Discover the history of wolves in Yellowstone, including what happened to the ecosystem when they were eradicated and when they were reintroduced Jan 12, 1995:
https://www.yellowstonepark.com/park/yellowstone-wolves-reintroduction

​The loss of a breeding wolf can affect the fate of the pack:  In 2012, biologists at Denali National Park and Preserve noted a drop in wolf sightings following the death of a breeding female from a pack that lived along the Denali Park Road. This was one of several instances where the death of an individual wolf from legal trapping or hunting sparked widespread attention. "The death of a breeding wolf could harm the packs that provide the greatest opportunities for park visitors to see a wolf in the wild, either through a lack of reproduction or the loss of the entire pack."
​www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140708103107.htm

​"Glacier National Park continues to lose its glaciers as global temperatures rise. Initially, this park had about 150 glaciers when it was founded in 1910. "Today, only 26 still meet the 25-acre threshold to be called a glacier." Credit: Jinrui Qu/CC-BY-SA-2.0

Five Thousand Miles of Wild; "It's More than a River, it's our way of life."
https://www.5000miles.org/      #5000 Miles of Wild
In 2018, we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. We continue this celebration in 2019 as tribute to the 50th Anniversary of the Little Miami River being named a State and National Scenic River.
http://watercraft.ohiodnr.gov/Portals/watercraft/pdfs/maps/srLittleMiami.pdf

​​#MountainsMatters for Disaster Risk Reduction as climatic variations are triggering disasters. Avalanches, mudflows and landslides are tumbling downstream, stripping bare forests, flooding communities and populations.

​Seasons in the Smokies: ​ https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?id=28D901AE-1DD8-B71C-078D04CCD4FBAFBC

​Winter at Yellowstone National Park indicates fewer crowds, frigid temperatures, and steaming geyser basins, hibernation or even migration. Skis, snowshoes and snowmobiles are often the primary modes of transportation as roads close, rivers and lakes freeze and snowstorms transform the park. One of the most amazing winter sights at the park is the ice dam at Lower Falls. Often growing over 100 feet tall, it’s known as an "astounding natural spectacle".

Starry Night:  ​The Milky Way glows in the sky over a geologic formation known as Monument Rocks in Gove County, Kansas. The Milky Way is best viewed on moonless summer nights, far from the light pollution created by cities and towns.  Astronomers believe our galaxy contains about 200 billion stars.

Geologists create a basic unit called a formation to classify and map layers of rock. Thus, a formation is a rock unit that is distinctive enough in appearance that a geologic mapper can tell it apart from the surrounding rock layers; also, the rock formation must be thick enough and extensive enough to plot on a map.

​"Formations are given names that include the geographic name of a permanent feature near the location where the rocks are well exposed. If the formation consists of a single or dominant rock type, such as shale or sandstone, then the rock type is included in the name." - By Christine Wilkerson, Utah Geological Survey "What is A Formation?"

​Encompassing a 1,500-mile system of winter trails, the Iditarod National Historic Trail  initially connected ancient Alaska Native villages and opened up Alaska for the gold rush; it continues to play a vital role for travel and recreation. This trail is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management and it is often identified with the famous annual Iditarod - sled dog race. This annual race starts each year in March. There are upmost challenges the racer and the 21-dog team face given harsh conditions across rugged but beautiful Alaskan terrain. Meanwhile, dog mushing is the traditional Alaska winter transportation. Dogsledding, or the practice of a musher guiding a team of dogs pulling a sled over ice and snow, may serve multiple purposes. "Whether it’s a casual run along public recreational trails, racing against competitors, or hauling supplies, public lands have much to offer." -https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/recreation-activities/alaska

​Ever wanted to explore your local stream, but didn’t know exactly where and how? This summer Warren County SWCD are hosting stream encounters where residents can enjoy their local streams through guided educational opportunities and cleanups. While participating in beautification efforts, you will also learn about how we monitor for stream health. To register, go to: https://www.warrenswcd.com/stream-encounters.html

Event Planning: 
​www.greatoutdoorsmonth.org/activites-and-events

Volunteer Stewardship Opportunities:
https://www.warrenswcd.com/volunteer-opportunities.html
www.greatoutdoorsmonth.org/stewardship
​
Earth Team Volunteer:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/people/volunteers/

As of June 2, kids and families can download the new Junior Ranger
"Let's Go Fishing!" Activity Booklet or pick up printed copies at a growing number
of parks​over the summer.  Follow #GoFishingInParks.
​
​Warren County Ohio Park District:  ​www.co.warren.oh.us/parks/

2018 Caesar Creek Events:
parks.ohiodnr.gov/portals/parks/PDFs/things_to_do/naturalists/CaesarCreek2018.pdf
​

Above Photos taken at Caesar Creek Nature Center featuring  our wonderful host - Sarah Blair/ODNR, Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists, Franklin High School Environmental Classes, ​Franklin HS Environmental/Biology Teacher Mr. Keith Vinson - 2017 Warren County SWCD Educator or the Year,
 www.caesarcreekstatepark.com/nature-center.html

Rivers, lakes and oceans - our blue spaces benefit both our physical and mental well-being. We rely on rivers for clean drinking water and as places of recreation and rejuvenation. Even the sound of moving water has a calming and restoring effect on the mind. ​Whether you are looking for a peaceful picnic or rest spot by a babbling brook, a scenic river-front hike or a place to paddle, you can find activities along Wild and Scenic Rivers that contribute to your good health. ​

Wild Scenic Rivers Health & Safety: www.rivers.gov/wsr50/files/health-safety-infographic.pdf

Roughly ​65% of our nation’s drinking water comes from rivers and streams. Toxins that contaminate water can harm the human body, meaning that "good health starts with good water chemistry".

​Many plants and some animals, such as freshwater mussels, can filter water by removing harmful chemical compounds. Since humans need assistance making sure the water we ingest is clean, protect your own health by understanding the ecosystems responsible for your clean water and helping your local watershed group clean up litter -
​thus removing water pollutants.

 Buzz buzz buzz!  Hearing the sound of a honey bee buzzing can elicit a range of responses, from caution of their stinging self-defense to excitement at seeing their strikingly contrasted yellow and black bodies flitting from flower to flower.  Honey bees are hard working pollinators, animals that move pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower allowing for the production of seeds and fruits.  Many favorites, from apples to almonds, are almost exclusively pollinated by honey bees!

Here are some fun facts about honey bees from the American Beekeeping Federation:

Honey Bee Facts

• Approximately one third of all the food Americans eat is directly or indirectly derived from honey bee pollination.  Some crops pollinated are cucumbers, almonds, carrot seed, melons, apricots, cherries, pears, apples, prunes, plums, pluots, seed alfalfa, cantaloupe, seed onions, avocados, kiwi, blueberries, cranberries, etc.

• There are three members of a honey bee colony:
  • Queen - mother to all the bees in the colony; she is a fertile female.
  • Worker - an infertile female that performs the labor tasks of the colony, including feed preparation, guarding the hive, feeding the queens, drones and brood, and heating and cooling the hive.
  • Drone - the male that starts out as an unfertilized egg.  Its only purpose in the colony is to mate with a virgin queen.  They live to mate with the queen, but not more than one in a thousand get the opportunity to mate.

• On average, a worker bee in the summer lasts six to eight weeks.  Their most common cause of death is wearing their wings out.  During that six to eight-week period, their average honey production is 1/12 of a teaspoon.  In that short lifetime, they fly the equivalent of 1 1/2 times the circumference of the earth.

• The peak population of a colony of honeybees is usually at mid-summer (after spring buildup) and results in 60,000 to 80,000 bees per colony.  A good, prolific queen can lay up to 3,000 eggs per day.

• Drones fly on United Airlines.  This is a corny joke amongst beekeepers because of the way queens and drones mate.  When a queen is five to six days old, she is ready to mate. She puts out a pheromone scent to attract the males and takes off in the air.  The males from miles around smell the scent and instantly volunteer in the mating chase, which is performed in the air.

Basic Beekeeping

• Basic beekeeping simplified is having:
  • New, viable queens
  • Feed (natural or artificial)
  • Good, sound equipment
  • Disease-free hives (good medication program or integrated pest management)
• When processing honey from a beehive, a good rule of thumb is for every 60 pounds of honey produced one (1) pound of beeswax will be made (1 to 60 ratio).

• In order to manipulate population dynamics, the timing of hive management is critical, such as the splitting of hives just prior to swarming season.  Also, feeding syrup and pollen supplement at least 21 days prior to a pollination inspection or honey flow induces the queen to lay eggs.

information provided courtesy of ABF member Lance Sundberg

A honey bee performs a carefully choreographed "waggle" dance that instructs the rest of the hive where to find a food source.

​For Warren and surrounding counties, there is a local chapter of beekeepers with the SouthWestern Ohio Beekeepers Association. They can provide information and support for local beekeepers and for services like proper swarm removal.

For more information about the amazing honey bee and conservation efforts, check out Pollen Nation!

This year marks the 12th annual Endangered Species Day!  This day focuses on celebrating biodiversity and protecting species of plants and animals most at risk. Biodiversity is important because each species no matter how small has an important role to play in the larger ecosystem.  As a society we rely on these species for various aspects of our own existence.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as of March 2017, there are a total of 503 animal species and 773 plant species listed as endangered and 208 animal species and 168 plant species listed as threatened.
​
One step the United States has taken to help protect biodiversity was the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973.  The purpose of the ESA is to "protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend." It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The FWS has primary responsibility for terrestrial and freshwater organisms, while the responsibilities of NMFS are mainly marine wildlife such as whales and anadromons fish such as salmon.
​
Under the ESA, species may be listed as either endangered or threatened. “Endangered” means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. “Threatened” means a species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. All species of plants and animals, except pest insects, are eligible for listing as endangered or threatened. For the purposes of the ESA, Congress defined species to include subspecies, varieties, and, for vertebrates, distinct population segments.
(https://www.fws.gov/ENDANGERED/esa-library/pdf/ESA_basics.pdf)

At least 40 percent of the world’s economy and 80 percent of the needs of the poor are derived from the biological resources.  In addition, the richer the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries, sustainable economic development, and adaptive responses to such new challenges as climate change.
                                                                                                                 -Convention on Biodiversity

In Ohio, there are 119 animal species listed as endangered, 54 listed as threatened, and 102 listed as Species of Concern.
​
​The Division uses six categories: endangered, threatened, species of concern, special interest, extirpated, and extinct, to further define the status of selected wildlife. These categories and the species contained within them are revised as our knowledge of the status of Ohio’s wildlife evolves.

• Endangered: A native species or subspecies threatened with extirpation from the state. The danger may result from one or more causes, such as habitat loss, pollution, predation, interspecific competition, or disease.
• Threatened: A species or subspecies whose survival in Ohio is not in immediate jeopardy, but to which a threat exists. Continued or increased stress will result in its becoming endangered.
• Species of Concern: A species or subspecies which might become threatened in Ohio under continued or increased stress. Also, a species or subspecies for which there is some concern, but for which information is insufficient to permit an adequate status evaluation. This category may contain species designated as a furbearer or game species, but whose statewide population is dependent on the quality and/or quantity of habitat and is not adversely impacted by regulated harvest.
• Special Interest: A species that occurs periodically and is capable of breeding in Ohio. It is at the edge of a larger, contiguous range with viable population(s) within the core of its range. These species have no federal endangered or threatened status, are at low breeding densities in the state, and have not been recently released to enhance Ohio’s wildlife diversity. With the exception of efforts to conserve occupied areas, minimal management efforts will be directed for these species because it is unlikely to result in significant increases in their populations within the state.
• Extirpated: A species or subspecies that occurred in Ohio at the time of European settlement and that has since disappeared from the state.
• Extinct: A species or subspecies that occurred in Ohio at the time of European settlement and that has since disappeared from its entire range.        ​

For a complete listing of Ohio wildlife species, visit:  http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals/wildlife/pdfs/publications/information/pub356.pdf

Six Ohio plants are also on the federal list of endangered and threatened species. These include:

Running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum)
Northern monkshood (Aconitum noveboracense) 
Lakeside daisy (Tetraneuris herbacea)
Small whorled pogonia (Isotria medeoloides)
Prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea)
Appalachian spiraea (Spiraea virginiana) 

For a complete list of rare Ohio plants, visit:
http://naturepreserves.ohiodnr.gov/rareplants

Protecting species for current and future generations is a responsibility that falls to all of us. Together we can safeguard habitats and biodiversity in our own communities and across the globe!

Earthworm Facts to Research:

• There are approximately 2,700 different types of Earthworms.
• “Earthworm” refers to any species of terrestrial annelid worm that burrows in the soil. 
• Earthworm bodies are made of  rings, or segments.
• Each segment is surrounded by a set of muscles that help earthworms move.
• An Earthworm has no teeth, arms, legs or eyes. Even though worms don’t have eyes, they can sense light, especially at their anterior (front end). They move away from light and will become paralyzed if exposed to light for too long (approximately one hour). Earthworms possess light- and touch-sensitive organs (receptor cells) to distinguish differences in light intensity and to feel vibrations in the ground.
• Worms have specialized chemoreceptors or sense organs ("taste receptors") which react to chemical stimuli. These sense organs are located on the anterior part of the worm.
• ​An earthworm can grow only so long. A well-fed adult earthworm will depend on what kind of worm it is, how many segments it has, how old it is and how well fed it is. An Lumbricus terrestris (Night crawler) will be from 90-300 millimeters long.
• The largest earthworm ever found was in South Africa and measured 22 feet from its nose to the tip of its tail.​                     ​                               

extension.illinois.edu/worms/facts/
http://www.biologyjunction.com/earthworm%20facts.htm

​​More Earthworm Fun Facts to Research:​

• Worms live where there is food, moisture, oxygen and a favorable temperature. If they don’t have these things, they go somewhere else.
• In one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms.
• Worms tunnel deeply in the soil and bring subsoil closer to the surface mixing it with the topsoil. Slime, a secretion of earthworms, contains nitrogen. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plants. The sticky slime helps to hold clusters of soil particles together in formations called aggregates.
• Charles Darwin spent 39 years studying earthworms more than 100 years ago.
• Worms are cold-blooded animals. As with invertebrates, their body processes or metabolism slow down with falling temperatures. Earthworms will hibernate at near freezing temperature. If frozen they will die. Earthworms react to advancing colder winter weather by burrowing deep (up to two meters) in the soil to avoid the extreme cold.
• Earthworms have the ability to replace or replicate lost segments. This ability varies greatly depending on the species of worm you have, the amount of damage to the worm and where it is cut. It may be easy for a worm to replace a lost tail, but may be very difficult or impossible to replace a lost head if things are not just right.
• Baby worms (wormlets) are not born "live". They hatch from cocoons smaller than a grain of rice. The bump is the clitellum, the saddle shaped swollen area 1/3 of the way back containing the gland cells which secrete a slimy material (mucus) to form the cocoon which will hold the worm embryos.
• Young worms hatch from their cocoons in three weeks to five months as the gestation period varies for different species of worms. Conditions like temperature and soil moisture factor in here...if conditions are not great then hatching is delayed.
• ​The Australian Gippsland Earthworm grows to 12 feet long and can weigh 1-1/2 pounds.​
• If a worm’s skin dries out, it will die. Earthworms respire (breathe) through their skin, and therefore require humid conditions to prevent drying out. They coat themselves in mucus to enable the passage of dissolved oxygen into their bloodstream.
• Worms are hermaphrodites. Each worm has both male and female organs. Worms mate by joining their clitella (swollen area near the head of a mature worm) and exchanging sperm. Then each worm forms an egg capsule in its clitellum. (The term "hermaphrodite" derives from the combination of the names of two Greek gods: Hermes, a male and Aphrodite, a female. So, something with both male and female characteristics is a "herm-aphrodite".)
• Some research indicates that earthworms can eat their own weight each day while other research suggests that earthworms may eat about 30% of their weight each day. Earthworms derive their nutrition from many forms of organic matter in soil, things like decaying roots and leaves, and living organisms such as nematodes, protozoans, rotifers, bacteria, fungi. They will also feed on the decomposing remains of other animals.

​ extension.illinois.edu/worms/facts/
​http://www.biologyjunction.com/earthworm%20facts.htm

Discover things that worms and all animals need to survive when setting up and/or caring for earthworms in a composting bin:

• Water- ex. water spray and wet food
• Air- create air holes
• Food - make a list (The worms eat my organic garbage- banana peels, paper, coffee grounds, etc. Worms recycle food scraps turning it into compost/plant food a.k.a. worm poop or castings.
• Shelter- the box and the paper bedding
• Space- If the worms have too many babies or wormlets, there will be too many worms for the size of the bin and for the amount of food, etc., so they will cut down on having womlets.

Soil Supports Life:  The living systems occurring above and below the ground surface are determined by the properties of the soil.  Organism types displayed below: bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, arthropods, earthworms.  Their roles & benefits include:  decomposition, release, nutrients, create pores, and stabilize soils.

Search for other Earthworm links on the World Wide Web -
Just click on these link names below.



USDA
THE LIVING SOIL: EARTHWORMS
​
Science Museum of Minnesota Online Worm Project 
See first graders at the Museum Magnet School exploring the world of worms.
Worm Words Glossary for Teachers 
Learn the words that pertain to worms and worm composting.
Worm Supplies 
List of worm sellers in the United States and Canada

A Guide to Worm Composting 
Tips for making and using a worm bin

Ohio is home to some amazing species! Keep you eyes open for some of these animals when walking, hiking, and even relaxing in your own backyard.  If you see them, enjoy the moment, take a picture, but do not disturb.
​Wildlife should be left in the wild.

Ohio's Endangered Mammals:  

American Black Bear:
www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Mammals/Black-Bear.aspx

Allegheny Woodrat:
wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/mammals/allegheny-woodrat

Indiana Bat
http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/mammals/indiana-bat

The more we do to conserve valuable habitat, the more we do to protect the wildlife that shares the great state of Ohio with us.

Check out some great backyard conservation tips!

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/home/?cid=nrcs143_023574​
http://www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife.aspx
​

Some Facts About Farmland:
​"Erosion by wind and water is the most serious cause of soil loss and degradation. Although it is a natural process, erosion is accelerated greatly by things like construction, deforestation, and unsustainable practices in farming and animal grazing.

In the U.S., soil is now eroding at 17 times the rate at which it forms (via 2014). The soil erosion rate is estimated to be double in Asia, Africa, and South America. In order to feed the nearly 80 million humans added to the population annually, 12 million acres of new land must be put into production.

More than 25 million acres of productive arable land are severely degraded and abandoned worldwide every year—that’s an area the size of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota put together."

How can we preserve farmland?

By not building on arable land:  Land covered up by buildings, highways, and other forms of development can't be used for growing crops. In the U.S., nearly 2.2 million acres of land are converted to urban and other uses each year. About 25% of that land is former cropland.

By eating lower on the food chain:  While over a billion people suffer from malnutrition or starvation, meat production requires a disproportionate amount of grain input. Producing a pound of beef in a feed lot requires seven pounds of grain, a pound of pork requires four, and a pound of poultry requires two pounds of grain. The land that is used to produce grain for consumption by animals is unavailable for growing grain for human consumption.

By reducing pollution:  Pollution impairs the ability of the land and the seas to provide food that's both sufficient in quantity and free of contaminants.

By stabilizing human population growth:  Food supply is an excellent example of the relationship between any resource and the size and consumption patterns of the population that depends on it. Simply put, the more people there are to feed, the less food there is to go around. 

Source:  ​http://www.iupui.edu/~ghw/lessons/materials/EarthAppleFarmlandNov02.pdf

Thanksgiving is all about family, friends, and TURKEY! If you are looking for some kid-friendly fun this week, try constructing your own wild turkey call.

Before we get into the activity, did you know we have wild turkeys in Ohio? The wild turkey is Ohio’s largest upland game bird, standing three to four feet tall and weighing up to 24 pounds. It has a slim build, long neck, and nearly featherless head. The body feathers appear drab brown at a distance, but are actually iridescent when the bird appears in good light; this iridescence gives the bird its true coloration--bronze with hints of red, green, copper, and gold. Wild turkeys are very adaptable animals. Although they prefer mature forests, with substantial cover and suitable food sources, they can live successfully in areas with as little as 15 percent forest cover. The feeding area should include a mix of forbs, grasses, and insects. Wild turkeys make a variety of sounds, including a male’s gobble, the hen’s yelp, a poult’s peep, an alarm call that sounds like putt, and an assortment of purrs, trills, croaks, whines, and barks. The best known of these vocalizations is the gobble.  (Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife).

What do these turkey calls mean? (National Wild Turkey Federation)

• Tree Call – This call is typically made from the roost in a tree first thing in the morning. The call is to other members of the flock as if to say “Good Morning, how are you? Should we begin the day?”
• Gobble – This call is made primarily by male turkeys in the spring to attract female
• turkeys for mating.
• Putt – This is a short, one-syllabled alarm call. When used in a series, it indicates that the turkey has seen or heard danger.
• Cluck – This call is usually in a series of short, soft notes. It is used to get the
• attention of another turkey.
• Purr – A soft, rolling call, the purr is often made by content turkeys mainly when they are feeding.
• Assembly Call – This call is usually made by the adult hen when calling her young poults.

​Who knew turkeys had so much to say? Are you ready to make your own call? Project BEAK has a great activity that can be done in the classroom or at home. Here's how to make a turkey call:

Materials needed: Clear plastic cup and two 12 inch long pieces of strong thread (not string or yarn).

1. Turn the cup over and poke two pin holes approximately 1 inch apart in the bottom of the cup.
2. Pass the thread through the pin holes so that the thread is hanging down the inside of the over turned cup.
3. Tie the two dangling threads together as close as they can to the bottom of the over turned cup.
4. Wet the thread (licking fingers and running it along the thread works best). 
5. ​To make the call, grasp the thread between your thumb and forefinger and pull in a jerking motion. 

​See the full instructions from Project BEAK below: