CRESTLINE, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)— The Crawford Park District has announced a lineup of public fall programs, offering free interactive events for residents of all ages across its county parks through early October.

Activities kick off Tuesday, Sept. 22, with Little Explorers: Signs of Fall at 5:30 p.m. at Lowe-Volk Park, located at 2401 State Route 598. Designed for children ages 0 to 5, the session provides sensory experiences for infants and hands-on nature activities—focused on colorful leaves, acorns, and pinecones—for toddlers and preschoolers.

Lowe-Volk Park will host two sessions of Monarch Tagging, the first on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 5:30 p.m., and a second session on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 5:30 p.m. at Daughmer Savannah, 786 Marion Melmore Road. Participants of all ages will learn about the butterfly’s life cycle and migration patterns to Mexico while assisting University of Kansas research by capturing, tagging, and releasing monarchs. Nets will be provided.

Stargazers can join the Crawford Park Astronomy Club for Viewing the Night Sky on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 8 p.m. at Lowe-Volk Park. Visitors are encouraged to bring personal telescopes for hands-on assistance and dress for the weather to observe targets including Saturn, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Big Dipper. In case of unfavorable skies, the program will shift indoors to the Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center.

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 5:30 p.m., the district will host Pickin’ Pawpaws at Carpenter’s Bottom, 3229 State Route 98. Attendees will search for North America’s largest native fruit—also known as the “custard apple” or “hillbilly mango”—and sample ripe pawpaws.

Students ages 5 to 12 can participate in Homeschool in Nature: Hiding in Plain Sight on Thursday, Oct. 1. Sessions take place at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Lowe-Volk Park, focusing on animal camouflage adaptations. Participants should dress for the weather.

Community members are invited to give back during the Unger Barn Clean-up Day on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Unger Park, 1303 Bucyrus-Nevada Road. Volunteers aged 12 and older will assist in clearing stalls, preparing rooms, and salvaging historical farm equipment. Tools, gloves, and water will be supplied, though dust masks are recommended.

For more information on these and future events, visit crawfordpd.org or follow the Crawford Park District on Facebook.