or more information call 419-938-5205.

The Malabar Farm Market, located next to the Malabar Farm Restaurant, will be open summer and fall featuring locally-grown produce. Additionally, overnight accommodations are available at the Malabar Farm Hostelling International. Call 419-892-2055 for reservations at the Hostel.

Malabar Farm is located 12 miles southeast of Mansfield, Ohio, just one mile west of State Route 603 on Pleasant Valley Road. For more information about this and other special events offered year-round, contact the Malabar Farm State Park Office at 4050 Bromfield Road, Lucas, OH 44843-9745, or call 419-892-2784. Be sure to visit our web page at www.malabarfarm.org.

Good Plants Gone Bad: Invasive Plants of Southeast Ohio

2009-09-08T00:33:00.003-04:00

Want to learn about ways to combat nuisance plants, network with others interested in controlling invasives, and enjoy a great workshop? Try this Ohio Invasive Plants Council program. You could not ask of for a better value. The council always has well-informed experts presenting at these workshops.

Check it out:

When?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Registration: 8:45 – 9:30 am
Workshop Program: 9:30 – noon
Lunch (provided) 12:00 – 12:45 pm
Workshop Program (cont.): 12:45 – 3:15 pm

Where?
710 Colegate Dr.
Community Room, Administration Building
Washington State Community College, Marietta, OH

What?
-Aren't Invasive Plants Just Weeds by Another Name?
-Breakthrough! A Biological Control for Mile-a-Minute
-Should YOU Be Part of a Cooperative Weed Management Area?
-The Story of What Happened When One Yard Went Native
-2009: The Year the Vine-that-ate-the-South Met Push-back in Ohio
-Funding Your Invasive Battle

How?
Registration: $10.00/person, those registered by Sept. 4 receive a free lunch
Register at: oipc.info.

Who?
For more information please contact:
-Marilyn Ortt, marilynortt@suddenlink.net, 740-373-3372
-Cheryl Coon,ccoon@fs.fed.us, 740-753-0558

Birds fly into fall migration - cleveland.com

2009-09-01T06:19:00.000-04:00

Well, it might only be the first of September, but Jim McCarty at the Cleveland Plain Dealer says Fall is here. Like a farmer that plants by the signs, Jim has documented the beginning of the fall bird migrations in the linked article. He includes some great photos, so check it out, then get outside.

Ohio.com - Hikers hitting trails at parks

2009-08-29T10:01:00.001-04:00

Metro Parks, Serving Summit County is getting its annual fall hiking spree underway. Get out and join the rest of northeast Ohio and enjoy nature along the great Metro Park trails. The hiking spree consists of thirteen designated trails. Hikers that complete 8 of the 13 trails earn either a hiking staff or a badge. (First year hikers get the staff, others get the badge to add to their existing hiking stick.)

Check the Metro Parks, Serving Summit County web site for a complete list of the hiking spree trails.

NeoNaturalist.com has reviewed several of the hiking spree trails. Check out these descriptions to see which trails are most interesting to you. Then, get outside and enjoy. If you want to complete the spree, you have until November 30.

Portage Park District Programs connect people to Nature!

2009-08-10T03:41:00.003-04:00

Pre-registration Needed for Annual Bat Program

Come and learn about the secret lives of bats at the Portage Park District annual bat program on Friday August 14 at 8:45pm. We will meet at the Headwater's Trail parking lot at the Rt. 700 trailhead in Hiram. Jessica Hickey from Davey Resources will demonstrate bat survey techniques and equipment, as well as share little known facts about these nocturnal creatures! Pre-registration is necessary. Please call the Park District office at 330-297-7728 or email dalber@portageparkdistrict.org to pre-register. For information, please visit www.portageparkdistrict.org.

Butterfly and Dragonfly Survey

Members of the North American Butterfly Association and Portage Park District staff and volunteers will be fluttering through the field and forest on Saturday, August 15 for the annual Butterfly and Dragonfly survey at Towner's Woods Park in Franklin Township. The Park District is honored to have Judy Semroc as a guide for this activity, who, along with Larry Rosche and Linda Gilbert, have recently written a new book, the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Northeast Ohio, second edition. It is the comprehensive guide for species occurring in Ohio. Copies of the book are available for sale ($26.88, which includes tax) at www.ddneo.info.

Towner's Woods is located at 2296 Ravenna Road, Franklin Township Directions: From SR 43, turn east onto Ravenna Rd., go 2 miles to the park entrance. A short hike begins at 10:00 am, followed by a trail and field survey for these beautiful and delicate creatures. It is recommended that participants bring water to drink and wear closed toe shoes and comfortable clothing. Pants are recommended for the more adventurous, who may venture off the trails into the field areas.
For information, please visit www.portageparkdistrict.org. or call (330) 297-7728.

Of Fairydiddles, Truffles, and Trees, an essay by Naturalist William Hudson

2009-07-28T21:33:00.001-04:00

We are all connected. I don't mean just us children of Adam and Eve. The "we" is an inclusive one.

People
Other animals
Plants
Streams
Lakes
Rivers
Oceans
Dirt
Fungi
Trees
Squirells.

All of it is "we" and is connected. In the words of our friend, naturalist William Hudson, "Most things in nature are connected in some very complex ways. Take for example fairydiddles, truffles, and trees."

Check out his essay, and be amazed by the intricacy of Nature. Then, go outside and re-connect with your source. Take care of yourself by just enjoying that connection.

Thanks Bill!

Trail is coolest in Ohio

2009-07-26T08:39:00.001-04:00

Ohio.com - Trail is coolest in Ohio

I've never made the trek down to walk this trail, but the Akron Beacon Journal's Bob Downing wrote a wonderful article that will probably inspire me to make the 90 minute drive to the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail. Take a look at this article, and I hope you check the trail out...Coolest trail in Ohio, according to the article.

Ribbon-cutting Sunday at Forest Ridge Preserve - Cleveland.com

2009-07-16T21:32:00.001-04:00

Ribbon-cutting Sunday at Forest Ridge Preserve - Cleveland.com

This is a wonderful, large natural area that was preserved through a partnership of Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Moreland Hills. If you have a chance, attending the ribbon-cutting and taking a hike would be a great adventure!

Malabar’s “Farm Fun Day” & Barn Dance

2009-07-15T22:18:00.004-04:00

As one of many events planned at Malabar Farm State Park, Fun on the Farm is the theme of this event. Some of the activities scheduled for the morning activities include: Egg and Spoon Race(five eggs have to be picked up and carried in a small basket over the finish line); Lasso the Steer; Get Dressed for Work (contestants must run to put on bib overalls, a coat, hat, gloves, and boots, then run to the finish line); Fix the Machinery (a container holds the right bolts to fit several holes in a steel plate, mixed in with an odd assortment of other nuts and bolts); Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest; Rubber Chicken Toss; a Sack Race and more. Additional competitions include A Pie Eating Contest (Noon) (chocolate or banana crème), Sidewalk Art and a Fishing Derby.

Instructions & Time Line

August 1, 2009

GAMES, SIDE WALK ART & PIE EATING CONTEST

· 10AM – 10:30AM: Morning Registration

Note: (Register for games, sidewalk art, pie eating contest. Pick up your game completion.)

· 10:30AM to 11:45PM: Morning Farm Games (Must be registered.See list of games below))

· 10:30AM to 11:45PM: Sidewalk Art (Must be registered)

· 12PM: Pie Eating Contest (Open to first 20. Register during “Morning Registration”)

· 12:15PM: Pie Eating Contest Awards

· 12:15PM: Contest Certificates

Note: Must complete all “Farm Contests” from 10:30AM to 11:45PM. You will receive a card at registration and will receive a check with the completion of every game.

FISHING DERBY

· 12:30PM: Fishing Derby Registration

· 1:00PM: Fishing Derby Begins

· 2:00PM: Fishing Derby Ends

· 2:10PM: Fishing Awards

MORNING GAMES INCLUDE:

· Walnut Pickup

· Dress like A Farmer (Get Dressed For Work)

· Sack Race

· Cow Pie Toss

· Rubber Chicken Toss

· Egg Spoon Race

· Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest

· Fish In A Bucket

· Lasso A Steer

· Horse Shoes

· Fix The Machinery

RULES & IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. An adult should accompany children.

2. All activities are open to the public free of charge.

3. Certificates of completion will be awarded. It’s all for fun!!!!!

4. Game completion certificates will be presented at the rear porch area at the Visitor Center.

5. Limited poles, wheel chair access dock, and bait will be available for youth under 16 years of age.

6. If you have your own fishing pole please bring it with you!

7. Ohio Division of Wildlife will be stocking the ponds with fish for the event.

8. Fishing Derby prizes awarded at 2:15PM are for most fish caught & largest fish caught.

BARN DANCE

Additionally, Malabar Farm will host a Summer Square Dance at the main barn beside the Big House. The dance will be held on Saturday from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The barn dance is sponsored by the Loudonville FFA Alumni. This old-fashioned square dance will take you back to the days when people gathered to celebrate summer with their friends and neighbors. Live music will be featured along with square dance calling. This dance is open to the public at no charge and refreshments will be available.

SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE EVENT

The Malabar Farm Restaurant newly renovated will be open on Saturdays 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Sundays 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Tuesdays through Fridays 11:00 a.m. through 8:00 p.m. For reservations or more information call 419-938-5205. The Malabar Farm Market, located next to the Restaurant will be open summer and fall featuring locally-grown produce.

Additionally, overnight accommodations are available at Malabar Farm Hostelling International. The Hostel is a restored 1919 historic mail order catalog home where the Bromfield family lived from 1939-1940. Rates start at $20.00 per person. Call 419-892-2055 for reservations at the Hostel or visit the Hostel sub-page at malabarfarm.org.

Lake-to-Lake Trail will be dedicated July 9: Middleburg Heights Happenings - News Sun - Cleveland.com

2009-07-09T18:00:00.002-04:00

Lake-to-Lake Trail will be dedicated July 9: Middleburg Heights Happenings - News Sun - Cleveland.com: "The trail is a 2.3-mile hard-surface nature trail that links two 11,000-year-old glacial-remnant lakes, Lake Isaac and Lake Abram."

This new trail, a 10-foot wide paved multipurpose trail, was dedicated at 11:00 am today. There are segments of boardwalk that cross marshes, which provide great opportunities to watch birds and other wildlife. Cleveland Metroparks has also installed interpretive signage along the trail. A life-sized mastodon skeleton is embedded in a sand pit at the northern end of the trail. The mastodon is perhaps a tip of the hat to the ancient heritage of the Lake Isaac/ Lake Abram area. These lakes were formed during the last ice age. They are the last remaining, and largest remaining glaicially-formed kettlehole lakes in Cuyahoga County.

Thanks to Cleveland Metroparks for making such a great area accessible to people! Without their time and investment, this diverse, important habitat would not be know, and would not be available for our education, spiritual renewal, and physical exercise. Get out and hike on the Lake to Lake Trail!

LAKE TO LAKE TRAIL
Driving Directions

To Lake Isaac:
I-71 - exit at Pearl Rd. (Rt 42)
(from the north, turn left/ from the south, turn right)

at Fowles Rd., turn left (west) to Big Creek Parkway (.5 mile)
turn left on Big Creek Parkway
Lake Isaac Waterfowl Sanctuary will be on the right.
To Lake Abram:
I-71 - exit at Bagley Rd
(from the north, turn right/from the south, turn left)

Go past Southwest General Hospital to Eastland Rd.
Turn right on Eastland Rd. and Lake Abram parking will be on the right.

Fighting Invasive Plants in Northwest Ohio

2009-07-07T05:41:00.001-04:00

The Ohio Invasive Plants Council, a statewide group concerned about invasive plants in Ohio's natural areas, is putting on a great workshop on July 14th. This group has been educating and informing landowners and land mangers for a number of years. They always bring in great experts and have low-cost, high-quality presentations. This workshop is being arranged in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge along the shore of Lake Erie. Check it out:

A Land Manager’s Tool Kit: Fighting Invasive Plants in Northwest Ohio
Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 9:30am – 4:00pm
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Harbor, Ohio

This workshop is designed for public land managers and private
landowners who have a basic knowledge of northwest Ohio invasive plants and are looking for ideas, methods, and partnerships to control infestations.

• At this event, you will learn about invasive plant control efforts & methods in the Oak Openings & Lake Erie marshes regions
• Successful native plant restoration efforts
• Meet with various organizations and vendors to learn about additional resources that are available to control invasives
• Learn how purple loosestrife beetles are used as a control method
• Participate in field trips, exhibits, and demonstrations

Registration is only $10 and will be collected at the door. Box lunches will be provided.

For more information and to register, please visit the Ohio Invasive Plants Council’s website at www.oipc.info. Registration will begin on June 15th.

Primitive Campsites open in Cuyahoga Valley

2009-07-05T05:40:00.001-04:00

With the growing popularity of the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, the opening of five primitive campsites within Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a welcome and needed move. Located at the Standford Youth Hostel, the campsites are near the center of the National Park. In addition to making the towpath a longer-term adventure, providing these new camp sites will also allow people to though-hike the Buckeye Trail in this area. This is a great enhancement to the already wonderful trail experience.

Reservations should be make at least 3 days in advance. The sites cost $15 per night, 6 people per site. The camp sites are for hikers and bikers only. Drive-up camping is not permitted. Camp fires are permitted only in a group fire ring. Firewood is provided.

To make reservations, call the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association Reservation Coordinator's Office at (330) 657-2909, ext. 119, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. For information regarding other camping opportunities along the Towpath Trail in Summit County, please call (330) 867-5511. For information regarding camping along the Towpath Trail in Stark County, please call (330) 477-3552.

City Living 70% Less Carbon Intensive Than In Suburbs: TreeHugger

2009-05-31T21:00:00.001-04:00

This Treehugger.com post was interesting mostly for the cool heat map of transportation-related carbon. It seems fairly obvious that if you live in an urban area and work close to your home (or in your home, if you are lucky), you will have significantly less commuting time, and hence a significantly lower carbon footprint.

What if, however, you live in an urban area and drive to the suburbs or another city to work? Does that happen? Sure it does. I guarantee that my current 4 mile round trip daily commute in a suburban township is much less carbon intensive than the 108 mile round daily round trip when I lived within the City of Akron, Ohio and worked in the City of Painesville, Ohio.

Or, what about this: Live in a rural area and work at home. Live in a suburb and ride your bike to a "sprawl" office complex a few miles away. I think the carbon intensity of these alternatives should compare favorably to urban living.

Maybe the analysis that really matters is not a geographical one. Maybe the choices that people make and how they relate to carbon footprint are just as important as their choice of geography, which in many case is an accident of socioeconomics as much as it is a choice of lifestyle and "green" over unsustainable.

For those of us who can choose where to live, maybe we should select the kind of surroundings that energize us, then figure out how to live there in the least consumptive way possible, whether urban, suburban, or rural.

Countryside Farmers Market opens

2009-05-29T00:44:00.000-04:00

Countryside Farmers Market opens

Part of living in harmony with Nature has to be eating locally. Why? Conservation of energy. Health of your own body. Health of our environment. Health of the local economy. It just makes sense on too many levels.

If you live in northern Ohio, check out the two Countryside Conservancy Farmers markets. You can learn about them by following the link to the article above. If you live elsewhere, www.localharvest.org will let you search out sources of locally grown food in your neck of the woods.

Upcoming Class- Living Rivers!

2009-05-28T22:00:00.002-04:00

Living Rivers--Arteries of the Eastern Forest, August 16-21, 2009

A five day field course in aquatic ecology & the global significance of the Eastern Forest led by five outstanding field biologists; held at the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System in southern Ohio. David Johnson Microbiologist from Ohio Wesleyan; Greg Lipps, herpetologist; Roger F. Thoma, Eastern US crayfish expert; Mark Kibbey, Curator of Fishes, OSU Museum of Biodiversity; and G. Thomas Watters, freshwater mussels expert, Research Associate, OSU Museum of Biodiversity.

This course will further participants' appreciation of the Eastern forest by studying its lifeblood -- its rivers and streams, and the myriads of life forms that watersheds support. Experts in the fields of botany, mussels, crayfish, fish and salamanders will be leading this course - giving participants a global, cross-disciplinary foundation of knowledge. America's Eastern Forest shares many tree and mammal genera with closely-related forest centers located in Europe and Eastern Asia. However, our native forest has one major feature that, when compared to its sister forests, distinguishes it globally. Quite simply, America's Eastern temperate forest claims the highest aquatic life diversity in the temperate world.

Conservation challenges now make waterways one of the most imperiled of the forest's components throughout the temperate world, so it behooves Eastern US citizens to gain knowledge quickly in this important realm. This course is suitable for any person interested in living systems, regardless of formal educational background and vocation. Limited to 16 participants. For full information: http://www.highlandssanctuary.org/WE/Waterways/waterways.htm