CRESTLINE—April showers bring May flowers and the Crawford Park District has an April shower planned of their own for local residents to enjoy.
The April Shower Hike will feature rainclouds with one-line poems to read as people stroll through Lowe-Volk Park to locate the rainclouds on any day throughout the month of April. At the end of the hike, prizes will be awarded at the front desk in the Nature Center at the park.
Several other events are also planned for this month:
Habitat Hike Storybook Trail from April 1 to April 30 at the Buckeye Central Outdoor Learning Lab in New Washington
This event will feature Creatures of the Woods by Toni Eugene. The Crawford Park District invites you to take a spring hike at our parks to find the Storybook Trails that will explore different habitats and what animals you can find there. The hike for April will take place at the Outdoor Learning Lab located on the campus of Buckeye Central Schools in New Washington. For each Storybook Trail you complete, you can send a picture of the last page of the book to aditomassi@crawfordpd.org or message Crawford Park District on Facebook to receive a button.
Homeschool in Nature: Wildflowers on April 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lowe Volk Park
This month the Crawford Park District homeschoolers are going to learn about the importance of our early blooming wildflowers. They will then go on a hike looking for them. Dress for the weather. Classes are limited to 10 students per session and sessions begin at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Please call the Park District at 419-683-9000 to reserve a spot for your five to 12-year-old.
Heckert Nature Preserve Bio Blitz on April 3 at 2 p.m. at Heckert Nature Preserve
Maybe you will discover a county record salamander or a rare insect! This month’s bioblitz offered by the Crawford Park District will focus on the early spring wildflowers, insects, and amphibians of Heckert Nature Preserve. Heckert is a hidden gem featuring 43 acres of woods harboring vernal pools and wetlands. Join Naturalist Chelsea to learn how to use the iNaturalist website to document your park’s diversity of life. Fun for all ages—all you need is a camera or phone and a willingness to explore. Registration is not necessary. Call the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000 with questions. Heckert Nature Preserve is located at 1601 State Route 19 west of State Route 602.
Artifact Hunt on April 10 at 10 a.m. at Lowe Volk Park
Meet @ Lowe-Volk Park and join Crawford Park District volunteers and members of the Johnny Appleseed Chapter 19 of the Archaeological Society of Ohio to walk nearby farm fields looking for remnants of prehistoric cultures 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. Also, walking sticks and small digging tools can be helpful.
Gettin’ Froggy on April 10 at 2 p.m. at Carpenter’s Bottom
Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Abby for a froggy adventure to Carpenter’s Bottom’s vernal pools. We will be learning all about the Spring Peeper and Chorus Frog and hoping to use their vocalizations to find them in the woods. We will also have traps set to see if we can catch them or other animals that visit the vernal pools in early spring. Dress for the weather and bring waders or rain boots if you have them. Carpenter’s Bottom is located at 3229 St. Rt. 98, east of Bucyrus, just beyond the railroad tracks. Call the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000 to register.
Spring Wildflowers on April 11 at 3 p.m. at Sears Woods
Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Warren Uxley at the Sears Woods for a Spring wildflower hike. Spring brings explosive growth within our woodlands. Spring blooming wildflowers must complete their life cycle before the trees leaf out and cut off the light necessary for photosynthesis. Sears Woods State Nature Preserve is located on Mt. Zion Road, west of Bucyrus. Call the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000 to register.
Wrens on April 14 at 8 p.m. at Lowe Volk Park
Six different Wren species have been recorded in Ohio – two of those species are in trouble and a third has disappeared altogether. Meet Crawford Park District Naturalist Warren Uxley at Lowe-Volk Park and learn the good, the bad and the interesting facts about Wrens. Call the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000 to register. Lowe-Volk Park is located 3 miles north of US Route 30.
Earth Day Challenge from April 18 through May 2 at any location of the Park District
Earth Day is April 22 and the Crawford Park District wants you to celebrate! Our Earth Day Challenge is for you to make the earth a cleaner place. Pick a location of your choice (your neighborhood, a park, a community space), grab some gloves and a trash bag, and get cleaning! Submit a picture showing how hard you worked to earn an earth day button. You can email your pictures to Lisa at lbogard@crawfordpd.org or send a message through Facebook messenger.
Toddler Trot: Wildflowers on April 18 at 2 p.m. at Heckert Nature Preserve
Wildflowers are beautiful and fun to explore. Join Crawford Park District Director, Josh and McKinley to investigate the colors, numbers, and textures of our gorgeous natural landscape. For kids not yet in kindergarten and their parents. Call the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000 to register. Heckert Nature Preserve is located at 1601 State Route 19 west of State Route 602.
Golden Buckeye Wildflower Hike on April 22 at 1 p.m. at Heckert Nature Preserve
Spring wildflowers take advantage of the sun to flower and produce seeds. Join Crawford Park District Director, Josh and take a leisurely stroll that will focus on the importance of these spring ephemerals and their role in our woodlands. Call the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000 to register. Heckert Nature Preserve is located at 1601 State Route 19 west of State Route 602.
Volunteer Day: Planting a Prairie on April 24 at 10 a.m. at Sandusky Headwaters Preserve
As work on developing your new preserve continues, the Crawford Park District needs your help! Hundreds of prairie and wetland plugs need to be planted! This is a great community service opportunity for your club, civic group, and family. This planting will help finalize the Crawford Park District’s H2Ohio grant project. Some tools will be provided, but you may bring a trowel or shovel. Call the Park office (419-683-9000) to register your family or club. Rain Date: May 1. Sandusky Headwaters Preserve is located three miles north of US 30.
Viewing the Night Sky on April 24 at 9 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 the celestial sights. Lowe Volk Park is located at 2401 SR 598, Crestline.
Feeding Day on April 25 at 1 p.m. at Lowe Volk Park
Will it be fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, shrimp, worms, or mice? Can you guess what is on the menu for the animals in the Crawford Park District’s Nature Center? If you want to help feed some of the animals, call the Crawford Park District at 419-683-9000 to register. Lowe-Volk Park is located three miles north of US Route 30. For more information contact the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000.
Sears Woods Bioblitz on April 25 at 2 p.m. at Sears Woods
Many of our gorgeous spring wildflowers have oligolectics. These are harmless bees that specialize in collecting pollen from only one or a few flower species. For April’s bioblitz, we will be searching Sears Woods for wildflowers and their visiting pollinators. Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Chelsea to use the iNaturalist website to document your park’s diversity of life and to assist with the Ohio Bee Survey. Fun for all ages—all you need is a camera or phone and a willingness to explore! Sears Woods State Nature Preserve is located on Mt. Zion Road, west of Bucyrus. Call the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000 to register.
Book Club on April 27 at 6 p.m. at Lowe Volk Park
Do you love nature and 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! Pre- Registration is recommended as the club will be limited to 15 members. 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. Lowe-Volk Park is located 3 miles north of US Route 30.
Infant Explorers: Water on April 28 at 5 p.m. at Lowe Volk Park
Your first instinct may be to keep your babies indoors, but research tells us that infants in outdoor spaces benefit from access to a wide variety of sensory stimuli which they just can’t experience indoors. Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Abby and baby Vincenzo for a program about water that will engage your infants’ senses and get parents and babies out of the house for some fresh air! Dress for the weather, we will be outside for at least part of the program. Call the Crawford Park District at 419-683-9000 to register. Lowe-Volk Park is located three miles north of US Route 30.
Look for information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District by visiting their website or Facebook page.