MAD Scientist & Associates

Specialists in Ecological & Wetland Consulting

Est. 1998

MAD Photo of the Month

Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)
The unusual flower (including an enveloping spathe and bumpy, alien-looking spadix) of Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is a welcome sign of spring in wetlands throughout Ohio.
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News

 
2009 was another successful year for volunteer-supported projects! Thank you volunteers! Please continue to watch our website for announcements of new scheduled events. Expect several events in Spring 2010, particularly around the time of Earth Day (April 22). For convenience, you can register as a volunteer and receive e-mail notification of planned events by signing up on our
Volunteer registration page.

Successful (and Fun!) 2010 Ohio Natural History Conference

Mark attended the Ohio Natural History Conference on February 20 at Big Walnut High School in Sunbury, and represented the company as an exhibitor. This annual event, sponsored by the Ohio Biological Survey and Ohio Division of Wildlife, highlights recent research by taxonomists, environmental scientists, and nature enthusiasts from around the state. This year’s engaging keynote address was ably delivered by Kenn Kaufman, author of a series of well-recognized field guides. Kenn kept the audience of approximately 130 entertained with stories of his career and experiences. As a child, he latched onto Darwin in a big way, so much so that he named his beagle “Ship” (Darwin’s research vessel, if you’ll recall, was named “Beagle”). To fill some time while the projection team recovered from some technical difficulties, Kenn advised the group that public restrooms in our State Parks are a great place to find and photograph moths (although you’re sure to get some concerned looks when you enter the premises with a camera in hand). So as not to miss anything, he recommends traveling with a member of the opposite sex, so that moths in both restrooms can be investigated. His wife has graciously assisted in this role as he compiled photographs for his insect guide. » Read More

 

Ohio Invasive Plants Conference

MAD Scientist & Associates attended the Ohio Invasive Plants Conference this month and was pleased to see that a number of researchers are investigating the effect of Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) on native woodlands and the species that inhabit them. This species has certainly come to dominate many central Ohio woods. MAD hosts a number of volunteer events throughout the year during which many hours are spent attempting to uproot and remove invasive honeysuckle. An interesting presentation on the spread of Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) throughout Ohio was given by Theresa Culley from the University of Cincinnati. This is another species that MAD has recently begun controlling in wetlands located adjacent to housing developments, thus we can verify that Dr. Culley’s results showing high germinability and survival of Callery pear hybrids are accurate. Next year we hope to see more research results on the efficacy of control methods for these species.

 

Check out our new BLOG!

We began 2010 with the introduction of a blog that will enable us to share our experiences as Specialists in Ecological and Wetland Consulting. Through this new outreach mechanism, we hope to share information and insights about current wetland, ecological, and environmental topics, as well as interesting news and observations from our collective experiences in the consulting world. We hope you will check in frequently!

 

Ohio Parks and Recreation Association Conference

MAD Scientist & Associates enjoyed attending the 2010 Ohio Parks and Recreation Association Conference in Akron this month. The exhibitor’s hall was a lively and diverse place with lighted hula hoops, large electronic gaming consoles, and a balloon artist who crafted a salamander to represent the MAD Scientist & Associates logo. Unfortunately, it didn’t survive the ride home after the conference. In addition, to the more flashy vendors, there were a variety of environmental, engineering and architectural firms. Between these vendors and the parks professionals in attendance, a number of good contacts were made, and we look forward to following up with these individuals and organizations in the coming weeks to forge new partnerships that could lead to the creation and enhancement of diverse, nature-based parks.

 

Mark has been busy with Dragonfly and Damselfly Identification for OOS

A self-nomination led to Mark’s election to serve on the Ohio Odonata Society’s Photo Records Review Committee. He has been enjoying the challenge of verifying potential county records for Ohio dragonflies and damselflies that have been documented photographically (rather than from preserved/mounted specimens). This past year was a prolific one for photo record submittals, so Mark was busy toward the end of 2009 reviewing and evaluating photographs and providing his rationale for accepting or denying individual records. Reviewing exceptional Odonata photos from some of the best photographers around the state has been a treat, but the biggest thrill for Mark has been the opportunity to “rub elbows” (in the virtual sense – everything is handled via e-mail!) with some of the big names in Odonata taxonomy and research in Ohio. His fellow committee members are Bob Glotzhober (Ohio Historical Society), Judy Semroc (Cleveland Museum of Natural History), Tom Schultz (Denison University), Shane Myers, and John Pogacnik (Lake Metro Parks). A brief article can be found at the link below. If you are interested in dragonflies and damselflies in Ohio, consider joining this society!

» Read Article

 

Want to learn more about the benefits of Wetlands?

Mark Dilley has a photo of kids on a boardwalk at Boyer Nature Preserve featured in the publication attached to this link about Benefits of Wetlands from National Association of Counties and U.S. EPA.

 

Mark re-elected to Franklin Soil and Water Conservation Board

On October 22, 2009, Mark was re-elected to Franklin Soil and Water Conservation Board of Supervisors. » Learn More

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MAD Scientists and Associates provide Environmental Consulting Services including Wetland Delineation, Ecological Surveys & Specialized Studies, Ecological Risk Assessment and Environmental Education in Ohio and surrounding states including Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana.

Our services include Wetland Assessment (e.g., Ohio Rapid Assessment Method, ORAM), Wetland Permitting (Section 404/401 and Ohio EPA Isolated Wetland Permits), Wetland Mitigation (Site Selection, Design, Construction Oversight), Mitigation Wetland Monitoring (Wetlands & Streams), Stream Assessment (Headwater Habitat Evaluation Index, HHEI; Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index, QHEI; Biological Assessments), General Ecological Surveys and Biotic Inventories, Threatened and Endangered Species Studies, Wildlife Surveys, Botanical Surveys, Floristic Studies (Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity, VIBI; Floristic Quality Assessment Index, FQAI), Invasive Species Surveys, Invasive Species Management, Aquatic Studies (fish and invertebrates), Park Land Planning, Ecological Site Characterization, Stressor Identification, Biological Assessments, Toxicological Literature Research, Screening, and Baseline ERAs, Ecological Site Characterization, Land Lab Planning.