|
Upcoming Programs & EventsPhotography Exhibit: Ian Adams
Sat., Jan. 25-Fri., Feb. 28 Lowe-Volk Park Come to the Nature Center to experience the beauty of Ohio through the camera lens of Ian Adams. Photos will be on display during our regular hours: Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm and Saturdays from 12pm-4pm. Snowflake Hike Sat., Feb. 1-Fri., Feb. 28 All Day Lowe-Volk Park Take a stroll through Lowe-Volk Park looking for laminated snowflakes as you go. Each one will have a line of a poem for you to read. If you complete the hike during office hours, stop at the front desk of the Nature Center to collect your prize! Snow Insects Saturday, February 22 2pm Lowe-Volk Park Breaking with their warm-weather relatives, some insects are most active on top of snow in the winter. Naturalist Donald will be giving a presentation on these cold-weather creatures, and then lead a hike down to the Sandusky River to search for them. Since this program is highly weather-dependent, the date and time of the program are subject to change. Call the Park District at 419-683-9000 to register. Viewing the Night Sky Sat., February 22 7 pm Lowe-Volk Park Join members of the Crawford Park Astronomy Club as they share their knowledge and telescope skills with all who are interested in celestial sights. Some of the targets for winter are: Saturn – beautiful rings are turned to their thinnest angle, 1 billion miles away, has 146 moons, and Titan is its largest moon. Jupiter – has unique cloud bands, ½ billion miles away, and can view 4 main large moons out of 95. Orion Nebula (M42) – a local sight only 1,500 light-years away, birthplace of baby stars, and has an apparent magnitude of 4. Crab Nebula (M1) – super nova remnant that exploded in 1054 AD, 6,500 light-years away, and found in Taurus. Andromeda Galaxy (M31) – a barred spiral galaxy, 2 million light-years away, our nearest major galactic neighbor, and it’s a real treat to view its two satellite galaxies M32 and 110. North Star – also known as Polaris, it is a double star, one of the easiest stars to locate, and is the tail in the constellation of Ursa Minor/Little Bear. OSU Extension Pruning Workshop March 1, 10am Unger Park, 1303 Bucyrus Nevada Rd. Do you have fruit trees that need pruning or are you interested in getting fruit trees? Join Ohio State Extension to learn how to prune the trees in your orchard. Whether you have trees that are pruned each year, are new to growing fruit trees, or have trees that haven't been pruned for years, this workshop is for you! At Unger Park, you will have the opportunity to see never pruned trees while instructors guide you in determining which branches to cut and why. You will also learn more about the biology behind pruning trees and how the trees grow when pruned vs not in relation to production. The workshop will be held at Unger Park on Saturday, March 1 at 10 am. This workshop is free to attend, and no registration is required. Please wear appropriate clothing, work gloves, and safety glasses. For more information, please call 419-447-9722 or email [email protected] Face to Face: Salamanders Wednesday, March 5 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Come meet the salamanders that call the Crawford Park District’s Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center home! From the largest North American amphibian to the iconic axolotl, we will get to see these fascinating creatures up close and learn about their unique lifecycles. We will also talk about where to find salamanders as they come out in the spring. Homeschool in Nature: Dental Detectives Thurs., March 6 10am & 2pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 You can tell a lot by looking at someone’s or something’s teeth. This month the Crawford Park District Homeschoolers will study the teeth of different animal skulls to determine what the animal is, and what types of food it ate when it was alive. Call the Park District at 419-683-9000 to register your 5–12-year-old. Little Explorers: Bugs Thursday, March 6 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Little Explorers is an interactive program offered by the Crawford Park District for children ages 0-5 years. Activities will focus on stimulating the senses for infants while also engaging fine motor skills for toddlers. This month we’ll explore bugs! Artifact Expo Saturday, March 8 10am-2pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 If you are into prehistoric artifacts, this event is for you! The Crawford Park District invites you to come see displays from local collectors. Most of their artifacts were found in the fields of Crawford County and surrounding areas. There will also be raffle items, and all kids will get their own piece of flint to take home. Feeding Day Monday, March 10 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Lisa to help feed some of the animals that reside in the Nature Center. They get a variety of foods depending on the species and their size. Help prepare food for the box turtles or dangle a worm for the aquatic turtles to grab. Don’t forget our snakes would love a mouse too! Vernal Pool Party Sat., March 15 2pm Heckert Nature Preserve, 1601 State Route 19 Vernal pools are only with us for a short amount of time in the spring, and in that time, they serve as ideal breeding grounds for salamanders, frogs, and many other species. Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Donald at one of our best vernal pools to see what amazing amphibians we can find. Waterproof boots are recommended. Girl Scouts: Bugs Tuesday, March 18 6pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Are you a Brownie Girl Scout? If so, join the Crawford Park District to learn all about bugs and work on earning your badge. We’ll start by identifying the different body parts of bugs and make a craft with our new knowledge. Then we will go on a hike looking for bugs and investigate their natural habitat. Finally, we will make observations of the animals we found. All Brownie Girl Scouts are welcome! Making a Rock Collection Class Saturday, March 22 10-11am Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Join Crawford Park District Volunteer and rock enthusiast Bryan Summer and learn about the fun hobby of rock collecting and how to start a rock collection. We will look at a variety of ways to collect and store rocks, how to identify rocks, places to go to find and purchase rocks, and information about our regional Richland Mineral and Fossil Club. You will get an opportunity to see a variety of rock collections to give you some ideas on how to start your own collection. A great program about rock collecting for youth and adults. Viewing the Night Sky Saturday, March 22, 8pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route Join members of the Crawford Park Astronomy Club as they share their knowledge and telescope skills with all who are interested in celestial sights. Some of the targets for spring are: Little Bear – also known as Ursa Minor, home to the asterism the Little Dipper which includes the famous North Star, and this appears to be the center of our star rotation. Big Bear – also known as Ursa Major, home to the asterism the Big Dipper, and lots of other galaxies and astronomical sights around this constellation. Leo the Lion – the 12th largest constellation, the Sickle makes up the head and mane of the lion, and is one of the easiest constellations for you to find on your own. Virgo Cluster (M87) – a luminous, intermediate spiral galaxy, 55 million light-years from earth, and home to a giant black hole. There are a lot of other objects to view. What we see will depend on what the clouds are doing. . Girl Scouts: Hiking Monday, March 24 6pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 All levels of Girl Scouts are welcome to join us on a hiking adventure with the Crawford Park District! We’ll discuss what are appropriate items to take and how to respect the trails when you are exploring nature. We will venture through Lowe-Volk Park and then cross into Sandusky Headwaters Preserve. You won’t want to miss out! The Small Things Tuesday, March 25 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Have you ever wondered how nature looks through a microscope? The Crawford Park District invites you to come and explore the small things in nature by learning how to use a variety of magnifying lenses, microscopes, stereo microscopes, digital microscopes, binoculars, and even a camera to make the small things in nature appear large and close-up. Viewing the Night Sky Saturday, March 29, 8pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route Join members of the Crawford Park Astronomy Club as they share their knowledge and telescope skills with all who are interested in celestial sights. Some of the targets for spring are: Little Bear – also known as Ursa Minor, home to the asterism the Little Dipper which includes the famous North Star, and this appears to be the center of our star rotation. Big Bear – also known as Ursa Major, home to the asterism the Big Dipper, and lots of other galaxies and astronomical sights around this constellation. Leo the Lion – the 12th largest constellation, the Sickle makes up the head and mane of the lion, and is one of the easiest constellations for you to find on your own. Virgo Cluster (M87) – a luminous, intermediate spiral galaxy, 55 million light-years from earth, and home to a giant black hole. There are a lot of other objects to view. What we see will depend on what the clouds are doing. Animals Fools’ Day Tuesday, April 1 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 You probably have a jokester in your family that loves to play practical jokes on you for April Fools’ Day. From thieving beavers to mimicry behaviors, animals have many ways of fooling “friends and foes”. Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Lisa for an entertaining program about the animal jokesters of the world. You’ll even have an opportunity to meet a few of our wildlife ambassadors that have been known to play a trick or two. Homeschool in Nature: Planting Trees Thursday, April 3 10am & 2pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Earlier in the school year, the Crawford Park District Homeschoolers cut, pulled, dug, and removed a large amount invasive species during class. This month we will plant some new native flora to provide habitat for the wild animals in the park. Call the Park District at 419-683-9000 to register your 5–12-year-old. Artifact Hunt Saturday, April 5 Meet at 10am Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 The Crawford Park District invites you to join other artifact collectors to walk nearby farm fields looking for remnants of prehistoric people 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. Spring Peepers Saturday, April 5 2pm Carpenter’s Bottom, 3229 State Route 98 The song of spring peepers is one of the classic sounds of springtime. The Crawford Park District invites families to come to the vernal pools at Carpenter’s Bottom to find the spring peepers and chorus frogs that make our spring more musical. Waterproof boots are recommended. Feeding Day Monday, April 7 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Lisa to help feed some of the animals that reside in the Nature Center. Bugs, fruits, and vegetables are all things the animals like. Don’t forget our snakes would love a mouse or some earthworms too! Face to Face: Frogs and Toads Wednesday, April 9 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Donald to come meet the frog ambassadors of the Nature Center up close in this hour-long program! We will meet Gray Treefrogs, American Toads, and a Northern Leopard Frog while learning about their unique life cycle and where to find them. Little Explorers: Birds Thursday, April 10 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Little Explorers is an interactive program offered by the Crawford Park District 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 birds! Rock and Fossil Day Saturday, April 12 10am-2pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 The Crawford Park District invites you to stop out and see the Richland Mineral and Fossil Club’ collections at Lowe Volk Park. They will bring a variety of rock displays for you to look at. There will also be opportunities to purchase rocks, minerals, gems, and fossils. It will be a fun day for families and everyone who loves rocks and fossils. For more information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District, visit our web site at www.crawfordpd.org or follow us on Facebook. Hi-Tech Egg Hunt Sunday, April 13 1-3pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Borrow a GPS unit from the Crawford Park District or use your smartphone to scan QR codes to go on a hi-tech egg hunt through Lowe-Volk Park. Follow the GPS coordinates throughout the park to discover a hidden egg. There will be a nature-based question in each egg that needs to be answered. Kids finding all the eggs and answering the questions will receive a small prize when completed. Come join the fun! Girl Scouts: Animal Observers Tuesday, April 15 6pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Are you a Daisy Girl Scout? If so, come earn your Animal Observer badge! The Crawford Park District will start by taking a hike around the wetland looking for signs of animals. Next, we will learn about recording field notes by observing an animal. Finally, we will play a game to explore the different adaptations animals have to survive. All Daisies Girl Scouts are welcome! Carnivorous Plants Wednesday, April 16 5pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Arguably the most fascinating plants in the world reverse the typical feeding hierarchy and eat insects and other animals, and some of them live right here in Ohio. Crawford Park District Naturalist Donald will present information about the world’s carnivorous plants and bring a few specimens in for you to look at close up. Earth Day Wednesday, April 23 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Earth Day is April 22, but in celebration of it, join Crawford Park District Director Cole, as we talk about Ohio’s natural resources, what you can do to help preserve them, and make your own Earth Day terrarium! Call the Park District at 419-683-9000 to register for the program. There is a limit of 10 people. Wildflower Walk Saturday, April 26 2pm Sears Woods State Nature Preserve, 1486 Mt. Zion Rd. Our woods blossom into a kaleidoscope of colors each spring. Sometimes the spring wildflowers disappear almost as quickly as they appear. Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Donald for a tour of this ephemeral beauty at Sears Woods State Nature Preserve. Viewing the Night Sky Saturday, April 26, 8:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route Join members of the Crawford Park Astronomy Club as they share their knowledge and telescope skills with all who are interested in celestial sights. Some of the targets for spring are: Little Bear – also known as Ursa Minor, home to the asterism the Little Dipper which includes the famous North Star, and this appears to be the center of our star rotation. Big Bear – also known as Ursa Major, home to the asterism the Big Dipper, and lots of other galaxies and astronomical sights around this constellation. Leo the Lion – the 12th largest constellation, the Sickle makes up the head and mane of the lion, and is one of the easiest constellations for you to find on your own. Virgo Cluster (M87) – a luminous, intermediate spiral galaxy, 55 million light-years from earth, and home to a giant black hole. There are a lot of other objects to view. What we see will depend on what the clouds are doing. Girl Scouts: Geocacher Saturday, April 29 6pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Are you a Junior Girl Scout? If so, join the Crawford Park District and Crawford County Girl Scouts to earn your geocacher badge. Learn how to use the GPS units, hike out to find a geocache, make a trade, and sign the log. Don’t forget to bring something small to trade. All Junior Girl Scouts are welcome! Stewardship: Invasive Species Saturday, May 3 9am-12pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 The Crawford Park District is looking for volunteers to help remove invasive plant species from the park. Multiflora Rose, Barberry, and Honeysuckle are some of the species we’ll be working on removing. This is a great opportunity for individuals or groups that are looking for volunteer hours or community services hours. Dress for the weather and bring work gloves. Loppers and some pruners will be provided. Face to Face: Turtles Tuesday, May 6 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 The Crawford Park District invites you to come meet the turtle ambassadors of the Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center up close in this hour-long program! You’ll be able to touch some of the native turtles of Ohio, ranging from the Woodland Box Turtle to the Midland Painted Turtle, all while learning about their life and adaptations that allow them to survive in their habitat. Little Explorers: Flowers Thursday, May 8 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Little Explorers is an interactive program offered by the Crawford Park District 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 all the parts of flowers! Bird Banding Saturday, May 10 7am-1pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 In conjunction with Friends of the Crawford’s pancake breakfast, we’ll be banding birds on the front porch of the Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center. Join Bob Placier 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. Pancakes in the Park Saturday, May 10 8am-1pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 The Friends of the Crawford Park District invite you to 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 from Carle’s Bratwurst, and a great morning enjoying and supporting your Park District! Feeding Day Monday, May 12 5:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Will it be fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, shrimp, worms, crickets, or mice? Can you guess what’s on the menu for the animals in the Nature Center? Come join Crawford Park District Naturalist Lisa if you want to help feed some of our wildlife ambassadors! Girl Scouts: Animal Habitats Tuesday, May 13 6pm Lowe Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Are you a Junior Girl Scout? Join the Crawford Park District and Crawford County Girl Scouts 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. All Junior Girl Scouts are welcome! Nocturnal Animals Thursday, May 22 5:30pm Lowe Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 While you’re comfortable in your bed, these animals are awake and going about their day! Come join Crawford Park District Director Cole as we explore the lives of animals rarely seen during our waking hours! Daughmer Savannah Hike Saturday, May 24 2pm Daughmer Savannah, 786 Marion-Melmore Rd. The Crawford Park District invites you to a tour of Daughmer Savannah. Rare plants, migrating birds, and ancient oaks: Daughmer Prairie Savannah offers us a glimpse of the habitat that used to dominate the area of the historical Sandusky Plains. As we explore this remnant prairie, we will look for all the wonderful living things that make use of this rare habitat. Viewing the Night Sky Saturday, May 24, 9pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route Join members of the Crawford Park Astronomy Club as they share their knowledge and telescope skills with all who are interested in celestial sights. Some of the targets for spring are: Little Bear – also known as Ursa Minor, home to the asterism the Little Dipper which includes the famous North Star, and this appears to be the center of our star rotation. Big Bear – also known as Ursa Major, home to the asterism the Big Dipper, and lots of other galaxies and astronomical sights around this constellation. Leo the Lion – the 12th largest constellation, the Sickle makes up the head and mane of the lion, and is one of the easiest constellations for you to find on your own. Virgo Cluster (M87) – a luminous, intermediate spiral galaxy, 55 million light-years from earth, and home to a giant black hole. There are a lot of other objects to view. What we see will depend on what the clouds are doing. Girl Scouts: Tree Promise Saturday, May 27 6pm Lowe Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 Are you a Girl Scout? If so, join the Crawford Park District and Crawford County Girl Scouts the Tree Promise program. Find out why trees are nature’s “superheroes!” We will explore the woods identifying the diversity of trees it contains and observe how it benefits wildlife too. We will learn the proper techniques and procedures for planting new saplings. Finally, we will also make a plan for how we can protect and honor these superheroes. All levels of Girl Scouts are welcome! Feeding Day Monday, May 28 2pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598 The animals in the Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center love feeding day! Stop out to help feed many of our turtles, snakes, salamanders, frogs, and maybe the tarantula will grab a snack too. With all the different animals, they have different dietary requirements. Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Lisa to discover what’s on the menu for our wildlife ambassadors! Moth Mania Friday, May 30 9pm Unger Park, 1303 Bucyrus-Nevada Rd. The Crawford Park District invites you to Unger Park for this fascinating program. Ranging in size from that of a grain of rice to a small bird and decked in all the colors of the rainbow, moths are some of the most beautiful and fascinating insects in our parks. Despite their ecological importance and stunning appearance, most go unnoticed during the day. We will set up lights to attract these nocturnal beauties and see how many kinds of moths and other insects turn up at our sheet. Viewing the Night Sky Saturday, May 31, 9:30pm Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route Join members of the Crawford Park Astronomy Club as they share their knowledge and telescope skills with all who are interested in celestial sights. Some of the targets for spring are: Little Bear – also known as Ursa Minor, home to the asterism the Little Dipper which includes the famous North Star, and this appears to be the center of our star rotation. Big Bear – also known as Ursa Major, home to the asterism the Big Dipper, and lots of other galaxies and astronomical sights around this constellation. Leo the Lion – the 12th largest constellation, the Sickle makes up the head and mane of the lion, and is one of the easiest constellations for you to find on your own. Virgo Cluster (M87) – a luminous, intermediate spiral galaxy, 55 million light-years from earth, and home to a giant black hole. There are a lot of other objects to view. What we see will depend on what the clouds are doing. Living History Days Sat., May 31-Sun., June 1 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! |
Become a Friend of the
|
Crawford Park District
2401 SR 598 Crestline, OH 44827 419-683-9000 Business Hours Mon-Fri 8:00am - 4:00pm Saturday 12:00pm - 4:00pm Sunday - Closed |
|