Ohio Outdoors: Red birds help ease winter blues
Cardinals, also known as red birds, are very common throughout Portage County and the Eastern United States. Their estimated population across North America is 100 -130 million strong.
Julie Watson
Ohio Outdoors: Deck the halls with...
I bet you finished that line. During a Portage County winter, most of our trees and herbaceous plant life slumber until the arrival of spring.
Ohio Outdoors: “T” is for turkey
It’s November, the month of Thanksgiving. Here, in America, no other animal is more closely associated with November than the turkey. According to the US Poultry and Egg Association 46 million turkeys will give their lives to the holiday this year.
Ohio’s Bats: Blood-suckers, or benevolent?
It’s autumn, time for bonfires, Friday night football, and trick-or-treat. In October we celebrate all things spooky and frightening.
Ohio Outdoors: Mum’s the word
It’s mum season, also known as fall or autumn. Chrysanthemums can be found gracing walkways and front porches all over Portage County.
Ohio Outdoors: Canada Geese are officially a nuisance (but don’t hurt them)
The geese flocks are growing. Go to any open grassy space or harvested field and you’ll witness this phenomenon. They can also be seen flying in formation. Are they migrating already? Isn’t this early? If they are leaving, why do their numbers keep growing?
Ohio Outdoors: Summer’s symphony
July is a busy month. We celebrate our country’s birthday, county fairs are getting underway, bald eagle chicks are fledging (able to fly and leave the nest), and then there are the summer concerts. Many cities and towns across the Buckeye State offer free outdoor concerts on special afternoons or evenings throughout the summer. There is another type of concert that is also free, available to everyone, everywhere, and plays all summer long. I’m talking about the musical productions of nature.
Ohio Outdoors: Remarkable reptiles
In last month’s column (April Showers bring Vernal Pools) I talked a lot about Ohio’s native amphibians (frogs, toads, and salamanders). This month I want to talk about Ohio’s native reptiles, more than half of which can be found in Portage County. Reptiles are cold-blooded (the scientific term is ectothermic), breathe air, and are covered with scales.
Ohio Outdoor: April showers bring vernal pools
Spring is here! The school year is winding up, the days are getting warmer, and rain is falling. Spring rain is essential. It waters all the new plant growth, pulls pollen out of the air, and boosts water table and wetland levels.
Ohio Outdoors: Protect your local pollinators
Save the Bees. I’m sure you’ve heard or seen such slogans increasingly over the past couple of decades. Of course, I’m all for saving any species, but some of the claims of activist groups on bee decline are a bit frightening. In trying to research the topic of bees and their necessity to humanity’s survival, I found varied and often contradictory reports. Sifting through the data, a few undeniable truths emerged.
Watson: Staying safe in unpredictable weather
Portage County weather. Everyone jokes about it: Wait five minutes and the weather will change; you can experience all four seasons in the span of a few hours; Mother Nature can’t seem to make up her mind.
Ohio Outdoors: Winging into spring
It’s March, and spring is in the air, literally. No matter if the month came in like a lion or a lamb, look and listen to the skies for vernal evidence. Harbingers of spring are winging their way north as you read this. And no, I’m not talking about robins. Robins don’t actually migrate; they stay in Portage County year-round. So that ‘first robin of spring’ sighting isn’t something to get all worked up about.
Ohio Outdoors: Skunk love
If you’ve been noticing a foul odor in the air recently, you’re not alone. Unpleasant as it may be there is a natural cause for your nose to be offended. In Ohio, February is breeding season for skunks.
Ohio Outdoors: Get naturally healthy in 2025
Just over half of us make New Year’s resolutions. The most common ones revolve around physical and mental wellbeing. Topics like exercise, fitness, and losing weight weigh heavy on our minds. Just as important are issues such as socializing, de-stressing, finding life’s balance, inner peace and others that fall under the mantle of mental health.
Ohio Outdoors: Your guide to buying real Christmas trees
It’s that time of year when people are decorating for the holidays. It’s estimated that only around 23% of homes displaying Christmas trees will choose the real thing.
Outdoors: Everything you should know about turkeys
More than 293 million Americans (that’s a whopping 88%) will feast on turkey November 28th. It’s no wonder gobblers are synonymous with Thanksgiving. Domestic turkeys are bred for meat production and can weigh up to 41 pounds.