Natural History Archives - Ohio History Connection

July 21, 2025

A Brief History of the Golden-winged Warbler: Part II

Author’s Note: Be sure to catch up with A Brief History of the Golden-winged Warbler Part I, here. The Golden-winged Warbler was seemingly never common in Ohio. It had been variously described as a "transitory visitor" by Jared Kirtland in 1838; a "rare summer resident" by John Wheaton in 1879; and "irregular in distribution" by […]

July 11, 2025

Welcome to Our Summer Interns!

Meet Grayson and Grace—two of our outstanding summer interns at the Ohio History Connection!

May 20, 2025

Big Darby Creek Stream Exploration & Lecture

This program includes two sessions on Aug. 9 and 23, and attendance on Aug. 9 is required to participate in the second session Aug. 23. Registration also is required. The cost is general museum admission (free for members) at the Ohio History Center upon entry for the Aug. 9 lecture. This two-session program is capped at 30 […]

May 12, 2025

A Brief History of the Golden-winged Warbler: Part I

By Erin Cashion, Curator of Natural History At first glance, it appears to be only a brownish wad of grapevine bark strips and old beech leaves. Its age alone (and the person who collected it) make it a specimen of high historic and scientific significance. But this plain-seeming clump of old leaves has an even […]

April 14, 2025

Did We Really “De-extinct” the Dire Wolf?

By Erin Cashion and David Dyer On April 7, the story in Time magazine was posted everywhere: we had brought the extinct Ice Age Dire Wolf, Aenocyon dirus, back from the dead. Alongside this unbelievable headline came the video of two adorable white, fluffy canines in the hands of a human caregiver. These two pups […]

March 5, 2025

Itacolumite, the “Gumby Stone”!

By Dave Dyer, Curator Natural History

June 27, 2024

An Ode To Caterpillars

July 28, 2023

Birds of a Feather: The Smithsonian and OHC Natural History Collections

Join Dave Dyer, Natural History Curator, and Marie Swartz, Archaeology Curator, on a journey that intertwines ornithology, archaeology, and natural history, revealing the significance of collaborative research in unraveling the secrets of the past. One of the basic tenets of a scientific collection is that the data associated with the specimens is as important […]

March 15, 2023

Natural History’s “Green” collections

In honor of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday we delved into our Natural History collections to showcase five of our green specimens and tell their stories!

January 24, 2023

Four Outdoor Natural History Sites You Should Visit this Winter (+ our picks for a coffee or hot chocolate stop for after your visit!)

Get bundled up and head out to one of these Ohio History Connection sites this winter to get out of the house and get a new perspective on our state’s incredible natural history.