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Author Archives: Kim Smith
What I Learned from a Summer of Ode Monitoring
Earlier this year I was asked by Metroparks Toledo to start a program to monitor the dragonflies and damselflies at one of our local parks. I wrote a little bit about it in this post at the beginning of the … Continue reading
Posted in Odonata (dragons and damsels)
Tagged insects, monitoring, odonata, science, volunteering
8 Comments
Celebrating a Boy Named Laura
Before you get too far into this, let me just say that this one is more about the story than the photos. There aren’t any stunning pics here, but I hope you’ll enjoy the tale anyway. Okay, here we go. … Continue reading
Posted in Odonata (dragons and damsels)
Tagged dragonflies, insects, Ohio, persistence, rare, road trip
11 Comments
Know Your Quarry
Experienced hunters understand that they’ll have more success if they take the time to learn about the lives of their target species. Someone hunting deer or rabbit needs to know the needs and habits of those animals in order to … Continue reading
Posted in Odonata (dragons and damsels)
Tagged insects, kayaking, nature, odonata, Ohio, quarry, spinylegs
6 Comments
Lookout, It’s an Ambush!
After my walk in the woods today, I stopped to admire the flower garden at my local metropark. It’s a beautiful garden of both natives and non-natives, and I was checking to see if there were any interesting insects hanging … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Native plants
Tagged ambush bug, Ohio, Phymata, predator, prey, Toledo
18 Comments
Well, That Was Interesting!
I had a rewarding experience today while doing my dragonfly monitoring at Wiregrass Lake. It was a beautiful morning and there were only a couple other people at the park, so there were few distractions as I was concentrating on … Continue reading
Posted in Odonata (dragons and damsels)
Tagged bugdork, connections, dragonflies, each one teach one, nature appreciation, odonata, Ohio, sharing, teaching
10 Comments
Native Gardeners: Monkeys in Clothes
I’ve been struggling with my transition to native gardening, on a couple levels. The first and most obvious is trying to manage the more aggressive plants while nurturing those that need more space, light, or water. I’d been told that … Continue reading
Posted in Native plants
Tagged acceptance, courage, gardening, insects, judgment, Native plants, nonconformity, Ohio, pollinators, Toledo
13 Comments
Tuesday Teaser
I realize I haven’t done an update on my native garden for quite a while, so I’m working on that right now. In the meantime, enjoy a close look at one of my monarda fistulosa blooms. It’s gorgeous even after … Continue reading
Posted in Native plants
1 Comment
Creatures of the Night
It stands to reason that if you want to see things that are out in the dark, you need to become a creature of the night as well. And that’s exactly what I did this past weekend. You’ve certainly heard … Continue reading
Posted in Insects
Tagged caterpillar, lepidoptera, lifelong learning, moth, Mothapalooza, Ohio
10 Comments
Dragonfly Rescue
Dragonflies are fierce predators of other insects, seemingly invincible as they zip around ponds and meadows at warp speed. But they themselves fall prey to birds and even other dragonflies, in the dog-eat-dog (dragon-eat-dragon?) insect world. One predator you might … Continue reading
Posted in Odonata (dragons and damsels)
Tagged Calico Pennant, Celithemis elisa, compassion, dragonfly, insect, predator, prey, spider web, wildlife rescue
5 Comments
Leading My First Field Trip
I had planned to write about my visit to Lynx Prairie after Odo-Con, but time is getting away from me and it seems every day brings something else new and exciting that I want to share. I’ve got a huge … Continue reading
