Upcoming Programs & Events“A Total Eclipse of the Park”: Eclipse Event Weekend
Saturday, April 6-Monday, April 8 Lowe-Volk Park We are celebrating the full solar eclipse! See our homepage for the complete schedule. Face to Face: Nocturnal Animals Monday, April 8 11am Lowe-Volk Park From salamanders, to tree frogs, to tarantulas, we will meet and learn about some of the nocturnal creatures residing in the Nature Center. Kids (and adults!) will have the opportunity to touch and hold these darkness dwellers! Gardening for Moths Thursday, April 18 6:30pm Lowe-Volk Park Once again, the CPD is partnering with the Earth, Wind, and Flowers Garden Club to host a great program! Our enchantment with butterflies isn’t surprising—these daytime flyers are easily observed and collectively encompass a rainbow palette of colors punctuated with ornate patterns. However, their close relatives the moths overwhelm butterflies in species diversity and sheer numbers. Most moths are nocturnal and largely out of sight and mind. Nonetheless, they are one of the most important animal groups. Moths are inextricably intertwined with native plants, bats, birds, and the whole of the eastern deciduous forest ecosystem. They play an enormous role in the pollination of native plants. In addition, they are often far more interesting than butterflies, both visually and behaviorally. This talk will be a pictorial journey into an intriguing and little-known world that unfolds all around us. We can greatly benefit the ecosystem around us by “moth-gardening” in our yards. Join the Earth, Wind, and Flowers Garden Club and the CPD as they welcome the authors of Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide. After the presentation, Jim and Chelsea will be available to answer questions and sign copies of their book. Recycled Project Display Friday, April 19 – Sunday, May 5 Lowe-Volk Park Miss Lisa Smith’s 4th grade class at Colonel Crawford has been providing excellent examples of using everyday items and turning them into usable projects for many years. Come to the Nature Center and see the students’ creative ways to turn trash into treasure with their recycled projects. Stewardship: Invasive Species Saturday, April 20 9am-12pm Heckert Help protect our parks from invasive species such as honeysuckle and barberry. Join Mike to improve these special habitats. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather and bring gloves. Loppers and other special equipment will be provided. Feeding Day Monday, April 22 4:30pm Lowe-Volk Park Lizards, turtles, bugs, snakes, and bunnies, oh my! We have lots of mouths to feed here at the Nature Center! Come by to help prepare diets and feed the critters. But that’s not all! Captive animals require enrichment in their lives to relieve stress and boredom. Make fun puzzles, toys, and decorations for them as well! Wildflower Walk Monday, April 22 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park What better way to celebrate Earth Day than by taking a leisurely hike to admire our spring blooming wildflowers? We will learn how to identify common spring wildflowers, and participants can take home a free Wildflowers of Ohio guidebook. Hopefully, we’ll catch some of our more uncommon flowers in bloom, such as Dwarf Larkspur, Large-flowered Bellwort, and Braun’s Violet. While Drooping Trilliums are typically white, we’ll also search for some of this flower’s rarer color form: maroon! Celebrate Trails Day Saturday, April 27 9am Sears Woods Today is “Celebrate Trails Day”! The CPD has 7 parks with hiking trails for you to explore. Whether you take to a trail on your own or join Lisa for a leisurely stroll through Sears Woods, get out there and hike a trail! Wild Edibles Saturday, April 27 11am-1pm Lowe-Volk Park Many of the plants growing in our local wild spaces are edible and tasty, and some of them can even be found in your own yard! Learn which wild plants are the most nutritious and delicious while foraging with Chelsea. We will begin with a hike to practice identification and ethical harvesting and will then work together to prepare a feast from nature in the classroom of the Nature Center. This program is limited to 25 participants, so please call the Park District at 419-683-9000 to register! Mushroom Identification Hike Saturday, April 27 3pm Lowe-Volk Park Which mushrooms are safe to eat? How can mushrooms be responsibly collected? Join fungus expert Bob Antibus for a stroll through the woods, hunting for and identifying mushrooms. A retired biology professor, Dr. Antibus is well known in the field of mycology for his expertise in identification. Viewing the Night Sky Saturday, April 27 9pm Lowe-Volk Park Stewardship: Invasive Species Saturday, May 4 9am-12pm Heckert Help protect our parks from invasive species such as honeysuckle and barberry. Join Mike to improve these special habitats. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather and bring gloves. Loppers and other special equipment will be provided. Feeding Day Monday, May 6 4:30pm Lowe-Volk Park Lizards, turtles, bugs, snakes, and bunnies, oh my! We have lots of mouths to feed here at the Nature Center! Come by to help prepare diets and feed the critters. But that’s not all! Captive animals require enrichment in their lives to relieve stress and boredom. Make fun puzzles, toys, and decorations for them as well! Little Explorers: Mud Tuesday, May 7 5pm Lowe-Volk Park Little Explorers is an interactive program for young children, ages 0-5. Activities focus on stimulating infants’ senses and developing toddlers’ and preschoolers’ fine motor skills. This month we’ll explore mud! We will be outside in the nature playscape this month, so be sure to dress in clothes that can get muddy! Box Turtles Wednesday, May 8 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park Box turtles aren’t the only turtles that have a hinged plastron, but they are the only ones that can completely close up their shell. Stop out to meet our box turtles, make a craft, and learn a little about these remarkable reptiles. It’s time to “shellebrate” National Box Turtle week! Bird Banding Saturday, May 11 7am-1pm Lowe-Volk Park In conjunction with our pancake breakfast, we’ll be banding birds on the front porch of the Nature Center. Join Bob Placier and CPD staff for a morning of science! We’ll be monitoring mist nets to see which birds inhabit or pass through Lowe-Volk Park. Banding is used to track trends in bird populations, among other research applications. All ages welcome and enjoy some pancakes in support of your Park District! Pancakes in the Park Saturday, May 11 8am-1pm Lowe-Volk Park Come and support your parks while satisfying your appetite. For a donation, you can get pancakes topped with real maple syrup, a side of delicious ham, and a great morning enjoying and supporting your Park District! Family Hike Wednesday, May 15 5:30pm Heckert Nature Preserve Today is International Day of Families! To celebrate, join Lisa and one of her four-legged family members on a hike through Heckert. Families of all sizes are welcome to come and enjoy an evening out in nature. Girl Scouts: Animal Habitats Tuesday, May 21 6:15pm Lowe-Volk Park Are you a Junior Girl Scout? If so, join Troop 4253 to learn all about animal habitats and work on earning your badge. We’ll go on a hike looking for animals in their natural habitat, make observations of animals, and recreate a habitat for an animal. Junior Girl Scouts from all troops are welcome! Creek Walk Saturday, May 25 1pm Lowe-Volk Park The Sandusky River is 133 miles long and ends all the way up in Sandusky Bay, but did you know that it starts right here at Lowe-Volk Park?! Come out to explore Allen Run and Paramour Creek, the tributaries that make up the mighty Sandusky headwaters! Wear your creek-walkin' shoes! Viewing the Night Sky Saturday, May 25 9pm Lowe-Volk Park Living History Days Friday, May 31- Sunday, June 2 Lowe-Volk Park Join the CPD and Colonel Crawford’s Company to step back into the 18th Century. More event details will be shared in the coming weeks. Save the date! |