Back to Basics Nature Alliance

06/11/2026

Welcome to the Back to Basics Nature Alliance Wildlife Refuge! It looks like we are off to a good start preserving wildlife and getting back to the basics of nature!

06/04/2026

Watersnake, Hockhocking Adena Bikeway.

05/18/2026

Five plants most people pull out of the yard are the ones birds actually depend on when feeders run empty.

The feeder helps. These are the source.

🐦 Pokeweed — tall magenta stems with dark berry clusters in autumn. A major fuel source for catbirds, mockingbirds, and thrashers heading south.

Virginia creeper — five-leaved vine with deep blue berries. Often confused with poison ivy and ripped down. Poison ivy has three leaves. This one has five. Dozens of species time their fall migration around the fruit.

Wild grape — small dark clusters in late summer. The bark strips double as nesting material for orioles and vireos. One vine feeds and houses.

Staghorn sumac — fuzzy crimson fruit clusters that stay on branches all winter. When every other berry is gone in February, sumac is still standing.

Evening primrose — yellow flowers at dusk feed sphinx moths. The seed heads stay all winter, feeding goldfinches and chickadees when the ground is frozen.

Five plants. Five seasons of food the feeder can't replace 🌿

05/08/2026

05/06/2026

There are so many ways to support wildlife and nature.

The healthier the soil, the more microorganisms it can support, along with greater diversity that helps cycle nutrients and support plant growth. In poor soils, both the number and variety of microorganisms drop, which weakens the soil system and reduces its ability to support healthy plants. 🪱🤎

04/11/2026