Elder contains a campus full of wild creatures
and we’re not talking about students…
Looking around the amazing campus of Elder High School you may notice the stunning architecture, influential classrooms and handsome students. Something that often goes over looked is the diverse wildlife surrounding the “School on the Hill”.
As I explored the nature around the buildings of Elder the wild side of Price Hill came to the forefront. I first went to the back of the Spirit Store and lifted a few rocks and located a pair of common garter snakes. They lie unphased as I took a few pictures, but then eventually woke up from their mini-hibernation and slithered off.
After the encounter with the serpents I ran into a hoard of European Wall Lizards in the Alumni Terrace located at the mouth of “The Pit”. These lizards varied in color and scurried quickly into small crevices as they were startled. This specific species is not native to America and has been invading different parts of Price Hill and Clifton. This BYGL article goes more in-depth with about their presence in Cincinnati.
As my investigation on the wildlife at Elder came to a close, I came face to face with a Praying Mantis sitting on the wall towards the entrance of the school. The bright green colors of the mantis were intimidating as the apex predator waited for its next unsuspecting meal.
In conclusion, Elder High School is a lot more alive then most of the students think. If you take a moment and look in some isolated areas of the campus the bustling nature of Elder is revealed.
