A Story of Identity, Change, and Becoming by Vivien Chao There is a famous story called the Ship of Theseus. It asks: if you replace every single plank and nail […]

By Kelly Wright Henrion I am writing to share my support of House Bill 496 to expand high-quality childcare options and to better support forest preschools as they serve families […]

This week, we’re excited to shine our spotlight on Zoie Pois! In celebration of AmeriCorps Week, we want to recognize her excellent contributions as an AmeriCorps Environmental Education Leadership Corps […]

by Jacob Crider While we still have some cold days and weeks ahead of us here in the Bluegrass Region, warm spells are bound to awaken a few of our […]

This week, we’re shining a spotlight on the incredible Kathryn Harbrecht! Kathryn has been an essential part of our team, serving as the “Parking Queen” at all our major events, […]

This week, we’re thrilled to spotlight our staff member, Austin Will! Austin graduated from the University of Louisville with his Bachelor of Science in Sustainability with a Minor in Environmental […]

by Jacob Crider Late Autumn and early winter time is the perfect time to collect native seeds for home gardens, natural areas projects, and nurseries. After a long summer of […]

by Jacob Crider Autumn is one the best times each year to explore Kentucky’s woodlands for seed pods, fruits, and nuts. As the fall goes on, the weather cools, the […]

by Jacob Crider The good old reliable Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is a common year-round species of woodpecker in Kentucky and is one of our most familiar backyard birds. These […]

by Jacob Crider It’s not every day that you get to see a fungus as big as a lunch tray! Check out this astounding Dryad’s Saddle (Polyporus squamosus) found at […]

by Jacob Crider Throughout the year many species of Blackbirds spend time migrating, nesting, and socializing in the state of Kentucky. Members of the family Icteridae, blackbirds are highly social […]

by Jacob Crider If you happen to take a walk at Creasey Mahan early in the morning or later on during dusk, you may come across some of the forests’ […]

by Miranda Legg We found that a groundhog made his burrow in the backyard of Mahan Manor. My desk is at the entrance of the manor, where I open the […]

by Jacob Crider Found throughout the state of Kentucky, in fields, farms, forest edges, and backyards, is the stunning American Passionflower (Passiflora americana)! This summer and autumnal flower, commonly referred […]

by Christy Kohlhaas Many of us have childhood memories of watching fireflies in the backyard, carefully catching them between our cupped hands, and releasing them back into the night sky. […]

by Jacob Crider As summer weather beats down on the Bluegrass State, our turtle species nesting season, which begins here in late spring. We have had quite a few nest […]

by Jacob Crider Birds are known for their extraordinary ability to quickly build nests to raise their young. Using materials from delicately picked spider webs, paper thin grass fibers, and […]

Happy Independence Day! Plenty of colorful fireworks will be ignited on this day of celebration, but we have the meadows at CMNP with flowers that remind us of fireworks. Royal […]

David has volunteered at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve since 2018 and quickly made himself an indispensable part of our team. In fact, he was awarded our 2023 Volunteer of the […]

by Jacob Crider Within the shaded and dense woodlands of the Outer Bluegrass grows the striking Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). Widespread throughout the Eastern U.S, this member of the Buttercup family […]

by Jacob Crider Late May through Mid-June marks the seasons for Elderberry blooms! American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is a deciduous shrub that grows in a wide variety of habitats in […]

by Jacob Crider Have you ever seen a Ringneck Snake? Northern Ringneck Snakes (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii) are a small species of colubrid snake native to the Eastern United States. Ringneck […]

by Jacob Crider With heavy rains and warm temperatures, the forests at Creasey Mahan are exploding with color from various fungi and slime molds. One of the most colorful and […]

Ellen is a knowledgeable, generous, and wonderful volunteer gardener who finds time away from her own gorgeous woodland garden to volunteer in ours! We are thankful for her continuous support […]

Spring migration has been in full swing here in the Ohio Valley with millions of songbirds and other migratory species of birds traveling north to their breeding grounds or staying […]

by Jacob Crider Now is the time to venture into the woods and wetlands to spot many of Kentucky’s migratory warblers! Mostly insectivorous, a multitude of warble species will arrive […]

Jacquelyn has been volunteering in the Woodland Garden for three years. We love having her as a volunteer gardener. Last year she won Creasey’s Weed Slayer award for her passion […]

by Christy Rybka Trilliums are a group of wildflowers that belong to the Liliaceae family and can be identified by their three petals, three sepals, and three leaves. It’s easy […]

by Christy Rybka As winter comes to an end and spring is on its way, it is almost time for the bees to return!  Worldwide, there are over 20,000 species […]

by Jacob Crider Following our recent prescribed burns at Creasey Mahan, Killdeers (Charadrius vociferus) have been setting up shop and calling conspicuously throughout the open areas of the preserve. A […]

by Jacob Crider This past weekend at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, we held our 16th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. The count was wonderful, and over the weekend we documented 34 […]

by Jacob Crider During winter, songbirds are highly active and must feed throughout the day to survive the harsh, cold, and wet conditions until breeding season. This can leave them […]

by Jacob Crider Warm January rains and plenty of snowmelt leads to great conditions for many native amphibians species here in Kentucky. While the majority of our reptiles are mostly […]

by Jacob Crider Out of all of the songbirds that migrate south to Kentucky, the smallest and arguably most hyperactive is the Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa). These colorful little birds […]

by Jacob Crider Unique amongst the other species of Woodpeckers in our region, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus various) are a common winter visitor at CMNP. These medium-sized Woodpeckers are our only […]

by Jacob Crider The Cracked Cap Polypore (Phellinus robinae) is a species of bracket fungus that grows almost exclusively on Black Locust trees (Robinia psuedoacacia). They are so adept at […]

by Jacob Crider Wintertime in Kentucky is a great time to look for the many species of sparrow that inhabit our meadows, shrublands, farms, and wetlands. The abundance of seeds […]

 by Christy Rybka                                                  Have you ever […]

by Jacob Crider The magnificently colored Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) is one of our most abundant songbirds during the winter months here at Creasey Mahan. This member of the Thrush […]

by Jacob Crider Out of the many species of spiders that call Creasey Mahan home, the Jumping Spider (Family Salticidae) are by far the cutest! These little puppy dog spiders […]

by Christy Rybka In fall, more than 650 species of North American birds migrate from their summer breeding homes to their winter nonbreeding grounds. While some travel very short distances […]

by Jacob Crider The Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is Kentucky’s largest extant woodpecker species, attaining the size of an adult crow and boasting wingspan of over 2 feet. They are […]

by Jacob Crider The Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) is a boldly patterned and abundant sparrow native to the entire U.S and most of North America. They are mostly a dark […]

The Colors of Autumn by Christy Rybka                                                […]

by Jacob Crider The vibrant and multi-colored (Setophaga castanea) is an uncommon species of warbler that can be seen in Kentucky during spring and fall migrations. This species merely passes […]

by Jacob Crider Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) are an intelligent and stunning bird native to forests, parks, and even neighborhoods in the Eastern and Central United States. Sporting vibrant blues, […]

by Jacob Crider The Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) is a species of flycatcher that breeds and nests in the southeastern U.S during the summer months and overwinters as far south […]

by Jacob Crider Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea) is a small and beautiful migratory songbird native to woodlands and grasslands of the Eastern, Central, and Southwestern United States. They overwinter as […]

by Jacob Crider Yellow-throated Vireos (Vireo flavifrons) are a neo-tropical migratory bird that visits Kentucky during the Summer and Spring. Their wintering range extends from Central America, the Caribbean, and […]

by Jacob Crider The Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperi) is a native raptor ranging across the entire U.S, most of Mexico, and southern Canada. They live year round in the state […]

by Jacob Crider The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a common species of Blackbird with a native range expanding from central Canada down to Mexico, and can be found throughout […]

April is Native Plant Month by Christy Rybka What are native plants? The term “native plant” refers to any plant that naturally occurs in the region from which it originated. […]

All About Spring Ephemerals By Christy Rybka Many of the first wildflowers that bloom each spring are known as spring ephemerals. The word “ephemeral” means “to have a short lifespan.” […]

How Birds Stay Warm in the Winter and How to Help by Christy Rybka Although most birds migrate south for the winter, many birds do not. Some birds, such as […]

 Winter Tree Identification at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve by Christy Rybka Although many naturalists identify common Kentucky trees by looking at their leaves, winter provides a wonderful challenge to identify […]