Saving Orphaned Animals and Birds
"There's a baby owl/possum/fawn/skunk in my yard. What should I do? Can you come and get it?"Patty Bleau, our office coordinator at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, often receives calls like this…
Tulips Are TREES?
The tuliptree is one of the tallest eastern American hardwoods, and one of the tallest trees found in the nature preserve. It can often be identified from a distance…
Happy Groundhog Day!
February 2 is Groundhog's Day. Is everyone ready for a big party? No? Well, let's learn more about the groundhog itself. The groundhog (Marmota monax), also known as a woodchuck,…
Jack Frost Visits Kentucky
Traditionally, Jack Frost is the personification of frost and cold weather, a variant of Old Man Winter held responsible for frosty weather, for nipping the nose and toes, coloring the…
Help! Fire!
On November 26, 2012, some of our neighbors were probably terrified to see flames and smoke on the big meadow near Mahan Manor. It's OK, we told all who called.…
Carnivorous Plants?
The Woodland Garden at the Nature Preserve is a work in progress. We now have two bridges over the brook, if you haven't been by lately, and stones line with…
Do Bees Sleep?
As Patty and I walked to the Nature Center on this bright crisp fall morning, we noticed a collection of bees hanging on one of the fall blooming bushes, and…
Kentucky Orchids?
Fragrant Ladies' Tresses When I envision orchids, I think of the large purple orchids we used to wear to prom. And I expect them to come from the jungles of…
Horned Devil Found at Nature Preserve
Are we being invaded by space aliens? Is this some mutant monster from an industrial accident? Should we all run off yelling and screaming? Looks pretty scary, doesn't it? Not…