Saturday, April 27, 2019
By SARA SCUDIER
Ohio certified volunteer naturalist
CANFIELD
Have you ever seen a toe bone of a T-Rex? Have you ever compared it to the toe bone of an ostrich?
Then you missed the first program of our naturalist series where Dale Gnidovec of Ohio State University’s School of Earth Sciences talked about how birds are related to dinosaurs. The science behind this connection of nature was amazing.
The naturalist series is a joint collaboration between OSU Extension, Mahoning County’s Ohio certified volunteer naturalists and Mill Creek MetroParks.
This is the third year of programs that deliver nature’s fascination to the public. Adults and children of all ages are encouraged to attend these programs to learn more about the natural world – and even experience some nature in action.
TREE TALK
The next program in the series will be May 7, featuring Enrico Bonello, professor of Molecular and Chemical Ecology of Trees and Plant Pathology at OSU. He will present a talk about tree communication and natural defenses.
Scientific research has discovered that plants are able to communicate. It has taken years, but studies now show that plants can warn each other of predator attacks. Bonello’s research looks at the ecological interactions of trees, fungal pathogens, and insects.
A related area is the relationship between soil fertility, carbon, resources, and the mycorrhizal community. In layman’s terms, that means how trees, fungi, and insects interact in a larger community.
COYOTES AMONG US
John Cepek, wildlife ecologist with Cleveland MetroParks, will speak from 6:30 to 8 p.m. June 20 at the MetroParks Farms in Canfield about coyotes in Northeast Ohio.
Before working for Cleveland MetroParks, Cepek was a district supervisor for U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, and he was a wildlife biologist for the National Wildlife Research Center.
CRICKETS AND KATYDIDS
Join us from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 10 at the MetroParks Farm as Lisa Rainsong of the Cleveland Institute of Music will present a program called “A Concert of Crickets and Katydids.”
She will introduce us to the Earth’s first musicians, and we will have an opportunity to listen to the insects of summer.
Caterpillar Connections
“Growing Caterpillars: a Tale of Birds, Plants, and Conservation” is Jim McCormac’s topic from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at Fellows Riverside Gardens, 123 McKinley Ave., Youngstown, in Mill Creek Park.
McCormac is a blogger, photographer, author of a number of books, and committed to nature and ecology. One of his goals is to get more people interested in nature and the world around us.
Raptors In the Sky
From 6:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at the MetroParks Farm, Heather Merritt of Birds in Flight Sanctuary in Warren will talk about raptors.
She rehabilitates injured birds, and you will have a chance to meet some of the birds she has rescued but could not release back to the wild.
So, mark your calendars and join us for an interesting and educational year of programs. To register, call the extension office at 330-533-5538 or call Fellows Riverside Gardens at 330-740-7116.