CRAWFORD COUNTY—September brings lots of opportunities for families to enjoy everything that the Crawford Park District has to offer.
Homeschool in Nature: Stream Study
Thursday, September 2
9 am, 11 am & 2 pm
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
To kick off the school year, the Crawford Park District Homeschoolers are going to do a stream study to check for macroinvertebrates. Bring your boots or water shoes and prepare to get in the water. Dress for the weather. Call the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000 to reserve a spot for your 5-12-year-old.
Monarch Tagging
Wednesday, September 8
5 pm
Buckeye Central Outdoor Learning Lab 938 S. Kibler St. New Washington
The Crawford Park District invites families to come out to the Buckeye Central Learning Lab located on the ground of Buckeye Central Schools. At this program, attendees will learn about the Monarch butterfly’s life cycle, its need for milkweed plants, and their amazing migration to Mexico. You will have an opportunity to help Kansas University with Monarch migration and population research by attempting to capture, tag, and release Monarch butterflies. All ages welcome. Nets will be provided.
Catchin’ Crawdads
Saturday, September 11
4 pm
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Abby for a favorite childhood adventure of catching “crawdads,” or crayfish, down by the river. Participants should come ready to learn about these lobster relatives and to get your feet wet while we turn over rocks to find our local crustaceans. Please wear closed-toe water shoes or boots and dress for the weather as the event will happen rain or shine unless the river is flooded. Nets and containers will be provided.
Caterpillar Hunt
Saturday, September 11
8–11 pm
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Did you know that many caterpillars glow under UV light and that some can grow to the size of a small sausage?! Join Crawford Park District Naturalists Kyle & Chelsea to learn about the fascinating world of caterpillars. When darkness falls, we will use UV lights and flashlights to search for caterpillars and other nocturnally active creatures in our park. We’ll also have a mothing sheet up to see which magnificent moths are flying in late summer. Fun for all ages!
Monarch Tagging
Wednesday, September 15
6 pm
Unger Park, 1303 Bucyrus-Nevada Rd.
The Crawford Park District invites families to learn about the Monarch butterfly’s life cycle, its need for milkweed plants, and their amazing migration to Mexico. You will have an opportunity to help Kansas University with Monarch migration and population research by attempting to capture, tag, and release Monarch butterflies. All ages welcome. Nets will be provided.
Fall Migration Bird Banding
Friday, September 17
8 am-12 pm
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Bander Bob Placier will bring his mist nets and feeder traps to see which birds might be passing through Lowe-Volk Park on their journey southward. Join the Crawford Park District staff for a fun morning learning all about our migratory birds. Please stop by for a little bit or stay for the duration as we attempt to capture and band our 400th bird at Lowe-Volk Park.
Birding Basics
Saturday, September 18
8 am
Heckert Nature Preserve, 1601 State Route 19
Curious about birding but don’t know how to get involved? Join Crawford Park District Land Manager and Naturalist Kyle Bailey for an interactive, family-friendly program suitable for all ages. Autumn is gearing up, and fall migration is in full swing. Woodlands are again active with an abundance of flycatchers, vireos, warblers, and thrushes, while sparrows are busy invading wetlands and grasslands. Don’t miss scores of swallows and hawks riding thermals pushing their way south. This program will focus on birding basics such as learning how to identify common Ohio species, when and where to bird, how to bird, what to look for, and much more! We will meet in the parking lot of Heckert Nature Preserve. Please bring binoculars or cameras to better view the birds. Binoculars are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Fungus Among Us
Saturday, September 18
11am
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
The Crawford Park District invites you to come to learn about “The Fungus Among Us.” Ohio has an amazing amount of fungus diversity with upwards of 2,000 species. Some are edible when prepared properly, but some are poisonous. Come learn how to correctly identify these fun-to-search-for-and-eat natural treats with Land Manager and Naturalist Kyle Bailey! We will meet at the Lowe- Volk Park Nature Center.
Seed Collection
Sunday, September 19
12 pm-2 pm
Unger Park, 1303 Bucyrus-Nevada Rd.
Have you ever been interested in growing your own native prairie or garden? Come out to Unger Park for the first annual Prairie Seed Collection event. Seed collection aids the Crawford Park District in creating new prairies or bolstering plant populations in established prairies. Land Manager Kyle Bailey will be on-site to assist you with plant and seed identification. Bring paper bags to collect seeds, hand pruners, and gloves. Participants will also get to take some seeds home to establish their own native prairie garden.
Monarch Tagging
Tuesday, September 21
5 pm
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
The Crawford Park District invites you to come to learn about the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly, its need for milkweed plants, and their amazing migration to Mexico. Program participants will have an opportunity to help Kansas University with Monarch migration and population research by attempting to capture, tag, and release Monarch butterflies. All ages welcome. Nets will be provided.
Canoeing
Thursday, September 23
5–7 pm
Neff Reservoir, State Route 98, East of Bucyrus
Join the Crawford Park District staff for an evening paddle around Neff Reservoir. After a lesson on canoeing basics and safety, we will send you out on the water! You will need to wear shoes that can get wet. No registration is required, but it will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sandusky River Clean Sweep
Saturday, September 25
9 am-12 pm
Lowe-Volk Park2401 State Route 598
Volunteer to help remove trash from the Sandusky River! Join Crawford Park District staff and the Sandusky River Watershed Coalition on a joint stewardship project working to beautify our very own scenic section of the Sandusky River. All volunteers are welcome but must register before the event. Registration opens August 1, 2021, at sanduskyriver.org, and follow the link on the homepage. Register before September 12 and receive a free Clean Sweep T-shirt. Please dress to be in the stream with closed-toe footwear, sunscreen, and bug spray suggested. Trash bags, gloves, and a light snack bag will be provided.
Contact Jakob Boehler at 419-448-2054 with questions.
Pickin’ Pawpaws
Saturday, September 25
1 pm
Carpenter’s Bottom, 3229 State Route 98
“Pickin’ up pawpaws, puttin’ em in her pocket!” Take a hike with Crawford Park District Naturalists Lisa and Chelsea to learn about and search for our largest native fruit…the Pawpaw! If the pickings are ripe and ready, we will have a tasty snack!
Viewing the Night Sky
Saturday, September 25
7:30 pm
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 the fall are:
Jupiter – The largest planet in our solar system is ½ billion miles away, has 4 Galilean moons, and over 60 other moons
Saturn – 1 billion miles away, known for its beautiful rings, and has several moons
Globular Clusters – There are about 150 known in the Milky Way, and each is formed from thousands of stars
Earth’s Moon – The 5th largest moon in our solar system, 240,000 miles from earth, and is a real treat to see through a telescope
Andromeda Galaxy – The closest large spiral galaxy, a really nice view of 1 trillion stars, and one of the brightest objects in the night sky
Horsehead Nebula – Look near Orion’s Belt to see Barnard 33, a dark cloud of cold gas and dust, visible because it’s positioned in front of the Flame Nebula
M42 – Orion Nebula is 1,500 light-years away, known for being a stellar nursery, and can be seen just below Orion’s Belt
M45 – Sometimes referred to as Seven Sisters or Pleiades star cluster, is visible from all parts of the world and is 410 light-years away
M81 – Also known as Bode’s Galaxy, a spiral galaxy 11,000,000 light-years away and contains more than 200 globular clusters
North Star – A double star also known as Polaris
M101 – More commonly called the Pinwheel Galaxy, found in Ursa Major, has 1 trillion stars and contains more than 200 globular clusters
There are a lot of other objects to view. What you see will depend on what the clouds are doing.
Caterpillar Hunt
Saturday, September 25
8–11 pm
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
The Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar is an incredible snake mimic! Can we find one munching on the spicebush in our woods? Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Chelsea to learn about the fascinating world of caterpillars. When darkness falls, we will use UV lights and flashlights to search for caterpillars and other nocturnally active creatures in our park. Fun for all ages!
Feeding Day
Sunday, September 26
1 pm
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Will it be fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, shrimp, worms, or mice? Can you guess what’s on the menu for the animals in the Crawford Park District’s Nature Center? If you want to help feed some of the animals, stop by the Lowe Volk Park Nature Center for this fun-filled program.
Archery
Sunday, September 26
3–5 pm
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Whether for sport, food, or fun, archery is a great outdoor activity that gets us away from the gadgets of life, allowing us to focus on one thing: hitting the target. Join Crawford Park District staff for an archery shoot that will include an introduction to archery safety and shooting basics. All equipment will be provided. Please call the Park District at 419-683-9000 to register.
Prairie Wildflowers
Sun. September 26,
3 pm Salem
Cemetery Prairie, corner of Lower-Leesville and Parcher Rd.
The tall-grass prairies of Ohio are renowned for their late summer displays of wildflowers. The Salem prairie is a restoration project in its 12th year, and it is now one of the best prairies in northern Ohio.
Meet Crawford Park District Naturalist Warren Uxley at the Salem cemetery.
Nature Storytime
Monday, September 27
10 am
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Chelsea for an interactive read-aloud and a fun story-related activity or animal visitor! It will be held outside in nice weather or inside the Nature Center if it is raining. Kids will receive a nature storytime ticket for attending and can choose a prize after five visits.
K9 “Nose” Best
Monday, September 27
6 pm
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 Sate Route 598
The Ohio Division of Wildlife recently implemented a K9 program to assist the agency in its enforcement efforts. The Crawford Park District welcomes Wildlife Officer Nathan Kaufman, who will discuss what it takes to become a wildlife officer and a K9 handler. Officer Kaufman will also have a demonstration of K9 May’s abilities.
Book Club
Monday, September 27
7 pm
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Do you love nature and also love to read? With the abundance of books available for nature lovers, sometimes it is hard to choose the next great book to read. Join the Crawford Park District’s Book Club, and we will figure it out together! 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! Meetings are held at the Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center on the last Tuesday of each month. Please note that the book club meeting for September will take place at 7 pm.
Infant Explorers: Crawdads/River
Wednesday, September 29
5 pm
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Your first instinct may be to keep your babies indoors. However, research tells us that infants in outdoor spaces benefit from access to a wide variety of sensory stimuli they can’t experience indoors. Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Abby and baby Vincenzo for a program about “crawdads” that will take place down by the river. Baby carriers may be helpful for the hike to the river as the river trail is not stroller accessible. Dress for the weather and the possibility of mosquitoes; we will be outside for at least part of the program.
For more information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District, call 419-683-9000, visit their website at crawfordpd.org, or follow them on Facebook.