CRESTLINE—From the Hi-Tech Easter Egg Hunt to the ongoing Book Club, there are still several events planned for the month of March by the Crawford Park District. Check out the list below.

Vernal Pool Exploration on Saturday, March 27 at 1 p.m. at Heckert Nature Preserve, 1601 State Route 602

Vernal Pools are a diverse habitat to explore. Join Crawford Park District Director, Josh Dyer for an investigation of the vernal pools at Heckert looking for bugs, frogs, and SALAMANDERS, of course! All ages welcome. Wear rubber boots.  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.

Viewing the Night Sky on Saturday, March 27 at 8 p.m. at 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 spring are:

M41 – 2,300 light-years away is Canis Major, an open cluster 4 degrees south of Sirius

Mars – is very favorable for a while longer

Castor – is 370 million years old, 50 light-years away, consists of multiple stars and contains the 20th brightest star in the sky

NGC 2392 –discovered in 1787 by William Herschel, the Clown Face Nebula is 5000 light-years away, found in Gemini

NGC 2632 – a very pretty sight is the Beehive Cluster, sometimes referred to as the Northern Jewel Box

M50 – an open cluster in Monoceros is 2,870 light-years away, and contains 508 stars

M42 – the great nebula of Orion is 1,300 light-years away and 12 light-years across, and is the birthplace of stars

Andromeda Galaxy – the closest major galaxy to the Milky Way, a real sight to behold

Pleiades – 410 light-years away, visible with binoculars, very young at only 20 million years old

Hyades – open star cluster 153 light-years away, moving away from us at 100,000 mph

Crab Nebula – super nova remanent

Sirius – the brightest star in the sky is the Dog Star

North Star – also known as Polaris, is a double star

Asterism – Three Leaps of the Gazelle, once you have it shown to you, you’ll wonder why you didn’t notice it before!

Asterism – Big Dipper, our guide to the North star, includes a double star

There are a lot of other objects to view. What we see will depend on what the clouds are doing.

Call the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000 to register.

Hi-Tech Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, March 28 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598

The Crawford Park District invites families to bring their smartphones, GPS units, or borrow a GPS unit at the Park for a Hi-tech egg hunt. Follow the coordinates throughout the Park to discover a hidden egg. There will be a nature-based question on each egg that needs to be answered. Kids finding all the eggs and answering the questions will receive a small prize when completed. Come join the fun! Call the Crawford Park District at 419-683-9000 to register.

Heckert Nature Preserve Bioblitz on Sunday, March 28 at 2 p.m. at Heckert Nature Preserve, 1601 State Route 19

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.  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.

Book Club on Tuesday, March 30 at 6 p.m. at 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!  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 three miles north of US Route 30. For more information, contact the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000. You can also find more information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District by visiting the website or Facebook page.