🕷️ Wolf spider moms are super parents! 🕷️

📸 Captured by Araby Sexton in Marion County — this mom is carrying her babies on her back. The spiderlings ride along for 1–2 weeks before climbing down to hunt on their own.

Nature is amazing! 🌿 #WildOhio #Spiders

🦴🦋 During our Paleontology in the Park event, volunteer Mia Shotwell spotted & snapped this butterfly on our canopy!

Looks like a monarch, right? 👀 Not quite—it’s a Viceroy!

✨ Monarch = bigger, brighter orange, no black line
✨ Viceroy = smaller + black line on hindwings

Prairie magic near Greencamp! 🌸🦋 Naturalist James has been finding incredible nature discoveries at the Trella Romine Prairie. #nativeplabts #PrairieLife

🌸 Today’s Wildflower Wonder: Joe-Pye Weed!

Named after a Native healer who used it to treat fevers, this tall wetland beauty is a pollinator magnet 🦋🐝—loved by monarchs & swallowtails.

📸 Thanks to Naturalist James Anderson for these shots from Beaver Wildlife Area!

#nativeplants #plants

🦋 You wouldn’t think butterflies fight… but in nature it’s all about survival! 🌼 Monarchs & Swallowtails will chase & spar over nectar, defending their favorite flowers.

📸 Thanks to Amy Holloway for capturing this Monarch vs. Black Swallowtail showdown!

#Butterflies #NatureFacts

Garlic mustard thought it could stay... not on my watch.
#Meme #invasivespecies #naturehumor #nature
#Meme #MemeCut

🌾 Wildflower Wonders 🌾
Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya) 💜
A pollinator magnet attracting monarchs, bees, & goldfinches! 🌸
Native Americans used its roots for teas to soothe ailments & treat bites.
Thrives in sunny prairies, improves soil, & stands tall in Ohio summers.
#NativePlants

🌼 Kicking off our Wildflower Wonders of Marion County series with Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum)! A pollinator magnet with medicinal history used by Native Americans & settlers. 📸: Naturalist James @ Yoder Prairie, OSU Marion.
#WildflowerWonders #NativePlants #OhioPrairie

🌾 Prairie Plant Spotlight: Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum)!

With huge leaves & tall yellow blooms, this native beauty thrives in tough conditions. Native Americans once chewed its resin like gum & used roots medicinally.

📸: Thanks to Naturalist James at Yoder Prairie!
#nativeplants

Look at these adorable Red Fox pups—and their watchful parent—captured by Lola Pryor in Marion County! Fox pups stay with their parents for 4–5 months, learning to hunt and survive. For their safety, we won’t share the location.

#OhioWildlife #RedFox

There’s a lot happening in your Marion County Parks—especially out at the Marion Tallgrass Trail. It’s almost like the Force is strong out there lately. May the 4th be with you! (Because let’s be honest… who doesn’t love Star Wars?) #maythefourthbewuthyou #starwars

Check out this stunning shadow silhouette of an Ohio buckeye tree—absolutely beautiful!

A big thank you to Lola Pryor for capturing and sharing this breathtaking photo with us. Nature’s artistry never fails to amaze! #tree #nature #buckeye

Naturalist James Anderson spotted a Barred Owl while scouting for spring wildflowers in a Marion County park!

These owls call “Who cooks for you?” and can be active during the day. You never know what you’ll see when you #GoOutAndExploreYourMarionCountyParks! #Nature #Owls

Look what Dan Sheridan spotted on the Marion Tallgrass Trail — a Painted Turtle!
If you find turtles in parks or the wild, admire them but leave them be.
It’s illegal in Ohio to keep them without a permit — and they play a big role in nature!
#nature #turtles

Spring has arrived — and so has Bloodroot!
This early bloomer gets its name from the bright red sap in its roots.
Its flowers only last a day or two, and ants help spread its seeds!
Thanks to Lola Pryor for this beautiful photo from Terradise Nature Preserve! #Wildflowers #OhioNature #nativeplants

Check this out! Our former naturalist intern, Emily Kauble, snapped some absolutely stunning nature photos out at the Marion Tallgrass Trail!

Virginia Bluebells are blooming along the Marion Tallgrass Trail—from Riley Rd to Clark Rd—and at Terradise Nature Preserve! These beauties start pink, turn blue, and bloom for just a few weeks. Thanks to Naturalist James for the stunning pics from his ride! #wildflower #nativeplants

American White Pelicans spotted at Big Island Wildlife Area!
Check out their 9-ft wingspans & that funky knob on their bill—it only appears during breeding season!
Awesome shots by Lola Pryor.

#AmericanWhitePelican #BirdsOfOhio #PelicanMigration #m#OhioBirding #NaturePhotography

Dutchman’s Breeches are blooming along the Marion Tallgrass Trail! These quirky spring ephemerals look like tiny pants on a clothesline. Keep an eye out for their cousin, Squirrel Corn, too!

Photo: Dan Sheridan
#OhioWildflowers #MarionTallgrassTrail #SpringEphemerals #NativePlants #GetOutside

Bullfrogs are back!
American bullfrogs are emerging from hibernation in Marion County—listen for their deep “jug-o-rum” calls in wetlands and ponds.
Thanks to Dan Hudnell for this great pic from the Marion Tallgrass Trail!

Spotted at Marion Tallgrass Trail! 🏞️ The Green Darner Dragonfly—a dazzling, long-distance migrant—can fly up to 35 mph and helps control mosquitoes! 🦟 Keep an eye out for these aerial acrobats on your next visit.

📸: Thanks to Dan Hudnell for the amazing shot!

#nature #Dragonfly #wildlife

Looks like this mallard pair decided to get a YMCA membership—probably for the unlimited pool access! Big thanks to Jonathan Welch Jr. for snapping this quack-tastic moment at the Marion YMCA. Maybe we should start charging them for a day pass?

YouTube video by Marion County Park District-Ohio Hunting For Skunk Cabbage Part 2

Skunk Cabbage Hunt – Round 2! 🌿

Back at Terradise Nature Center for another shot at finding Skunk Cabbage! Will I spot it this time, or will nature have other surprises? 🤔🍃 Come explore with me!

📺 Watch here: youtu.be/ky92ECLvDeQ?...

An Unforgettable Encounter on the Trail!

During her hike along the Marion Tallgrass Trail, Abbey Cline experienced a breathtaking moment—a majestic Bald Eagle soared right over her!
#birds #birdsofprey #nature #wildlife

Why Do Juvenile Bald Eagles Hang Out in Groups? 🦅

Young eagles form “eagle gangs” to sharpen hunting skills, scavenge, and stay safe. It’s all part of growing up!

📸 Huge thanks to Marijane Brown for capturing these shots at Big Island Wildlife Area!

#BaldEagle #WildlifePhotography #BirdsOfPrey

So those weird little things are called catkin’s. It’s a special flower that some trees have. But I believe this might be a witch hazel. What part of the trail did you find this?

Yesterday, I took a scenic stroll along the far end of the Marion Tallgrass Trail, starting at the Riley Road tunnel and continuing to the Hardin County line. #GoOutAndExploreYourMarionCountyParks #nature #wildlife

🚴🌿 Nature’s Beauty Captured on Two Wheels! 📸✨

A huge shoutout to our very own Dan Sheridan for sharing these stunning nature photos from his evening bike ride along the Marion Tallgrass Trail!
#nature #wildlife #parks

Protect our national parks! #nationalparks #protect

Caption this photo of an eastern bluebird and a red bellied woodpecker. We would like to thank Lola Pryor for capturing this photo here in Marion County.