It’s not every county in Ohio that has its own Osprey Cam. Richland County is soon to have one!
Each day brings us a bit closer to spring and further from the chill of winter. With this in mind, the staff at Pleasant Hill Lake Park have installed a new HD webcam on their Osprey Nesting platform near the beach area. In the near future, they will be live-streaming the feed 24/7 on their website, so that everyone can see what the ospreys are up to. More…
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission has released its draft Lake Erie Protection & Restoration Plan 2020 (LEPR) for public comment. The LEPR, last published in 2016, reflects actions that the Ohio Lake Erie Commission and its member agencies will take over the next several years to protect, preserve, and restore our Great Lake. The State’s actions complement federal and local partners’ initiatives in the Lake Erie basin and across the region. More…
This Saturday, Gorman Nature Center (GNC) in Mansfield is offering a Family Friendly Bird Day full of activities to engage and excite kids and adults alike. This is a great wintertime opportunity to connect with nature! Here are the planned activities: More…
The Richland County Park District has a lot of great events planned for 2020 at Gorman Nature Center in Mansfield. Most of the events are free and designed for the whole family. We are lucky to have such a great space in our backyard – make sure to mark your calendar for some of these fun and educational programs! More…
Family Events, Gorman Nature Center, Nature, Richland County Park District
For the first time in eight years, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is attempting to find every bald eagle nest in Ohio and is asking citizen scientists to report their sightings of our national bird.
This is certainly an effort that local residents would find worthwhile to undertake. According to the website eBird, a sighting of a bald eagle in 2020 has already been made locally — the last by Michele Skolmutch on January 28 at Pleasant Hill Lake Park. One of the best places to view bald eagles in the county is on Durbin Road, immediately south of Bellville. If you want to get “up close and personal” with one, you can visit Ted and Gus, the eagles in residence at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary near Clearfork Reservoir. More…
We bet they had fun coming up with the name of this event!
The OSU Mansfield College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Science invites you to bring the family to their February 29th Syrup and Salamanders event, and it will all make sense. The faculty, staff, and extension educators are working with the campus to manage its 600+ acres of woodlands, which means that they have lots of land to explore. More…
Ohio botanists found four plant species in 2019 that had not been seen in Ohio for decades and, in one case, more than a century, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Natural Areas and Preserves (DNAP).
“Ohio’s natural diversity continues to educate, inspire, and surprise us,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “These discoveries are an exciting development for the future of conservation in our state.” More…
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry is currently working on a 10-year update of Ohio’s Forest Action Plan which includes a statewide assessment of Ohio’s valuable forest resources. Stakeholder input is requested on key issues, threats, and opportunities associated with Ohio’s forest resources, including forests on public and private lands and urban and rural areas. More…
Flowers and Trees, Nature, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
When shopping for friends and family this holiday season, why not give the gift of the great outdoors? The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is ready to help with ideas for the entire family, especially if they love the great outdoors. Best of all, these gifts can be purchased from your laptop or device, so there’s no need to fight holiday shoppers at the stores. More…
In honor of Veterans Day, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will offer U.S. military, both active duty and veterans, a 30% discount off camping, getaway rentals, and state-operated cabin stays during November.
“It’s always a privilege to host the brave individuals who served to protect our country,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “We hope veterans, along with their friends and families, will have the opportunity to make special memories at Ohio state parks.” More…
Nature, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Veterans and Military
It’s “Bat Week” in Ohio. Seriously, it is.
Bats are important to both Ohio’s economy and ecosystems, which is why Governor Mike DeWine has proclaimed October 24-31 as Bat Week to highlight the need for bat conservation.
“Bats contribute substantially to our economy by protecting our forests and agriculture from crop-damaging insects and pests,” said Mary Mertz, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). “It is critical that we continue efforts to promote the health of bat populations here in Ohio and across the nation.” More…
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry reminds Ohioans to take necessary precautions if they are planning to burn debris this fall, and to know the state’s outdoor burning regulations. Ohio law states outdoor debris burning is prohibited from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM from October 1 through November 30. More…
Nature, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Trees and Forests
Since 2015, Ohioans have been called on to collect and donate milkweed pods so that the seeds can be harvested and then distributed for planting.
The importance of this plant cannot be overstated. Milkweed is the only host plant for the Monarch butterfly to lay eggs and rear caterpillars. Additionally, it serves as a food source for Monarchs and several other pollinator species. More…
Across the planet, Important Bird Areas (“IBAs”) signify places which have been designated as critical for bird conservation.
In each, an internationally accepted set of guidelines has been used in conjunction with a recognized birding program. In this country, that effort is run through the National Audubon Society.
The Ohio Important Bird Areas Program was launched in 1999, and by 2000 work was underway to identify the first such areas. The technical committee established reviewed some 160 nominations to verify that one of the four primary criteria set is present. A total of 66 have been recognized. More…
