Posts

Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials

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Hello Wild Side Readers,

I hope you are all enjoying the warm start to spring. Though in central Ohio, it’s felt more like summer recently! I for one, have been spending time in my home landscape, weeding, mulching, and checking almost daily for new sprouts and blooms. One rather large item on my to-do list this year, is to create a new landscape bed and I can’t wait to start picking and choosing wildlife-friendly plants to incorporate. If you find yourself in a similar situation, check out the below resources, including two new(ish) fact sheets on native trees and shrubs for wildlife AND a hot-off-the-press quick guide. These as well as other great resources are listed below! Enjoy and happy plantings!

Creating Living Landscapes Quick Guide

 

OSU Extension Fact Sheet: Native Trees: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials

OSU Extension Fact Sheet: Native Shrubs: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials

OSU Extension Creating Living Landscape Quick Guide 

 

 

If you have yet to discover the Plant-by-Numbers Guides, you are in for a real treat! These are great if you need help deciding not only what to plant, but how to arrange them in your landscape bed. Note there have been two NEW guides added recently! One is for hummingbirds and songbirds, called Hummers & Singers, and another for Good Garden Bugs. These guides were created and designed by Denise Ellsworth and Debra Knapke (and yours truly had the wonderful opportunity to help with the Hummers & Singers guide).

OSU Plant-by-Numbers Garden Plans for Butterflies & Moths, Specialist Bees, Bumble Bees, Hummers & Singers, and Good Garden Bugs

 

Native Bee Resources:

 

As some of you know, one of my favorite topics to speak about is bats. I’ve been getting more requests recently to speak on bat gardening. What is bat gardening, you ask? It’s the idea of planting insect-friendly plants to provide food resources to bats. While research on the impacts of such plantings is lacking, it can confidently be stated that providing diverse plant communities can support diverse insect communities. This, in turn, has the potential to benefit bats. In the below resource, The Ohio Bat Working Group’s website, there is a video on bat gardening. I also recommend the below book on moths, to learn more about these fascinating creatures and moth-friendly plants.

Ohio Bat Working Group: information on Ohio bats, coexisting with bats, and habitat management included providing habitat for bats in forests and backyards.

Gardening for Moths by Jim McCormac and Chelsea Gottfried

 

Last but certainly not least, if we work hard to incorporate bird-friendly plants into our home landscapes, we should also work to ensure the birds remain safe. Every year, roughly 1 billion birds die after hitting windows in the United States, and nearly half of those are collisions with home windows. Homeowners are rarely aware of these collisions as injured birds may fly away to die elsewhere or be eaten by a predator (cat, raccoon, fox, or dog) before being found. Please consider making your windows bird-safe. The link below has some great suggestions.

Tufted titmouse and red berries, Kentucky

American Bird Conservancy – Preventing Bird Window Strikes information

 

Thank you for your time and Happy Spring!!

Marne Titchenell
Wildlife Program Director, OSU Extension
School of Environment and Natural Resources
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

Woodland Secondary Cavity Nesting Birds

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Hello Wild Side Readers,

How many of you are looking forward to the nest box monitoring season?? I have been monitoring bluebird nest boxes at Sharon Woods MetroParks for over 20 years now (wow, that is a long time) and it’s always been a highlight of my year. See a few of my favorite pictures below from my monitoring times.

Eastern bluebird nest.

Female eastern bluebird building her nest.

Eastern bluebird eggs are bright blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This past weekend, I had the honor of presenting at the 2024 Ohio Bluebird Society Conference. If you have never been to this conference, and you have an interest in birds, I highly recommend it. I met so many folks who are passionately invested in bird conservation – some who have dedicated over 40 years of their lives to monitoring bluebird boxes! I was asked to present a session on several Ohio birds that, like our bluebirds, are also cavity nesters. The slides from my presentation are below, along with several resources I referenced during my talk. I hope it helps and my thanks for all you are doing to help our birds!

Presentation Slides – Woodland Secondary Cavity Nesting Birds

Nest box specifications and placement recommendation for screech owls, wood ducks, and more – HERE.

Webinar on Deadwood for Wildlife (and creating and maintaining snags)

Bringing the Snag into the Urban Forest (Arborists and Wildlife: Retaining Trees for Wildlife Habitat) – Article by Brian French

Resources on What to Plant:

Websites for more info:

Happy Birding!

Marne Titchenell
Wildlife Program Director, OSU Extension
School of Environment and Natural Resources
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

Dealing with Wildlife: Geese, Moles, Voles, and other Wildlife

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Hello Wild Side Readers,

If you are new to this blog, I share information on Ohio’s wildlife, but as an educator, I also create posts related to education events I present at. Recently, I presented at the 2023 Ohio Turf Foundation and Green Industry Short Course annual conference. I presented two topics – one was on Canadian geese and the other on Moles, Voles, and Other Holes in Your Landscape. Below are the slide sets for both presentations, as well as additional information that I referenced during my presentations.

In addition, I also included some information on raccoons and skunks as I realize they too, can be an issue in turf and I have presented on them in past years. I hope these resources are helpful, and if you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me (my contact info is at the end of each slide set).  Enjoy!

Marne Titchenell
Wildlife Program Director, OSU Extension
School of Environment and Natural Resources
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

 

Canada Geese – Slide set from 2023 OTF/GISC Conference

Moles, Voles, and Other Holes in Your Landscape – Slide set from 2023 OTF/GISC Conference

Additional information on Geese:

Additional information on moles, voles, and other:

Information on raccoons and skunks:

Dealing with Wildlife: Raccoons, Skunks, Moles, Voles, & Geese – Slide set from 2021 OTF/GISC Conference

Trailcampro.com – one of the best resources for information on a variety of trail cameras

White Grub Management – Buckeye Yard and Garden Online article

List of Nuisance Wild Animal Control Operators – ODNR, Division of Wildlife

Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife – Nuisance Wildlife Resources

 

 

Managing and Preventing Damage from Wildlife in Fruits & Vegetables

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Hello Wild Side Readers,

Thanks for visiting once again, and if you are new here – welcome! It’s mid-September, and for me, that means Farm Science Review time. The Farm Science Review is a farm show second to none that takes place every year for three days at the Molly Caren Ag. Center in London, Ohio. Folks come from all over the country peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 commercial exhibitors, and learn the latest in agricultural production.

During the Farm Science Review, you can find me at the Gwynne Conservation Area, a 67-acre demonstration and education area for agriculture and natural resources management practices. The Gwynne is home to a natural stream, wetland, ponds, windbreak plantings, crop tree plantings, wildlife food plots, soil pit, riparian forests, dry hydrant, and much more! During the review, the Gwynne is a great place to learn about natural resources – check out our line-up of talks here.

This year, I left the Gwynne for a brief visit to the main grounds of the Farm Science Review to give a talk on wildlife damage in fruits and vegetables. Below are the slides from that presentation, and as always, additional resources.

Slide Set – Managing and Preventing Damage from Wildlife in Fruits & Vegetables

Additional Resources on Birds, Deer, and Raccoons in Vineyards

Additional Resources on Deer

Vole Publications:

Groundhog Publications:

If you visited the Farm Science Review this year, and the Gwynne Conservation Area, I hope you enjoyed your time. If you missed it this year…come see us in 2024!

Marne Titchenell

Extension Wildlife Program Director

Breakfast with the Birds – Native Plantings for Wildlife Resources

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Hello Wild Side Readers!

Tomorrow I have the pleasure of helping with the Environmental Professionals Network Breakfast program called Breakfast with the Birds: Advocacy and Conservation in Urban Green Spaces. I will be leading a tour around the beautiful Scioto Audubon Metro Park after the inside presentations conclude at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. I plan to have short discussions on the importance of green spaces, especially urban forests within our urban ecosystems. If this subject interests you, I encourage you to check out my last article for more resources on managing public trees and spaces for wildlife. Below, you find some additional resources on providing native plants for wildlife, including birds, pollinators, and bats. Enjoy!

 

OSU Extension Fact Sheet: Native Trees: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials

OSU Extension Fact Sheet: Native Shrubs: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials

OSU Plant-by-Numbers Garden Plans for Butterflies & Moths, Specialist Bees, and Bumble Bees

Native Bee Resources:

Ohio Bat Working Group: information on Ohio bats, coexisting with bats, and habitat management included providing habitat for bats in forests and backyards. Bat house plans and guidance.

 

American Bird Conservancy – Preventing Bird Window Strikes information

Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative Resources:

Great apps for more learning:

  • iNaturalist
  • Picture This or Google Lens
  • Cornell Lab of Ornithology – Merlin

 

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy your community’s green spaces soon!

Marne Titchenell

Wildlife Program Specialist

Managing Trees & Public Spaces for Wildlife – Take Two!

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Hello Wild Side Readers,

If you are new to this blog, I share information on Ohio’s wildlife, but as an educator, I also create posts related to presentations at educational events. Recently, I had the honor of presenting a webinar for the Smithsonian Gardens ‘Let’s Talk Gardens’ webinar series. I spoke about managing trees and small forest patches in urban and suburban areas for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. The below links are resources I shared during that presentation, as well as the slide set.

One item I didn’t get to in my presentation, was several new fact sheets for those interested in wildlife-friendly landscaping. The two fact sheets below share information on several native trees and shrubs that provide benefits to multiple species. Enjoy!

Native Trees: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials

Native Shrubs: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials

Also be sure to check out the NEW Plant by Numbers Guides for Specialist Bees, Bumble Bees, and Butterflies & Moths.

 

Managing Public Trees and Spaces for Wildlife – slide set

Managing Public Trees and Spaces for Wildlife – webinar

 

Links/Resources:

Doug Tallamy webinar – Restoring Nature’s Relationships at Home (the connection between trees and caterpillars)

3 Billion Birds Lost Research and Website

Alternatives to Non-native, Invasive Plants Brochure and Website– Ohio Invasive Plant Council

Butterflies & Moths of North America

American Trails Info on Greenway Planning

Bringing the Snag into the Urban Forest (Arborists and Wildlife: Retaining Trees for Wildlife Habitat) – Brian French

Dead Wood for Wildlife webinar

Nest Box & Bat House Resources

Ohio Lights Out Program

American Bird Conservation Info on Preventing Bird Collisions

Wildlife Conflict Resources

Buckeye Yard and Garden Online  – provides timely information about Ohio growing conditions, pest, disease, and cultural problems.

Urban Wildlife Information Network

USDA Forest Service Urban Forest Info:

Urban & Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Grants

Urban Forest Research

Urban Field Stations

The Cross Pollinator Newsletter – great article on urban forest patches and their importance!

Fact Sheets/Bulletins:

Ohio Woodland Stewards Invasive Species Fact Sheets

Managing Small Forest Patches for Birds – Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative

Creating Snags (Controlling Undesirable Trees, Shrubs, and Vines) – OSU Extension fact sheet

Crop Tree Management – OSU Extension fact sheet

Enhancing Food (Mast) Production for Woodland Wildlife – OSU Extension fact sheet

Ohio Trees for Bees – OSU Extension fact sheet

Nesting and Overwintering Habitat for Pollinators and Other Beneficial Insects

Research papers:

Wang et al. 2021 – Tree species richness and diversity predicts the magnitude of urban heat island mitigation effects of greenspaces

Baker et al. 2020 – Suitability of native milkweed (Asclepias) species versus cultivars for supporting monarch butterflies and bees in urban gardens

Ricker et al. 2019 – Comparing Insect Pollination Visitation for Six Native Shrub Species and their Cultivars

Narango et al. 2018 – Nonnative plants reduce population growth of an insectivorous bird

Mason et al. 2006 – Designing suburban greenways to provide habitat for forest-breeding birds

Recommended Books:

Good Garden Bugs by Mary M. Gardiner

Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest by Sally and Harmon Weeks

Native Trees of the Midwest by Weeks, Weeks, and Parker

 

If you would like more information on forest management, please visit the Ohio Woodland Stewards website. We also have a list of webinars on a variety of forestry and wildlife topics. Enjoy!

Marne Titchenell

Wildlife Program Specialist

Protecting Livestock from Black Vulture and Coyote Predation

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Hello Wild Side Readers,

I’ve been delving into several new topics (for me at least). The previous post was about managing wildlife damage on grape farms, and this one addresses issues with predation on livestock. I’m specifically focusing on coyotes and black vultures. While livestock producers have been mitigating issues with coyotes for many years now, black vulture predation has come onto the map in the past few decades. Below are resources for preventing loss due to black vultures and coyotes. Recently, I gave a presentation to the Jackson County Farmer’s Club, and the slide set from that program is also included below. I hope this information is useful!

Marne Titchenell

Wildlife Program Specialist

Dealing with Conflict: Black Vultures and Coyote – slide set from Jackson Co. program

Fact sheets:

Additional Resources

If you see black vultures with a red wing band, please report to – www.reportband.gov 

Managing Damage from Wildlife in Vineyards

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Hello Wild Side Readers,

Vineyards provide habitat resources such as food and shelter to wildlife. Species such as deer, birds, and raccoons can cause damage through loss of fruit and foraging on new and existing shoots. The extent of damage varies by region in relation to climate, terrain, and wildlife species present. Often, an integrated approach using one or more management options can be effectively used to lessen and prevent damage from wildlife. Management options include exclusion such as netting and fencing, harassment such as acoustic and visual deterrents, use of chemical repellents, lethal techniques (trapping, hunting), and habitat modification. Habitat modification requires modifying the attractant, usually, food or shelter, within or nearby the vineyard. For example, eliminating tall grass or shrubby cover within and around the vineyard

I was recently invited to give a presentation at the 2023 Ohio Grape and Wine Conference. I discussed management options for preventing and mitigating conference from birds, deer, and raccoons in vineyards. Below are the slides that were presented, as well as several additional resources. I very much appreciated the invitation to present and hope the below information is useful!

Marne Titchenell

Wildlife Program Specialist

Managing and Preventing Damage from Deer, Raccooons, and Birds – PowerPoint slide set

Fact Sheets and Online Resources:

References Research:

  • Bastien, GA. 2021. Avian Grape Predation at Vineyards: Evaluating Fruit Preferences and Non-Invasive Deterrent Methods.  University of Windsor (Canada) ProQuest Dissertations Publishing

Managing Wildlife Conflict in Turf Areas: Raccoons, Skunks, Moles, Voles, & Squirrels

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Hello Wild Side Readers,

If you are new to this blog, I share information on Ohio’s wildlife, but as an educator, I also create posts related to education events I present at. Recently, I presented at the 2022 Ohio Turf Foundation and Green Industry Short Course annual conference. My topic was the title of this post – how to deal with conflict caused by raccoons, skunks, moles, voles, and squirrels. This was a lot to cover in a mere 45 minutes, so be sure to check out my other posts on conflict wildlife for more information. Below is the slide set for the presentation, resources referenced during the presentation, as well as a few others. Enjoy!

Marne Titchenell

Wildlife Program Specialist

Managing Wildlife Conflict in Turf Areas: Raccoons, Skunks, Moles, Voles, & Squirrels – Slide set from 2022 OTF/GISC Conference

Trailcampro.com – one of the best resources for information on a variety of trail cameras

White Grub Management – Buckeye Yard and Garden Online article

List of Nuisance Wild Animal Control Operators – ODNR, Division of Wildlife

Goose Damage Permit online application – ODNR, Divison of Wildlife

Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife – Nuisance Wildlife Resources

Vole and Mole Publications:

Squirrel Publications:

Geese Publications:

 

Enhancing Your Landscape for Birds and Other Wildlife

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Hello Wild Side Readers,

If you are new to this blog, I share information on Ohio’s wildlife, but as an educator, I also create posts related to education events I present at. Recently, I presented at the 2022 Midwest Native Plant Conference. The below are resources I shared during that presentation, as well as the slide set. For those of you that were not in attendance, never fear – this presentation (which is a recorded webinar) is very similar if you’d like to watch it.

Enhancing Your Landscape for Birds and Other Wildlife – Slide set from 2022 Midwest Native Plant Conference

Additional Resources:

3 Billion Birds Lost Research and Website

Doug Tallamy webinar – Restoring Nature’s Relationships at Home (the connection between trees and caterpillars)

Alternatives to Non-native, Invasive Plants Brochure and Website– Ohio Invasive Plant Council

Butterflies & Moths of North America

Ohio Trees for Bees – OSU Extension fact sheet

Enhancing Food (Mast) Production for Woodland Wildlife – OSU Extension fact sheet

Importance of Dead Wood in Forests – recorded webinar

Nesting and Overwintering Habitat for Pollinators and Other 

Nest Boxes for Wildlife

Ohio Bat Working Group website – info on bat houses, forest management for bats, recorded videos on Ohio bats, and more!

Preventing Bird Window Strikes – American Bird Conservancy

Wildlife Conflict Resources

Books:

Butterflies of Ohio Field Guide by Jaret C. Daniels

Good Garden Bugs by Mary M. Gardiner

Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest by Sally and Harmon Weeks

Native Trees of the Midwest by Weeks, Weeks, and Parker

Pollinators of Native Plants by Heather Holmes

Bees: ID & Native Plant Forage Guide by Heather Holmes

Bees in Your Backyard by Joseph William & Olivia Messinger Carril

Caterpillars of Eastern NA by David Wagner

Remember the power that our community green spaces can have – they foster an appreciation for nature and wildlife. Happy wildscaping and I hope you (and the wildlife) enjoy the space you create!

Marne Titchenell

Wildlife Program Specialist