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January 9, 2024
Published by MAD Scientist Associates, LLC on January 9, 2024
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Spring Beauties

By: Jenny Adkins April 12, 2021 Today, we highlight the dainty and captivating Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica). This common wildflower is one of the first to bloom in the spring, bringing a cheerful presence to the forest floor. It blooms throughout the spring, opening towards the sky on sunny days and closing to a nod on dreary days. Native bees, flies, ants, and Lepidoptera frequent Spring Beauty as a source of pollen and nectar. It grows throughout central and eastern North American dry-mesic woodlands where it thrives on nutrients from leaflitter and can complete its life cycle before trees leaf out and prohibit sunlight from reaching the forest floor. It spreads by seed and corm, which are hard, bulb-like storage reserves that sprout new stems. […]
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January 9, 2024
Published by MAD Scientist Associates, LLC on January 9, 2024
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Let’s Talk About Lesser Celandine

By: Jenny Adkins April 8, 2021 Everyone seems to be aware of our woody invasive plant species like honeysuckle, callery pear, wintercreeper, privet, etc. One thing we’re noticing this year is people gushing over the plant featured here- lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria). Yes, it’s beautiful. It’s one of the first things to come up in spring along floodplains and mesic soils, carpeting the ground in lush green foliage and cheery yellow flowers. You’ll notice at second glance that beneath that lush carpet, there’s NOTHING else growing under or around it. These areas should be loaded with diverse wildflowers- harbinger of spring, bluebells, anemone, phlox, ginger, bloodroot, solomon’s seal, ramps, trout lilies, spring beauty, Dutchman’s breeches, geranium, orchids, twin leaf, trilliums, toothwort, cresses, violets, mayapple, larkspur, […]
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January 9, 2024
Published by MAD Scientist Associates, LLC on January 9, 2024
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Salamander Run

By: Jenna Roller-Knapp March 1, 2021 Most of the salamanders in the family Ambystomatidae spend between 70 to 95 percent of their lives underground, hence why they are called mole salamanders. This includes Jefferson, spotted, eastern tiger, small-mouthed, marbled, blue-spotted (state endangered), streamside and unisexual hybrid salamanders. They come to vernal pools at night, often during the first warm rain in late winter to breed. This typically in occurs late January to early February in the southern portions of Ohio and through late march in the northern parts of the state. Though most live within the same 100 meters of their breeding pool, males are often the first to arrive. Their presence leaves chemical scents which then attract females to the water. Once together, they […]
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January 9, 2024
Published by MAD Scientist Associates, LLC on January 9, 2024
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Landscape Design and Ecological Restoration

By: Jonathan Stechshulte February 18, 2021 The purpose of ecological restoration is in its name – to restore ecology – and that at first glance may appear counterintuitive to landscape architecture, a field sometimes characterized by its linear, inorganic concepts and questionable plant selection. However, landscape architecture, defined as “the art and practice of designing the outdoor environment”, carries an obligation that supersedes its ecological bad rap. As stewards of the outdoor environment, landscape architects and designers should look to preserve, if not enhance, the quality of landscapes on which they work. This charge extends to countless types of projects and expertise. Enter ecological restoration, again. It could be argued that ecological restoration is a design profession that is not formally categorized as a design profession. […]
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