VIDEO CLIPS FEATURE! Click this icon appearing in articles to view videos on the subject. ® SEPTEMBER 2021 Sled Riding at Don’tBig Met miss Golf the Course Zoo’s Asian Lantern Festival A LETTER FROM BRIAN ZIMMERMAN CONTENTS Fall Favorites 2 Letter from Brian & Asian Lantern Festival Happy September! As you’re soaking up the last days of summer, I encourage you to get outdoors and catch a glimpse of this 3 Monarch Mania month’s spectacular bird and butterfly migrations that occur in Cleveland Metroparks each September. And—as the cooler weather approaches—look closely for the first hints of fall colors emerging in 4 Naturalist’s Almanac & the forests across our reservations. Jagged Ambush Bugs In this issue of our Emerald Necklace, park naturalists offer exciting ways for you and your 5 Ragweed Revelation & family to connect with nature. Some of our most anticipated fall programming is back Chimney Swiftss including FallFest, Fall Family Fishing Fest and Nature at Night. We’re also offering tips on how to keep summer activities like paddling going through autumn. 6 Wetland Habitats of Cleveland Metroparks Natural phenomena is abundant as cooler temperatures bring change to our region. If you can’t join us for a nature program this month, please continue to explore the parks 7 Fall & Winter Bus Trips & on your own. September is one of the best times for birding as the diversity of species in Pawpaw Fruit our parks reaches yearly highs and over 100 species can be seen in a single day. 8 Nature Shop & As Asian Lantern Festival winds down at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, we’re preparing to Fall Eventss transition to our next seasonal events for you and your families to enjoy. During your fall visit, I encourage you to take flight on our Eagle Zip Adventure above the zoo to enjoy a 9 Zoo News & Fall Events bird’s eye view of our region’s changing colors. While it’s been a busy and exciting summer, the transition to fall is one of the most 10 Extending Paddle Season & beautiful times of the year to enjoy our Emerald Necklace. I hope you Find Your Path and Trail Challenge Update take in all that our natural world has to offer. See you out there! 11 Play Space & Outdoor Recreation 12 Directory & Map Brian Zimmerman Click or touch a section above Cleveland Metroparks CEO to access it directly. Click on the home button (example shown here) at the top corner of each page to return here VIDEO FEATURE! Click this icon appearing in articles to view videos on the subject. Thursdays – Sundays Through Sunday, September 5 6:30 – 10:30 p.m. Asian Lantern Festival thursdays - sundays Through Sunday, September 5 6:30-10:30 pm • New lantern displays Buy your tickets in advance • Live performances and save! • Authentic cuisine FutureForWildlife.org/lanterns Thanks to our sponsors: Meijer, MetroHealth and Fifth Third Bank. 2 Emerald Necklace September 2021 | Vol. 70 #9 FEATURE ARTICLE Monarch Mania: Rest stop in Metroparks on journey to Mexico ne of the greatest migration winds to propel themselves over large visitors along the lakefront witnessed phenomena on earth is the extraor- bodies of water and large tracts of land. an awe-inspiring event when over 4,000 Odinary flight of monarch butter- The sun’s warmth powers their flights, butterflies hunkered down on the south flies from Canada and the northeastern and their antennae have incredibly side of Wendy Park’s woodlots, taking United States to central Mexico. Visitors to complicated biological clocks used to refuge from the would-be perilous Cleveland Metroparks happen to be right navigate their flights. After crossing over storm. Sometimes, the sheer size of the in the middle of the monarchs’ record- 50 miles of open Lake Erie, hundreds overnight roosts is reminiscent of their breaking road trips. Cleveland Metroparks of thousands of the dazzling butterflies enormous, dense wintering masses in reservations play a vital role in the entire life arrive on Ohio shores and immediately Mexico’s mountain forests. Vital to their cycle of these magnificent pollinators, from begin to seek nectar from native plants survival, lakefront woodlots offer shelter egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to newly flying and rest in thick grasses and heavily for not only exhausted monarchs, but adult butterflies. Native milkweeds are the vegetated tree branches. birds, bats, and dragonflies in the midst core of their success, as they are the critical of their phenomenal fall passages. host plant for monarch eggs and cater- Lakefront Offers Shelter When monarchs arrive in the protected, pillars. Conservation of fields, forest and Few things can stop the progress of rare Oyemel Fir forests of mountainous wetland edges ensures the survival of these these delicate but hardy butterflies, as central Mexico, their numbers surge astonishing winged beings. they’re impressively resilient to tough into the millions. Here they’ll spend weather. However, deep cold and heavy the entire winter awaiting spring. While most species of insects are quite rain will temporarily disrupt their flights. This massive migrant population localized in range and movement, If a powerful cold front pushes in along of monarchs is critically threatened actively moving around within relatively the lakefront during peak migration, because of their highly specialized small patches of prime habitat, some the high winds and rain can force an wintering sites and host plants for dragonfly and butterfly species require extraordinary number of monarchs caterpillars. Come spring, these over- impressive migrations for their survival. to seek shelter from the inclement wintering butterflies will pour to the Common green darners, black saddlebags weather. Forming massive “roosts” in north to lay their eggs in the southern and wandering gliders stage lengthy, trees, the butterflies will hunker down United States, restarting the remarkable weeks-long flights to the south where until fair weather allows for optimal life history of these delicate but rugged they’ll continue their life cycle in warmer conditions for resuming their great winged miracles. climates through the winter months. migrations south. In September of 2015, Painted ladies, red admirals, and some To see a current map sulphurs and skippers wing their way of monarch reports north and south during spring and fall, throughout the United but none can match the monarch in States visit: www.learner. sheer astounding feats of survival in long- org/jnorth/maps/monarch. distance migration. html. Colossal Journey Southward How can you help monarchs? During late August and September, Get involved. remarkable numbers of monarch Visit website butterflies migrate through the Cleveland monarchjointventure.org region and the Great Lakes, pushing their way south on a colossal journey to spend Jen Brumfield, Naturalist the winter in the high mountain forests Rocky River Nature Center of Mexico. The butterflies utilize north Monarchs at Wendy Park during migration. clevelandmetroparks.com 3 NATURALISTS ALMANANC September: Cooler Weather Creates Change eptember’s cooler night tempera- Scarlet On a warm day with north winds, visit tures instigate the first fall colors to tanager Wendy Park, Edgewater Park, Huntington, Semerge on the forest edge as hints of swallows Euclid Creek or Wildwood to witness reds begin to appear. Tupelos are the first and hawks now hundreds to thousands of monarchs as to begin to change with sassafras and red push through on they depart Canada and arrive on U.S. maple soon to follow. Meadows explode north winds and ground. Roosts can form at night as with the vibrant yellows of goldenrods; towards the end of the hundreds of butterflies join each other in highlighted by the whites and rich purples month, sparrows invade densely packed clumps for protection. of asters. This is also the month for bird grasslands and wetlands. Wildflowers: and monarch butterfly migration! Millions The muddy edges of The yellow of goldenrods begins to of songbirds and tens of thousands of wetlands offer stopping highlight meadows and as the month monarch butterflies are actively in the grounds for shorebirds and waders progresses, they are joined by asters, midst of their epic journeys south. Birders feasting on abundant invertebrates found including the rich purples of New England and butterfly enthusiasts visit the lakefront in the mud. A visit to Huntington or other aster and tall ironweed. This is perfect parks daily to witness the spectacle. lakefront reservations during strong timing as their nectar fuels the southward northern gales offers a chance to observe journey of monarch butterflies and Birds: the initial large movements of waterfowl, the pollen is utilized by beetles This is one of the most exciting months terns, gulls, and on a red-letter day, a and bees as a high energy meal. for birding in Cleveland Metroparks as fall jaeger. September’s migration mayhem These insect pollinated plants migration swings into full gear. Woodlands can offer birders the chance to see over are often accused of once again burst 100 species in one day. Yellow into motion causing fall hay fevers, warbler as scores of Insects: but that belongs warblers, vireos, The big news in the “bug” world is to ragweed and flycatchers, tanagers monarch migration. These large, rich other wind and thrushes work orange and black butterflies make an pollinated plants. their way south. Waves of astounding migration south to Mexico. Monarch on milkweed Photos by Jen Goellnitz, Fairview Park Patient Predators: The Jagged Ambush Bug nimals around the globe have stalking prey in a variety of wildflower adapted seemingly endless ways species. Due to their varying shades Ato capture their prey, but no of color, including hues of yellow, technique is more sinister than an ambush. brown, white, and green, they can Patiently waiting and concealed by their camouflage almost anywhere.