Our Mission:
To instill appreciation, understanding, and respect for Central Ohio's places of natural wonder...
...and to spread the joy of being close to nature through sharing.
There is nothing as wonderous as seeing the face of a child who has found a salamander for the first time or had a butterfly land on their hand. There is nothing quite like waking up in a tent in the woods and brewing fresh coffee on an open fire, or hiking a pristine forest trail during a warm summer rain. This is what it's all about!
Information:
Central Ohio Nature intends to inform and educate with factual and entertaining articles, essays, and stories about nature and environmental and ecological topics related to our area. Learn about the latest nature and outdoors related books, magazines, and other media.
Magic:
We intend to thrill and encite marvel at the natural wonders in our midst through program talks, photos and videos. These things may be in parks or other wild areas, or in our own back yards.
Pictured Above: South wall of Devonian limestone below Hayden Falls, Griggs Dam Nature Preserve, Dublin
Ecological & Environmental Ethics:
For The Future:
We are dedicated to teaching children about nature and its value. The planet is so damaged and needs so much done in the way of correction, it is too late now for the generation before ours to do anything about it, and too late for ours to do much. The future of earth rests with the children, and it is unfortunate that we have left this responsibility in their hands. The best we can do now is equip them with skills: knowledge of nature and ecology, and an instilled sense of appreciation and responsibility for nature and the environment.
Opportunity:
Learn about things you can do to help preserve nature, from volunteering opportunities to citizen action and involvement. Take part in site-organized activities.
Learning:
We intend to offer through this website external nature resources from programs such as the current Explore Central Ohio Nature series. This will, of course, like everything on this site, be offered for free. Don't miss out on this chance to expand your wildlife knowledge and appreciation. We will cover everything from animals to environment to fossils and geology to geography to astronomy.
Central Ohio Nature Team Members:
Don Kloss
Don is an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist (OCVN), Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks volunteer, Ohio Wildlife Center Volunteer, Ohio Department of Natural Resources field science volunteer, and nature author. He is a member of Friends of the Metro Parks, Friends of the Ravines, and the Ohio Rock and Mineral Society.
He holds a B.S. in Secondary Education from the Ohio State University and teaches free nature programs for homeschool co-ops in the Columbus area.
Don was raised in Hilliard where he now resides. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys camping, kayaking, fishing, fossil hunting and mountain biking. He is an often-published poet, and a lifelong musician.
Christie Holmes
Christie is also an OCVN and Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks volunteer. She is an excellent wildlife photographer, specializing in birds. She is a computer specialist and holds a degree in Language and Linguistics from The Georgetown University.
She is involved in a capstone project at Highbanks Metro Park in Worthington. She and her husband live in Lewis Center. They are avid, year-around hikers, and Christie is also an accomplished runner. She is currently expanding her nature knowledge by completing online courses offered through OSU.
Our Current Program Listing
As of October, 2022
-Ohio fossils & fossil history
-Soils, bedrock & aquafers
-Nature & agriculture, P. 1 & 2
-Ohio mammals & mammal history
-Nature phone apps explained
-Ecosystems & ecoregions
-Tree identification
-Aquatic life/Macroinvertebrates/Cornell Labs Great American Bird Count
-Home stewardship
-Herpetology
-Unusual & hidden Ohio Places
-Mapping out Ohio
-New Quarry Trails Metro Park features & tour
-Understanding insects
-Central Ohio geological history
-Ohio's bats
-Winter signs: snow tracks & animal scat examined
-Beginning bird watching & photography
-Our amazing owls
-Wetlands
-Bird migrations
-Watersheds
-Bees & odonatas
-Our glacial history
-Plant mysteries
-Ohio prairies
-Ohio's forests
-Animal hibernation and torpor
-Best Columbus City nature parks
-Ichthyology
-The Secret Lives of Mushrooms
-Native Wildflowers
-Lichens
-Ohio History & Nature, Parts 1 & 2
-Hummingbirds
-Frogs & Toads
-Invasive Species
-Ohio Snakes
-All About Ants!
-Beneficial Insects
-Lady Beetles
-Bird Flight Explained
-Hopewell & Adenas
-Mothing & Insects of the Night
-History of Ohio Salt Mining
-Nature & Physics & Hard Science
-All About Earthworms
-Southeastern Ohio Review
-Butterlies
-Aquatic plants
-Forest Therapy-The Trees Give Back
-The Naturalist's Journal, Parts 1-3
-Ohio Forest Understory Ecology, Parts 1 & 2
- More About Fungi
-Native Plant Gardening
These are all programs that can be presented live or online via Zoom. As always, this service is provded free of charge. If there is a topic you would like us to add, please contact us here, or through our Facebook page, Central Ohio Nature.
Contact Us:
Your comments and suggestions are important to us. We will try to reply to your message as soon as possible. Just complete the spaces below:
Central Ohio Nature: centralohionature.org
Address:
5254 Conklin Drive
Hilliard, OH 43026
Email:
1teetertotter1@gmail.com