The Crawford Park District is offering the following programs:
Puppet Pals: Stream Life
Thursday, March 21, at 6 p.m.; and Friday, March 22, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598.
Our Puppet Pals are exploring a stream! Join the Crawford Park District staff and their Puppet Pals on their adventure, where a raccoon, white-tailed deer, Eastern hellbender, and more discover the life of a stream. The puppet show will be followed by a fun activity. For kids ages 3-7 and their parents. Lowe-Volk Park is located 3 miles north of U.S. Route 30. For more information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District, visit www.crawfordpd.org.
Stewardship: Invasive Species
Saturday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to noon at Heckert Nature Preserve, 1601 State Route 19.
Help protect our parks from invasives species such as honeysuckle and barberry. Join Crawford Park District Land Manager 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. Heckert Nature Preserve is located at 1601 State Route 19 west of State Route 602. For more information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District, call 419-683-9000.
Viewing the Night Sky
Saturday, March 23, at 8:15 p.m. at 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 Spring are:
• Beehive Cluster (M44) – also known as Praesepe, an open cluster of about 1,000 stars, about 600 million years old, 550 light-years away, and found in the constellation Cancer.
• Betelgeuse – a giant red carbon star or red supergiant, 700 light-years away, about 10 million years old, 600 times the size of our sun, and when viewed from earth, it is the left shoulder of Orion.
• Crab Nebula (M1) – an expanding remnant of a star’s supernova explosion, 6,500 light-years away, found in Taurus, about 10 light-years wide (which equals about 10 trillion miles) and is still growing at over 600 miles per second.
• M65 – an intermediate spiral galaxy under the belly of Leo the Lion, 35 million light-years away, and part of the Leo Triplet.
• M66 – another spiral galaxy found below Leo, 35 million light-years away, part of the Leo Triplet, and in 1780, it was discovered the same night as M65 by Charles Messier.
• Orion Nebula (M42) – a beautiful, large, local nebula, only 1,300 light-years away, (yes, that is local in astronomical terms), about 2 million years old, and is the middle star of Orion’s sword.
• Polaris – the North Star, the 48th brightest star in the sky, always visible, and the end of the Little Dipper’s handle.
• Sirius – found in Canis Major, the brightest star in our sky, also called the Dog Star, and it follows Orion the Hunter.
There are a lot of other objects to view. What we see will depend on what the clouds are doing.
Hi-Tech Egg Hunt
Sunday, March 24, from 1-3 p.m. at Lowe-Volk Park.
The Crawford Park District invites families to come out for a different kind of egg hunt. Borrow a GPS unit from us or use your smartphone to scan QR codes to go on a hi-tech egg hunt. Follow the 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, March 26, at 5:45 p.m. at Lowe-Volk Park.
Are you a Daisy Girl Scout? If so, join the Crawford Park District and come earn your Animal Observer badge! We will begin by taking a hike on our trails in search of animal tracks and other signs. Then, we’ll play a game to hone our skills at spotting camouflaged animals. Finally, we’ll practice recording field notes by observing our animals in the Nature Center. Daisy Girl Scouts from all troops are welcome!
Submitted by the Crawford Park District.
