Local Walks and Hikes

 “Go for a walk.” That’s advice my mom would give for any number of situations, and it’s great advice.

If you can, walking provides a range of benefits, from resetting and clearing your head to discovering new things to promoting physical health — all good things. I think most mothers would approve.

While you could just step outside your front door and start walking, Southwest Ohio offers interesting paths and trails within minutes of anywhere. There is everything from garden paths with manicured surroundings to more wild routes with some elevation changes. There are several trails that include views of the area waterfalls. Note that water flow can vary by season and conditions at some locations.

I might or might not have set expectations too high at an unnamed local waterfall that was very different between early spring and the summer.

Here are some reliable favorites:

Sugar Creek Park

In an environment where many things have been removed and or replaced, there’s something about a 580-year-old oak tree that puts the world in perspective. You can see that and a variety of other landscapes, including tall grass prairie in Sugar Creek Park southeast of Dayton. https://www.metroparks.org/places-to-go/sugarcreek/

Snyder Park Gardens and Arboretum

Located on the site of the former Snyder Park Golf Course in Springfield, the Snyder Park Gardens and Arboretum combines the efforts of the Ohio State University Extension and Master Gardener Volunteers of Clark County. The results are demonstration, teaching, and display gardens, as well as a Victory Garden that produces fruits and vegetables to donate to the local community. https://ntprd.org/snyder-park/#1486322920016-4732a6f3-1199

Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve

Following 2 miles of the Little Miami State and Scenic River as it cuts a narrow canyon through bedrock near Clifton. Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve offers 268 acres of unique flora and fauna. Always noticeably cooler than much of the surrounding area, the north-facing slopes “provide a cool, moist environment for northern species including hemlock, red baneberry, Canada yew, arbor vitae and mountain maple,” according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources website. https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/clifton-gorge-state-nature-preserve

See more and read the complete article here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/what-to-know/take-moms-advice-and-go-for-a-hike-check-out-these-interesting-sw-ohio-paths-and-trails-within-minutes-of-anywhere/AZGFNRXUOZEXNPHMEB6KBJ5CX4/ 

Spring Time is Crappie Time

The first fish I ever caught on an artificial lure was a crappie. It hit a Hildebrandt black and yellow spinner bait cast from a green metal Johnson Century reel mounted on a solid fiberglass rod with a cork handle. It was about this time of the year, a crisp morning followed by a warm afternoon. And it was a keeper. Yes, I forget important things, but I remember this. After having spent what seemed like a lifetime watching mealworms under bobbers while my dad cast interesting lures and caught bigger fish, I felt like I had graduated to the advanced class. Crappie started as and still are one of my favorite fish. You can read my complete article here: SW Ohio boasts good waters for crappie fishing: What to know about this freshwater species

Resources

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife has used that to anglers’ advantage, creating numerous fish attractors at local lakes using old Christmas trees and pallets to create and enhance structure and angling opportunities from shore and by boat. The location for the fish magnets can be found on the ODNR website, https://gis.ohiodnr.gov/MapViewer/?config=Fishinglakes 

Backyard Cocktails for the Birds

 

“Where’s my drink?” That’s what my neighbor said, in what I interpreted as an accusatory tone. “I left it here,” he said. “It’s always here, you #@$% slacker.” That’s when I knew it was time to fix my thirsty visitor his favorite cocktail and hang the hummingbird feeder by the deck for the season. 

To say that hummingbirds are unique in the avian world is an understatement. We’ll start with the physical attributes. Ruby-throated hummingbirds, the only hummingbird species native to Ohio, are small. Adults weigh less than an ounce with a body length between 3 and 3 ¾ inches. Their wingspan maxes out at 4 ¾ inches. There are native insects with a bigger profile. They are a sort of olive colored back and wings, with a lighter belly. Males have a prominent red patch on their throat, hence the name.

Read the complete article in the Average Guy Outdoors column on the Dayton Daily News website here: Mixing Cocktails for Backyard Birds and Insects

Resources

Hummingbird Migration Tracker

https://www.hummingbirdcentral.com/hummingbird-migration-spring-2025-map.htm

Identification and facts

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/birds/ruby-throated-hummingbird

What to Put in the Feeder

Make a simple syrup of sugar and water at ratio of 1:4 respectively. DO NOT PUT DYE OR COLORING IN YOUR NECTAR.

Where to put the feeder

https://www.thespruce.com/hummingbird-feeder-placement-385956#:~:text=Keep%20in%20a%20Shaded%20Area,it%20from%20the%20hottest%20temperatures.

Home Roots

Photo by Trac Vu on Unsplash

“Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets,” said Aldo Leopold in A Sand County Almanac. “But humbler folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how. To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god nor poet; one need only own a shovel.”

Or maybe a rake. Or even a stick. The creation by planting Leopold spoke of isn’t limited to trees, and you don’t need 80 acres in Wisconsin or to wait decades for a stand of pine trees. Yes, large blocks of acreage matter and are necessary. We need those. That doesn’t mean that smaller spaces don’t matter or that they can’t contribute to the end goal: increasing habitat. That forgotten corner of a field or backyard, or even an ignored flower bed can make a difference, even this year. 

Learn more in my column on the Dayton Daily News site: Celebrate Earth Day by preparing your own yard to be a habitat 

Find plans

Ohio Native Plant Month - https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/plant-a-pollinator-garden 

Pheasants Forever offers a free PDF download of instructions for organic site prep for any season: https://www.pfhabitatstore.com/resources/64/organic%20site%20preparation.pdf

Find seeds

https://www.pfhabitatstore.com/store/items/OH/

https://www.gardenia.net/guide/great-pollinator-plants-for-ohio

Resources

Register your pollinator garden to help Ohio studies and research https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/plant-a-pollinator-garden 

Find Events

Marianist Environmental Education Center - Gardening with native plants hands-on workshop. April 26, 9:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m.

Carolyn Kimes Tree Seedling Giveaway at 2nd Street Market - Free deciduous and coniferous tree seedlings, first come, first serve while supplies last. April 26, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=S165&api=programs&type=program

Make Way and Welcome Home - April is Ohio Native Plant Month

Photo by Alexandria Szakacs on Unsplash

Guests staying too long create a delicate social situation. Telling your partner, “I’ll believe I’ll turn in so that these fine folks can go home,” might make the point. Invasive plants don’t respond to subtle hints that it’s time to say goodnight. April is Ohio Native Plant Month and time to make way and welcome back our longtime neighbors. 

Back to Balance

Over centuries and millennia, through weather events and changes, environments have developed interdependent cycles of life. From soil to plant to pollinator to prey, one doesn’t exist without the other, including humans. Invasive plants can be a stick in the spoke of the local cycles, throwing things out of balance and wrecking the natural order. Often showing up earlier and staying later in the seasons, invasives can take over any available space and crowd out our original neighbors. Three of the most notorious offenders in Southwest Ohio are garlic mustard, amur honeysuckle, and Bradford (callery) pear. 

What can you do? Check out this article in its entirety: Garlic mustard, honeysuckle, Bradford pear: Invasive plants need to be evicted

Upcoming Events and Other Ways You Can Make Way for Ohio Plants

April Ohio Native Plant Month

https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/ 

April 14th - Garlic Mustard Challenge 

Fill bags of garlic mustard and earn swag from National Trails Parks and Recreation

https://ntprd.org/garlic-mustard-challenge-2025/ 

April 19th - Carolyn Kimes Tree Seedling Give Away

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the 2nd Street Market https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=S54&api=programs&type=program 

List of Ohio Native Plant Suppliers

https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/native-plant-sources

Don’t Plant/Get Rid of These Invasive Plants List

https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/plant-health/invasive-pests/invasive-and-noxious-plants/invasive-plants 

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/invasive-plants/callery-pear 

Piles of Leaves in the Spring Woods

 

Photo by Olivia Brewer on Unsplash

“Have you spent time in Ohio disguised as a pile of leaves?” That was the question Grammy Award-winning musician Alison Krauss posed to band-mate, Barry Bales, at the Wright State Nutter Center years ago. (I’ll say paraphrase because it was a concert decades ago and I wasn’t taking notes.) Bales’ answer, bitten by the wild turkey bug (and we’re not talking about bourbon), was “yes, he has.”

Adding Up the Challenges

Hunters have to not only convince a gobbler to leave his harem, something he’s not want to do, but to come into effective shotgun or archery range of around 35 yards. They have to remain virtually motionless to avoid detection by some of the most powerful eyes in nature while those same eyes are searching for the source of the sound to add to his harem. Other than calling, they must remain silent and undetected by other turkeys in the area, lest they sound the alarm. Lastly, they have to position themselves for a shot without being detected. 

Nearly Lost

Change was the word at the turn of the last century. In 1903, as the Wright Brothers were taking to the skies, populations of some birds were decidedly not. The last wild passenger pigeon was shot in 1900 in Southern Ohio. Heath hen numbers hung by a thread in the low hundreds on the east coast. And in 1904, through lost habitat and over-harvest, wild turkeys were eliminated from Ohio. Fortunately, turkey habitat came back, better regulations were established, and reintroduction by the Ohio Division of Wildlife began in the 1950s. By 1966, a limited season was allowed in nine counties. In 1999, wild turkeys were found in all 88 counties, and the spring season was open statewide in 2000. It has been open across the state since.

Get Ready Now

The 2025 Turkey season in southwest Ohio kicks off with a weekend youth season on April 12 and 13th, followed by the general season opening April 19th and running through May 18th. The limit is one bearded gobbler per year. 

Read the Complete Dayton Daily News column here: Talking turkey — months before Thanksgiving

Turkeys in Ohio

Getting Started Hunting Turkeys

National Wild Turkey Foundation

Barry Bales - Obsessed Turkey Hunter

Side Note: Myth Busters

Not the Founding Father’s Other Choice

Morel Madness

Morel mushrooms, properly “Morchella” are fungi that appear in the spring across the northern hemisphere, but especially drive “mushroom hunters” near mad in the Midwest. Trespassing. Camouflage. Cash under the table. Missed work.

All have been attributed to or used in the quest for these fungi. Why?

Because they’re delicious. They’re prized by French and Catalan chefs. Here in SW Ohio, if you’re in the right spot at the right time, they can be plentiful and not too difficult to find. The right place at the right time is the trick. While you might get an experienced morel hunter to help with the timing, don’t expect directions or holding hands to their best spots.

Read the complete article here: 

Morel mushrooms, nature’s spring morsels, drive locals crazy

Image: creative commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Morel_Mushrooms.jpg#filelinks