Nature & Wildlife

Greetings, fine-feathered friends, Many thanks to the 76 volunteer bird-counters who put in hard work and had fun identifying birds for the first annual ACRES Bird Blitz! 76 of you went out there to tiptoe through 35 different ACRES properties, binoculars and field guides in hand. Jabin Burnworth, Manchester Junior-Senior High School biology teacher, left, and …

You’ve probably read about the Cedar Creek Corridor, but have you stood 80 feet over the creek and wondered how this dramatic topography happened? Right here? Recently, Tony Fleming, geologist and long-time ACRES friend, shared geologic theory and evidence as we walked along the corridor’s 80-foot elevated Lanham’s Promontory overlooking Cedar Creek in the Tom and Jane …

“Springy places” the early pioneers called them…probably because the pioneers frequently encountered springs of water emanating from these wet landscapes, or maybe because walking on these bouncy wetlands put a spring in their step. These globally rare ecosystems are also known as “fens” or “prairie fens.” Prairie fens are found in the glaciated regions of the upper Midwest: predominantly in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, …

What wildlife returns to spring woodlands and wetlands? by Fred Wooley As days lengthen and air warms, wildlife react to internal clocks triggering seasonal changes in their behavior. Most animals not migrating to warmer climates stay active in our ACRES preserves. Raccoons, squirrels, skunks, deer, fox, rabbits, weasels (the list is long!) hole up or hunker down on only brutal …

While spring has not yet officially sprung, the preserves are already increasingly active. Spring wildflowers are beginning to bloom and wildlife is returning. As hikers do the same, they’re capturing images and video of the hullabaloo. Enjoy these sights and sounds of early March from ACRES preserves across our region. Skunk cabbage in bloom at …

You’re invited to participate in the ACRES Bird Blitz! What’s a Bird Blitz and how can you join? You can help count birds, either as an individual or on a team, on ACRES preservesIf you participate, you’ll be invited to a celebratory wrap-up party at the end of the count dayRegistered participants will receive a limited edition …

By Fred Wooley Early September, I saw my first-of-the-season Red-breasted Nuthatch, one of my favorite birds.  Red-breasted Nuthatch by Dave Fox Diminutive compared to our more common year-round White-breasted Nuthatch, the Red-breasted is also set apart by its rusty-red chest and distinctive eye stripe and the fact that it spends a bit more time on branches than the …