The Amazing Woodpecker
One of the most common birds that are seen at the feeders during the winter in Northeast Ohio are woodpeckers. Ohio is home to...
Wacky Weather
The first frost of the fall occurred in the middle of October at my house which was not unusual. However, since then the weather...
The Unappreciated….Mosses and Lichens
I know several people who work tirelessly in the background doing all the hard and dirty work, making sure the day to day activities...
Shoo Fly: Black Fly Season In Ohio
With spring finally here it is time to open the windows, air out the house, go outside, and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air....
Moths… The Rodney Dangerfield’s of the Insect World
No Respect, no respect at all…Unfortunately when most people think of moths they think of the small grey moths that flew out of grandma’s...
Childhood Memories
Close your eyes and think back to a warm summer night, the smell of a camp fire, roasting marshmallows or eating s’mores; when all...
The Quill Pig
The porcupine, the second largest rodent in North America, is by far the prickliest. Its Latin name means “quill pig.” There are about two...
How old do you think Nelson Ledges is?
Understanding the concept of time in seconds, minutes, days, years, and even centuries is easy for us to comprehend. However, the concept of...
Minks and Otters
As promised, we will continue up the family tree of the toughest family on the block, the Mustelids. This week we will be discussing...
“It is not fit for man nor beast outside”
The first time I heard that saying was when I was a little kid, it was 15 below, the wind howling, snow blowing and...
Sentinels in the Snow
Viewing the winter landscape does not have the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows of fall. It does not have the subtle shades of green...
Cicadas Back by Popular Demand… Not!
As we make the transition from spring into summer, the wildflowers are fading, flowering trees and shrubs are ablaze in color, and the mosquitoes,...
Here Fishie Fishie
Let me begin this week’s article with a few questions. How would you define a river? How is a stream different than a run?...
Constellations of the Summer Sky…Part II
Well, we sure have had several nights during the past couple of weeks to really get a nice look at the night sky. Hopefully,...
Delightful and Sometimes Dangerous Decomposers
Since mushrooms have been in the news of late, we thought we would try to enlighten our readers about one of the most unusual...
Smooth As Silk
Within the natural world there are many spectacular things. But none more spectacular than to find the ethereal Luna moth or the massive Cecrcopia...
Meet Bob, he is a cool cat!
Bobcats, though seldom seen, are the most common wildcat in North America. The Bobcat, Lynx rufus, is named for its short, bobbed tail. They...
Signs of the Zodiac…Part I
This is the last of our foray into astronomy, discussing the signs of the Zodiac. I will divide the 12 signs into two parts. ...
Nearby Nature: Holiday Edition
As we prepare for the upcoming holiday seasons much of what we enjoy in Nearby Nature has either migrated, gone dormant, burrowed into the...
Nearby Nature
Finally some snow! How does the old song go “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go”….well something like that. Since...
Vernal Pools: Murky Puddles of Fascinating Life
The word vernal is Latin from “vernus,” meaning “belonging to spring.” Vernal pools refer to any wetland that fills annually from snow melt, spring...
Sounds of Summer
This edition of Nearby Nature marks the one hundredth article in our nature series. It is hard to believe that when Matt Sorrick and...
Stuck in Ohio…And Proud Of It!!
During my lifetime I have been blessed with many opportunities to experience nature and our natural world. I have been to National Parks from...
