Ohio
Earth Day is April 22. Celebrate by checking out some of Ohio’s unique plants and animals
Earth Day: How to celebrate Earth Day
Celebrate Earth Day with these sustainability tips.
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April 22 is Earth Day, a special day to celebrate the Earth by dedicating one day to making it a better, healthier place. For over 50 years, Earth Day has been about celebrating our planet and its beauty, promoting environmental protection, and highlighting the importance of planetary health.
Ohio is home to plenty of unique and rare beauty. The state has a diverse array of flora and fauna, some of which you may have never heard of before. In honor of Earth Day, let’s take a look at Ohio’s unique plants and animals.
Ohio houses many pretty butterflies
Earth Day is the perfect day to partake in your yearly gardening activities. As temperatures warm, you might be looking forward to pollinator-friendly gardening. Ohio is home to many butterflies that are attracted to certain plants, and you may find that different kinds of butterflies live in your area.
Here are 20 common butterfly species in Ohio:
- Spicebush swallowtail
- Eastern black swallowtail
- Eastern tiger swallowtail
- Cabbage white
- Checkered white
- Clouded sulphur
- Orange sulphur
- Eastern tailed blue
- Spring azure
- Great spangled fritillary
- Pearl crescent
- Question mark butterfly
- Comma butterfly
- Mourning cloak
- Red admiral
- Painted lady
- Red-spotted purple
- Viceroy
- Monarch
- Silver-spotted skipper
Ohio’s three rare, venomous snake species
Ohio is home to a variety of slithery amphibians and reptiles, including three rare venomous snakes. Though these three snakes are dangerous, you just have to give them space if you find them—they don’t strike unless provoked.
- The Copperhead snake, commonly found in southeast Ohio. These snakes occupy floodplains and ridge tops and prefer the rocky hillsides of Ohio.
- The massasauga rattlesnake inhabits swampy and wet areas of Ohio. Its range once included 30 counties, but it is now endangered, scattered and rarely seen.
- The timber rattlesnake can be found in southern Ohio and is one of the most venomous snakes in the northeastern United States. The timber rattlesnake is one of the last mature forest species.
The pawpaw tree is an Ohio native and totally unique
Apples, peaches, oranges. You’ve heard of them. But have you ever heard of Ohio’s native pawpaw tree?
The pawpaw tree is native to Ohio and is, in fact, extremely common, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. This pyramid-shaped tropical-looking tree can be found in sunny, moist areas with rich, well-drained soil. The trees are commonly found in areas such as the bottoms of ravines, steep hillsides, and creek banks.
The pawpaw fruit was named the official native fruit of Ohio in 2009, and is also known as the ‘Indian banana’.
And yes, the pawpaw fruit is edible.
Ohio’s fan favorite, the famous buckeye tree
Ohio is home to the Buckeyes, but not Ohio State’s sports teams. We are talking about the nut.
Earth Day is the perfect day to recognize the ‘fan favorite’ buckeye tree. Ohio’s title-winning college football team was named after Ohio’s state tree, known as the Ohio Buckeye tree.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Buckeye tree is a member of the horse chesnut family and can grow up to 60 feet. These deciduous trees thrive in sunny to partially shaded areas in moist and rich soil. Buckeye trees can be found between floodplains with moist soil and even dry upland sites.
The Ohio Buckeye is native to the Midwest and the Great Plains.
And unlike the pawpaw fruit, the buckeye nut is NOT edible.
Ohio
Single-digit temps, below-zero wind chills hit central Ohio after snow
Snow hits downtown Columbus
Snow falls outside the Ohio Theatre as downtown Columbus turns into a winter wonderland.
Now comes the cold.
After nearly 5½ inches of snow fell Dec. 13 in some parts of central Ohio, the National Weather Service says bitterly cold temperatures moving into the region will mean highs in just the single digits.
A cold weather advisory is in affect across central Ohio through 11 a.m. Dec. 15. It was 4 degrees at John Glenn Columbus International Airport at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 14, with a wind chill of 16 degrees below zero.
Temperatures to the west and south are even colder: 1 degree in Springfield, minus-1 in Dayton and minus-3 in Indianapolis. Those temperatures are not expected in the Columbus area, though. The forecast calls for slightly warmer temperatures by evening and highs in the low 20s Dec. 15.
The record cold expected for Dec. 14 — until now, the coldest high temperature in Columbus for this date was 16 degrees in 1917 — follows a day of record snow. The weather service recorded 5.4 inches of snowfall on Dec. 13 at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, topping the prior Dec. 13 record, which was 3.6 inches in 1945.
Level 2 snow emergencies, which means roads are hazardous and people should drive only if they think it’s necessary, remained in effect in Fairfield and Licking counties.
Level 1 snow emergencies are in effect in Delaware, Franklin, Madison, Union and Pickaway counties.
Bob Vitale can be reached at rvitale@dispatch.com.
Ohio
Ohio State men’s basketball fights back in 89-88 double OT win over West Virginia
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ohio State’s game-winning play over West Virginia in the second overtime period Saturday night was simple: give the ball to Bruce Thornton and get out of his way.
The result was an 89-88 double overtime win in the Cleveland Hoops Showdown at Rocket Arena.
It took so much to get to this moment.
The Buckeyes did all they could in regulation to overcome a 14-point deficit, while awaiting their top player in Thornton to come through.
His teammates did the dirty work to keep them in the game. From their defense creating transition points, matching the Mountaineers’ physical brand of ball.
Once extra time came after the first 40 minutes expired, Thornton took care of the rest in the two overtime periods.
He delivered bucket after another.
None more important than the final one.
A tightly covered Thornton took it down to the top of the key before finding a mismatch and looking to take it to the hole. A defender cut off his path, however, forcing Thornton to operate elsewhere in the paint.
Thornton used his pivot foot wisely before finding an opening for a fadeaway jumper and knocking it down.
Twelve of his 21 points came in the overtime periods.
Ohio State fought to the end and earned a win over a hard-nosed Big 12 opponent.
Center Christoph Tilly did his best to limit the Mountaineers’ big men, while adding 14 points and 11 boards of his own.
Freshman big man Amare Bynum was a pivotal spark off the bench with 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Point guard John Mobley Jr. finished with 17 points and delivered the 3-point shot in the final seconds of the second half to give them their first lead since the 9:00 mark of the first half.
This story will be updated.
Ohio
Is Ohio State football playing today? What’s next for Buckeyes in playoff schedule | Sporting News
It’s a college football Saturday, but Dec. 13 is just a little bit different.
Ohio State and all its other College Football Playoff competitors will be on the couch.
The Army-Navy game highlights the day.
There’s also the first bowl game, the LA Bowl between Boise State and Washington.
And the FCS Playoffs roll on, as well.
Is Ohio State playing today?
No, Ohio State isn’t playing on Saturday, Dec. 13.
The CFP isn’t underway, and the Buckeyes have a bye in that even when it gets started.
When is Ohio State’s next game?
Ohio State won’t play again until Dec. 31.
That’ll be the Cotton Bowl.
They don’t know their opponent yet, either. It’ll depend on the CFP opening round matchup between Miami and Texas A&M.
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