Hi from National Wildlife Federation Habitat Ambassadors!

It’s rewarding to see what creatures have found benefits from your yard. I watch for tracks in fresh snow before I step. Some common Ohio tracks can be seen at Ohio Dept of Natural Resources track examples. Scroll down to the second page and the answers are upside down.

What difference does your yard make? Read this short 2-page article called Gardening for Wildlife by Douglas Tallamy, who will be speaking at the Ohio Botanical Symposium (See ‘Nature Stuff’ below for details on that event)

The Annual Franklin County Soil And Water Conservation District Tree, Fish and Wildflower Sale. Orders need to be in by 3/26. order by mail or online using the link.

Curious about organic lawn care? Try to find books at the library, such as The Organic Lawn Care Manual by Paul Tuckey. This flyer has some information on the left (corn gluten is organic): Environmentally Friendly Lawn and Garden Care. Google the web for organic lawn care, here’s a start: Ohioline OSU Extension Fact Sheet

Thanks for helping backyard wildlife!

- Toni, www.backyardhabitat.info

Toni’s latest nature article:

‘Help Robins in your yard‘ – select Jan. 2010 and go to page 3 in the bottom right corner, Help Robins In Your Yard

Nature ‘Stuff’

• NWF’s Schoolyard Habitat Guide and Lesson Plans are now free online! Schoolyard Habitat Materials
• National Wildlife Federation’s CEO, Larry Schweiger, book “Last Chance” takes you on a journey of climate change discovery across the world from his perspective as a grandfather and a conservationist.

Nature Events

• Sat, 2/13, 10AM, Mud, Dirt or Soil?, Dr. David Barker, Inniswood Metro Park, Westerville, Scroll down at http://www.for-wild.org/chapters/columbus
• Thurs, 2/18, Ohio Invasive Plants Research Conference, Connecting Research and Land Management, Indoor Adventure Center, Franklin Park, Columbus www.oipc.info
• Thurs, 3/11, Central Ohio Stormwater & Erosion Control Expo, Longaberger Alumni House, OSU Campus, Columbus. Contact the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District at 614-486-9613 for information.
• Fri, 3/26, 8-4, Ohio Botanical Symposium, Keynote Speaker: Dr. Doug Tallamy, author of ‘Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens’, Villa Milano, 16730 Schrock Rd, Columbus. Register online at Symposium Registration before 3/22

Hi from Toni & Marc, National Wildlife Federation Habitat Ambassadors!

What do you see when you look at a flowerbed that has gone to seed?  I see beautiful songbirds, natural mulch that retains water, tiny leaf-litter animals improving soil, materials for next year’s native bird nests, and cover for bugs that are a critical part of our food chain.  Leaf litter is much different than most human litter. It is used and recycled by the soil food chain.

Being a neat freak in the yard not only destroys habitat value, but it’s important to us too. “Perhaps solid waste landfills … are the single largest man-made source of methane in the United States” says Janet Marinelli in an article from the National Wildlife Magazine at www.nwf.org/NationalWildlife/printerFriendly.cfm?issueID=124&articleID=1646

Watch for Chimney Swifts gathering for migration at very large, uncapped chimneys.  They look like smoke going into the chimney – what a show! 
Here are directions to one site in Columbus:  http://columbusoh.wbu.com/content/show/25766

Migration is here.  See approximate fall migration timetable from birdnature:   http://www.birdnature.com/falloh.html

Cricket weathermen!  Count the cricket chirps in 13 seconds and add 40 to get the approximate current temperature. Only males chirp for courting and this only works down to about 55 degrees.  Below that it’s too cold to court.  http://www.snopes.com/science/cricket.asp

Take time out each day to look in your yard and enjoy! 

– Toni, www.backyardhabitat.info

+ Nature ‘Stuff’
- Weds, 9/9, 8:45-3:15, Invasive Plants in Southeast
Ohio, 710 Collegiate Dr, Marietta, see: www.oipc.info for more information
- Sat, 9/12, 10AM, Growing Native Trees in Pots, Inniswood Metro Park,Westerville,  Scroll down at http://www.for-wild.org/chapters/columbus
- Sun, 9/13, 2-5pm, Green Family Fun event, in front of wind turbine and solar panels at Glacier Ridge Metro Park
- Sept 11, 12 or 13, A Swift’s Night Out, 30 minutes before dusk. 1919 West Bridge Street in Dublin. If you’d like to count them and report your tally see http://www.chimneyswifts.org/
- Sat,9/19, 9am-6pm, Scioto Gardens’ Fall Equinox Festival, page down to special events at Scioto Gardens here http://www.sciotogardens.com/events.html
- Sat, 10/3, Wildlfest, Ohio Wildlife Center, http://ohiowildlifecenter.org/ click on Events
- Tues, 10/6, MORPC Summit at COSI, 8am-6pm, www.greenregion.org/

Nan Platt writes:

Bill is just back [from a walk] and he told me of a thrilling moment seeing a deer soaring across Overbrook. Several weeks ago, we had a young fox visit us in the early morning, circling round and round in and out of the plants and shrubbery, before trotting off.

Looking back at its siblings.

We have been enjoying the company of baby foxes recently. Above are two photos that my dad took of one of them.

Earlier this spring, we heard our neighbors had a den in their backyard… several weeks ago, the babies started exploring the area. I’m not sure how many there are, but we’ve seen at least two at once. They wander around our yard like a pet dog or cat. They have been very bold and curious. I’ve seen them following our neighbors as they’ve unloaded their car…they kept a distance of about 8-10 feet…darting backwards if the people changed direction.

One of them came right up to our side door when it smelled the cooking inside; Mike had to shoo it away. They’re so cute, I almost wanted to toss it a treat….(of course I wouldn’t). One day, another one followed Mike around while he was working in the yard. They started becoming so friendly and fearless, we wondered if something had happened to the parents, but our neighbors said they still saw the parents coming and going from the den.

A few days ago, we saw one following a cat….it stayed about 15 feet behind it. We thought it might be stalking it, but when the cat took off running, the fox didn’t give chase. We have found some partially eaten rabbits in the yard. The adult foxes don’t hang around very long and maintain more distance, so it’s been fun to watch the young ones. We look forward to watching the babies grow over the summer!

Dear Adena Brook Neighbors,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying this glorious, early-summer weather.

I need to comment, if you will indulge me, on some misinformation that has made the rounds about some of our wild brethren. I will be brief, but do hope that you will take this information into consideration.

* The red fox, Vulpes vulpes, is indigenous to most of the North American continent.
* Adult weight is usually 6.5 – 20 pounds.
* The majority of a fox’s diet consists of invertebrates such as insects, mollusks (yard grubs), and crayfish. They also feed upon mice, rats, young rabbits (not adult), frogs, and eggs. A substantial portion of a fox’s diet is also comprised of fruit and berries. They will also eat carrion….contributing to the overall cleanliness of an area.
* Foxes have disproportionately small stomachs, compared to dogs and cats, and thus, eat only small prey.
* Foxes tend to be crepuscular, meaning that they are active at dawn and dusk, but seldom during the daylight or nighttime hours.
* Foxes are SOLITARY hunters. They do not form packs. They do not live communally as do other canids. They are monogamous during the breeding season and spend the rest of the year alone.
* Foxes do NOT attack domestic animals….cats, dogs, etc. They pose NO threat to pets and indeed, keep their / our environment free of rodents and other pests.
* When crows are heard fussing and carrying on, it is NOT on account of foxes. The two species are not even awake and active at the same times during the day. When the crows are fussing, look carefully for the red-tailed hawk as he is usually the cause of the commotion.
* The average feeding/breeding range of a fox is up to 22 acres thus, they do NOT commonly share territory or over-populate an area.

* We have a family of foxes in the brook area this season and are wonderfully fortunate to be able to see them from time to time. This is a reclusive species and to observe them for a time is a privilege and a joy. They are our wild brethren. We share this earth. We share this community. Please let us NOT fall ‘prey’ to wanton misinformation. Please let us respect these creatures and honor their habits. They and their kind were, after all, here long before we were……..and I believe we do well to remember this.

My best to all during this lovely season. Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts.

Kindest personal regards,

Cari Brackett, Pharm.D.
Associate Clinical Professor
The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
Department of Family Medicine
500 West 12th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
(614) 292-5718
FAX (614) 292-1335

Hi from Toni & Marc, National Wildlife Federation Habitat Ambassadors!

Celebrate National Pollinator week by coming to our Annual ‘Parade of Certified Wildlife Gardens’ on Sunday, June 28 from noon to 6. All of the gardens are in the Worthington area this year.

For more information see – maps are in Tour Guide on the right side of the main page.

They are also excellent pollinators, far more proficient than European honeybees. To see information about pollinators of all sorts visit the Pollinator Partnership,

Have a happy summer!

About 50 neighbors shared the annual community potluck!

7:18 PM, May 3, 2009

We just saw 4 deer outside our dining room and office windows! We live @ 655 Overbrook, next to the Sleeper’s. After watching us for a while, they headed down in to the ravine and headed west on Overbrook Drive

Laure Nordholt

Hey Susan,
At 4 AM this morning our dog, Cali, started to bark agressively at our front window. I awoke and looked out the window and a red fox was on our porch ‘leaping’ back and forth. I know we have a rabbit living under our porch and I assume that the fox was trying to scare the rabbit. Cali has barked at the coyotes on our morning walk but I was surprised at the fox on our front porch at 491 Glenmont!
Tony Collinger

Barbara and Tim Lloyd knocked on my door last week about sunset to come see the opossum sitting on neighbor Rick Davis’ front porch. Patty Hoyer was walking Zoe, Grace, and Emma and they stopped to watch, too. I think it might have been Oliver. Oliver is the name we’ve given the opossum that lives under our front porch deck. Barbara and Tim wondered if possibly the opossum was sick since it was out and about and seemed oblivious to our stares, albeit from across the street. I googled and read that opossum rarely get rabies. I think I read that there are only 4 known cases in the USA.

If you want to learn more about opossum and other ravine wildlife, come to the Adena Brook Community potluck on May 15, 6 – 8 PM when Craig Seidel, Ohio Wildlife Center educator will bring a few OWC residents to show us. I know we’ll see a great grey owl, opossum, and kestrel.