Hancock park programs

Field Note Hike, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 1 It was important for early naturalists to make field notes while they were out exploring nature. Since there were no cameras or phones at that point, it was important to make detailed notes and drawings of the living creatures they encountered. Try this observation method with the Field Note Hike. Bring a journal, hike and make detailed notes of the interesting wildlife sights. You can also make sketches. Please bring your own journal and writing utensils. Meet at the Discovery Center Porch at 1 p.m. The event is for ages 18 and up and is free with no registration required. Oakwoods Nature Preserve is located at 1400 Oakwoods Lane, off of County Road 144, west of Findlay. Discovery Stories: Life in a Beaver Pond, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 2 Beavers are incredible animals. Not only do they build a home for themselves they build a home for other animals. A story about beavers and their interaction with one of their neighbors, the river otter, will be read. Take a closer look at a beaver, feel a beaver fur, look at its teeth, and touch beaver chewed wood. Look at other animals that rely on the beaver pond, such as otters, fish, and ducks. There will be an opportunity to build your own beaver lodge with popsicle sticks and complete a beaver coloring page. Meet at the Discovery Center at 10 a.m. The event is for 4-5 with an adult but other aged siblings are welcome to attend. The event is free with no registration. Walk on the Wild Side Hike, Bright Conservation Area, Dec. 3 The weather is colder, and it is a great time to explore the wetlands to see what is living there during this time of the year. There may be deer signs on the trail or some interesting birds nesting in the trees along the waterway as well as burrows where the animals will sleep the winter away. Meet at the Circle Drive Parking Area at 10 a.m. The event is for all ages and is free with no registration required. Bright Conservation Area is located 10184 Township Road 244. Christmas Card Making, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 4 Create your own handmade Christmas card for a family member or friend. Each participant will receive a blank card to decorate. There will be crayons, markers, and color pencils for drawing winter and holiday scenes, and nature and holiday rubber stamps to decorate with. There will also be old holiday cards to use as a reference or to be cut up and used to decorate your Christmas card. Meet at the Discovery Center at 6 p.m. The event is for ages 10 to 12 with an adult and is free with no registration required. Jupiter, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 5 Check out our largest planet inside our portable planetarium. Find out about its "red spot," the never-ending hurricane and look at some of its 95 moons. Check out other items in the early December night sky including the Orion and Taurus constellations. Participants are required to sit on the floor. Ask about accommodations. Meet at the Discovery Center at 6:30 p.m. The event is for all ages and is free with registration due online at www.hancockparks.com by 1 p.m., Dec. 5. There is a maximum of 25 slots available. Family Winter Bird Hike, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 7 One of the best times to start birdwatching is in winter when you can find many of our common backyard birds and when it is easier to spot them in the bare trees. Talk about the proper use of binoculars, how to identify birds, and common backyard birds. Afterward, go on a hike to see what kinds of birds can be found in the park and then warm up in the Discovery Center and watch the birds at the feeders. Binoculars will be provided or bring your own. Meet at the Discovery Center at 10 a.m. The event is for families with children ages 6 and up and is free with no registration required. Hooved Animals: Open House, Oakwood Nature Preserve, Dec. 8 Many animals have protective padding on their feet known as hooves. This group of animals is called ungulates. Learn about hooved animals, such as deer, cows, horses, elk, and pigs. Children will have an opportunity to make hoof tracks at our track station and complete a craft by making their own tracks with handprints. Meet at the Discovery Center from 1-4 p.m. The event is for all ages and is free with no registration required. Flying in the Sky: Animal Wings, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 11 Many animals have the amazing ability to fly through the sky. These creatures come in many different sizes, some are covered in feathers, and some even have a hard exoskeleton. Look at the various animals that use wings to fly and ones that fly in special ways, such as Bald Eagles, monarch butterflies, little brown bats, and flying squirrels. Meet at the Discovery Center at 6 p.m. The event is for kids ages 6 to 9 with an adult and is free with registration due online at www.hancockparks.com by 1 p.m., Dec. 11. There is a minimum of 2 and maximum of 15 slots available. Adults do not need to register. Changing a Bird's Name: Removing Common Bird Names That Are Named After People, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 13 Last year the American Ornithological Society, the group that decides the names of birds, announced that all North American birds named after a person or has a name that could be offensive or misrepresent will have its name changed. That means around 80 species of birds are having their names changed. You may be upset about these name changes and having to relearn bird names, but do you really know the people these birds are named after? Learn about the process of determining bird names, which birds in Ohio will be receiving new names, the people they are named after, and the first six birds to receive name changes from the pilot program this past year. Meet at the Discovery Center at 6:30 p.m. The event is for ages 16 and up and is free with no registration required. Christmas Bird Count, Aeraland Recreation Area, Dec. 14 During the Christmas season, it is a tradition to go out and count as many birds as you can in your area. Come along and take part in the Hancock County Naturalist's Annual Christmas Bird Count. Talk about the history of Christmas bird counts and what kind of birds can be found in our area during the winter. Afterward, head out to see how many birds can can be found in the park to help document our winter bird population. Binoculars will be provided or bring your own. Meet at the Shelter from 9-11 a.m. The event is for ages 16 and up and is free with no registration required. Aeraland Recreation Area is located off State Route 12 or U.S. 224, between Findlay and Arcadia. McKinnis House Fireside Story: The Biggest, Best Snowman, Litzenber Memorial Woods, Dec. 14 Start the holiday season with a fun fireside story at the historical McKinnis House. The fire will be warm and cozy as we enjoy the story The Biggest, Best Snowman. After the story, make molasses-on-snow candy just as the pioneers did in 1847. Meet at the McKinnis House at 1:30 p.m. The event is for ages 3-5 with an adult. No other aged siblings can attend and no more than one adult per child. The even is free with registration due online at www.hancockparks.com by 1 p.m., Dec. 13. Ther is a minimum of 4 and maximum of 8 slots available. Christmas Ornaments: Open House, Litzenberg Memorial Woods, Dec. 15 Decorating a Christmas tree was a simple, but fun activity in the 1800s. Families might string strands of popcorn or cranberries to hang on the tree. Mom might even allow the children to bake gingerbread cookies as decorations. Dad and the boys would carve little animals as gifts. Visitors can join in the fun by stringing the berries and baking the gingerbread cookies. Meet at the McKinnis House from 1-4 p.m. The event is for all ages and is free with no registration required. Full Cold Moon Hike, Aerland Recreation Area, Dec. 15 Find the moon and hike around the meadow in the park. See if animals, like white-tailed deer or raccoons are daring to stir on this late fall night. Check out the night sky for Jupiter and winter constellations, Orion and Canis Major. Meet at the Shelter at 6 p.m. The event is for all ages and is free with no registration required. Wee Ones: Awesome Opossums, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 16 Opossums are amazing animals that live in Hancock County. They are resourceful scavengers that find whatever food they can get. Along with the scraps they find, opossums can eat lots of harmful ticks. Also, the opossum is the only marsupial in the United States. Marsupials include kangaroos and koalas. Look at opossum furs, mounts, and pictures on display. Children will have an opportunity to complete a opossum craft and coloring sheet. Meet at the Discovery Center at 10 a.m. The event is for ages 3 and under with an adult but other aged siblings are welcome to attend. The event is free with no registration require. The Magic of Static, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 16 "Static" means to stay in one place. In static electricity, the charges are all staying in one area. Make a static flyer as one of our experiments. Making your hair stand on end using a balloon is another fun activity using static electricity. Kids will have fun trying all nine of the tricks using static electricity. Meet at the Discovery Center from 1-2:30 p.m. for aged 6-9; and from 2:30-4 p.m. for ages 10-13. The event is free by registration is due online at www.hancockparks.com by 4 p.m., Dec. 13. There is a minimum of 2 and maximum of 20 slots available per time slot. Ötzi the Iceman, Oakwwods Nature Preserve, Dec. 17 Human life has changed greatly since our early prehistoric days. Learn more about the early life of humans by looking at Ötzi the Iceman. In 1991, scientists found a naturally preserved mummy in the Alps which they named, Ötzi. This mummy is one of the most preserved from the Copper Age and he carried a lot of interesting items that helps explain how cavemen lived. Look at pictures and recreations of Ötzi and the various items he had as well as the various wildlife that would have been alive during Ötzi's life. Meet at the Discovery Center at 6 p.m. The event is for ages 10-12 with an adult and is free with registration due online at www.hancockparks.com by 1 p.m., Dec. 17. There is a minimum of 2 and maximum slots available. Adults do not need to register. Homemade Wrapping Paper, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 20 The holidays are right around the corner. If you still have some last-minute present wrapping to do, why not make the gift more special by wrapping it in wrapping paper decorated by your child? Each child will receive a length of easel paper to decorate as holiday wrapping paper. Crayons, markers, and color pencils for drawing winter and holiday scenes, and nature and holiday rubber stamps will be provided to decorate with. Meet at the Discovery Center at 1 p.m. The event is for ages 4-5 with an adult but other aged siblings are welcome to attend. The event is free with no registration required. Animal Tracks, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 23 The snow that falls in winter is a great base for checking out animal tracks. Learn the tracks of native animals that are still active during the winter, including eastern cottontails, fox squirrels, raccoons, and coyotes. Take a hike in search of footprints and other signs that those animals were there. Participants will have an opportunity to make their own animal tracks in moldable clay to take home. Meet at the Discovery Center from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The event is for families with children ages 5 and up. The event is $5 per family with registration due online at www.hancockparks.com by 1 p.m. Dec. 20. There is a minimum of 2 and maximum of 8 slots available. Snowflakes, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 27 Learn about snowflakes. A story about snowflakes will be read. Afterward, talk about snowflakes, what they are, how they form, and their special powers. Children will have an opportunity to create their own unique paper cut out snowflakes. Meet at the Discovery Center at 10 a.m. The event is for ages 4-5 with an adult but other aged siblings are welcome to attend. The event is free with no registration required. Shelter Building, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 27 Build a shelter using what can only be found in the woods. Talk about the qualities of a good shelter, different types of shelters, and where it is safe to build a shelter, and then go in the Nature Play Area, split into groups, and build shelters using natural items found in the area. Afterward, judge which group created the best shelter. Meet at the Discovery Center Porch at 2 p.m. The event is for ages 12 to 14 and is free with registration due online at www.hancockparks.com by 4 p.m. Dec. 26. There is a minimum of 3 and maximum of 16 slots available. Chomp: Animal Teeth, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 28 All animals love to eat. Food is important for giving energy to animals to keep them moving. Teeth make eating extremely easy for animals. In this program look at the many kinds of teeth in the animal world. Observe teeth made for only eating plants or meat and teeth that can eat both plants and meat. Examples of teeth being shown will be beaver, grey wolf, and black bear. Meet at the Discovery Center at 1 p.m. The event is for ages 4 to 5 with an adult and is free with no registration required. Snow Goggles, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Dec. 30 Due to the angle of the sun in the winter, the sun may seem dull, but it is still sending out strong rays of light. Because of snow's bright white color, it can reflect a lot of sunlight and can even hurt people's eyes. Talk about snow goggles, an invention made by the Inuit and Yupik people of the Arctic. Traditionally, snow goggles are carved from wood or bone with a thin slit through the middle to block out light. In this program, participants will make their own pair of snow goggles from construction paper and string. Craft materials will be supplied. Meet at the Discovery Center at 1 p.m. The event is for ages 10 to 12 and is free with registration due online at www.hancockparks.com by 1 p.m., Dec. 27. There is a minumum of 2 and maximum of 10 slots available.