Birding Basics
Saturday, Oct. 16 • 8 a.m.
Sandusky Headwaters Preserve, 2400 State Route 598
Curious about birding, but don’t know how to get involved? Join Crawford Park District Land Manager and Naturalist Kyle Bailey for an interactive, family-friendly program suitable for all ages. Autumn is at its peak as bird migration is transitioning. Waterfowl migration is well underway, while songbird migrant numbers have tapered. Woodlands are left with familiar faces like titmice, chickadees, cardinals, woodpeckers, and late migrant stragglers. This program will focus on birding basics such as learning how to identify common Ohio species, when and where to bird, how to bird, what to look for, and much more! We will meet in the parking lot of Sandusky Headwaters Nature Preserve.
Stewardship Program: Woody Species
Saturday, Oct. 16 • 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sandusky Headwaters Preserve, 2400 State Route 598
Do you enjoy getting your hands dirty while contributing to preserving our native habitats? Then come on out and assist Land Manager Kyle Bailey with the Crawford Park District’s monthly Stewardship Program. We will be focusing our attention on removing unwanted woody species such as Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus), Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), Honeysuckle (Amur sp.), Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) and more. We will meet in the parking lot of Sandusky Headwaters Preserve. We will begin with a brief introduction about stewardship and our target species before heading out into the field. Closed-toe shoes are required; long sleeves and pants are suggested. There is a possibility of contact with Poison Ivy. Dress for the weather. Some gloves and loppers will be available.
Halloween Family Fun Night
Saturday, Oct. 16 • 6-9 p.m.
Lowe Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
The Crawford Park District invites families to come out to Lowe-Volk Park and celebrate with a night filled with fall fun! Dress in your Halloween costume or just come to enjoy the activities. There will be a bonfire, face painting, nature art, wagon rides (weather permitting), and a treat bag for kids. The Crawford Park Astronomy Club will also be on hand to view celestial sights. Bring a flashlight to go on a guided night hike through the haunted woods or to go on a self-guided clue hike around the grass mounds.
Seed Collection
Sun. Oct. 17 • 2 p.m.
Daughmer Savannah, 786 Marion Melmore Road
Grass seed will be collected from areas of Daughmer that have abundant prairie grasses and then spread to those zones that are dominated by less desirable plant species. Meet Crawford Park District Naturalist Warren Uxley at the parking lot of Daughmer Savannah.
Canoeing
Monday, Oct. 18 • 5-7 p.m.
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 required, but it will be first come, first served basis.
Infant Explorers: Spiders
Wednesday, Oct. 20 • 5 p.m.
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
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 spiders that will engage your infant’s senses and will get parents and baby out of the house for some fresh air. Dress for the weather — we will be outside for at least part of the program.
Sandusky Headwaters Preserve Grand Opening
Thursday, Oct. 21 • 1 p.m.
Sandusky Headwaters Preserve, 2400 State Route 598
Join Crawford Park District board members and staff for a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a tour through the newest preserve of the Crawford Park District. After many hours of clean-up, trail clearing, wetland construction, and a host of other mini-projects, Sandusky Headwaters Preserve is ready for visitors. Sandusky Headwaters Nature Preserve is located at 2400 SR 598, 3 miles north of US Route 30.
Autumn Nature Hike
Saturday, Oct. 23 • 1 p.m.
Sears Woods State Nature Preserve, 1486 Mt. Zion Road
Join Crawford Park District Naturalist Chelsea for a stroll through Sears Woods—it should be gorgeous with fall color this time of year! We will walk the moderate-intensity, one-mile loop overlooking the Sandusky River. Sears Woods State Nature Preserve is located on Mt. Zion Road, west of Bucyrus. For information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District call 419-683-9000, visit our website at www.crawfordpd.org or follow us on Facebook.
Viewing the Night Sky
Saturday, Oct. 23 • 7 p.m.
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.
Feeding Day
Sunday, Oct. 24 • 1 p.m.
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
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.
Nature Storytime
Monday, Oct. 25 • 10 a.m.
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
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.
The Colors of Fall
Monday, Oct. 25 • 5 p.m.
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Trees change from green to red, yellow, purple, or orange for many different reasons, including species and moisture. Join Crawford Park District Director Josh to discover why tree leaves change color and why the leaves fall. Participants will then take a stroll to observe the many colors of fall leaves. After the hike, participants will get to tie-dye a Crawford Park District t-shirt. Pre-registration is required by October 22 and the cost is $10/shirt, payable at the start of the program.
Book Club
Monday, Oct. 25 • 6 p.m.
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! 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 the last Tuesday of each month.
Archery Pumpkin Shoot
Wednesday, Oct. 27 • 4-7 p.m.
Unger Park, 1303 Bucyrus-Nevada Road
Finishing out our Archery programming this year, we will have our pumpkin shoot! Join Crawford Park District Naturalists Lisa and Abby for a fun evening of shooting pumpkins with arrows. We are going to test your archery skills with smaller targets. All equipment and pumpkins will be provided.
Saw-whet Owls
Friday, Oct. 29 • 6:30 p.m.
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Secretive and nocturnal, Northern Saw-whets are Ohio’s smallest owl. While there are a handful of nesting records in Ohio, Saw-whets breed mostly in northern boreal forests, with some venturing south in the fall and winter months. Bird bander and Crawford Park District volunteer Bob Placier will bring his mist nets back to Lowe-Volk to gather data on these diminutive owls. A PowerPoint presentation will be followed by checks of the mist nets in the hopes of catching a few of these nocturnal flyers. Between net checks, there will be a campfire to enjoy the fall evening. Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight! Fun for the whole family.
Fall Bird Banding
Saturday, Oct. 30 • 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Fall bird banding gives us insight into bird populations that remain in or come to Crawford County for the winter. Crawford Park District staff and Bob Placier will have nets open and feeder traps set to see who is hanging around this time of year.
Viewing the Night Sky
Saturday, Oct. 30 • 7 p.m.
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.
