Crawford Park District offering more events for August

BUCYRUS—While kids are heading back to school across the county, the Crawford Park District is offering plenty to do for the rest of the month of August during their downtime.

Here are the upcoming events for the rest of this month:

Aquatic Adventures: River on Saturday, August 22,  from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (REGISTRATION REQUIRED) at      Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598, Crestline

The Crawford Park District invites you to sign up for your family to explore Lowe-Volk Park’s section of the Sandusky River and the animals that call it home! Participants will be exploring the River and Park staff will provide nets, containers, and ID lists to help you find and learn about macroinvertebrates, the frog and dragonfly life cycle, and you may even catch a turtle or snake! Please come prepared with proper footwear (boots or old closed-toe shoes, no flip flops, or Crocs) and clothing that can get wet or muddy. A change of clothes is suggested.  Call 419-683-9000 to reserve a 45-minute time slot. This event will occur rain or shine unless there is severe weather.

Night Sky on Saturday, August 22 at 8:30 p.m. (REGISTRATION REQUIRED) at Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598, Crestline

The Crawford Park Astronomy Club will meet the 4th Saturday of each month 30 minutes after sunset. Programs will be held regardless of sky conditions, so please dress for the weather. If the skies are rainy or cloudy, we will meet in the Nature Center. In order to follow the Governor’s guidelines for group gatherings, please call 419-683-9000 to register for the program.

Some of the targets for the Summer sky are:  Earth’s Moon – Summer is a great time to view the mountains and craters that are found on the moon. These features are 230,085 miles away.

m-104 – The Sombrero Galaxy is a lenticular galaxy that we can view its edge. It is 31 million light-years away and found in Virgo.

m-4 – A globular cluster only 5,500 light-years away (which is the closest one to earth) is home to more than 100,000 stars. Some of these stars are 13 billion years old!

Milky Way – The center of the Milky Way is a massive black hole that is 26,000 light-years away. A large portion of people can’t see part of our galaxy due to light pollution. Lucky for us, we live in rural Ohio and are able to view it!

Storybook Trail: August 24 to August 30,  Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep by April Pulley Sayre at Daughmer Savannah, 786 Marion Melmore Road

Throughout the summer each park of the Crawford Park District will feature a storybook that is placed along the trail for you to read while you are hiking. This week’s story is, Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep, by April Pulley Sayre. The Story Brook Trail will be available starting at 10 a.m. on Monday and will be available through Sunday at Daughmer Savannah State Nature Preserve. If you take a picture of the beginning and end of the book and send it to the Crawford Park District Facebook page through messenger or email at aditomassi@crawfordpd.org we will send you a button. If you complete all the trails you receive a special prize!  For more information, contact the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000.

Fishing on Monday, August 24,  from 2 to 7 p.m.  (REGISTRATION REQUIRED) at Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598, Crestline

The Crawford Park District invites you to sign up your family to fish in our pond at Lowe-Volk Park. We will provide fishing poles with hooks and bobbers, but feel free to bring your own! While we will provide some bait, families are encouraged to bring their own. Bring a lawn chair to relax by the pond and possibly snag the big one! Call the Crawford Park District Office at  419-683-9000 to reserve a 45-minute time slot. This event will occur rain or shine unless there is severe weather.

Book Club on Tuesday, August 25 at 6 p.m. at Heckert Nature Preserve, 1601 State Route 19 Bucyrus

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!  Pre- Registration is recommended as the club will be limited to 10 members.  So 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 the last Tuesday of each month.

Archery on August 27 from 2 to 7 p.m. (REGISTRATION REQUIRED) at Unger Park, 1303 Bucyrus-Nevada Road, Bucyrus

The Crawford Park District invites you to sign up your family to test your skills at archery! Each session will begin with instructions on equipment and safety followed by instruction on proper form and tips to hit the Bullseye! We will provide all the necessary equipment. If you want to use your own bow, you must bring and use your own arrows with it. Please wear closed-toe shoes. Call the Crawford Park District office at  419-683-9000 to reserve a 45-minute time slot. This event will occur rain or shine unless there is severe weather.

For more information, contact the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000. Look for information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District by visiting their website or Facebook page.