Lightning in a Jar

 Memorial Day might mark the unofficial start of summer, but it isn’t real for me until I see groups of fireflies or lightning bugs. As a kid, chasing the gentle glowing bugs flying in seemingly random bobbing path was the next activity to prolong time outside.

Just as darkness started to fall and make batted balls or flying frisbees too hard to see and catch, along would come the green glowing orbs. That would add at least another 30 minutes of outside play to the day, catching and releasing them out of a jar.

Fireflies typically appear in Southwest Ohio in early June, but it can depend on the weather and temperature. I’m sure that Bill Felker of Poor Will’s Almanac has precise dates of the insect’s first appearance each season near Yellow Springs. I don’t have that, just a recollection of a now deleted text I sent to my daughter about seeing the first one of the season in early May, and how it seemed really early.

Read the complete article here: Fireflies typically appear in SW Ohio in early June, but it can depend on weather, temps

Schools In for Summer Fishing

“I got one!” If ever a kid says that without the exclamation mark when they have their first fish on the line it will be the first. There’s something about the tug on the line and the unknown at the other end that generates excitement and smiles. Taking a kid fishing is an introduction to a pastime they can enjoy for a lifetime. It teaches patience and focus without a screen, creates a literal connection to the world around them, and introduces basic conservation concepts. 

With summer break starting soon for area schools, now is a great time to take a kid fishing or plan a future outing. 

To make that first trip successful, keep a couple of things in mind. First of all, keep it simple. Pick an accessible location nearby. You don’t want to spend more time driving than fishing, and you don’t want the time of the outing to exceed attention or energy spans. And remember, for at least the first couple of times, if not years, you’re taking a kid fishing, not going fishing with a kid. Focusing your attention on them and their experience will make it more fun for everyone. 

Read the Complete Article in the Dayton Daily News here: Schools in for Summer Fishing

They're Baackk

 “What’s that weird abuzzing noise?” asked our family’s Spanish exchange student in the middle of a wiffle ball game. “What noise?” I responded, not hearing any noises I considered strange. Then it buzzed again.

“Oh, that’s just a cicada,” I replied.

While cicadas provide familiar summer background noise in Southwest Ohio, the periodical cicadas go beyond the term “just.” It’s amazing. Flash forward a couple of decades and I was reminded of the fact that this doesn’t happen everywhere. A French colleague was visiting our headquarters in Cincinnati during brood XVI’s last arrival and was amazed. There is a lot to take in.

Read the complete article, Bugging Out, here: 

And stay tuned for some possible data crunching on the impacts cicada's have on the area: https://www.daytondailynews.com/what-to-know/bugging-out-cicada-brood-xiv-is-back-in-sw-ohio-very-soon/JVMEHPM745DF3G7Y25EKD4HEPM/ 

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