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Blog Entries - Nature Learning

salamander under water

Go Spots!

By Olivia Espinoza, Natural Areas Manager I’m certain that one of the staples of a childhood is the discovery of a tadpole in a ditch, puddle, or pond. I grew up with a lake in my backyard and would spend the summers

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Wintercreeper sprouts found in my yard.
Wintercreeper sprouts found in my yard.

The Myth of Groundcover

by Jason Neumann I didn’t plant it, but there it is at the bottom of my wood privacy fence: wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei). As a naturalist, I know that this unwanted botanical surprise is courtesy of neighborhood

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Red Deadnettle
Red Deadnettle

What’s (Probably) Growing in Your Yard: Our Bioblitz Round-Up

By Connie O’Connor and Jason Neumann

We had a great time with our first-ever bioblitz—our Lawn Plant Identification Challenge! We totaled 349 observations of 175 different species in and around lawns in our region!

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The Story of My Land—Keeping a Phenology Journal

By Connie O’Connor    “Every place, like every person, is elevated by the love and respect shown toward it, and by the way its bounty is received.” -- Richard Nelson I bought my first home, hidden away on 3.6

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man using phone with app

Knowledge & Confidence in the Palm of Your Hand

By Connie O’Connor Here’s a confession: I sometimes dread “what’s this” questions when leading a hike. When I teach Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist students, they express similar concerns. We can’t know

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supplies needed to fish for leaves

At Home with Nature: Fishing the Old Fashioned Way (Ages 5-12)

Pretend fishing is a fun way to get children outside and practicing their concentration. Younger children may need supervision and help to make sure they are playing safely and having

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