Lowe-Volk Nature Center
Upcoming Events Abbreviated Calendar 2017 Events Calendar Nature Notes Crawford County Flora & Fauna Surveys Bike Way Photo Gallery Adopt-an-Animal Geo-Caching Policy Volunteer Park Rules Friends of the CPD Contact Us Crawford Park District
2401 SR 598 Crestline, Oh 44827 419-683-9000 |
Upcoming Programs/EventsVolunteer Work Day
Saturday, March 16 1-3pm Meet @ Lowe-Volk Park From old farm dumps to invasive plant removal, the CPD’s newly acquired land needs some TLC. Bring work gloves and a willing spirit. All other equipment will be provided. Meet at the Nature Center to help make this property one of Crawford County’s natural history gems. Green Machines Monday, March 18 6pm Lowe-Volk Park Green drives the natural world, and is also the color for St. Patrick’s Day. Come and learn about the importance of green, from tiny four-leaved clovers to mighty trees. Joy Etter-Link will lead this green discovery into the importance of plants on out landscape. Fun the whole family! Biomimicry Thursday, March 21 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park “Bio” means life and “mimicry” means to imitate. Come out for a program to learn about many inventions that have been inspired by different things in nature! For example, did you know the structures of hives and mounds have assisted architects and engineers? What other inventions are borrowed ideas? Vernal Pool Exploration Saturday, March 23 10am Carpenter’s Bottom Vernal Pools are a diverse habitat to explore. Join Josh for an investigation of the vernal pools at Carpenter’s Bottom looking for bugs, frogs, and SALAMANDERS, of course! All ages welcome. Wear rubber boots. Book Club Meeting Tuesday, March 26 6:30pm Lowe-Volk Park Do you love nature and also love to read? With the abundance of books available for nature lovers, sometimes it’s hard to choose the next great book to read. Join the Crawford Park District’s new Book Club, and we will figure it out together! Pre-registration is recommended as the club will be limited to 15 members. During this first meeting we will discuss the best time to schedule our meetings and to choose our first book. So come armed with your favorite book about nature or a nature centered book you want to read and be ready to make your case to the club! Volunteer Work Day Thursday, March 28 10am-12pm Meet @ Lowe-Volk Park From old farm dumps to invasive plant removal, the CPD’s newly acquired land needs some TLC. Bring work gloves and a willing spirit. All other equipment will be provided. Meet at the Nature Center to help make this property one of Crawford County’s natural history gems. Ohio Bird Banders Association Meeting Saturday, March 30 8am-4pm Lowe-Volk Park The Crawford Park District is pleased to host the spring meeting of the Ohio Bird Banding Association. This meeting is open to the public. 8:00—10:30 Bird Banding at Lowe-Volk Park. Banding by Bob Placier, where we will examine early migrants and review bird molt. Continental breakfast and numerous nature and bird banding displays. Share banding experiences and use of the Pyle Guide - 1 & 2. Winter Banding Displays will be available for your review. 10:30—11:00 Take down banding nets and get ready for the business meeting. 11:00—12:00 OBBA Business meeting 12:00—12:45 Lunch and exchange ideas 1:00—1:40 Josh Dyer — Director — Avian History of Crawford County and the Surrounding Area. 1:45—2:20 Madeline Sudnick—Ohio University Student—The Effect of Blow Flies On Cavity Nesting Birds. 2:30—2:45 Short break 2:45—3:20 Dr. David Russell— Miami University—Using a 3D Printer to build and teach molts in Ornithology. Molt Limits and the WRP molt aging technique will be addressed. 3:25—3:45 Roundtable discussion of issues related to bird banding. [limit to 2 minutes each] 3:45—4:00 Clean up and have a safe trip home. Eagle Watch Sunday, March 31 2pm Lowe-Volk Park What a comeback! Once driven to the brink of extinction, Bald Eagles are the epitome of wildlife recovery. Join Josh for this informative program that will examine the history of our National Symbol and its current status in Ohio. After the presentation, we will caravan to some of the active nests in Crawford County. Fun for the whole family. Homeschool in Nature: Wildflowers Thursday, April 4 10am & 2pm Lowe-Volk Park Spring wildflowers will be popping up throughout the park. Rain or shine, we’re going to take a hike to see how many spring flowers we can find. Classes are limited to 20 students per session. Please call the Park District to reserve a spot for your 5-12 year old by April 3. Wildflower Walk Sunday, April 7 3pm Sears Woods The Crawford Park District invites you to come to Sears Wood to enjoy a spring wildflower walk. Early Spring brings with it an explosive growth within our woodlands. Spring blooming wildflowers must complete their life cycle before the trees leaf out and cut off the light necessary for photosynthesis. Meet Warren Uxley at the Sears Woods parking lot. Sears Woods is located west of Bucyrus on Mt. Zion Road. Recycling @ the Nature Center Saturday, April 13 9am-12pm Lowe-Volk Park The Colonel Crawford Lions Club and The Friends of the Crawford Park District will have a RECYCLE DAY, from 9am to noon at the Lowe-Volk Park Nature center located at 2401 State Route 598. We will have a RECYCLE DAY the second Saturday of each month through the year. We will be accepting: Cardboard Clear/brown/green/blue glass (separate by color) #1 (PETE) plastics #2 (HDPE) plastics (colors do not have to be separated) Newspaper/magazines/office paper/junk mail Steel cans Aluminum cans Household batteries Eyeglasses CFL lightbulbs - from households only, no businesses please Laptops, tablets & cell phones.--------NO ELECTRONICS - NO COMPUTER TOWERS - NO COMPUTER MONITORS -OR- TELEVISIONS----------------- Any recyclables taken to the Crawford Park District, outside of the second Saturday of every month do not get credited to the Park District. If you would like the money generated from recycling to go to them, you must take your recyclables to the Park District during their monthly collections. Lowe-Volk Park is located 3 miles north of US Route 30. For more information contact the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000. Look for information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District by visiting their web site at www.crawfordparkdistrict.org or by visiting our facebook page. Volunteer Work Day Saturday, April 13 9-11am Lowe-Volk Park From old farm dumps to invasive plant removal, the CPD’s newly acquired land needs some TLC. Bring work gloves and a willing spirit. All other equipment will be provided. Meet at the Nature Center to help make this property one of Crawford County’s natural history gems. Artifact Hunt Saturday, April 13 10am Meet @ Lowe-Volk Park Join members of the Johnny Appleseed Chapter 19 of the Archaeological Society of Ohio to walk nearby farm fields looking for remnants of prehistoric cultures who inhabited Crawford County. Be the first human to touch an artifact since it was used thousands of years ago! Don’t miss this popular annual event. Bring the whole family, dress for the weather, and don’t forget your boots if the ground is wet. Also, walking sticks and small digging tools can be helpful. Conservation Heroes: Woodland Box Turtle Saturday, April 13 2pm Lowe-Volk Park Join Naturalist Abby to learn why the Woodland Box Turtle is a Species of Concern, as well as what we can do to help them make a comeback in the wild. This program will be the second of a three-part series where each kid will receive a cape and then try to collect all three buttons to place on the cape. You will also get a chance to meet the Woodland Box Turtle! Hi-Tech Easter Egg Hunt Sunday, April 14 1-3pm Lowe-Volk Park Kids! Bring your smartphone, GPS unit, or borrow a GPS unit from us to use for a Hi-tech egg hunt. Follow the coordinates throughout the Park to discover a hidden egg. Inside each egg is a nature based question that needs to be answered. Kids finding eggs and answering the questions will receive a small prize when complete. Come join the fun! Defenders of the Earth Monday, April 15 6pm Lowe-Volk Park There is only one Earth and we need to take of it. Whether through recycling or providing pollinator habitats, everyone can do something. Joy Etter-Link will get you started on your path as a Defender of the Earth through this fun, hands-on program. Fun for the whole family. Wild Wednesday Wednesday, April 17 10am & 2pm Lowe-Volk Park Come to the Nature Center and enjoy an hour of nature exploration! Program topics will vary and may include a story, short hike, craft, or a visit from an animal. For pre-schoolers and their parents. Come dressed for the weather. Spring Hike Friday, April 19 2pm Unger Park Nature is springing back to renewed life! From wetlands and prairies, to forests and rivers, Unger Park offers many intriguing habitats to explore. Join Josh to observe this exciting transformation as plants and animals change with the seasons. Rain or shine, we’ll enjoy the goodness of spring. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather. Just Hike It Saturday, April 20 10am Heckert Nature Preserve Let’s get out hiking this spring and kick out the winter blahs! Join Lisa on a monthly trek through the park and also to do some photo journaling to document the seasonal changes. Wrens Wednesday, April 24 7pm Lowe-Volk Park Six different Wren species have been recorded in Ohio – two of those species are in trouble and a third has disappeared altogether. Meet Warren Uxley at Lowe-Volk Park and learn the good, the bad, and the interesting facts about Wrens Bees in Your Ohio Backyard Thursday, April 25 6pm Lowe-Volk Park Many gardeners know a honey bee when they see one, but how about the other 400+ species of bees that call Ohio home? Guest speaker Denise Ellsworth’s program will focus on some of the most common bees, including their fascinating biology and life histories. Why do bumble bees vibrate their wing muscles to the tone of a middle C? How uncommon are queens in the bee world? Why do leafcutting bees cut discs from leaves and petals? And how important are these native bees to pollination and biodiversity? Join Denise for this fun, information-filled program, which will include bee specimens. Denise Ellsworth is the Program Director for Honey Bee and Native Pollinator Education with Ohio State University, Wooster. Native plants, provided by Natives in Harmony, will also be available for purchase for your own backyard bee sanctuary. Earth Day Fair Saturday, April 27 11am-2pm Lowe-Volk Park We care about the earth every day, but choose to celebrate earth day once a year. Join us at the Nature Center to celebrate our wonderful planet. We will have Lisa Smith’s 4th grade class recycled/upcycled projects to see, … The Crawford Park District is partnering with many local organizations to host our annual Earth Day Fair. The focus of this event is not only to get people thinking about the 3 R’s — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle — but also about sustainability, creating backyard habitat, and much more! There will be many “green” table displays and activities. The following displays and activities planned include: Recycle Trailer and display from Crawford County Solid Waste District, interactive “living stream” display from ODNR Scenic Rivers Program, Recycled Projects from Lisa Smith’s 4th Grade class (Colonel Crawford), Composting Demo from the Soil and Water Cons. Dist., Native Plant Sale, Recycled Nature Craft, Natural Pesticides display, “mud play”, and displays from local businesses that demonstrate the focal points of this event. Come and celebrate Earth Day with us! Toddler Trot: Wetland Wonders Wednesday, May 1 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park Wetlands are a wonderful way to introduce toddlers to the vastness of nature. Dragonflies, cattails, turtles, and, of course, tadpoles are the essence of wetland discoveries. Join Josh and McKinley for this fun foray to Lowe-Volk’s wetland. For kids not quite in school and younger. Spring Bird Migration Saturday, May 4 9am Sears Woods More migratory birds pass through Ohio in early May than at any other time of the year. This massive movement of Warblers, Tanagers, Flycatchers, Vireos and Thrushes (to name just a few) is truly spectacular. Meet Warren Uxley at Sears Woods parking lot. Love Your Mother Monday, May 6 6pm Lowe-Volk Park Mother Nature provides us with so much joy! She can also help us with that perfect Mother’s Day gift. Joy Etter-Link will help you discover your love for Mother Nature while exploring Lowe-Volk Park. Fun for the whole family. Painting at the Park Wednesday, May 8 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park It’s time again to dip our brushes into some paint and create a spring wildflower on canvas. Candy Yocum will lead us step-by step on how to paint our next masterpiece. The class is limited to 25 participants ages 5 and up. Please call the Park District to reserve a spot by May 7. A $5 donation is recommended to cover the costs of supplies and can be paid that night. Bird Banding Saturday, May 11 7am-1pm Lowe-Volk Park In conjunction with the Pancake Breakfast, we’ll be banding birds on the front porch of the Nature Center. Join Bob Placier, Josh, Lisa, and Abby for a morning of science! They’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 grab 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 $5.00 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! Coyotes: Fact or Fiction Tuesday, May 14 6pm Lowe-Volk Park Coyotes are an interesting study in adaptations and can be a polarizing animal to discuss. Jon Cepek, Wildlife Ecologist for Cleveland Metroparks, will present research from their trail camera monitoring program that focuses on coexisting with Coyotes and how to identify abnormal behavior. Jon will also give insights into Coyote life history, how humans changed Ohio to influence these urban predators, emotion vs. science-based decision making, and much more. Are there really coywolves/dogs? Jon will answer this question and many more, helping you understand the facts and not the fiction about the highly adaptable Coyote. Trees! Thursday, May 16 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park It’s National Love a Tree Day! Join Lisa for an evening program learning about some of the unique trees that we have close to home and some from around the world. Did you know the Angel Oaks in the south are over 400 years and the Eucalyptus deglupta is also known as a Rainbow Gum tree. Let’s go hug a tree! Conservation Heroes: Bumblebees Saturday, May 18 2pm Lowe-Volk Park Join Naturalist Abby to learn why important pollinators like bumblebees are in decline, as well as what we can do to help these animals make a comeback in the wild. This program will be the third of a three-part series where each kid will receive a cape and then try to collect all three buttons to place on the cape. We will also play a game, and then go look for bumblebees doing what they do best: pollenating! Just Hike It Saturday, May 25 10am Unger Park Let’s get out hiking this spring and kick out the winter blahs! Join Lisa on a monthly trek through the park and also to do some photo journaling to document the seasonal changes. Springtime at Daughmer Savannah Sunday, May 26 3pm Daughmer Savannah Most of the prairie plants at Daughmer will flower in mid to late summer, but several plants listed as threatened species will flower in late spring. Meet Warren Uxley and learn about Daughmer’s rarest plants. Living History Days May 31 – June 2 Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 A fun historical event in its 17th year. Great for the family with many hands-on demonstrations. Concessions will be available. Bus tour is first come, first served. Friday, May 31 8pm — Native American War Council Saturday, June 1 9am — Opening Ceremony 10am — Russell Morris: Shequonor, Shawnee singer/ Storyteller 11am — Capture of Col. Crawford 11:45am — Bus Tour starts immediately afterward 1pm — Vane Scott: The Many Faces of Old Glory 2pm — Children's Plant Walk 3pm — Capture of Col. Crawford 4pm — Close 8-10pm — Lantern Tours Sunday, June 2 10am — Open 10am — Russell Morris: Shequonor, Shawnee singer/ Storyteller 11am — Capture of Col. Crawford 1pm — Vane Scott: The Many Faces of Old Glory 2pm — Children's Plant Walk 3pm — Capture of Col. Crawford 4pm — Close Civil War Encampment June 29-30 Unger Park Enjoy a fun filled event for all ages as you take a step back in time. Stroll through army encampments of the North and South and watch a battle reenactment. There will also be period demonstrations, interactive activities, and kids can be "recruited" into a soldier’s life. Stay tuned as complete event details and presentations are being finalized. |
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