News Now!

Don't look at Facebook or NextDoor much? Then here's the place to find out the latest of what's happening with Central Ohio Nature! Read on, trail trekkers!

9/28/23- Our latest video program is now available on our YouTube channel, Central Ohio Nature. This one, titled, 2023 Summer Roundup, explores the phrenology of a number of species that we are all familiar with during the spring and summer months. Phrenology and it's purpose is also explained in this informative video.
Become a subscriber and you will recieve notification whenever we publish a new video to the channel. It's a sure way to not miss a thing! As always we thank you for your interest in the natural world 

9/28/23- A news article has just been published by the columbusunderground.com stating that the West Scioto Area Commission just voted to approve the building by Thrive  Companies of six more apartment buildings around Quarry Trails Metro Park. The buildings wil be on Old Dublin Road next to the park's Millikin Falls parking area and the newly completed dog park. The first two buildings, to be completed in 2024, will hold 155 units, and the third, to be completed in mid-2025, will hold 111. This article further states that the portion of the land still active as a quarry will in the future be developed by Thrive. Prior to the park opening, Metro Parks Executive Director Tim Maloney had publicly stated that land was to be given to the parks system.

A source has advised us of a piece of information about the way that the Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks, the MORPC, and RAPID5 now plan on using as a business model for building parks in the future. It is the same method as was used in the creation of Quarry Trails Metro Park. The organization building the park will not procure the needed land from the initial land owner. A developer will purchase the wanted land and surrounding land, and the organization will buy the needed park land from the developer. The developer will pay for park infrastructure like paved trails, storm sewers, bridges, etc., in exchange for being allowed to build housing and commercial in very close proximity to the park, for it's residents to have 24 hour park access, and so on. It's a trade off the organizations are making supposedly to save money. The big question, is what is being done with this money being saved?

In somewhat related news, at a recent breakfast panel discussion for environmental professionals, Metro Parks Executive Director Tom Maloney stated that his full -time job now is working on RAPID5 projects. This begs several questions: Who is performing his job at Metro Parks in the meantime and how do they feel about it? Is he collecting pay from MORPC and/or RAPID5 while still collecting a salary from Metro Parks? Have other Metro Parks employees been enlisted to work on RAPID5 projects?  

A local news outlet has shown interest in these and other related issues and topics.

https://youtu.be/HM3ylBIaOCc

Did you know that we have a Facebook page dedicated to our local erratics? An erratic is a rock, usually a boulder of a type not native to Ohio's geological strata, such as granite, for example. It originated in southern Canada and was moved here by one of the three glaciers that covered the western 2/3 of our state during our ice age, between 24,000 and 14,000 years ago. The most common erratics were rolled along at the bottom of a three-mile thick ice sheet and are shaped similar to a bullet with two flat sides.

Our page is titled, NW Franklin County Erratics. It features photos of erratics found in and near our area, and provides information about them. You will be surprised to find that they are quite literally everywhere. Check out this page and delve into an unusual feature of our state's geological landscape!