Virtual DCParks

Prairie Days 2010

2010-10-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

The last weekend of September is a busy one for Darke County, and it was certainly a busy one at Darke County Park’s Shawnee Prairie Preserve! Prairie Days 2010 was a huge success this year with lots of “200-year-old people” in pioneer costume, amazing pioneer related crafts, more vendors than ever before, horse and wagon rides, yummy foods and snacks and most of all, a record attendance of nearly 4,000 visitors!

Each year Prairie Days has been growing, not just in activities offered, but also in attendance. In the most recent years, we expected just around 3,000 people to attend over the two day period. This year’s festival has exceeded all expectations! We had the biggest Saturday turnout ever and were very busy on Sunday as well. All in all, we had a wonderful weekend and are sorry that it went by so fast!

If you attended Prairie Days 2010; THANK YOU! If you missed out this year (and even if you did visit), please visit our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/groups/dcparks/ to see what all the hubbub is about! And put next year’s Prairie Days on your calendar NOW- September 24 & 25, 2011.

Did you take some pictures while at Prairie Days? Why not upload them to Flickr to show everyone what YOU experienced during this fun filled event?

Finally, a HUGE Thank You goes out to the more than 150 plus volunteers, demonstrators and vendors who helped make Prairie Days 2010 such a wonderful event and assisted the staff in making sure that all who visited had a amazing experience. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Campers vs Wild

2010-08-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

On the week of August 1-6, campers age 10-12 participated in Darke County Parks’ Campers vs. Wild summer camp. The goal of this camp was to teach campers how to survive if they were ever lost in the wilderness. They were shown several methods for the necessities and then practiced many of these when we “dropped them in the woods” for a “survival” overnight experience!

On Monday campers learned how to use primitive tools in order to make a fire. Various techniques were discussed and then practiced, including 18^th century style Flint and Steel, bow drill, 9volt battery and modern flint/steels. All campers were taught that fire can be very dangerous, but is also a needed and useful tool. By the end of the week, all campers were able to make fire using their own modern fire steel!

The second day of camp, campers learned how to gather water from a stream by using materials found around them. They practiced using whatever they could find, in this case, litter that many of them would have either ignored or picked up to throw away. This made gathering water a lot easier than using their hands many campers stated. They also learned the importance of boiling water after it was collected so that it could become more drinkable. They were taught that while boiling the water will help make the water safer to drink, a water filter of some sort is required to remove many other contaminates. Campers were also taught how to use an orienteering compass; they were given a basic understanding of how it worked and were then tested by doing a quick compass course which lead them all over the grounds of Shawnee Prairie.

On Wednesday campers learned how to make a debris shelter out of the natural materials found around them. Their goal was to make a small shelter that was just big enough for one of the two team members to fit into and that would keep them dry during a rain storm and warm from the evening chill. Many campers enjoyed this, even if they were donating blood to the mosquitoes at the same time! Several of the campers created quite the cozy shelters!

Thursday night campers arrived around 6:00 pm and were then “dropped” in the wilderness with staff. Upon entry of the wilderness it was discussed that because we were in a mock survival situation, we must find a camp site, set up shelter, gather water and get a fire going. Campers were split into small teams that would then delegate the camp chores out to one another. After they all worked on their own camp site for a short while, staff split the groups up for various chores with a representative from each team assisting in the needed goals of the team. Campers had build their shelter, and collect water (which was not consumed) and had to gather dry fire materials (which was hard due to an early am rain!). Once they returned to camp, their water was placed at the fire, their fire pits were dug and they finished working on their shelter. As darkness drew near, the staff had a surprise for campers… a nice warm meal cooked over the fire! Many campers were happy they wouldn’t have to spend the night gathering grubs and other critters for food! By the time darkness hit, all teams had their shelters completed and their bedding material ready for the night. After some ‘scary’ stories from a wandering Longhunter, the campers readied themselves for bed… they were worn out!

After a camp breakfast, campers were set to work gathering up their belongings and returning the camp site to its natural look by dismantling their shelters. Shortly thereafter, campers were picked up by their parents and returned home (and probably their comfy beds!).

For more information on camps and activities that Darke County Parks offers please go to http://darkecountyparks.org, or call us at: 937-548-0165.

Early Morning Discovery Hike - Aug 17, 2010

2010-08-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful morning for a hike! This week's Tuesday morning Early Morning Discovery Hike was a wonderful way to re-start our 1.5 hour hikes now that summer camps are over for 2010. We had birds singing, dragonflies swooping, butterflies floating and flowers blooming... all withwonderfully cooltemperatures of 65 degrees and nearly zero humidity! Awesome morning for a hike in August to be sure.

The past 8-9 weeks have been crazy busy around the Park District with 7 summer camps, scout camps, public programming, paddling and more. Looking back, it's hard to believe it's Fair time and the summer is already on its way out. Due to the increased number of camps this year, these emails took a back burner, but with the end of camp, we will resume our weekly

emails to update you on what is happening in the natural world around you

and within the Park District. In addition, the new Nature Notes

for autumn

2010 is done and will be emailed out later this week!

This week's hike provided a tantalizing glimpse at what's to come as summer gives way to autumn in the coming weeks. We had increased bird

activity, there were butterflies everywhere (even with the cool temps) and

most of all the mosquitoes were almost nowhere to be found!

While the bird species numbers weren't as high as they may climb as we head into autumn migration, we still had nearly 30 species this morning. We had many of the usuals with a few "fun" birds making themselves known. We had a Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling as we wrapped up the hike. The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been sparring for bragging and feeding rights at the various feeders located around the Nature Center. We even

had a good look at a low-flying Great Blue Heron as we walked through

the back prairie.

In addition to the birds this morning, we had many insects to feast our eyes on (and very few to donate blood to!). We had amazing looks at several butterflies, including Pearl Crescent, Northern Pearly-eye, Eastern Comma,Common Buckeye, and a Delaware Skipper. All of these beauties were moving a bit slow this morning with the dew and the cool temps, which was perfect for viewing as we were able to really study each individual and

get a good ID without the use of a net.

We also got several good looks at some of the resident Dragonflies and Damselflies of Shawnee Prairie.

These included a Ruby Meadowhawk,

Widow Skimmer

and several Ebony Jewelwings. If you've yet to discover the wonders of Ohio's Odonata (the order of insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies), you're missing out! These amazing creatures love to eat mosquitoes, can fly up to 30 mph (think how fast that would be if your car was only 2" long...), can see up to 60 feet away and live in nearly all parts of the world.

This week's hike was a great one and we are looking forward to many more before the cold of winter shows itself. If you have Tuesday mornings off and available, join us in the parking lot of the Nature Center of Shawnee Prairie Preserve, just off OH-502 outside Greenville at 8am. Most hikes last around 1-1.5hours. Bring binoculars if you have them... if not, there are a few pairs available to borrow for the hike.

We'll see you at the Fair!

Observation date: 8/17/10
Number of species: 26

Great Blue Heron 2
Turkey Vulture 1
Mourning Dove 3
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 5
Carolina Wren 2
American Robin 3
Eastern Towhee 1
Field Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 5
Indigo Bunting 3
Red-winged Blackbird 3
Common Grackle 2
House Finch 8
American Goldfinch 5
House Sparrow 2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Pioneer Living Camp

2010-08-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

Darke County Parks

Have you ever wonder what it was like to live in the 18^th century? Well, this is what twelve 6 - 7 year old children did for an entire week at Shawnee Prairie Preserve. Throughout the week the children took part in several different activities, chores and games that children in the late 1790s did on a daily basis. The campers began the week by learning a few new skills such as cooking and sewing. We churned butter and prepared Johnny Bread for breakfast. Then all the campers successful made a bean bag, which later was used for games. On Tuesday, the campers made tin-smithed lanterns which early pioneers would have used while feeding the animals in the barn once the sun went down. They also prepared lye soap, which once cured, they took home and put to use. The campers also enjoyed making and walnut-dyeing their checkers for their home-made checkerboard in addition tolearning how to make their own jump ropes. Volunteer of the Parks, Tom Smith, stopped by in 18^th century garb to show the frontier skill of woodworking, demonstrating various tools. Thursday campers explored how candles where made by dipping their own beeswax candles. To wrap up the week, a campers used the skills they had learned all week to help create a wonderful meal over the hearth and then enjoyed a checkers tournament on their newly created game boards. It was a fun-filled and busy week for these young pioneer children from games, to crafts to skills and even a few chores, they now have a good idea of what childhood would have been like in the late 18^th century!

If you happened to miss out this year for this Pioneer Camp make sure you check the Nature Notes for Summer Camps in 2011. For more information please contact Darke County Parks at 548-0165 or info@darkecountyparks.org.

Nature Explorations

2010-08-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

Darke County Parks

Summer is time to explore nature’s playgrounds throughout DarkeCounty Parks; this is exactly what a dozen of6 - 7 year olds did for an entire week! The campers enjoyed learning about bugs, butterflies, aquatic macroinvertebrates, birds, and flowers. Early Monday morning, after learning a new skill of how to properly catch a butterfly, campers set off with an adult leader to catch butterflies throughout the prairies. On Tuesday, the campers discovered the difference between reptiles and amphibians and were able to touch several live herps. Campers then used a kick seine net and also used hand nets to explore a section of Greenville Creek at Worth Family Preserve. We discovered many critters that call this wonderful section of Greenville Creek home. Thursday campers discovered that feathers are what makes a bird a bird. They also enjoyed a Bird Talk from Brukner Nature Center (involving live birds!) and making their own personal bird feeder to attract birds into their backyard. To wrap up the week a flower was dissected and the function of each part of the flower was determined. Campers pressed prairie plants in their own personal flower-press and made a picture out of dried flowers.

For more information please contact Darke County Parks at 548-0165 or info@darkecountyparks.org.

Birds, Birds, Birds!

2010-08-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

Birds, Birds, Birds camp was held at the Darke County Parks this summer and the topic was, you guessed it, birds! The week startedoff withBrukner Nature Center bringing in a few of their rehabilitated birds, including a crow, and turning our intern, Travis, into a Turkey Vulture to further illustrate what makes a bird a bird. The camp covered many bird-related topics such as food, feathers, nests, migration and eggs. Each camper received a pair of binoculars and a Birds of Ohio Field Guide, both of which were put to good use with bird hikes every day. The campers traveled to bird watching sites at the Greenville City Park, Turkeyfoot Preserve and Shawnee Prairie Preserve. When they weren’t bird watching, the campers were busy building bluebird boxes, bird feeders and a nest large enough to fit all of the campers. The campers snacked on various bird-themed snacks, including home-made bird seed, yummy “earth worms”, and miniature bird nests complete with eggs throughout the week. If your 8-9 year old missed out this year, be sure to sign up to receive Darke County Parks’ Nature Notes emails or printed newsletter so you can get them signed up for summer camps in 2011.

2010-07-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

Extreme Adventure Camp

On the week of June 14-18, campers at Shawnee Prairie Preserve participated in the “Extreme Adventures Camp”.

Campers arrived bright and early for camp Monday morning; their parents were given the rundown of what each day of camp would be about, what the camper’s were required to bring each day for camp. Campers were then introduced to the staff at Shawnee Prairie as well as the new intern, campers then introduced themselves and camp then got under way. Campers then piled into the van at the nature center and were on their way to Camp Yale. Camp Yale is a outdoor team building and leadership development site. After arriving campers were introduced to the guide that would be instructing them for that day, the first activity that campers did was to form a circle a beach ball was thrown to a camper they had to say their name and then pass it to another camper. After everyone said their name the game got harder now campers had to keep the ball in the air, and only hit it once. After a few times they were getting no where, finally someone spoke up and offered a suggestion and then that got the ball rolling. As the day went on the activities got harder, and others required a little more thinking on the part of the campers. Many of the campers had to go outside their box by either being in charge of the group for an activity, or just saying their opinion. But all campers rose to the challenge that was in front of them, even though it may have taken awhile they all did very well. The last activity of the day was going down the zip-line and everyone really enjoyed that activity.

On the second day of camp, campers as well as staff went paintballing down at I-70 paintball. I-70 paintball is located in Huber Heights. Many of the campers had never paintballed before, while others have gone a few times. A few of the campers were a little hesitant at first, but once they got out on the field and fired their gun they really took to the sport. Unfortunately there were Air Force ROTC cadets out on a training exercise and were using the main field, but campers got to use the air soft course which was equally as fun. Campers were allowed to join the Air Force cadets for a couple of games. At the end of the day all campers and even the staff were worn out, but all in all everyone really seemed to enjoy it.

The third day of camp was devoted to being on the water, particularly in kayaks, and even a little treasure hunting. The Darke County Parks staff took campers up to Lake Loramie. Again like most other activities done earlier in the week not to many had been kayaking before. Part of the day was just trying to teach the campers about paddling, and how to stay afloat. After lunch campers got back into their kayaks and were given GPS’s and some coordinates, these coordinates were used to find a treasure that someone had hid. This is also know as Geocaching, and is very popular. When the box is found the finder writes their name and the date. If you take something out of the box you are supposed to replace it something that belongs to you. Campers were also allowed to place their own geocache somewhere out on the lake, the name of the cache was called Desperate Attempt. That name was chosen because as the day went ton the winds slowly started to pick up making it hard to paddle. All campers really seemed to enjoy kayaking, and were sad when they found that they had to go back home.

Thursday June 17^th campers headed out to Caesar Creek State Park where they would do an overnight campout. When campers arrived at their campsite they ate lunch, and then set up camp. Once camp was setup campers then went on a nature hike on some of the different trails at the state park. After the sun went down everyone was around the campfire, talking about things done earlier in the week. Once the moon came out Darke County Park Staff took campers out on a owl hike, though only a few owls were heard the billions of lightning bugs put on a show that amazed everyone.

Friday morning rolled around and campers slowly started coming out of their tents after hearing some loud and rude noises of cars in the parking lot. Campers got some breakfast in them and headed back to the nature center. Once back to Shawnee Prairie campers unloaded the van, and waited to be picked up to go home.

PLANT SALE 2010

2010-06-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Darke County Parks' Annual

Native Plant Sale

SATURDAY, June 5th: 10am-4pm

The plants have arrived at Shawnee Prairie and are ready for their new homes... in your gardens! Native plants provide a nearly maintenance-free landscaping option that is full of color and offers crucial habitat for native wildlife. These plants (once established) are also pest and draught resistant... naturally! Increase the birds, butterflies, bees and many other fascinating creatures found in your yard by planting these native plants and grasses. Call the Nature Center at 937.548.0165 for more info.

This year's species list includes:

Butterfly weed

Sullivant milkweed

Foxglove beardtongue

Queen of the prairie

Sweet Joe pye weed

Bergamot

Yellow coneflower

Riddell's goldenrod

Cupplant

Prairie dock

Compass plant

Little bluestem

Big bluestem

Prairie blazing star

Cardinal flower

Leadplant

Blue false indigo

Purple prairie clover

Warblers!

2010-05-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long delay in posts... it's been a BUSY spring! On to the exciting news:

(http://www.ownbyphotography.com/traveldiaryp62.html)

WOW... just WOW.

This week's (May 18, 2010) Early Morning Discovery Hike broke all sorts of records. We broke the record for total number of bird species seen during our hikes; we broke the record for total number of warbler species seen; and we found a new species of plant we hadn't seen within the Parks before! What a morning...

(http://stokesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/wintry-nix.html)

We completed our extra-long hike this morning with a whopping 47(!) species of birds, 12 of which were warbler species. While this number was well over the previous record of species, it could have been even higher had we had more time to continue the hike as we barely made it into the woods for this week's hike! Had we ventured further into the woods and picked up many of the "usual" birds that are missing from this list, I'm certain we would have nearly reached 60 species of birds!

(http://www.ownbyphotography.com/traveldiaryp62.html)

The warblers are always a special treat for birders providing colors and challenge at the same time. The problem is that you never know when they will arrive and how long they will stick around for. Nearly all warblers pass through Ohio for only a brief time as they head north to the Boreal Forests for nesting, using our forests for rest and "re-fueling". Because of their need and desire to arrive at the breeding location as soon as possible to get the best site and food source, they tend to be "here today/gone tomorrow". All that being said, they were EVERYWHERE this Tuesday at Shawnee Prairie Preserve! We had many species (Blackpoll Warbler) that normally would just provide a fleeting glimpse sitting in plain view. Many of the more "quiet" species were belting out the tunes. It was the perfect storm for warbler-watching. A few of the favorite species seen include: Black-throated Blue Warbler; Ovenbird; Magnolia Warbler; Blackburnian Warbler; Bay-breasted Warbler; American Redstart and the Black-throated Green Warbler

(http://springvalleypark.org/html/birds.html)

In addition to the amazing birding, we also enjoyed some of the wildflowers blooming within the woods. We spotted several Waterleaf (northern or virginia) as well as Green Dragon in bloom. The best botanical find this morning though was the discovery of a "new to this park" plant, the Orange-fruited Horse Gentian! This intriguing plant has wonderfully reddish/purple flowers near the stem and so far is roughly 3' tall. Soon, the flowers will turn to a bright orange-colored fruit that will add a new element to enjoy this plant by! (like plants? check the reminder below...)

If you have some time this week, be sure to swing by your favorite Darke County Park and enjoy the abundant spring life that's out there!

Reminder:

Shawnee Prairie's Annual Plant Sale

Saturday, June 5th: 10am-4pm

We'll have 20 species of native plants for sale at the Nature Center to add a bit of "native" to your yard! Native plants are highly beneficial as they tend to require less watering (once established), have evolved to deal with the always-changing Ohio climate and provide excellent sources of food for wildlife! One day only, once they're gone, they're gone... so get here early!

Observation date: 5/18/10
Number of species: 47

Canada Goose 3
Great Blue Heron 2
Mourning Dove 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Eastern Screech-Owl 1
Chimney Swift 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 5
Barn Swallow 1
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 3
Eastern Bluebird 1
Veery 2
Swainson's Thrush 2
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 4
Gray Catbird 2
European Starling 3
Nashville Warbler 2
Northern Parula 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 4
Magnolia Warbler 5
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Blackburnian Warbler 3
Bay-breasted Warbler 3
Blackpoll Warbler 5
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 4
Ovenbird 3
Eastern Towhee 2
Chipping Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5
Indigo Bunting 4
Common Grackle 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Baltimore Oriole 1
American Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Maple Sugarin' Time!

2010-03-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

Join us March 6 & 7 for our annual Maple Sugain' on the Prairie event!

Starting bright and early Saturday morning at 7am, the Friends of the Darke County Parks will be hosting their fabulous Waffle Breakfast!

For a donation of $5/person, there will be waffles, sausage, juice, coffee and Ohio Maple Syrup a-plenty! For tickets, swing by the Nature Center, or get here early to buy them at the door. The breakfast will last from 7am-10:30am on Saturday ONLY.

Then, from 7:30am-4pm, join a Naturalist-led tour of our 'Sugar Bush Trail' as we learn the history and science of Maple Sugaring.

We'll travel through time and history discovering the origin of Maple Syrup, how we make it in our very own Sugar Shack and more! The Log House will be open and our pioneers will be busily preparing for spring and offering all visitors a sampling of early-spring foods. Be sure to visit the Gift Shop at the Nature Center for everything and anything Maple Syrup. We'll have maple-flavored dog bones for your pooch, maple candies for you, maple syrup for those waffles/pancakes at breakfast and Maple Peanut Brittle! These tours will also continue into Sunday from 12pm until 4pm.

Pioneer Night lights

2010-02-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

Several families recently joined us at the Log House at Shawnee Prairie Preserve for our Pioneer Nightlights program. This evening was filled with lots of information about how our pioneer ancestors created their own “night lights”. Early settlers used a lot of candles and had to make their own. (During the program participates spent time making beeswax candles.)

In the 18^th century only the wealthiest individuals and churches could afford beeswax candles. Most families made their candles from tallow, which was made by rendering animal fat. While tallow candles burn they have a burnt hamberger odor and produce most soot than beeswax.

For more information on upcoming events please continue to follow our programs offered visit our website at www.darkecountyparks.org or sign up to receive our Nature Notes Quartley newsletter.

Great Horned Owl Sighted

2010-01-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

January 26th's Early Morning Discovery Hike was W...I..N..D...Y and COLD. We had temps in the high teens and a steady wind of at least 20mph with much higher gusts, so needless to say, we high-tailed it into the shelter of the woods for the duration of our morning hike!

With cold temps and windy conditions, we didn't expect to see much in the way of birds as they would most likely be hanging out somewhere trying to stay warm and not blowing away. For the most part, our guess was correct, we had very few species on our hike, but we did have one amazing sighting that made up for the cold and the wind... a wonderful look at a Great Horned Owl!! This magnificent owl played hard to get at first, but after some patience on our part, we lucked out and it flew towards us, perched on an exposed branch, gave us a piercing look and then silently flew off deeper into the woods. Wow.

Needless to say, throughout the rest of the hike we spoke of the possibility of the seeing the owl again and the chance that he/she may be nesting in this woods. Generally usurping previous Red-tailed Hawk or Crow nests, Great Horned Owls will nest very early in the season (they are on the nest early as late January, brrrr) and are able to keep the eggs a comfy 98 degrees, even in subzero weather! It is not uncommon to see incubating female covered in snow while on the nest. While we didn't see it again during the hike, it was re-spotting Wednesday morning and we are hopeful that in the coming weeks we might find more evidence of our 'resident' owl!

That's all for this week's report. Stay warm and we hope to see YOU in the Parks soon!

**NewsFlash**

Volunteer Workshop

Saturday, Jan. 30, 10am

-or-

Saturday, Feb. 6, 3pm

All current volunteers or anyone interested in spending some volunteer time with Darke County Parks, please call the Nature Center (937.548.0165) and let us know what day you can attend. We'll spend the time with some general refresher courses, learn some of the new methods of doing things around the Parks and more! Please try to attend one of the workshop dates regardless of how much or little time you have to volunteer with us. Oh, did I mention there would be home-made chili afterwards??!

**NewsFlash**

Location: DCP - Shawnee Prairie Preserve
Observation date: 1/26/10
Number of species: 16

Canada Goose 10
Great Horned Owl 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Blue Jay 2
Carolina Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
European Starling 1
American Tree Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 7
Northern Cardinal 20
House Finch 8
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Spring Gardening Workshop 2010

2010-01-04T06:09:00.000-08:00

The ground is frozen, Christmas is over and the New Year has begun. Why not think ahead to spring? Shake of those winter blues by joining Darke County Parks for the Spring Gardening Workshop. Sponsored by the Olde Thyme Gardeners, the annual event takes place on Saturday, February 20 from 9am-4pm at Shawnee Prairie Preserve Nature Center.

The theme of this year’s event is Art in the Garden! We are so excited to welcome, Teresa Muterspaw of Meadowview Growers as she will be sharing techniques on how to incorporate art into your garden; Janese Spencer of Spencer Landscaping will offer tips on landscape planning; Gina Miller of Miller Flowers will be showcasing their wonderful talent for turning an ordinary planter into an extraordinary piece of art and finally Steve Blessing from Green Vista Water Gardens will present the basics of installing a water garden into your backyard!

Greenville Art Guild has promised to bring a display of garden themed art work to enhance our lovely event. Each participant will also be creating a piece of art to take home and proudly display in their own garden!

Pre-registration is required and there is a fee of $25, which covers material costs and lunch. For more information or to register, please call 937-548-0165 or visit our website at www.darkecountyparks.org. The Nature Center is located at 4267 State Route 502 Greenville, Ohio.

Project FeederWatch 2009-2010!

2009-11-17T10:54:00.001-08:00

It's on!

Project FeederWatch has begun for the 2009-2010 season and after just one day of counting, Darke County Parks has already logged 18 species and more than 60 individuals at our feeders!

Project FeederWatch is a citizen science program managed by Cornell University in which they study the winter populations of feeder-birds across the US. This is a great program that allows anyone who is interested in birds to spend a few minutes a day watching birds and helping scientists!

Feel free to join us each and every Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:30-11:30am at the Nature Center as we sharpen your birding skills while enjoying some fresh coffee, snacks and plenty of birds!

Fall Colors are Popping!

2009-10-23T12:36:00.001-07:00

The autumn colors are at peak at Shawnee Prairie Preserve. With the rain today, many have fallen, but many more are still providing simply stunning displays of colors.

NOW is the time to take a quick hike and see this in person. So, without further delay, grab your camera, grab friends/family and head on out to your favorite Darke County Park!

Golden-red Sugar Maple Leaves

Blazing red-orange Oak Leaves

Views of the Log House

Come on now... shut down that computer and get to a Park. =)

2009-10-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

Just a few upcoming programs to remind you about:

Habitat Healing with the Junior Naturalists

Saturday, Oct. 24th, 1-3:30pm

Do you know a 10-12 year old that loves the outdoors? Does he or she spend time wandering your woods or exploring your backyard? If you know a little nature lover, then Darke County Parks has a great opportunity available. Junior Naturalists is a series of monthly programs designed to give children a hands-on introduction to natural resource management.

Pre-register your child today for October’s Junior Naturalist program. Join us, Saturday October 24 from 1-3:30pm. The focus this month is “Habitat Healers”. The participants will learn about invasive plants and then head outside to do some habitat healing. Under Naturalist direction and supervision, the children will be removing plants that are not native to Ohio and clear a path for native plants to thrive. A materials fee of $4 is charged for each program and pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Darke County Parks at 937-548-0165.

Park Explorations

Saturday, Nov. 7th 10a-4p

Grab a seat in the ‘great white van’ and let’s hit the trails. Darke County Parks invites you to join Naturalists for an Exploration of the Parks on Saturday November 7 from 10am-4pm. We’ll start at Shawnee Prairie Preserve and tour the county stopping at every Darke County Park along the way. Wear comfortable hiking shoes, bring a sack lunch, your camera and water; it’s going to be a busy and exciting day spent in the out of doors! Pre-registration is required as seating is limited. For more information or to register contact Darke County Parks at 937-548-0165

The Fungus Among Us

2009-10-02T14:09:00.001-07:00

Feel like a fall walk in the woods? Look forward to joining Darke County Parks Naturalists for a Fungus Hike at Routzong Preserve on Thursday October 8 at 5:30pm. We will scour the trails at Routzong in search of fall mushrooms dotting the woodland floor. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungus and can be colorful and quite beautiful to identify. From sponges to gills, mushrooms are as fascinating as their names imply! Routzong Preserve is located on Routzong Road east of Greenville. For more information, please contact Darke County Parks at 937-548-0165.

Prairie Days 2009!

2009-09-25T06:03:00.000-07:00

PRAIRIE DAYS 2009

IS THIS

WEEKEND!!!

Prairie Days, held on September 26 & 27 is the BIGGEST event of the year for Darke County Parks! In years past we've had over 3,000 people visit this FREE family fun event held at Shawnee Prairie Preserve. There will be foods, crafts, games for the kids, vendors and demonstrations scattered around the Log House all which will give you and your family a glimpse of Pioneer Life in the 1790's!

Hours will be Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 12pm-4pm. A schedule of events will be online at our website. The current updated forecast from weather.com is showing highs in the low 70's and only a 20% chance of precipitation! PERFECT weather for a festival!

Start the fall season off with a bang and head on out to Shawnee Prairie Preserve, located just outside of Greenville on OH-502 for this fun-filled event! Did we mention that Parking and Admission are FREE?!

For more info on Prairie Days 2009,

check out our Facebook (here).

9/15/09 Early Morning Discovery Hike 'Report'

2009-09-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

Good morning!

September 15th's Early Morning Discovery Hike was a wonderful morning for a hike! The weather was nice and cool, the sun was shining, fall colors were abundant and the birds were singing. Ah, what a day for a hike!

As usual, we started off the hike with binoculars turned to the sky in search of feathered-friends. Without trying too hard, we had several species on our list even before we left the parking lot! The Red-tailed Hawk was perched in the dead branches of the maple at the top of the hill. This perch has apparently become a favorite, as he has been seen here 3 of the past 4 hikes, much to the smaller bird population's dis-pleasure! We also spotted lots of movement in the cedar trees and discovered a large flock of Cedar Waxwings! This flock was around 35 individuals and provided many good looks prior to their departure. Mixed in with the waxwings, we also spotted several House Finches and a lone female Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female picture). This grosbeak provided several glimpses of the yellowish underwings as she flitted from branch to branch and finally as she departed overhead.

As we made our way up the hill, our attention turned from the pair of Eastern Bluebirds to the autumn colors that are creeping into the landscape. A few of the "early changer" trees are beginning to show their fall colors with splashes of yellows and golds. Several species of Asters are blooming throughout the landscape. The Ohio Buckeye has dropped nearly all of it's leaves, and the rest are mostly brown. All around us nature is progressing towards the upcoming season! Check out some fall pictures from Shawnee Prairie Preserve HERE.

Don't be fooled by the chilly mornings... there are still plenty of opportunities for wonderful hikes providing plenty of autumn colors and sounds. We hope to see you at the next Early Morning Discovery Hike, Tuesdays at 8am at Shawnee Prairie Nature Center!

Also, don't forget...

PRAIRIE DAYS

September 26: 10a-4p

September 27: 12p-4p

The biggest event of Darke County Parks' year is right around the corner! If you've never been before, you've been missing out and if you have, come on back! We have been growing this event each year and once again we hope to grow with new games for the children, new crafts, new vendors and plenty of apple butter, Farmer Brown's and Downing Fruit Farm! For an idea at what else goes on and to get a brief "feel" for this wonderful weekend on the Prairie, check out our pics from last year's Prairie Days on Flickr HERE. We hope to see you there and remember...

Parking and Admission are FREE!

2009-09-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

Apple Butter cooking over the fire; Pioneers in and around the Log House; Vendors displaying their wares; Tall-tales being told; Crafts to make; and the wonderful smell of Farmer Browns' and Downing Fruit Farm wafting through the air... must be time for Prairie Days 2009!
Stirring the Apple Butter kettle...

Bringing over 3,000 people to the park, this is THE EVENT of the year with Darke County Parks. Not only will there something for everyone in your party to enjoy, but admission and parking is FREE! Held the last weekend in September, this event focuses on the prairie way of life in the 1790's and will feature many crafts, games, vendors and trades of the time period.

Observing the Pioneer Garden

Be sure to join us Saturday, September 26th from 10am-4p and Sunday, September 27th from 12p-4p for the festivities!

For more information, please call the Nature Center at 937.548.0165 Also: We're still recruiting volunteers... give Laura a call at the number above and sign up today!

Monarch Display 2009

2009-08-18T12:36:00.001-07:00

The annual favorite is back! Our summer Monarch Butterfly Display is up and running with several monarch caterpillars, an egg or two and even a near completion chrysalis!

Swing by the Nature Center today and check out this fun display. Be sure to check back often, as the time from egg until adult butterfly is only 30 days of which only 18 are spent as a caterpillar. During those 18 days, each caterpillar increases its mass by 2,000 times!

We'll try to post a picture of our first monarch soon!

Chris Rowlands Summer Concert

2009-08-17T09:34:00.001-07:00

Chris Rowlands Summer Concert
Originally uploaded by Darke County Parks on Flickr

Check out the photos from the last Summer Concert of 2009! Children of all ages had a blast during the Nature Rocks! concert by Chris Rowlands. Check Chris out at www.chrisrowlands.org

Nature Rocks!

2009-08-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, August 15, at 7:00 PM, Darke County Parks is pleased to announce nationally recognized singer/songwriter Chris Rowlands! Chris has delighted crowds in years past and will join us once again for our summer concert series. Chris is an Aullwood Audubon Naturalist who enjoys teaching children about nature through innovative programs. Chris creatively blends music, art, comedy, and education to create high energy, fast paced shows, which teach and inspire young and old alike.

Remember to bring a blanket or chair and bug repellant. If the weather or mosquitoes do not cooperate, the concerts will be held inside the Nature Center. For more information contact Darke County Parks at 548-0165 or info@darkecountyparks.org.

We're on Facebook

2009-08-12T07:26:00.001-07:00

Darke County Parks is now on Facebook! Pop on over and become a Fan to make sure you stay up to date with all of the upcoming events. See you there!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenville-OH/Darke-County-Parks/128403169416

An Evening on the Lake

2009-08-11T10:57:00.001-07:00

An Evening on the Lake
Originally uploaded by Darke County Parks on Flickr

Starting at 6:30pm, DCParks and friends headed to Lake Loramie State Park with kayaks and canoes in tow! We got on the water around 7:30 and paddled for an hour and a half returning to the docks just after sunset. Everyone had a great time and saw some wildlife as we paddled softly through the narrow channels. Many Great Blue Herons were seen; also a group of baby ducks, one colorful Prothonotary Warbler and several trees that had beaver chew marks! It was a great night! If you were, post a comment below!

Thanks to sreineke for taking these photos of all of those on the water! Be sure to check out the Flickr Group page to see the rest of sreineke's photos!

2009-08-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Darke County Parks hosted an Extreme Adventure Summer Camp for 13-15 year olds. The week consisted of Team Building and Leadership Development, Rock Climbing, River Float, and an overnight at John Bryan State Park.

The Team Building and Leadership Development activities took place at Camp Yale, which included several different challenging courses such as:

^Building a bridge across the “grand canyon”

^And use an arch to walk along two cables spread 10 feet apart! ^

The campers also were able to experience the 450 foot long, 50 foot high zip line at Camp Yale.

Rock Climbing took place at Vandalia’s Rec Center where the 12 individuals had competition of who could complete the hardest climb and several raced one another to see who could climb the quickest to the top.

Our River Float on the Stillwater was also a challenge due to the constant rainfall and the low amounts of water in some places along the river. However, the campers enjoyed the rapids and the others tasks which we were faced with on the float. Even though it rained the ENTIRE time, we had a great float!

The Extreme Adventure Camp wrapped up the week by pitching tents at John Bryan State Park. While at John Bryan we enjoyed cooking over the campfire.

We also enjoyed several hikes through Glen Helen and Clifton Gorge, both of which offer amazing scenery and feel as though you’ve left Ohio.

Exploring a cave

The last adventure of the week was to “survive” the raccoon invasion of the camp site! Up to 10 raccoons were spotted, with up to 5 spotted at the campfire at one time! Talk about Up Close and Personal wildlife experiences!

Two campers enjoy their comfy "home-away-from-home" tent

Be sure to mark your summer for 2010’s summer camps!

New Pictures on Flickr!

2009-07-29T12:15:00.001-07:00

mimic
Originally uploaded by Darke County Parks on Flickr

Check out the new pictures on Darke County Parks' Flickr page! If you have pics of any of the DCParks, this is the place to upload them! Show the world how great your photography skills are and show off YOUR Parks!

PLUS, with the ongoing Photo Competition (look for a Blog posting on this in the future), why not enter at the same time?!

Check out the rest of the photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/dcparks/

10-12 year olds have a BLAST at Camp!

2009-07-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

Twelve 10-12 year olds became experts at padding and surviving the outdoors during the 2009 Kayaks, Canoes and Camping Summer Camp.

We started the week off with Canoe and Kayak Training at a local pond. The campers learned different ways to paddle which includes forward power stroke, forward sweep, backward stoke, and backward sweep. Also, they learned the proper way to board the canoe or kayak using three points of contact such as both hands and a foot. The campers also enjoyed playing games with rubber ducks and sponges during training on the pond.

On Wednesday we enjoyed a scenic canoe float down Greenville Creek. The water was a bit low during our creek float which made some sections of the creek very challenging, however after much scraping, heaving and grunting, we were able to manage!

To wrap up the end of the camp week we pitched our tents at Lake Loraine State Park. While at the state park we enjoyed taking a hike, swimming, and an evening canoe float around the lake and connecting channels. The canoe float provided many glimpses of local wildlife, including gulls, Great Blue Herons and blooming buttonbush shrubs.

Campers learned to prepare meals over a campfire during this camp. Dinner consisted of beef, green peppers, potatoes, carrots all wrapped in foil and placed in the fire to cook.Mmmm, good stuff! Dessert included Apple Pies made on camping pie-irons and smores (of, course!)!

If your 10-12 year old missed out this year, be sure to check out our camps for next summer.

8 & 9 Summer Camp 2009

2009-07-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

Woodland Survival Camp at the Darke County Parks’ was another week of success for the Parks. We had fifteen 8-9 year olds who enjoined learning about how an individual would survive in the wildness. The week consisted of Shelter Building 101, Fire Starting, Compass and Water, Medicine, Food Gathering and Archery.

Monday morning introduced campers to the theme of the week... survival when lost! During Shelter Building 101 the campers worked in small groups to construct a single person shelter.

Campers met a "200 year-old Longhunter" who has been living in Shawnee Prairie Preserve since the 1790's looking for Fort Greenville...

On Tuesday, we determined numerous different ways to make a primitive fire, which consisted of Fire Trough, Hand-Drill, Bow-Drill, Flint and Steel, and an Air Force designed Blast Match. We also began building our group shelters, which were finish by Friday.

Compasses were used on Wednesday to locate their team’s bucket of water, which is the most important item for life. Jewel-weed Tincture is a medicine that we made this week after we gathered the top 1/3 portion of the Jewel-weed plant. Jewel-weed Tincture is used to take the itch/sting out of poison ivy; mosquitoes; wasps/bee; etc.

To wrap up the week we gathered several food items such as mulberries, Danelien flowers, Red Clover Flowers, which were added into cornbread. Other ‘wild foods’ were tried throughout the week including Mint Tea and Mealworm Chocolate Cookies! The Woodland Survival Campers also enjoyed the archery range on Friday to simulate food gathering tools.

The children were excited each and everyday to explore what else they could use to survive if they were lost in the wilderness.

Can you find the shelter in this picture?

Team 1's Shelter

Team 2's Shelter

8 & 9 Year old camp is over... see you next year!

2009-06-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Wet ‘n Wild Camp at the Darke County Parks’ was another week of success for the Parks. We had fifteen 6-7 year olds who collected critters throughout the week.

The week consisted of taking a Wetlands Hike, Creek Hike, Frog Hunt, and going Fishing.

During our creek hike at Worth Persevere in the Greenville Creek the children collected fish and a seemingly endless supply of crawdads. Before going to the pond to catch some frogs, the children were shown different amphibians and reptiles who call the Nature Center home. We saw several frogs during our hunt, but were not lucky enough to catch any of them. Fishing on Friday was also a huge success; we even caught one bass which was about 1.5 feet long. The children were excited each and everyday to get wet again and to find different critters from the day before!

If your 6 and 7 year old missed out this year, be sure to check out our camps for next summer!

Seasonal Naturalist

2009-06-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hello, I am Laura Pohlman, and I am a graduate from Wright State University with a Bachelor in Earth and Environmental Science. I grew up in Yorkshire, Darke County, Ohio on a small dairy farm. I have six sisters and three brothers and I am the second oldest. Currently, I am keeping busy making the final touches for my wedding, which is on August 29, 2009. I enjoy being outside and exploring new things each and every day. In the past I have gone camping as a Girl Scout, hiking, and canoeing. I also enjoy sewing, painting ceramics, and cooking.

I recently started with the Darke County Parks as a Seasonal Naturalist. I hope to see you soon out at the Parks taking advantage of the beautiful weather and at one of my many upcoming programs!

Monarchs are Back

2009-06-01T11:01:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note to mention that the 1st Monarch of 2009 has been spotted at Shawnee Prairie Preserve! This individual must have made use of recent weather patterns to get here in time for June 1st.

(Not the best of photos, but only had my cellphone on me at the time...)

Be sure to stop in the Nature Center later this summer to check out our Monarch rearing work-station. Here we'll raise young monarchs from egg to caterpillar to adult.

Once they complete their metamorphosis, changing from caterpillar into their adult form, we'll carefully apply a sticker 'tag' to them for study through Monarch Watch's website. Stay tuned for more info on this neat project!

Upcoming Events

2009-05-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

This morning during 2009's last Wandering for Warblers Hike, we were once again chased from the woods by the hordes of mosquitoes. And while many of our warbler hikes have produced at least one warbler species, we struck out this morning. That being said, we did have a young birder who now has 25 species of new birds on her Life List! If you missed this year's Saturday morning hikes, feel free to join us Tuesday mornings for the Early Morning Discovery Hikes or stayed tuned to the Nature Notes for future Saturday morning hikes! (a list of all birds seen this morning will be at the bottom of this post.)

Upcoming events as we enter June:

1st Annual Photo Competition (more info in an upcoming post)
Native Plant Sale - June 6 & 7, see website for plant list)
Summer Concert - Lonesome Meadow, June 20th
Park PALS, June 20th, 9:30am
Jr Naturalists - June 20th, 1pm
SUMMER CAMPS!

Wow, it's going to be busy!

Speaking of Summer Camps!

The 6 & 7 year old summer camp, Wet n' Wild will run from June 8 - 12 from 9:30am-12pm. It's currently full, so if you've signed up your little one, make sure to get their registration in soon!

The 8 & 9 camp, Woodland Survival, will run from June 22-26 from 9:30-12:30pm and currently has just 2 slots still open, so call NOW! This 2nd camp will focus on primitive living skills much like our early ancestors and native americans would have had to rely on in order to survive the harsh Ohio landscape during the 1700's.

For more info on any of the above programs, check out the latest edition of the Nature Notes on the website or give us a call at the Nature Center!

Although not a Darke County Parks program, there is a Special Workshop being held June 24 form 8:30am-4pm at The Aullwood Audubon Nature Center entitled: Global Warming : Realities and Solutions, You Can Make a Difference! This workshop will help to better explain the local, regional and global implications of the Global Climate Change and what YOU can do to help!

For the nominal fee of $5, you will receive lunch, lectures by two local university professors, guided hikes through Aullwood's trails and a copies of Climate Change: A Wisconsin Activity Guide - Grades 7-12 and World Wildlife Fund's Smart Consumers: an Educator's Guide to Exploring Consumer Issue and the Environment. Wow, what a deal! Be sure to check out the full flyer and information found HERE or call Naturalist John Wilson at 937.890.7360. Aullwood Audubon Center is located at 1000 Aullwood Road, Dayton Ohio 45414.

That's all for now!

Leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts on the new Blog!

Bird List from May 30th's Wandering for Warblers:

Location: DCP - Shawnee Prairie Preserve

Observation date: 5/30/09
Number of species: 26

Turkey Vulture 2
Mourning Dove 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 3
Tree Swallow 1
Tufted Titmouse 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 7
Gray Catbird 1
European Starling 10
Cedar Waxwing 6
Chipping Sparrow 3
Field Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 2
Indigo Bunting 4
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Baltimore Oriole 1
American Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Welcome to Darke County Parks' Blog!

2009-05-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hello! Welcome to Darke County Parks' newest web-addition! We've now entered the Blogging community and hope to use this as a source for information of upcoming events, news and a source for all of our Park Reports. Be sure to check back often, or better yet, add us to your RSS feed or bookmarks! We hope to keep this updated at least on a weekly basis, so we'll see you often!