Lover of nature opens backyard paradise to all

John E. DiOrio took environmental preservation in his own hands.

September calendar

Dickerson Park Zoo, 1401 W. Norton Road, www.dickersonpark zoo.org or 833-1570: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Guests may stay one hour after the admission gate closes. Admission: $8 for adults; $5 for ages 3-12 and seniors ages 60 and older; free for ages 2 and younger and Friends of the Zoo members.

Flowers can bring hummingbirds to your garden

Do you enjoy the thrill of the buzz and whir of a bird the weight of a nickel that can reach speeds up to 60 miles per hour and can fly vertically and in reverse?

Summer's abundance includes bees, butterflies that feast on nectar as they pollinate flower-filled Lake and Geauga ...

Suddenly all the signs are there.

Female goldfinch improvises to build her nest

Goldfinches nest late in the season. The more experienced females set up housekeeping first, beginning in mid-July. Youngsters having just now made their premier appearance at backyard feeders, recognized by their incessant monotonous twitter, still begging to be fed, come from those early nests.