Partridge PeaFoxglove Beardtongue (Dave Woehr)Gadwall at MEP 2/15/2020 (Austin Langdon)Eastern Blue Bird, MEP 2/15/2020 (Austin Langdon)Yellow Golden Ragwort at MEPNorthern Mockingbird at MEP 2/15/20 (Austin Langdon)Blue violet in MIller Ecological ParkCarolina Tree Wren at MEP 2/15/2020 (Austin Langdon)...Kildeer at MEP 2/15/2020 (Austin Langdon)Red Shouldered Hawk at MEP 2/15/2020 (Austin Langdon)American Tree Sparrow at MEP 2/15/2020 (Austin Langdon)

The Season is Bright at Miller Ecological Park

Located within walking distance of three Lebanon City Schools and along the City's bike path, the opportunities and benefits of developing The Will and Harriet Miller Park as an ecological park for passive recreational activities have inspired City administrators and planners, area school personnel, local businesses, service organizations, neighbors, and the Miller Family descendants to join together to make the idea become a reality.   To see picture titles, place your cursor on the picture. To view a map of the park: Click Here

 

Miller Eco Park Blitz:  Due to the fact that the Governor’s office extended the ban on group gatherings of larger than 10 through July 1 Casey is going to do the Bioblitz “virtually” by trying to set up something in iNaturalist and offering info gathering sheets in the Park that people can pick up, do their inventory, and then drop off or mail to Casey at the City Building.  A list of all the species can be complied from there or built off the old species list and shared on the MEP Facebook Page or a secondary page can be added to the City’s new website. 

Bird Monitoring with Austin Langdon:  Click here:for ebird.com (See article below)

 CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

CONTACT Casey Burdick to learn about  volunteer opportunities.  Casey is the City of Lebanon Recreation and Natural Resources Coordinator. 513-228-3104; cburdick@lebanonohio.gov

 

Cup-plant

Wildflowers in MEP: Ninth in a Series: Partridge Pea

Partridge Pea is in full bloom throughout the South Prairie and the Prairie Loop so you should easily spot the beautiful yellow flowers with a red blotch at the base and dark antlers. In October there will be long thin pea pods filled with miniature black lima beans. Please feel free to collect for your own garden. The plant is an annual and reseeds itself.

"With a hand lens, examine the stamens. Four are yellow and six are purple. How is this an adaptation for survival?" Bob Henn, Wildflowers of Ohio. 

This plant blooms from July through September and provides nectar for many pollinators.  Sulphur caterpillars feast on the feathery leaves. (North American Butterfly Association)

 

 

Bricks will line to entry way feature.

ANNOUNCING: ENGRAVED BRICK FUNDRAISER

Miller Ecological Park Trustees and Steering Committee are organizing an engraved paver fund-raising project to help fund a restroom/shelter/storage building for the entrance of MEP. The committees are offering the engraved Pavers for $100 donations ($75 if donated in 2020). 300 pavers are planned to line both sides of the stone walk from the parking lot to the entry way feature. (4x8 Paver; 3 lines of text; 14 characters per line) Orders for the first batch of pavers need to arrive at WCF by July 31 for installation by August 28. For more information and an order form, go to:

FOCUS ON OUR VOLUNTEERS: Carol Carraway

Miller Ecological Park has been blessed with a large group of dedicated volunteers for over ten years!  Carol Carraway lives in Millers Crossings and served as secretary of the MEP Steering Committee for over five years.  After retiring from that position she has advocated for our bird feeding stations and supervised obtaining food and filling the bird feeders at the Andrew Huitger Wildlife Viewing Station. In addition, she makes sure the United States flag at the park is respectfully displayed, raising and lowering it on appropriate occasions and making sure that the flag is in good condition.  Thank you Carol for your dedication and service to MEP!

Crown Vetch

Wildflowers in MEP: Seventh in a Series: Crown-Vetch

Pink Flowers in a distinctive flower head.Crown-vetch is widely planted along roadsides to prevent soil erosion.  It is a very attractive plant and a favorite of pollinators such as bees and butterflies. As do all members of the Pea Family, it captures gaseous nitrogen from the atmostphere and converts it to a usable form that enriches the soil,    It was introduced from Europe and is now well-established throughout Ohio. (Henn, Wildflowers of Ohio)

Bob Henn: "I first recorded it blooming on June 7 along the west side of the Rain Garden. It is very healthy this year. :)"

 For other wildflowers in the series: Click here

 

Blue Spiderwort

Wildflowers in MEP: Eighth in a Series: Cup-Plant

Bob Henn suggested that the series choose the Cup-Plant this week:  "A good plant now in full bloom alongside Will's Run just below the middle bridge at Miller Park is the Cup Plant (Indian Cup) Silphium perfoliatum."

You can see the yellow flower head, large leaves coarsely toothed in pairs that meet to form a cup around the stem. The flowers resemble Sunflowers.  However, the distinctive leaves that form a cup around the stem make the identification easy.  The "cups" collect rain water that can be used as emergency drinking water.  It is a native plant, common throughout the state, likes moist woodlands, streams, banks, and floodplains and is a favorite of bees.  The blooming period is July-September. (Henn. Wildflowers of Ohio)