CRAWFORD COUNTY—The Crawford Park District has plenty of opportunities to enjoy the beautiful fall weather, with many activities planned for the remainder of the month of September.

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 prior to 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 pickins are ripe and ready, we will have a tasty snack!    Carpenter’s Bottom is located on State Route 98 east of Bucyrus, just beyond the railroad tracks.

 

Viewing the Night Sky

Saturday, September 25,  7:30 pm   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.  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 real 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 we see will depend on what the clouds are doing.

 

Caterpillar Hunt

Saturday, September 25, 8-11 pm Lowe-Volk Park

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

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

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. Sept. 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 that is 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

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

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

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

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 which they just 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 useful 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 information on programs offered by the Crawford Park District call 419-683-9000, visit their website at crawfordpd.org, or follow them on Facebook.