January 5, 2025
December 18, 2024
At MAD Scientist Associates, educating others on the value of wetlands, biodiversity, and other natural resources, is part of our mission. We consider ourselves lucky to have opportunities and partnerships with local municipalities, parks, and education-centered organizations. We couldn’t do programs like Frog Friday or Wetland Wednesdays without support from communities that value wetlands. Also, as a woman-owned business we want to highlight other women working in our field, and have started hosting Women in Science events. Since 2023, we’ve had over 20 professionals from around the state participate as panelists. Our hope is for students and community members will have exposure to careers in ecology and environmental science, and build a network of women scientists across the state. Whether it’s a tabled vendor space […]
December 13, 2024
Partnering with local groups to support the common goal of clean water and preservation of natural resources has always been important to us, at MAD. We are pleased to have many years of service with Friends of Alum Creek and Tributaries (FACT), who lead the charge in maintaining and advocating for Alum Creek, a large tributary to the Scioto River. This year, we were selected as their Founder’s Award recipient. We appreciate the work FACT does and plan on many more years of service together. Thank you for the recognition!
April 22, 2024
By: Jenny Adkins April 22, 2024 We’re guessing that at first glance, most people living in suburban American areas cringe at the sight of a Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), especially if you live near a golf course, pond, or detention basin. These large, handsome geese are actively managed as nuisance species due to their aggressive behavior and, how to put this, tremendous excrement output, which dirties sidewalks and adds nutrients to water resources. As grazers, they can also impact plant establishment. BUT, did you know that they were once on the verge of extinction? In the early 1900s, they were regularly hunted for sport and for food. Unregulated hunting accompanied with draining wetlands for farming, building, transportation routes, etc., caused their population to plummet. They […]
March 1, 2024
By: Cody Wright March 3, 2022 One NNIS that doesn’t get quite enough attention is Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea). Beginning in the 1800s, this grass has been widely used as livestock forage, for erosion control, and in landscaping. Reed Canary Grass (RCG) prefers moist, poorly-drained soils but can be found thriving in various types of habitats. From standing water to dry upland areas, this plant is highly adaptable. This adaptability, along with the production of easily dispersed seed and dense biomass via rhizomes, is what gives this plant it’s invasive nature. While it has been determined that there is a native genotype of Phalaris arundinacea, it is not possible to distinguish this difference without genetic analysis. In a field-setting, then, this simply cannot be […]
February 29, 2024
By: Cody Wright March 2, 2022 In Ohio, our native Cattail, Typha latifolia, is being pushed out of its niche by its invasive cousin, T. angustifolia. These two species can interbreed and produce viable hybrid offspring, T. x glauca, which also exhibit invasive tendencies. It is thought that T. angustifolia was first introduced to the U.S. along the Atlantic seaboard via the dry ballast of European ships coming into harbor. The key characteristic that can be used to identify between these species is the gap, or lack thereof, between the male and female flower. Yes, that portion of the plant that humorously resembles a corndog is actually the flower spike that the plants use for sexual reproduction. The native cattail has no gap between the […]
January 9, 2024
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 […]
December 27, 2022
Working in and for communities has got to be one of the best things we get to do at MAD. We partner with municipalities to offer ecological programming, often focused on wetland, stream, and watershed education. This year, we were able to host, present at, and participate in over 20 programs! We are thrilled that families enjoy learning about the ecosystems we’re so passionate about, and are lucky to have the trust of our local communities to support this type of work. If you’re interested in having our staff work with your organization, please contact Jenny Adkins, our Education Specialist.
December 27, 2022
This summer MAD had the opportunity to work under contract to the Ohio EPA (with Burgess & Niple) collecting data on wetland habitat and quality throughout the state. Sites included natural and mitigation wetlands. Sites varied from agricultural fields, to fens, to forested vernal pools, and deep emergent marsh. Our task was to collect and summarize watershed level data and complete habitat quality and plant community assessments. The ORAM (Ohio Rapid Assessment Method for wetlands) and OMWAM (Ohio Mitigation Wetland Assessment Method) allow us to determine a wetland category (1-3) based on habitat characteristics. The ORAM was developed and calibrated for natural wetlands and therefore isn’t appropriate for restored or created sites. The OMWAM considers many of the same habitat features, but also includes measures […]