Seeing Snakes

By Brittany Boggs | Saturday, May 26, 2012, 05:53 PM

Few creatures cause the commotion that snakes can. Just the word conjures up excitement in people, ranging from fascination to fear. There’s good reason to be fascinated by snakes, in my opinion. Their adaptations are astonishing and they are sometimes so elusive that a observing them outdoors is a treat. I get to host the nature center at Germantown MetroPark almost every weekend so I spend a lot of time around a few of some the common snakes in the area that we use for educational display and outreach programs. The three that are currently used as education “ambassadors” at the center are an Eastern Black Rat Snake, an Eastern Milk Snake, and an Eastern Garter Snake. The snakes are often a favorite among visitors to the nature center, and many leave with a new appreciation for these beneficial reptiles or at least with a few new facts about them. Recently, some other snakes have been encountered in Germantown MetroPark and I wanted to share some photos.

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake photo by Ron Bicknell

This Eastern Hog-nosed snake pictured above was found at Germantown MetroPark by a staff member. This species eats mostly amphibians. Its upturned nose allows them to dig up toads which are a favorite food of theirs. They are well known for being dramatic and making themselves appear much more harmful than they actually are, even cobra-like. They can act quite aggressive when alarmed, making themselves larger, hissing and even closed-mouth striking or playing dead like a possum. Luckily, the one seen here was obviously calm, although they are really essentially harmless to humans. I am hoping to see one in the wild sometime.

Eastern Blue Racer

The Eastern Blue Racer seen above and below was found outside the nature center one day. At first I thought it was a Black Rat Snake but after closer inspection and checking an identification guide I was able to positively identify it, especially because of its lack of keels, or lines dividing the scales. It was a very smooth snake and although it acted like it was going to put up a fight it was easily picked up and handled for closer inspection and photos.

Eastern Blue Racer

Venomous snakes are rare in Montgomery County. Ohio is known to have three species of venomous snakes, the Timber Rattlesnake, the Northern Copperhead and the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake. For a good guide on how to tell the difference between venomous snakes and non-venomous snakes check out ODNR’s website here http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Home/resources/reptiles/poisonoussnakes/tabid/5685/Default.aspx

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Bee Buzz

By Emily Chilcoat | Thursday, May 17, 2012, 04:28 PM

Many of us know what a bee is, but the question really is what type of bee it is? There are over 4,000 types of bees in the United State alone! So take a second, close your eyes and think of a bee that you might see around your house. Does it look like the picture below?

Eastern Carpenter Bee

Often mistaken for bumblebees, Carpenter Bees are similar in size and coloration but with one tell tale sign to tell them apart, their shiny abdomen. Bumblebees, on the other hand, will have hair abdomens. An uncommonly known fact is that male Carpenter Bees have no stinger; only the females do and are generally only used to defend their nest or if captured. Male Carpenter Bees are harmless and spend most of their day feeding on nectar, pollinating open faced flowers and hovering in their territories, looking for the slightest bit of movement to investigate. In fact, if you are ever confronted by a Carpenter Bee, stand as still as possible and throw a small rock, or stick away from you and watch him go to investigate.

Carpenter Bee

Carpenter Bees are one of our many pollinators and are in love with untreated, unpainted wood. Although, they can seem hypnotized by natural wood, they will tunnel and nest in painted or stained wood as well, usually only if there is no natural wood available. Along with being able to make perfect circular entrances, the Carpenter Bee makes its nest using right angle turns, in the end making an almost perfect T. Left over wood chips from building the tunnels are sometimes used to make partition walls for each egg. Carpenter Bees do not eat the wood like termites. The eggs will hatch from mid to late summer and will stay in their chamber feeding on the nectar sacks left for them by the females. Next they will transform into a pupa and from there they come out an adult Carpenter Bee. This process is much like that of a butterfly going through its metamorphosis. These new adult bees will hibernate in the same chamber where they hatched from that summer and the cycle begins all over again next year.

A good way to deter a Carpenter Bee from tunneling in your house, fence or anything else around your home, is to provide wood that you don’t mind if they nest in. If you decide that you don’t want to provide any wood for them but, don’t want them to nest in or around your house consider this; Carpenter Bees, if their nest is obstructed or deteriorates, will build a new nest around the same area as the old one. So filling in that hole in your fence or house will only encourage them to make a new one in as little as a few inches away. Much like many of us who like to stay close to where we grew up, Carpenter Bees will do the same.

To learn more about other pollinators and how you can help them keep going strong visit these webpage’s:

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Planting a Miracle

By Emily Chilcoat | Thursday, April 26, 2012, 12:03 PM

With the weather getting warmer, a feeling of new life and energy starts to fill the air. This gives us the urge to do something that will make a difference, whether it’s in or around our home or in our community.

An easy way to make a difference around your home is by planting beautiful shrubs and eye catching flowers that will draw you outside to enjoy them. Even better would be to use native plants and flowers instead of any old garden variety plant or shrub. This way you are adding a great original look to your home all while helping keep our native plants alive and helping local pollinators such as beautiful butterflies; and speeding hummingbirds. Since native plants and flowers grow naturally in our area, they are already adapted to our climate, weather and the soils we have making them easier to care for and maintain for a great garden year after year.

Royal Catchfly

This Saturday from 10am-2pm Cox Arboretum is hosting their annual WILDFLOWER AND NATIVE PLANT SALE. To learn more visit http://www.metroparks.org/plantsales

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Blue Birds, Blue Birds Everywhere!

By Emily Chilcoat | Thursday, April 19, 2012, 04:16 PM

Many of us have seen Blue Bird Nest Boxes along open fields and prairies that we humans have built, but have you ever wondered why we build them?

Male Eastern Blue Bird

The Eastern Blue Bird is one of the favorite birds among backyard and advanced birders in our area. In the 1960’s the Eastern Blue Bird came close to being extinct. A lack of trees and tree cavities made it hard for the Eastern Blue Bird to find a suitable nest sight, not to mention having to compete with other cavity nesting birds. During this time a group of bluebird lovers started making nest boxes for these rufous breasted blue capped beauties, with the hopes of them taken residence in them. It was a success. Since then, Eastern Blue Bird populations have increased and are now nowhere near extinction.

Birds such as the House Wren, Tree Swallow and House Sparrow are now the Eastern Blue Birds biggest combatant in the search for an unused, clean nest cavity. If a nest box has previous year’s nests in it, the Eastern Blue Bird will move on looking for one that is empty. However birds such as the Carolina Wrens will build on top of a previous years nest giving them an advantage over the sweet, gentle blue bird. Tree Swallows are persistent and will push the Eastern Blue Bird around until it gets what it wants, such as a preferred nest box.
If you have a blue bird box or are thinking about building one for your yard, a few things that could possibly help attract blue birds are:

• Most blue birds like to have a tight cavity to build their nest. Most boxes are 6 inch by 6 inch squares, by making the box 4 inch by 4 inch; the cavity will be more to the Eastern Blue Birds liking.
• Make the entrance hole about 1.5 inches making it easier for them to get in and out of the box but is not big enough for larger birds to invade the cavity.
• Make sure the box is able to be opened and cleaned out easily and is well ventilated to allow air to circulate.

For more information about the Eastern Blue Bird visit: http://www.ohiobluebirdsociety.org/ If you would like to help Five Rivers MetroParks monitor its bluebird boxes or help out with other conservation efforts, contact: yvonne.dunphe@metroparks.org

Eastern Blue Bird Babies

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Screech Owl Love

By Joshua York | Monday, April 9, 2012, 08:59 PM

If you live in a neighborhood like mine, where the houses are about 20 feet apart, lawns about 1/2 acre, and you have some woods and fields nearby, chances are you have screech owls! These are our smallest year-round resident owls. They love eating bugs in the summertime but will eat rodents during the winter. They will even cache rodents in their roosting tree cavities and allow them to freeze. When they want a snack, they will ‘incubate’ them to defrost and eat them!

Right now is a great time to turn off the television and games, push the kids out into the backyard, and listen for the screech owl’s vocalizations. One resembles a horse whinny. The other is a soft trill; some folks would even say they sound like some electronic phones. Once you hear them, keep watching, because now, you might get to witness the incredible site of copulation, where the male rests on the female’s back to exchange the precious genetic material. Just two days ago, I witnessed this in my front yard, just about 20 feet from a busy throughway, with kids running beneath them. These owls are used to such activity. They have to. With our human behaviors of development, the only way for them to survive is to adapt and tolerate us.

If you’d like a good chance to see a screech owl, come out to Possum Creek MetroPark, Argonne Forest Parking Lot, April 13th from 8:00-10:00pm. We’ll hike out into the woods and attempt to call one in. Go to metroparks.org for more information. Of course, chances are they are commanding airspace above your yard; take a peek tonight and see!

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Unique Local Plant Sales

By Brittany Boggs | Saturday, April 7, 2012, 08:35 AM

Spring is the perfect time to plant, and if you are looking for special plants then the Dayton area has some sales coming up that you should put on your calendar. There are a wide variety of plants at these sales ranging from perennials to shrubs, and from sun loving to shade tolerant.

Most of the sales I am listing here are those that I know to have species that are native to this area. Many native plants are preferable for what I call habitat gardens, those aimed at attracting more wildlife into the space you plant in. Over time, these plants have developed relationships with insects and animals that make them dependent on each other for survival.

An easy example that some may be familiar with is the relationship between Monarch butterflies and milkweed plants. The butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed plants because this is the only food that their caterpillars can eat to survive. Without the milkweed the caterpillars would never turn into the beautiful Monarch butterflies we love to see in the summer. Many insects have specific host plants, like the milkweed, that they require to complete their life cycle. Butterfly gardens should incorporate host plants as well as flowers for nectar and both can be found at native plant sales. Birds that like to eat berries also get nutrition from native plant berries like those on viburnums, and hummingbirds love the flowers of trumpet vine, cardinal flowers and other native flowers that are designed for their long beak and tongues to reach the nectar they want. Another thing birds love to eat is insects so when you plant what they like to eat you will also invite more birds.

I highly recommend the book Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy to explain why native plants are so important in our landscapes and not just nature preserves. There is even a website that will help you pick out native plants for your region of the U.S. http://www.plantanative.com/what-should-i-plant.html

When you visit and shop at the sales below you will not only find native plants, you will find something different than most commercial stores and supports your local community as well.

Saturday, April 14: 10-4:30 Aullwood Audobon Center and Farm Native Plant Sale
9101 Frederick Pike, Dayton, OH

Saturday, April 28: 10-2 Cox Arboretum MetroPark Native Plant Sale
6733 Springboro Pike, Dayton, OH Don’t forget to check out the gift shop for planting guides, garden tools and more!

Saturday, May 19: 9-12
Miamisburg Plant Swap
600 N. Main, Miamisburg, OH (native plants possible)

Saturday, June 23: 8-1 Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC) Native Plant Sale Mount St. John
4435 E. Patterson Road, Dayton http://meec.udayton.edu/NativePlantSale.asp

Saturday, July 28: 9-4 Midwest Native Plant Conference Native Plant Sale Mount St. John 4435 E. Patterson Road, Dayton http://midwestnativeplants.org/

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“Dirt Don’t Hurt!”

By Lauren Stayer | Thursday, April 5, 2012, 12:28 PM

Today, many people are aware of the disconnect between children and nature. With so many indoor options like the television, video games, computer games, movies, and the virtual outdoor experiences brought to you through a screen of any shape or size, people are opting to stay indoors. Many studies document this disconnect, and the havoc it wreaks on today’s youth.

A group checking out the aquatic wildlife at Hills and Dales MetroPark.

Research from the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine concluded that, “Nearly half of 3 to 5 year olds are not taken outdoors by a parent or caregiver every day.” Some may be skeptical about research presented in articles, and it is always good to look further into research. You can check out the news release for yourself at http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/02/half-of-pre-schoolers-not-playing-outside-daily/?hpt=hp_c2. Some highlights of the findings, based on 9,000 preschoolers studied, are that mothers are more likely than fathers to take a child outside, and mothers who exercise take their children outside more than mothers who do not exercise. What’s the take home message here? Getting outside is part of a lifestyle, and it starts with parents and caregivers getting outside too.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should play outside for at least 60 minutes each day in order to maintain a healthy weight, improve motor skills, improve vision, and to increase vitamin D. Playing outdoors also helps decrease ADHD symptoms, builds confidence, involves critical thinking, and helps develop social skills. Many adults are afraid of letting a child play outside because of poison ivy, spiders, snakes, or they don’t want their child to get ‘dirty.’ To me, the benefits of outdoor, unstructured play far outweigh the natural risks adults perceive. Most fears of nature are due to misunderstandings, and aren’t grounded in an actual danger. Yes, there are venomous snakes out in the world, but in Dayton, Ohio, they are rare to find. Yes, anything with teeth can bite, but it will only bite if you get close enough that it believes its life is in danger.

Kids using teamwork to build a fort at Sugarcreek MetroPark’s Nature Play area.

I encourage any educator or parent reading this to think about how often they honest get their children outside and let them play. Soccer and baseball practice don’t count! We live in a busy world and are constantly pulled in 5, 6, 7+ directions at once. But, for the mental and physical health of your child, let them play outside, and don’t punish them for having a little dirt on their clothes. Kids need more dirt on their clothes; it proves they’ve been outside exploring!

Five Rivers MetroParks values nature play, and MetroParks created Nature Play areas at Sugarcreek (4178 Conference Rd.), Hills and Dales (2606 Hilton Dr.), and Englewood (4361 National Rd.) These areas are controlled for poison ivy and stinging nettle, and kids are encouraged to roll over logs, build forts, and just play. For more information on Nature Play, check out our website at http://www.metroparks.org/GetOutside/NaturePlay.aspx and http://www.metroparks.org/GetOutside/TheImportanceofNaturePlay.aspx.

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