Bird Walk
Saturday, April 30 8 a.m. Sears Woods, 1486 Mt. Zion Rd.
Crawford Park District Land Manager Kyle Bailey will give an interactive and informative monthly bird walk. Early returning neotropical migrants such as Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and warblers such as Palm, Pine, and Black-and-white are beginning to arrive. Meet in the parking lot at Sears Woods before heading out onto the trail. Optics are recommended. Binoculars are limited and will be available on a first come first serve basis. Sears Woods State Nature Preserve is located on Mt. Zion Road, west of Bucyrus. For information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District call 419-683-9000, visit our website at www.crawfordpd.org or follow us on Facebook.
Stewardship
Saturday, April 30 1 1a.m. Sears Woods, 1486 Mt. Zion Rd.
Join Land Manager Kyle Bailey for our monthly Stewardship Program where the focus will be managing an easily identifiable and extremely invasive non-native known as Garlic Mustard. There will be a brief introduction about stewardship and our target species before heading out into the field. Closed-toe shoes, long sleeves, and pants are required. Dress for the weather. Some gloves and loppers will be available on a first come first serve basis. Sears Woods State Nature Preserve is located on Mt. Zion Road, west of Bucyrus. For information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District call 419-683-9000, visit our website at www.crawfordpd.org or follow us on Facebook.
Wildflower Walk
Saturday, April 30 2 p.m. Sears Woods, 1486 Mt. Zion Rd.
Have you ever heard that April showers bring May flowers? Although this is true, there’s a whole group of flowers that sprout earlier in the spring known as spring ephemeral wildflowers. These flowers have quick life cycles and live for a short period of time, which is why they are called “ephemeral”. They provide important and crucial nectar sources for early pollinators before disappearing, giving way to longer lasting summer wild forbs. Join Crawford Park District Land Manager Kyle Bailey for an immersive walk through the forests searching for late season spring ephemerals. Sears Woods State Nature Preserve is located on Mt. Zion Road, west of Bucyrus. For information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District call 419-683-9000, visit our website at www.crawfordpd.org or follow us on Facebook.
Viewing the Night Sky
Saturday, April 30 9 p.m. Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Join members of the Crawford Park Astronomy Club as they share their knowledge and telescope skills with all who are interested in the celestial sights. Some of the targets for spring are:
Pleiades (M45) – the brightest star cluster in the sky. It looks like a small dipper, but it is not the Little Dipper.
Orion Nebula (M42) – a region of active star formation 1,500 light-years away. A very nice site to view through a telescope.
Beehive Cluster (M44) – it is amazing how many stars are in this object which can be viewed in the constellation Cancer
Globular Cluster (M5) – one of the oldest globular clusters in the Milky Way
There are a lot of other objects to view. What we see will depend on what the clouds are doing.
Lowe-Volk Park is located 3 miles north of US Route 30. For information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District call 419-683-9000, visit our website at www.crawfordpd.org or follow us on Facebook.
Foraging in the Forest
Sunday, May 12 p.m. Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Did you know that the flowers, stems, and leaves of Spring Beauty are all edible? Its petite tubers are so tasty that they are known as “fairy potatoes”! Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Chelsea to learn about and sample the wild edibles of Ohio’s spring forests. Advice and resources for foraging on your own will also be provided. Lowe-Volk Park is located 3 miles north of US Route 30. For information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District call 419-683-9000, visit our website at www.crawfordpd.org or follow us on Facebook.
Living Landscapes: How to Attract Birds, Butterflies, & Pollinators to Your Yard
Wednesday, May 4, 6 p.m. Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Are you a bird watcher who would like to attract more species of birds to your yard? Perhaps you’re interested in enticing beautiful butterflies to your landscape? Or, maybe you’d just like to make your property more eco-friendly? Whether you live in town or in the country, what you choose to plant in your yard makes a huge difference to birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Chelsea to learn why including native plants in your landscape can create an ecological oasis for our dwindling bird and insect populations. Program participants will be given a native plant to take home! Lowe-Volk Park is located 3 miles north of US Route 30. For information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District call 419-683-9000, visit our website at www.crawfordpd.org or follow us on Facebook.
