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:
- OSU Bee Lab – ‘Native Bee’ tab
- Books by Heather Holm
- Bumble Bees of NA – Paul Williams et al. 2014
- Bees in Your Backyard – Joseph Williams and Olivia Messinger Carril
- Nesting & Overwintering Habitat for Pollinators & Other Beneficial Insects – Xerces publication
- Bumble Bee ID
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:
- Ohio Lights Out
- Managing Forest Birds in SE Ohio – A Guide for Land Managers
- Managing Small Forest Patches for Birds – A Guide for Landowners
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