Saturday, April 4, 2026

Let’s be honest: If you live in Ohio, you’re going to have a "run-in" with a wild animal eventually. It’s part of the deal when we share our landscape with nature. Whether it’s a skunk under the barn or a raccoon in the trash, these moments are inevitable. The goal isn't just to get rid of them; It’s to learn how to coexist by being smarter about our own backyards. Retired wildlife officer Jim Abrams explains why critter trouble is inevitable and how to manage your own uninvited guests.

Columnist Paul Locher how Ohio pioneers fought cabin fever by carving intricate butter prints, creating early American folk art and a clever way to brand farm goods.
Vale Wood Farms

Don't settle for "good enough." Discover how moving beyond the "usual, customary, and reasonable" mindset helps kids build grit and reach their full potential.
pony

Eliza Blue reflects on her 48th birthday, the wisdom of age, and why "mistakes" like Girl Scout cookies and pony dreams are always worth the joy.
white-breasted nuthatch

Want more birds in your yard? Guernsey SWCD's Madyson Black talk about how to plant for pollinators, choose the right bird feeders and manage Ohio wildlife habitats this season.
basketball hoop

Relive the glory of "barn ball," where winter basketball meant dodging bulls, watching for newborn lambs, and playing for ultimate bragging rights.
raccoon

Between 5 a.m. possum chases and a raccoon "subletting" the heated cat house, Kymberly Foster Seabolt realizes Walt Disney lied:Real-life wildlife doesn't turn pumpkins into carriages—it just refuses to leave the porch.
dairy summit perdue

Chairman Glenn Thompson’s 2026 Farm Bill claims to be modern, but its reliance on decades-old "base acres" and 1980s policy suggests otherwise.
Closeup of a tick

Ticks don't die in the winter. Ohio State University's Catelyn Turner talks about how to identify tick habitats and use pasture management to protect your animals from anemia and tick-borne diseases.

Once the "King" of market hunters, the canvasback duck now relies on modern habitat restoration, according to our Outdoors columnist Jim Abrams. Learn how H2Ohio is protecting wetlands for this 70-mph flyer.