Fall is the Best Time to Plant a Native Tree & Plan for Soft Landings in your Yard
August 16th, 2023: Week Twelve
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer & Carla Blackmar Rice
From the remnant beech-maple forest within Hueston Woods to giant sycamores towering over the Oxford Area Trail System, our community benefits from a variety of beautiful and beneficial trees. Just like a community that includes people of all ages, a healthy community of trees includes all life stages from seedling and sapling to 400+ year old giants.
Think of a tree as an apartment complex, grocery store, and nursery all in one as it feeds and shelters many different animal species. Some of the best native trees for biodiversity in our area include oak, tulip-poplar, cherry, maple, and birch species. Our Oxford community benefits from the shade and cooling effect provided by trees lining the streets Uptown. Trees in neighborhood yards are important, too. In addition to the food and shelter they provide wildlife, residential trees that cast shade on houses help cool the air temperature inside and reduce demand for energy to power air conditioning.
With all these benefits in mind, why not plant a native tree in your yard? Late summer is a great time to start planning because fall is a great time for tree planting. Or plan over the winter and plant in the spring. Many local resources are available for help and advice, including Wild Ones Miami Valley, Butler County Soil & Water Conservation District, and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (including their guide for Common Trees of Ohio).
Native trees in a residential yard with minimal soft landings for caterpillars in the mulched space on the right
and ideal soft landings for caterpillars in the wilder area on the left. Credit: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Many Oxford yards already have stately native trees. For those who may not be planning to plant a tree any time soon, there is still much that can be done to nurture your trees’ health and support biodiversity. For example, native cherry and oak species play an important role in the life cycle of many pollinator insects like butterflies and moths. Their eggs are laid in the tree canopy so that upon hatching, baby caterpillars can feed on tree leaves. Once the caterpillars are ready to pupate, however, they need to drop down to leaf litter on the ground where they can shelter over winter. Leaf litter and vegetation beneath trees is called a soft landing , rather than a hard landing like turfgrass or asphalt where insects cannot complete their full life cycle. Learn more about soft landings, evaluate the trees in your yard, and consider your options for improving habitat for our local biodiversity. Be sure to share your photos with us, too!
Oxford is proud of our Tree City USA designation. We have much to celebrate in our community, and there is more to do to ensure we sustain healthy habitat, cooler temperatures Uptown and in our homes, and beauty all around to enjoy for ourselves and for future generations.
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Assistant Director of the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability at Miami University. She is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust and currently serves as Curator for Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas. Amanda coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
Carla Blackmar Rice is the Graphics Lab Manager for the Hefner Museum of Natural History at Miami University. She is in the process of completing the design and installation of 140 illustrated labels for the Miami University Tree Walk. The museum's Imaginarium, featuring beautiful magnet walls by artist Julia Ferguson illustrating Ohio biodiversity across the seasons, is now open for visitors. Carla produced the “Grow a Soft Landing Ecosystem” ArcGIS StoryMap for this blog.
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Bats are Best for Pest Control
August 9th, 2023: Week Eleven
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Summer evenings in Oxford are known for striking sunsets as the sky fades to shades of pink and deep maroon. If you like to sit outside and enjoy the daily shift to dusk, be sure to keep watch for another drama unfolding just overhead. Don’t blink, or you might miss the silent swooping of bats as they hunt and snatch insects out of the cool evening air. Are mosquitoes ruining your peaceful mood? Never fear - bats are here!
Late summer is a busy time for the 13 different bat species known to live in our region. You are most likely to encounter common species like the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) and the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus). These species are crucial for controlling agricultural and residential pests. A small colony of big brown bats can eat a pound of June beetles, stinkbugs, and other insects every night! Little brown bats eat insects like mayflies, midges, and moths while flying – it is estimated that these bats can capture one insect every 7 seconds! Both big brown and little brown bats consume a variety of mosquito species, including those that carry the West Nile Virus. Their work to keep pests in check is just one of the many benefits of bats for people and for our ecosystem. Unfortunately, our local bat species are threatened – and the little brown bat is endangered – due to White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that is harmless to humans but has spread rapidly across North America and killed millions of bats over the last 15 years.
Surviving bats have adapted to living in and around man-made infrastructure like mines and barns, and one will occasionally squeeze into a house for a cozy nap. If you encounter a bat in your home, do not panic! If you know you were not bitten, follow these steps outlined by Bat Conservation International to remove it safely:
- Put on leather gloves and long sleeves.
- Wait quietly until the bat lands, then cover it with a cardboard box.
- Slip a piece of cardboard between the box and the surface where the bat landed.
- Gently turn the box over, making sure it is secure but not airtight.
- Place the box in a quiet place and wait until dark before releasing the bat outdoors.
- When it is dark, place the box on a tree limb or second-story deck so the bat can drop to catch flight when released.
- While wearing gloves, turn the box on its side so the bat can leave on its own.
- Wait to watch the bat fly away. If it does not leave, you may need to call a specialized bat rehabilitator or rescuer. Contact ODNR and consult their list of permitted rehabilitators.
- Do not feed bats or release bats during bad weather.
If someone in your home has been bitten or scratched by a bat, be sure to save the bat for testing and contact your local health department (Oxford residents contact Butler County General Health District). Most bats do NOT carry the rabies virus, and only two cases of rabies in bats have been confirmed in Butler County over the last 5 years. Still, it is important to understand rabies risk and know what to do if you encounter a bat in your home.
You can encourage bats to sleep outside your home by installing a bat house, or consider leaving dead trees in place - if you can do so safely - as these are a natural roost for bats. Check out this excellent guide to gardening for bats, and share your bat house and bat garden photos with us! Supporting bats with good habitat and humane treatment is in our best interest. We need all the help bats can give to keep pesky insect populations under control.
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Assistant Director of the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability at Miami University. She is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust and currently serves as Curator for Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas. Amanda coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
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Ruby-throated Hummingbirds Prepare to Migrate South for the Winter
August 2nd, 2023: Week Ten
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer
If you’ve ever heard a sudden humming near your ear while out weeding your garden, you are familiar with the tell-tale sound that gives one of the tiniest Oxford visitors its name: the hummingbird. The wingbeats of these small birds have been clocked at up to 70 beats per minute. Think you can match that? Try the hummingbird wingbeat challenge!
A few hummingbird species have been observed in our region, but the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the most common. Ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate up to 2,000 miles from their summer range in the Northeast and Midwest to spend winter in Mexico and Central America. In preparation for their grueling journey, these tiny flyers spend late-summer consuming nectar and small insects. They’ve also been observed eating aphids, so a healthy population of local hummingbirds can help keep our vegetable gardens clear of pests. Many Ruby-throated hummingbirds will double their weight to a whopping 6 grams before they head south. Some will fly 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico without stopping!
We can help our local hummingbirds prepare for their migration by growing native plants in our yards and gardens. Ruby-throated hummingbirds love to sip nectar from cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans), Red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), and a variety of beebalms and bergamots (Genus Monarda). In addition to native plants, hummingbird feeders are a great source of nectar when they are prepared and cleaned properly. It only takes a few steps to create a hummingbird-friendly yard. If you are lucky (and fast) enough to catch one with a camera, be sure to share your hummingbird photos with us! We can all do our part to support these amazing acrobats as they prepare to fly south for winter - and as we welcome them back next spring.
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Curator of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas in Oxford. She is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust and currently serves on the Natural Areas Committee for Miami University. Amanda coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
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Amur Honeysuckle and White-Tailed Deer Present Challenges and Opportunities for Gardening and Habitat Restoration
July 26th, 2023: Week Nine
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Take a drive along any major highway or local road in our region and you’ll notice a continuous dense layer of vegetation about 10-15 feet high growing thick through woods and neighborhoods. Have you noticed that it is harder to see clear through the woods now than it was a few decades ago?
The dense undergrowth is typically made up of a particular plant species that is non-native and invasive. That means this plant is not originally from our region (or continent). After its introduction to our ecosystem, this plant species established, rapidly spread, and continues to displace native plants. It is the first woody shrub to leaf out in the spring and the last to drop its leaves in the fall. It blocks sunlight from reaching the forest floor and alters soil chemistry with severe impacts to native wildflowers and biodiversity. Have you guessed it? This non-native invasive plant is Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), and research suggests its presence also increases the risk of tick-borne human disease.
In 2008, a team of researchers in Missouri conducted a regional survey and pathogen analysis to quantify the impact of honeysuckle invasion on ticks and their associated disease-causing bacteria, as well as on animals that host ticks like white-tailed deer. The researchers found that deer spent more time in areas with Amur honeysuckle than in areas where honeysuckle had been cleared. As a result, Lone Star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) were more abundant in the areas dense with Amur honeysuckle.
The Lone Star tick spreads ehrlichiosis, among other diseases, and its bite is known for causing a red meat allergy in some people. Another tick species to watch out for is the blacklegged tick or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis). The blacklegged tick carries the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi that causes Lyme disease. Lone Star ticks and blacklegged ticks are not common in the Oxford area either, but both are regularly found in nearby regions. Tuck your socks into your pants, wear light-colored clothing, and always check for ticks after spending time in the woods. Whether you are weeding your garden or removing acres of honeysuckle, it is crucial to take steps for tick prevention and know what to do when you encounter a tick.
Invasive Amur honeysuckle is a massive problem for human health and for the resilience and sustainability of Ohio’s woodlands. Add the overabundance of white-tailed deer, and we have a recipe for disaster. When deer excessively browse native tree seedlings and saplings, they kill young trees that would eventually grow to fill the canopy of a forest after larger trees die. White-tailed deer also browse invasive honeysuckle. Before you thank the next deer you see for helping us rid ourselves of this troublesome plant, consider this: recent research conducted by Miami students and faculty in the Miami University Natural Areas supports the notion that while white-tailed deer are spending more time in areas dense with honeysuckle, they are also increasing their consumption of native plants in those areas. More research is needed to confirm the hypothesis that areas invaded with honeysuckle support higher densities of deer, but it is clearly crucial to manage both deer and honeysuckle to successfully conserve and restore native habitat in our region.
White tailed deer in a dense thicket of Amur honeysuckle. Credit: Miami University Natural Areas
Locally, deer management programs are run by Miami University Natural Areas and by the City of Oxford. There are also several opportunities to remove honeysuckle from our community as well, by volunteering with Three Valley Conservation Trust , Audubon Miami Valley, and Miami University Natural Areas. Have you removed invasive Amur honeysuckle from your yard? Share photos and stories with us and join the many people in our community who are committed to forest conservation and habitat restoration.
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Curator of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas in Oxford. She is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust and currently serves on the Natural Areas Committee for Miami University. Amanda coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
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Many Mammals Call Oxford and Miami's Natural Areas Home
July 19th, 2023: Week Eight
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Oxford is home to many different mammals with incredible adaptability to life in developed areas. Of course, we humans (Homo sapiens) create the biggest changes to our landscape. But evidence of other mammalian neighbors is not hard to find: browse-lines left by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), deep burrows dug by woodchucks (Marmota monax), and plenty of chattering can be heard from Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) jumping from tree to tree.
The American beaver (Castor candensis) is another mammal common to our area. Beavers are primarily nocturnal, which means they are most-active at night, but it is possible to catch sight of one during the day. Beavers are often perceived as pests, however they are some of the most beneficial animals to have in our ecosystem thanks to their amazing engineering that helps filter water and provide habitat for other wildlife.
Recently, evidence of a far-more elusive mammal has been found around Oxford. In November 2022, a bobcat (Lynx rufus) was photographed for the first time in Miami University’s Natural Areas. Bobcats are typically solitary and crepuscular – that means they are typically active at dawn and dusk. It is not likely that you will see a bobcat in the wild, but if you do, be sure to report your sighting using the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s reporting tool. It is exciting to gather evidence of the conservation value of our local green spaces – including Miami’s Natural Areas, your yard, and beyond! Check out more mammals of Ohio with the Department of Natural Resources field guide. What mammals have you seen lately?
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Curator of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas in Oxford. She is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust and currently serves on the Natural Areas Committee for Miami University. Amanda coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
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Eastern Bluebirds are Thriving in and Around Oxford
July 12th, 2023: Week Seven
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer with contributions from Marlene Hoffman
Take a hike through areas with open fields like Peffer Park or the Hueston Woods Golf Course, and chances are you’ll glimpse a flash of royal blue as a small thrush swoops by. Did you miss it? Look up! Scan tree branches, fence posts, and power lines, and you’ll likely spot the beautiful blue, orange, and white plumage of the Eastern Bluebird (Sialis sialis).
Despite its name, bluebirds are not actually blue. Their feathers reflect and scatter light in a way that we perceive as the color blue. Males appear brighter with their royal blue back while females have mostly gray and rust-colored feathers with a hint of blue on their wings and tail. Keep watch for those flashes of blue and you may spot a mating pair – this is a very busy time for our local bluebirds. Many are preparing to raise their second brood of the summer!
A female bluebird pauses at the entrance to a bluebird box before tending to her brood inside - her first attempt of the summer (2023). Courtesy of Banded, a documentary film by Andy Rice.
The nesting cycle of Eastern Bluebirds is fast and fascinating. Beginning in late March, bluebirds begin nesting in tree cavities or bluebird boxes. The first clutch of eggs is typically laid in April, and the female incubates them for two weeks. Once the eggs hatch, the female and male will both feed their brood of baby birds for another two weeks. Around 16-17 days after hatching, the young birds fledge: they leave the nest and live on the ground for a week or so. During this time the fledglings learn how to fly while both parents continue to feed them. That’s why, if you encounter a young bird on the ground, it is important to know the difference between a newly born nestling and a fledgling. Fully feathered fledglings found on the ground may not need to be rescued. Life on the ground is a normal phase in bluebird growth and development, though it is also a dangerous time as they become more exposed to predators. Less than a quarter of all bird species born this summer will survive. So, in order to maintain their population size, many bird species raise multiple broods each nesting season.
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Eastern Bluebirds (Sialis sialis) typically attempt 1-3 broods each nesting season. Careful bluebird box monitoring through Spring and Summer 2023 revealed two out of four eggs hatched from a bluebird pair’s first nesting attempt (left; preparing to fledge), and all four eggs hatched from their second attempt (right; estimated 3 days old). Credit: Amanda Bentley Brymer
By July, the mating pair prepare to go through this nesting cycle all over again as the female lays another clutch of eggs in an attempt for a second brood. Young bluebirds from the first brood tend to leave their parents in the summer, though some may stick around to help raise the following broods. Young bluebirds from later broods may stay with their parents through winter to increase their chances of survival when resources are low. Some Eastern Bluebirds have as many as three broods in one summer.
This remarkable bird species benefited from the help of conservationists as its population drastically diminished in the early 1900s. Eastern Bluebirds struggled to adapt to urban and suburban development as non-native invasive species like European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) were introduced and outcompeted bluebirds for nesting habitat. One of the biggest threats to bluebirds (and all bird species) is the domesticated cat (Felis catus) - especially un-owned, free-ranging cats. Globally, outdoor cats kill an estimated 1.3-4 billion birds annually, and they have been linked to the extinction of 40 different bird species. Couple these threats with human-caused bird deaths like window collisions and pesticide poisoning, and it’s no wonder conservationists are calling us to action.
In an effort to improve bluebird nesting options, local organizations across the U.S. set up bluebird trails: systems of bluebird boxes that are regularly monitored to track nesting attempts and successes. Here in Oxford, members of Audubon Miami Valley (AMV) were inspired to do their part. Led by Oxford resident and retired Miami University Conservatory manager Dick Munson, AMV worked with Hueston Woods State Park Golf Course to establish a trail of 38 bluebird boxes in Spring 2017. AMV members monitor the bluebird trail from March to September each year and record the species nesting in each box along with the number of eggs and young birds. Monitoring is crucial for collecting long-term nesting data and to ensure bluebird boxes are not invaded by House Sparrows, paper wasps, or blow flies. Through 6 years of monitoring, AMV recorded 391 total bluebirds that have matured and left their nest. Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon), and a few Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) have also been observed nesting and raising broods in boxes along the bluebird trail. Monitoring continues as this bluebird trail exemplifies local partnerships in coordination for conservation success!
Eastern Bluebirds have made an incredible come-back over the last 100 years. They are a fascinating part of our local biodiversity, and it can be a joy to support bluebirds in your yard with native plants. If you are interested in setting up a bluebird box in your yard, be sure to read up on designs and requirements for monitoring, and ask for advice from Audubon Miami Valley and other local experts. Happy bluebirding!
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Curator of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas in Oxford. She is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust and currently serves on the Natural Areas Committee for Miami University. Amanda coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
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#Take3Oxford to Keep Our Streets and Streams Clean
July 5th, 2023: Week Six
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Now that the fireworks are over and the smoke has settled, it’s time to clean up. The days following the Fourth of July are described as the dirtiest of the year in some parts of the U.S. Last year, volunteers cleaned over 3,400 pounds of trash off a Lake Tahoe beach following July 4th festivities. Along Lake Erie’s beaches, the Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca County Solid Waste District runs a Fourth of July Litter Cleanup Challenge to reduce pollution in our shared waterways and wetland habitat. Such efforts during Clean Beaches Week are excellent initiatives, and more are needed: Ohio’s litter problem is far bigger than one summer holiday. Seven primary sources of litter include household trash at the curbside, dumpsters used by businesses, loading docks, construction and demolition sites, uncovered trucks, motorists, and pedestrians. On average, the Ohio Department of Transportation picks over 400,000 bags of litter up at a cost of $4 million annually. Litter is costly in terms of time and money, and it is hugely impactful to our community and the health of our local biodiversity.
Litter harms wildlife, damages habitat, and becomes a vector for diseases. Consider a simple bottle cap. If swallowed by a turtle, for example, bottle caps can cause malnutrition and even death by blocking or puncturing the turtle’s gastrointestinal tract. If tossed to the side of the road or stream, plastic bottle caps will slowly leach chemicals over decades of decomposition, contaminating water and disrupting our endocrine systems that support growth, metabolism, and reproduction. That small bottle cap can also hold water after rain – a perfect little spot for mosquitoes to lay their eggs and spread diseases like West Nile Virus.
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#Take3Oxford member Connie Malone pictured with her dog Rou on one of their many litter-picking walks in 2021. Photo source: #Take3Oxford, https://www.2yrco2.com/take3oxford/
With these impacts in mind, several Oxford citizens organized a club to tackle our local litter problem. Anyone be a part of #Take3Oxford! Simply pick up three pieces of litter you find around Oxford each day. Some people pick litter up while walking their dogs while others collect trash on their morning walk to work. Connie Malone does all of the above and more! Going beyond her commitment to “take three,” Connie was named the 2020 #Take3Oxford Trash Picker of the Year and followed up her success with astounding stats for 2021. After documenting her efforts for the entire year, Connie reported walking a total of 360.5 miles while collecting 10,741 pieces of litter and recycling! Our streets and streams are significantly cleaner thanks to Connie’s efforts. Thank you, Connie! We can all do our part to improve habitat for our local biodiversity - as well as our own health and well-being - by removing the sources of litter from around our homes and businesses, and by taking three (or more!) pieces of litter from our streets and streams each day.
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Curator of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas in Oxford. She is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust and currently serves on the Natural Areas Committee for Miami University. Amanda coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
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Fungi and Lichens: Unsung Heroes of Healthy Habitat
June 28th, 2023: Week Five
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Does the term fungi conjure images of edible mushrooms like morels (Family Morchellaceae) or toadstools like Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) with its bright red cap and white spots? While these are well-known for their culinary and folklore uses respectively, mushrooms are just one type of fungi - spore-producing organisms that feed on organic matter. In addition to mushrooms, fungi include molds, mildews, yeasts, and more. Fungi are not plants, nor are they capable of photosynthesis (making food from sunlight). Fungi are decomposers; they break down organic matter and return nutrients to the food chain. The next time you sit down to enjoy a thick slice of sourdough bread or a cold pint of beer, you have fungi to thank - specifically, yeast. Those deep pockets of air in your sourdough loaf are the result of aerobic yeast digesting sugar and producing carbon dioxide. Yeasts are single-celled organisms that collectively burp metabolic byproducts trillions of times to give the bread its airy crumb. It’s a similar process for all ethanol alcohol (drinking alcohol). Those fizzy bubbles in your favorite brew are anaerobic yeast burps. Cheers!
Step away from the dinner table and you’ll find even more fungi all over town. One of the easiest places to observe mushrooms - the fruiting body of mycelium - is along Miami University’s Natural Areas trail system. These fungi are crucial for recycling nutrients and building soil by breaking down organic matter that is difficult for insects, worms, and other critters to digest. As you hike along, watch for fallen trees and decomposing logs, then look a little closer. You may find the tell-tale cap, gills, and stem of funeral bells (Galerina marginata) or the orange-yellow fan of chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus). Be careful! It can be extremely difficult to tell the difference between edible and poisonous mushrooms. Rather than collect the mushroom, err on the side of caution; take a photo and leave the mushroom to continue the important, dirty work of decomposition!
Chicken of the woods (Genus Laetiporus) observed in Miami University’s Natural Areas, October 2016. Credit: Amanda Bentley Brymer
As you continue hiking, gaze up at the trees and their bark. Notice any trees covered in a sage-green crust or paper-like material? It is especially easy to see after rain. This often-overlooked part of our ecosystem is a fascinating dual-organism called lichen. Not to be confused with mosses which are plants, lichens are made up of fungi and organisms capable of photosynthesis (algae and/or cyanobacteria). These organisms have a mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship. The fungus’s structure provides shelter for algae by attaching to trees and rocky surfaces like granite boulders or cooled volcanic flows - dry places where water-loving algae cannot spread on its own. Algae and cyanobacteria provide nutrients for the fungus. In this way, lichens are known as “fungi that discovered agriculture.”
Mosses and lichens are sometimes confused with each other or mis-identified. Creeping feather moss (Amblystegium serpens, left) is a plant; Typical shield lichens (Subfamily Parmelioideae, right) are not plants. Credit: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Lichens are amazing bioindicators due to their high sensitivity to toxins. Lichens rarely survive near roads or other sources of pollution since they absorb nutrients like nitrogen as well as atmospheric pollutants. The presence of lichens is a sign of good air quality. Lichen biomonitoring is a useful tool for federal agencies like the U.S. Forest Service to detect, map and evaluate air quality trends.
Here in Oxford, lichens are hugely beneficial for our local biodiversity. Many spider and woodpecker species forage for insects sheltering under lichen. Blue-gray gnatcatchers, Ruby-throated hummingbirds, and Northern Parulas each use different lichens to camouflage their nests. Many moth and caterpillar species mimic lichens to blend in and become virtually invisible to predators. These are just a few of many benefits to this unsung hero of healthy habitat!
Whether you want to explore for fungi or for lichens (or even for mosses!), be sure to take some tools with you. Loupes, magnifying glasses, and even a pair of binoculars turned backwards can help you observe fungi and lichens up close. Rely on reputable guides like the Ohio Division of Natural Resources’ Guide to Common Ohio Lichens, share your observations on iNaturalist, and tag us on social media!
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Curator of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas in Oxford. She is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust and currently serves on the Natural Areas Committee for Miami University. Amanda coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
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Need Help Getting Pests Out of Your Garden? Create Space for Toads, Frogs, and Snakes
June 21st, 2023: Week Four
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Growing your own food in a vegetable garden can be a rewarding experience. On the other hand, finding slugs all over your lettuce and other tender crops can be downright discouraging. That’s why toads, frogs, skinks, and snakes make such great gardening partners! These herpetofauna - or “herps” - eat slugs, grubs, mosquitos, and other insects that make outdoor gardening an extra-challenging chore. See a snake slithering by? There goes your pest control!
A North American Toad (Genus Anaxyrus, left) and a gray ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloides, right) have voracious appetites for slugs, grubs, mice, and other garden pests. Credit: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Beyond their role in our gardens, amphibians and reptiles play a crucial role in our environment. Toads, frogs, snakes, and other herps are food for birds of prey. They are also food for each other, as snakes will consume frogs and toads along with skinks and slugs. In addition to their roles as predator and as prey, many different amphibians are indicator species. Because of their sensitivity to environmental change like pollution, the presence and abundance of amphibians like the hellbender salamander is a major clue about the health of an ecosystem.
Across Ohio, amphibians and reptiles are threatened by pollution and habitat loss. Locally, Three Valley Conservation Trust is leading several projects to protect wetland habitat for herps, including one near Fernald Preserve west of Ross. The Paddy’s Run Conservation Project involves local, state, federal, and non-profit partnerships to fund the purchase of development rights and establish conservation easements while maintaining private ownership of working farms. A survey of the protected areas found 30 amphibian and reptile species, including endangered cave salamanders. With this latest documentation of rich biodiversity, the current effort within Paddy’s Run is the restoration of amphibian breeding habitat near remnant wetland on a small parcel of agricultural land. It’s a great time to be a frog near Fernald!
The Paddy's Run Conservation Project area includes Salamander Run MetroPark where species like the Small-mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma texanum) thrive in protected habitat.
Credit: Amanda Bentley Brymer
There are many options for providing suitable habitat for our local amphibians and reptiles here in Oxford. Check out the Ohio Wetland Association for information like the citizen’s guide to protecting wetlands. Get to know our amphibians and reptiles of Ohio, and consider adding downed logs, rocks, leaf litter and a toad house with a water source to your garden. Share your photos and tag us on Facebook and Instagram for a chance to win this month’s prizes! Invite those helpful gardeners to your yard - you will surely benefit from the voracious appetites of our local toads, frogs, skinks, salamanders, and snakes. Enjoy your summer garden with fewer slugs and mosquitos by supporting healthy amphibian and reptile habitats.
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Curator of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas in Oxford. She is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust and currently serves on the Natural Areas Committee for Miami University. Amanda coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
Stay tuned each week for a new topic! Visit our social pages to enter into our giveaways all summer long - Facebook & Instagram!
Leave Your Leaves for Fireflies and Other Beneficial Insects
June 14th, 2023: Week Three
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer & Carla Blackmar Rice
July 4th is just over two weeks away, so preparations are in full swing for the City of Oxford’s Independence Day Celebrations. Local festivities will culminate in a fireworks show at the Oxford Community Park on the night of July 3rd. Did you know that a different kind of light show will also be celebrated that same day? July 2, 2023 is World Firefly Day!
Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs - even though they are actually beetles - are best known for those quintessential flashes of yellow-green light in the summertime night. Chances are, if you’ve grown up in Oxford or elsewhere in the Midwest, you’ve enjoyed evenings spent chasing and catching fireflies. In addition to their beautiful light displays (which they emit to communicate and to attract mates), fireflies are helpful insects to have in our yards and gardens because they eat aphids, slugs, and other pests at various stages in their life cycle. Here in Oxford, you are most likely to find the Common Eastern Firefly (Photinus pyralis) - also known as the Big Dipper for its J-shaped flash pattern. Many firefly species can be identified by recognizing their different flash patterns. How many can you find in your yard?
Fireflies live as larvae (left) for 2-3 years before emerging as adults (right). Credit: Amanda Bentley Brymer
If it seems harder to find these bioluminescent beetles today than during your childhood, that’s because firefly populations are decreasing due to light pollution, pesticide use, and loss of habitat. One solution is to “leave your leaves” for fireflies. Fireflies spend the majority of their life cycle as larvae in leaf litter. Before emerging as adults, fireflies spend 2-3 years as larvae hunting through leaf litter for yummy snails and worms. When all those red, orange, and gold autumn leaves fall to the ground, they become a critical refuge for firefly larvae. Don’t bag up all that habitat! If you can, find places in your yard where you can leave fallen leaves on the ground so fireflies have a place to winter. One way to do this is to rake your leaves onto your landscaping or into your pollinator garden - they’ll provide nutrients for your perennial plants and a habitat for beneficial insects like fireflies. By adjusting this part of your landscaping routine, you can ensure that the next generation of children will know what it’s like to dance at dusk in the soft glow of hundreds of fireflies. If you capture any fireflies with your camera, be sure to share your photos and tag the City of Oxford on Facebook and Instagram! For firefly enthusiasts, check out these citizen science projects that will benefit from your help. “Leave your leaves” so we may all enjoy nature’s own light show for many summers to come.
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Curator of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas in Oxford. She is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust and currently serves on the Natural Areas Committee for Miami University. Amanda coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
Carla Blackmar Rice is the Graphics Lab Manager for the Hefner Museum of Natural History at Miami University. She is in the process of completing the design and installation of 140 illustrated labels for the Miami University Tree Walk. The museum's Imaginarium, featuring beautiful magnet walls by artist Julia Ferguson illustrating Ohio biodiversity across the seasons, is now open for visitors.
Stay tuned each week for a new topic! Visit our social pages to enter into our giveaways all summer long - Facebook & Instagram!
Transform your turfgrass: plant a pollinator garden
June 7th, 2023: Week Two
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer & Carla Blackmar Rice
It’s summertime in Oxford! The sun is shining, the Uptown Splash Fountains are bubbling, and pink petunias are pouring over the edges of lush flowering baskets hanging along High Street. It’s easy to find gardens popping with gorgeous blooms all around the city, from Inloes Park at the corner of Contreras and Locust Street to Miami University’s Formal Gardens. There is even more to see beyond campus and Uptown. You’ll find beauty in Oxford’s neighborhood yards as local residents take part in a growing landscaping practice: pollinator gardens.
Pollinator gardens provide flowers, sedges, shrubs, and trees for animals that depend on flowering plants for food and nesting resources. Animals that interact with flowering plants by consuming nectar and spreading pollen are called pollinators. Bees and butterflies are commonly known for their role in pollination. Wasps, moths, flies, ants, beetles, birds, and bats are pollinators, too. In addition to their role as pollinators, insects are a major food source for other animals. Despite their importance, pollinators are suffering from habitat loss and other threats. Pollinator gardens - especially those grown with native plants - restore habitat, retain moisture in the soil, reduce erosion, store carbon, and lower ambient temperatures far better than turfgrasses found in most yards and green spaces.
A female bumblebee (Bombus spp.) carries her pollen basket on her hind leg, brushing it against a wild blue indigo flower while consuming the flower’s nectar. Credit: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Here in Oxford, you can find pollinator gardens behind the Oxford Community Arts Center where Audubon Miami Valley established a Plants for Birds garden. Miami University Natural Areas manages a Butterfly Garden at the Bird Blind near the DeWitt Cabin off Oxford Trenton Road. New projects are underway at the Oxford Community Park, including a pilot pollinator garden sponsored by Audubon Miami Valley and the Sullivan family, and a pilot grassland/prairie sponsored by Audubon Miami Valley and the Prytherch/Veslany Family.
Pollinator gardens can be found in public spaces around Oxford, including behind the Oxford Community Arts Center (left) and at the Bird Blind near the DeWitt Cabin within Miami University’s Natural Areas (right). Credit: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Our yards and public green spaces are nature’s best hope. You can create a climate-resilient space in your yard that supports wildlife and brightens your mood - all while requiring less mowing and seasonal maintenance. Here are the basic steps to conserve biodiversity in your yard with a pollinator garden:
Step 1: Select site and plants
Different plant species thrive in different light and soil conditions, so get to know your garden site. Is it in full sun or shade? Acidic or alkaline soil? Once you know the conditions, you can search for plants in regional plant guides. Consider your timeline and budget when choosing between seeds, plugs, or potted plants. Grow a variety of native plants. Avoid hybrid species as these do not always produce enough nectar for pollinators.
Step 2: Prepare site
Determine which vegetation is currently in your selected site. Spend time and take care to remove all non-native invasive species. Refer to reliable resources for invasive plant identification and suggestions for removal, including invasive plant lists by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Invasive Plants Council.
Eliminate all turfgrass within your selected site. Different methods work best at different times of the year, so be sure to read up on your options before you begin.
Finally, add leaf mulch or a topsoil-compost mix to the site surface. Dig straight through this layer into the ground below as you plant.
Step 3: Plant native flowers, sedges, and shrubs
Now the fun part! Pollinator gardens can be so much more than just flowers. Be sure to include native sedges and shrubs, and add a downed log for an excellent insect and amphibian habitat!
Step 4: Water and Weed
The first few years are crucial for successful native plant establishment. That means it’s important to keep your pollinator garden watered and free of weeds so native plants have all the light and nutrients they need to grow strong.
For more details on the steps described above, check out the Wild Ones Miami Valley guide to start a sunny pollinator garden in your yard. Above all, ask for help! Our community is full of opportunities to learn from others. Share your garden projects with us, and join the growing pollinator garden community by registering your garden with the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden or as a Homegrown National Park. Start small and have fun!
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Curator of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas in Oxford. She is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust and currently serves on the Natural Areas Committee for Miami University. Amanda coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
Carla Blackmar Rice is the Graphics Lab Manager for the Hefner Museum of Natural History at Miami University. She is in the process of completing the design and installation of 140 illustrated labels for the Miami University Tree Walk. The museum's Imaginarium, featuring beautiful magnet walls by artist Julia Ferguson illustrating Ohio biodiversity across the seasons, is now open for visitors.
Stay tuned each week for a new topic! Visit our social pages to enter into our giveaways all summer long - Facebook & Instagram!
Oxford Celebrates Biodiversity in your Yard and Beyond
June 2nd, 2023: Week One
By: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Welcome to the City of Oxford’s Biodiversity in your Yard and Beyond education campaign. This is a partnership between Three Valley Conservation Trust and the City of Oxford to engage with residents about increasing biodiversity in our community and why it is important.
Each week, we’ll highlight a special plant, animal, or fungus that coexists with us here in Oxford. We’ll talk about the important role each plays in our ecosystem and the many benefits of biodiversity for people. We’ll share ways to conserve habitat and increase biodiversity across the city and in our own yards. Working together, we will follow recommendations for sustainability within the Oxford Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan, and we will achieve the City of Oxford’s Climate Goals by 2045. It’s time to get to work!
The term biodiversity is a combination of the words biological and diversity, and it represents the full range of living things in an ecosystem. Our local biodiversity is made up of all kinds of life, like fungi and fireflies, toads and trees, bacteria and bats. We find even more diversity when we focus on one category like trees: roughly 100 different tree species have been documented across The Buckeye State, and many of them can be found here in Oxford. Our city’s Urban Forestry Program cares for thousands of trees growing along our streets and in our parks. Thousands more trees and woodland habitats are managed within Miami University’s Natural Areas. Miami’s Hefner Museum of Natural History is leading a project to update and reintroduce the university’s beloved campus Tree Walk. No wonder Oxford is officially designated as a “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation!
Why do we invest so much in conserving local biodiversity and habitat like trees and forests? Biodiversity is crucial for our well-being. Without large tracts of woodlands or urban trees to take up rainfall, we will face increasingly severe flooding during major storm events. Without honeybees, mason bees, or bumble bees, we will lose juicy summer strawberries and crisp fall apples. Without sugar maple trees, Myaamia people will lose communal and cultural practices that span centuries. All the plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms that exist alongside us are the foundation for a strong ecosystem that supports our well-being.
Spring blooms abound in Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas that includes private land protected by conservation easements with Three Valley Conservation Trust. Credit: Amanda Bentley Brymer
Of course, biodiversity is important beyond its usefulness for people. Three Valley Conservation Trust has understood this for decades. Since 1994, this local non-profit organization has worked with landowners across our region to protect and conserve nearly 25,000 acres of farmland and forests. Three Valley’s conservation easements ensure that habitat and biodiversity will be forever protected from development and infrastructure.
So, what can we do to support and increase biodiversity in residential yards and urban spaces that are already developed? Here are four ways to get started:
- Eliminate invasive plant species, including Amur Honeysuckle, Callery Pear / Bradford Pear, Lesser Celandine, and Garlic Mustard. Find more invasive plants listed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Invasive Plants Council.
- Plant flowers, grasses, sedges, shrubs, and trees native to our region to benefit wildlife (Find more plants native to Ohio, and watch for next week’s blog topic: pollinator gardens!)
- Monitor biodiversity by joining citizen science projects and local clubs, like iNaturalist, Audubon Miami Valley, WildOnes Miami Valley, events with Three Valley Conservation Trust, and more!
- Share your love for biodiversity and become eligible for prizes. Tag others on our social posts or share pictures of biodiversity in your yard and beyond and tag the City of Oxford. Each month in June, July and August, we’ll select winners and give out prizes!
The City of Oxford is proud to partner with Three Valley Conservation Trust to bring you this summer-long series on biodiversity and habitat conservation. Working together with our partners, businesses, and residents, we will conserve Oxford’s natural resources and build our community’s resilience for a changing climate.
Amanda Bentley Brymer is Curator of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, part of Miami University’s Natural Areas in Oxford. Amanda is a former board member for Three Valley Conservation Trust, and she currently serves on the Natural Areas Committee for Miami University. Prior to earning her Ph.D. in Environmental Science at the University of Idaho, Amanda guided hikes around Timberline Lodge and Mt. Hood in Oregon while working for the U.S. Forest Service. Amanda now coordinates invasive species removal events and annual spring wildflower walks in Silvoor where she and her family have lived for 10 years.
