Uncategorized

April 1, 2022

Custom Wetlands- A Home Owner’s Dream!

At the tail end of 2021, we wrapped up the construction of another wetland project for a homeowner in Delaware County. This is the second project we’ve completed for this family, bringing their created wetland acreage to nearly 5 acres! We were able to work with the client’s desire to increase privacy from the road and neighbors while tending to a natural aesthetic that would be pleasing (perhaps inspirational) to anyone passing by. We look forward to seeing this site mature and hope to add some updated aerials over time. If you’re a lover of wild spaces, own land, and want to create your own “personal park,” let us help you bring that dream to life!
April 1, 2022

It Sounds Like Love- Local Gallery, Global Connections

Many of our staff had the unique opportunity to participate in Cadine Navarro’s art project titled “It Sounds Like Love.” For us, it began by attending an evening event at the Frank Gallery in Westerville, where her prints were on display. We can best describe the experience as meditative, thought-provoking, and creatively inspiring. The premise was understanding that there is a language among all living things, not just humans, and that the depth of human understanding is often limited. Experiencing something of this uniqueness in a group setting exposes us to our collective ignorance and simultaneously, our curiosity. If you’d like to learn more about this project or the artist, you can view their webpage.
March 1, 2022

It is Invasive Species Week!

Today marks the start of Invasive Species Awareness Week.  As such, we’ve prepared blog posts that highlight a few of the MANY species that affect our local ecosystems.  We’ll mention as well that we’ve only highlighted plant species- those that we most regularly are tasked with managing- but there are invasive wildlife species too!  For information on Ohio’s least wanted species, defer to Ohio DNR or USDA, and consider joining organizations like watershed action groups or COPRISM (Central Ohio Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management) or other action groups.  Invasive species are a lot like litter- you think it’s someone else’s job to remove them, but rarely is that job accomplished. To learn more, check out our MAD Matters Blog article by Environmental Technician Cody […]
March 1, 2022

Vernal pool and salamander season are here!

Did we mention that we geek out over vernal pools this time of year? Last March, our team obtained a special use permit to explore the pools at Gahanna Woods State Nature Preserve and found this juvenile Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculata) under a log. The beech leaf, about 3 inches long, provides scale. Their colors are particularly vibrant at this stage!
March 1, 2022

MAD Staff Contributes to Ohio Natural History & OPARC Joint Conference

In his role as Board President of the Ohio Biological Survey, Mark played a key role in the planning of this year’s Ohio Natural History Conference – a joint effort with the Ohio Partnership for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (OHPARC). And his role with OHPARC, Nick also played a key role. Today, he served as a session moderator, and he is also one of the chapter authors for the recent publication of Reptiles of Ohio, which was the inspiration for the conference theme “Herpetology in Ohio.”  It was the best-attended conference to date and was a huge success! Dan also attended the conference and joined Nick, Mark, and OBS Executive Director Dr. Connie Hausman afterward for a group photo. It was a great day with […]
March 1, 2022

Welcome back, Corbin!

We want to give a warm welcome to Corbin Binkley!  Our multi-season and multi-year intern, now a full-time Environmental Technician! Jasper, the office dog, was pleased to have him back in the office after a semester away. Check out our Teams page to learn more about him  Corbin, that is. Not Jasper.  
January 11, 2022

A Christmas Miracle!

We came out of the Christmas Story escape room with all eyes intact AND in near record time! This was the second stop on our holiday outing this afternoon. It was a day well spent away from the “grind,” getting to know one another better and hearing some priceless stories. We hope you have as much fun with your coworkers as we do!
January 11, 2022

Risky Panel Discussion at Ohio State EPN Breakfast

It was a humorous and informative morning at the Environmental Professionals Network meeting today. Director of the Ohio DNR, Mary Mertz, kicked things off with encouraging remarks about the H2Ohio program, and Mark and Brain Tornes had a friendly panel discussion regarding the responsibility of wetland restoration as professional ecologists and engineers. We were happy to see the interest in this topic with over 300 attendants viewing from home and in person. As you can imagine, the answer to the question posed is not one person or one credential, but a team effort of ecological specialists, designers, engineers, technicians, and land managers. Each brings a unique perspective and allows for creativity in project planning and heterogeneity in projects across the landscape. You can view the […]