Blog

BRUCE SIMPSON, Blendon Woods Naturalist Spring is my favorite time for bird watching. As the lakes and river thaw, many waterfowl fly north and some of the seed-eating birds migrate northward to their breeding territory. May is a great time to see warblers in your Metro Parks. Some of these neotropical songbirds are just passing through, while others stay here and breed. This month, …Read More

MEGAN FLEISCHER, Inniswood Horticulturist Take advantage of energy you’ve stored after a long winter with these simple gardening tasks. By the time summer hits, you’ll be happy you completed these in the cooler temperatures of spring. 1. Edge your garden beds Now is the time to put a crisp edge on your garden beds. Use a spade or gas-powered edger to keep unwanted weeds and turf from …Read More

The chirping of birds, the smell of a campfire, the thrill of a pull on your fishing line…what more could you ask for. At Scioto Grove, you can backpack with your family, hike, fish and much more. Check it out! Tell us your story

BRADNON NOVOTNY, Park Ranger Prairie Oaks Spring has arrived in Central Ohio and fishing is starting to heat up. Your Metro Parks offer fishing at many of our parks, and while you’ll find great fishing at each location, here are my top five spots you should definitely check out this year. Prairie Oaks Metro Park: Darby Bend Lakes This popular fishing spot is stocked …Read More

Amy Colgan, Guest Blogger Picture this. The noise in the woods was startlingly loud. This was no squirrel rustling through the leaves; it was something much larger. Just as I stopped, two deer, with their antlers locked in a territorial battle, broke out of the woods and onto the middle of the path at Glacier Ridge. As they pushed each other back and forth, …Read More

Scott Felker, Three Creeks Naturalist After what seems like the winter that lasted for forever, spring is finally here and so are the wildflowers. That means it’s time to search for blooms in your Metro Parks. True to their name, Virginia bluebells, trilliums and many other spring flowering ephemerals are plants that last only a brief time. They grow before trees leaf out, flower …Read More

We’re always amazed by the extraordinary people in our Metro Parks, like Lashonda, an incredible rock star volunteer. Check out her story on Tim Talks and stay tuned to see what fellow park lovers have to say. What’s your Metro Parks story?

BRANDON NOVOTNY, Park Ranger Prairie Oaks Spring brings a deluge of baby animals to our Metro Parks, as birds and wildlife nest and raise their offspring. Coming upon any animal baby is one of the unplanned pleasures that await you on a walk in your park. It’s often hard for people to resist rescuing a baby bird or fawn when, in fact, these animals …Read More

One time at Metro Parks… All the best stories start this way and we want to hear yours. Follow our Tim Talks as we interview park visitors about their favorite parks, activities and programs. Keep an eye out for us at the parks, you could be next to share your story! Tell us your story

Bird photography is a passion for Adam Brandemihl, who started coming to the parks five years ago to exercise and get a bit of fresh air. On his visits, Adam got caught up with watching wildlife—especially birds. After bringing his camera on one of his hikes, Adam realized he’d found a new passion. Every trip to a Metro Park was like a treasure hunt …Read More

BRUCE SIMPSON, Blendon Woods Naturalist Turkeys are now common at Blendon Woods, but it wasn’t always that way. One morning around 15 years ago, as I walked along the Brookside Trail at Blendon Woods listening to songbirds, I heard a surprising sound—the call of the wild turkey, “Gobble gobble gobble.” In all my years of bird watching at Blendon Woods, this was the first …Read More

Metro Parks filled a void for a couple that recently moved to Central Ohio from Lansing, Michigan, to be close to their daughter. Barbara and Paul Toman are in their sixties now and wanted to relocate while they still felt healthy and active and able to enjoy life. One of the frustrations they encountered was finding things to do and places to go. They …Read More

CAMERON SVOBODA, Naturalist Blacklick Woods Insects may be small, but they make up the majority of animal life. Whether or not we like them, we need them. Insects pollinate a third of the food we eat and they themselves serve as vital food for all manner of larger animals. We tend to associate insects with warmer days, but these critters have come up with …Read More

ANDREA KRAVA, Blendon Woods/Rocky Fork Senior Naturalist We’ve definitely had our fair share of snow and single-digit temperatures this winter. By late February to mid-March we’ll start having warmer days (by warm, I mean in the 50s) and rain instead of snow. This change in temperature and weather not only starts to lift our spirits, but also thaws the frozen ground, brings water into vernal …Read More

AMANDA MARKS, Park Ranger Pickerington Ponds As a ranger at Pickerington Ponds Metro Park in Canal Winchester, it’s my job to ensure that the park remains a safe and clean place for everyone to enjoy nature. With the recent heavy rains and snowfalls, we have seen a lot more trash washing into the park from roadways and construction sites. This issue is most widespread …Read More

CODY BERKEBILE, Blacklick Woods Naturalist Harbingers of spring can be slow in coming for most of us. Toward the end of a cold and snowy winter, many of us are asking ourselves, “Where is spring?” Spring is my favorite season in Ohio. The days are longer, the temperatures increase, flowers begin to grow and migratory birds return. After being stuck inside more than I …Read More

MEGAN EAGAN, Guest Blogger As residents of Gahanna, my husband, Michael, and I had always frequented Metro Parks closest to home: Blendon Woods, Inniswood and Sharon Woods. It was on a walk at Blendon Woods on Christmas Day 2016 when we realized how many Metro Parks we hadn’t seen and decided to try and visit them all. Our 2017 New Year’s resolution was born. …Read More

DUSTIN DAVIS, Greenways Ranger While the recent frigid weather has probably kept most of us indoors, waterfowl travel from afar to reach Ohio. Every winter, our waterways become an oasis of sorts for migrating waterfowl looking for a rest stop or temporary vacation home. Many of the lakes, rivers and wetlands in Metro Parks become refuges for these seasonal travelers. With the leaves gone, …Read More

HIGHBANKS METRO PARK (Naturalist Craig Biegler) A pair of eagles started nesting along the Olentangy River at Highbanks in 2010. Since then, they have raised about 15 eaglets. It takes four to five years for an eagle to reach maturity, so the Highbanks pair may be grandparents by now. In late February, the female will lay up to three eggs, which will hatch at the …Read More

There’s a youngster that lives in all of us, whatever our real age might be. All alike, we feel excitement and delight as the snow falls and the hills beckon to our inner child to fetch our sleds or our skis or our skates for oodles of winter fun. You can tell which of our winter facilities are open for use by checking our …Read More

JULIE MILLER, Guest Blogger With kids, I often think of summer as the time for hiking and exploring parks. When winter comes, I am inclined to hibernate instead. However, that only leads to cabin fever and we all end up cooped up and stir crazy. It turns out that winter is a great time to explore our local Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. …Read More

Blacklick Woods Metro Park opened 69 years ago, just as Sam Nonnamacher was settling back into civilian life. He served in World War II as a Marine and returned home to Columbus in 1946. When the park opened two years later, Sam went to check it out. When he first started going to the park, it was for relaxation and a bit of exercise. …Read More

JILL SNYDER, Highbanks Naturalist Most of us are familiar with cartoon images of a beaver building a dam. Beavers are often portrayed with big buckteeth, cutting down trees, piling up wood and spreading mud on top with their broad tail. This image isn’t exactly an accurate depiction of a beaver’s life. Beavers are more than just animals with flat tails that gnaw at trees. Their …Read More

MELISSA GEBAUER, Guest Blogger After what felt like a continuous 30-hour day and counting I finally landed in Columbus after an overnight flight from California. I was coming home for a family visit, and to renew my acquaintance with some of the Metro Parks. A visit to Highbanks was on the agenda for the following morning. I’ve moved around a lot in my life, …Read More

JEN ROSA, Naturalist Prairie Oaks It’s commonly believed that owls are nocturnal, but barred owls and short-eared owls prove to be exceptions. They tend to be active during the day, and if you know where to go and what to look for, you might just get a good view of them. Short-eared owls migrate to Ohio in winter and are often seen at Prairie …Read More

Spend the morning in the fields at a Metro Park with birds and birders this December and start a new holiday tradition as you take part in the 118th Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Counts will be held on Dec 16 at 8am at Inniswood, Dec 16 at 9am at Highbanks, Dec 16 at 10am at Sharon Woods and Dec 31 at 8:30am …Read More

ANDREA KRAVA, Naturalist Blendon Woods Osage orange trees aren’t native to Ohio, but they arrived here in large numbers in the 1800s, mostly brought by settlers. They grow thick trunks with thorny branches, perfect for forming a natural fence around early farms and properties. My husband knows the thorns well, as they poke and scratch at him while mowing the lawn at our 1.5-acre …Read More

ALLISON SHAW, Naturalist Sharon Woods The eastern wahoo, an often-overlooked tree, is a beautiful find in autumn. It grows up to 20-feet-high and you will notice its bright red fruit immediately. They resemble bittersweet fruits and have four parts with an outer pink covering. The fruits are poisonous to humans but serve as a late-fall food source for wildlife. Native Americans and pioneers used …Read More

BRANDON NOVOTNY, Ranger Prairie Oaks November marks an exciting time in Metro Parks, just as a yearly tradition is taking place. The white-tail deer rut is in full swing and deer are more active now than usual. The rut is the breeding period when bucks are on the move throughout the day in search of does. With the rut at its peak, this is …Read More

CODY BERKEBILE, Naturalist Blacklick Woods One of the best parts about being a naturalist is the opportunity to continually learn about and see new things. Working at Blacklick Woods for the past five years, I have seen and learned a lot, but there will always be new organisms for me to discover for the first time. Because Blacklick Woods is the oldest park in …Read More

BRANDON NOVOTNY, Ranger Prairie Oaks The overlook deck at Highbanks is one of my favorite spots for fall color, but it’s a wonderful sight at any time of year, with the river, the high banks that the park is named for and the eagles’ nest. The trail that leads to it is a beautiful walk, the best I have found so far in the …Read More

ANDY T MILLER, Assistant Manager Pickerington Ponds/Chestnut Ridge While I don’t have a favorite spot in the parks for fall colors, there are several parks that I like year round. I enjoy walking the Homesite Trail at Chestnut Ridge and looking back to the southeast over hills. The Spring Creek Trail at Sharon Woods is really nice because there is a wide variety of …Read More

BETHANIE BIDINGER, Battelle Darby Creek Park Ranger Fall is a great time to visit Battelle Darby Creek to refresh from the summer heat and take in all the beauty that this favorite season has to offer. Hiking with my four-legged companions is one of my favorite ways to experience fall. Both parties appreciate the cooler weather and fewer bugs this season brings. Some of …Read More

MARTY SHULL, Clear Creek Manager Fall is my favorite time of year; it calls me to the out-of-doors. There is a magic to the air in its crispness. If you get far enough away from the city, the smell of the fall woods and meadows brings a sense of adventure and a return to childhood when fall was magic with its colors, sounds and …Read More

SCOTT FELKER, Three Creeks Naturalist One of my very favorite places to be in fall is Pickerington Pond’s Glacier Knoll observation deck at sunset. It’s not as much for the view as it is for the sights and sounds of wildlife. Flocks of ducks and geese return to the wetlands for the night, sandhill cranes make their loud and inimitable call, deer move through …Read More

JECY WEBER, Greenways Ranger There are many breathtaking vistas at Metro Parks. Either natural or manmade, it is not hard to find a place so beautiful it takes your breath away. When asked what my favorite places in Metro Parks are, places do not come to mind. Instead, I think of the interactions I have had with the public or with co-workers. These make …Read More

CARRIE MORROW, Assistant Resource Manager I’m standing under a huge, dead cottonwood tree. Much of the bark has fallen off and the smooth inner bark stands out as a white beacon in the dark green woods. The sun is setting rapidly and a barred owl calls off in the distance. A mosquito buzzes by my ear and I swat it away with my hand. …Read More

JEN ROSA, Prairie Oaks Naturalist  As a parent of a child on the autism spectrum, I saw the need for inclusive programming outside in a park. Sometimes I go places and my son has a meltdown or he gets excited and jumps up and down and flaps his arms. When this happens, people stare and give you funny looks. There are many opportunities to …Read More

BRYAN KNOWLES, Glacier Ridge and Homestead Manager Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. The warm, crisp sunny days. The blue skies and puffy clouds. The colder nights perfect for bonfires. And of course the colorful change of season. There are so many places in the Metro Parks that are great for fall, it is hard to pick just one. Take advantage of …Read More

ANNIE PILLION, Blacklick Woods Ranger When fall arrives, one of my favorite places to visit is Ashton Pond at Blacklick Woods, especially at sunset. The pond is surrounded by trees with leaves that show every hue from pale yellow to a deep red. The sun sets behind the trees and makes the whole forest glow. The effect is doubled because the scene is reflected …Read More

COLLEEN SHARKEY, Environmental Educator, Inniswood Metro Gardens Bumblebees buzzing, crickets chirping and goldfinches exploding from wildflower plantings always brighten my day as I wander through the Prairie Garden at Inniswood Metro Gardens. Fall wildflowers are gorgeous right now and my favorite way to enjoy them is to walk among them, with the sunflowers and grasses towering above me. The mowed pathway through the Prairie Garden …Read More

ALYSSA BALTER, Restoration Ecologist Direct seeding of nuts offers a simple, cost-effective supplement to Metro Park’s reforestation efforts and has been an annual activity for nearly 20 years. This process is typically used to expedite tree establishment in small pockets between existing forest, which is much faster than natural seed dispersal. The focus for direct seeding this fall will be in a new parcel of Prairie …Read More

TOM COCHRAN, Prairie Oaks Manager In my opinion, there is no better place to view fall colors than along Big Darby Creek at Prairie Oaks, especially from the bridge that connects Darby Bend Lakes to the main part of the park. The lakes are also a great spot to view migrating waterfowl. There are also opportunities to see numerous deer in fall, including some very large …Read More

GEOFF HAMILTON, Scioto Grove Manager The south canoe access area at Three Creeks is one of my favorite areas to fish. I haven’t caught a lot of fish there, but for some reason I just really enjoy wading in that section of the creek. It’s hard to put into words exactly what it is that makes that spot special to me, IT JUST IS! …Read More

BRANDON NOVOTNY, Prairie Oaks Ranger The Walden Waterfowl Refuge at Blendon Woods qualifies as one of my favorite places, especially in late September and early October when waterfowl start to move in. I love to see the very colorful wood ducks, but there are plenty other species. Once the weather really turns and it gets to winter the refuge’s Thoreau Lake truly becomes a …Read More

ANDREA KRAVA, Blendon Woods Naturalist The wetlands and grasslands at Slate Run have always been a favorite place of mine. They opened up the same year I began working there as a naturalist, in the late 1990s, so I got to see those areas be born and then grow into the beautiful, diverse natural areas they are today. Some of my favorite memories of …Read More

CARRIE KELLER Outreach Naturalist For nearly three weeks every fall about 700 of our more seasoned Central Ohio citizens pass through the gates at Blacklick Woods to enjoy a day in the park at Senior Camp. It happens every September and it is happening now. All the campers are age 50 or older. They meet up at Beech Maple Lodge, enjoy the fellowship of …Read More

CARRIE R MORROW Assistant Resource Manager Shorter days and cooler nights may be the first signs of fall. However, it isn’t truly autumn until I have spent a few days in the prairies collecting seed. The colors in the prairies are truly spectacular and something I look forward to every year. Being in the prairie and seeing the variety of colors among big blue …Read More

CHRISTOPHER DELGROSSO Assistant Manager, Scioto Audubon As summer bows its head and awaits the arrival of fall there is a magical transformation that takes place at Scioto Audubon Metro Park. What was once a sea of green hues will soon be upstaged by a mosaic of color. Like an abstract painting, our trails will come to life with color from around 400 deciduous trees, …Read More

A group of very talented artists unpacked their paints, brushes and canvases at Inniswood Metro Gardens recently. All of them are members of the Ohio Plein Air Society, and they visited Central Ohio’s premier botanical gardens for one of their society Paint Outs. Carol Cosgrove, the society’s Paint Out Czar (yes, that’s what it says on the society website), organizes these gatherings of artists …Read More

CODY BERKEBILE Blacklick Woods Naturalist Now that football season is here, Ohioans turn their focus to The Ohio State Buckeyes. Living in Columbus, it is impossible to ignore the barrage of buckeyes across all media. Fans are familiar with the buckeye nut, as it is the basis for the team’s mascot, Brutus Buckeye. This iconic mascot did not debut until the fall of 1965. Up …Read More

It’s that time of year when monarch butterflies begin their magical migration south to the mountains of Mexico, where they’ll spend the winter. I’ve been seeing monarch butterflies in the parks, and as I drive along the highways to and from work, and around Ohio. The adult butterflies, which have been alive for less than a couple of weeks, are making a journey south …Read More

The sun shone brightly on Sharon Woods’ 11-acre Schrock Lake as its recent Friday Night Float program began. Eager canoeists, many of them first-timers, signed-on for a 20-minute float around the tree-lined lake. Park staff and volunteers helped canoeists into life jackets, guided them into their canoes and pushed them from the launching dock and out onto the lake. One of the first set …Read More

Eastern hellbenders found a new home in Big Darby Creek in August. More than 80 of these impressively sized creatures, the largest species of amphibian in Ohio and one of the largest salamanders in the world, settled comfortably into their new habitat. The reintroduction of this species to Big Darby Creek is a result of a partnership among Metro Parks, the Ohio Hellbender Partnership, Ohio …Read More

On a drab winter night, Scott Ballard, 49, contemplated what he would do for the rest of the year. He certainly didn’t want to spend it inside doing little or no physical activity. Scott was experiencing cabin fever and wanted to get back out in nature. After all, he had participated in Metro Parks’ Winter Hike series for more than six years and was …Read More

Blacklick Woods Metro Park is offering a delightful program for food lovers with a taste for something new and exotic. Join us at the nature center on Sunday August 20, 2pm, and welcome to the world of entomophagy, also known as the practice of eating insects. (You don’t have to eat anything, but samples will be available. And you’ll learn a lot about nutrition …Read More

Dogs love a fun day out at the park just as much as their humans do. And that’s especially true when their backdrop is the beautiful Darby Bend Lakes area at Prairie Oaks Metro Park. Prairie Oaks makes a fabulous setting for WAG! Dog Festival, a free family-friendly event taking place this year on Saturday August 19, from 10am to 4pm. WAG! turns the …Read More

Just like the citizens of Central Ohio, Metro Parks are a wide-ranging lot, offering everything from herb gardens to strenuous hikes for the 10-million people who visit them annually. In its 19 parks, Metro Parks boasts 200 miles of trails on more than 27,500 acres of land in seven counties. But people tend to have their favorite parks, the ones that draw them for …Read More

A golden, ripe wheat field is a beautiful sight and its appearance in July means it is grain threshing season on the farm. At Metro Parks’ Slate Run Living Historical Farm, the farm workers use an 1880s era horse powered threshing machine to separate the seed heads of wheat, oats, barley and rye from straw stalks. Marcus and Maude, two mighty Percheron draft horses, …Read More

Two hundred years ago, on July 12, 1817, Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts. This famous American author, transcendentalist, naturalist, political dissident and human rights advocate inspired the names behind Walden Waterfowl Refuge and Thoreau Lake at Blendon Woods. Thoreau is best known for spending more than two years in a cabin in the woods near Concord. While there, he spent his …Read More

July 16 marks World Snake Day, a time to celebrate snakes and the vital roles they play in the ecosystem. The Metro Parks have several different snakes, including Memaw, a gray ratsnake. If you’ve ventured into Sharon Woods, you may have seen Memaw in the naturalist’s office. To celebrate World Snake Day, we’re sharing some fun facts about the gray ratsnake. Memaw, affectionately named for her …Read More

Butterflies get all the attention. They’re pretty, and they fly during the day when us fellow day-dwellers are likely to actually see them. Moths, on the other hand, are mostly nocturnal and often drab by comparison. But there are way more moths than butterflies in the world, and many are just as stunning as their butterfly brethren. Moths and butterflies are really two sides …Read More

A new facility for the Robin Hoods and archers among us has just opened at Scioto Grove Metro Park. The new feature is actually two separate archery courses. The first is what you would call a static, or traditional course, and we’ll get to that shortly. The truly exciting addition is a 3D course, with full-size animals made of a special foam. The foam …Read More

A summer walk in the cool green forests at any of your 19 Metro Parks will inspire your imagination and stir your senses. Forests are the centerpiece of most parks, from streamside or riparian forests of towering sycamores and gnarly box elders to the dry ridge-top forests of mountain laurel and chestnut oak. A forest is much more than a collection of trees. Our …Read More

A stroll or run through a Metro Park provides many views—forest, fields, mid-succession areas and mowed lawn areas. Fields provide a habitat for many plants and animals and are typically maintained to stay as that habitat, but were not planted with prairie flowers and grasses. If left alone, most fields and prairies would revert back to forest over time. To the casual observer, there …Read More

With each passing month from spring to fall, the farm’s Percheron draft horses are kept busy as the driving forces behind the farm’s vast array of machinery and tools for field preparation. Whether it be plowing or harrowing fields, mowing to loading hay, I find it fascinating to watch these amazing animals in action. However, revealing itself in the month of July, there is …Read More

A long-standing tradition at Inniswood Metro Gardens is the seasonal garden theme for the display beds. This theme is chosen at the beginning of every year to help guide the designs of the 80 plus containers and annual displays planted throughout the grounds. In years past, themes have been everything from Going Tropical to A Concert of Color and Desirable and Reliable Annuals. This …Read More

If you hike the Mingo Trail at Scioto Grove Metro Park you will notice that many trees are being cut in the area. Visitors seem a little startled when they notice this. They think of Metro Parks as tree growers not tree cutters. These particular trees, however, are an example of what writer and entomologist Doug Tallamy calls “biological pollution.” These trees are called …Read More

The call of the wild and the open spaces of nature have always had a powerful allure for one out-of-state resident, who visits family in Central Ohio at least three times a year. Jennifer Thorsen can’t keep away from the Metro Parks when she’s here (despite her parents’ objections). Jenny, age 37, lives in St Charles, Illinois, and says, “Running and nature are great …Read More

UPDATE, SEPT 22, 2017 On Sunday Sept 24, 2017, archaeologist Jared Burks will conduct a magnetic survey of the recently discovered earthwork at Blacklick Woods, using ground penetrating radar equipment to read the different layers of substrate in the soil and so produce clearer mapping of the earthwork. We invite you to meet with us at the nature center at noon and we’ll take …Read More

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The Creek Taxi will soon be in service to help canoers and kayakers enjoy a great float on Big Darby Creek. This special, one-time service is set for Saturday June 10. Bring your own registered canoe or kayak to the Upper Darby Canoe Access at Prairie Oaks Metro Park, 4275 Amity Rd. Hilliard OH 43026. Park there and enjoy a 2-mile self-guided float on …Read More

Swarms of honey bees have recently visited the orchard at Slate Run Living Historical Farm. While some people may find this unsettling, it is a sign that the nearby hives are healthy, which is a very good thing. Bees are an integral part of food production. Without them, there would be no apples, peaches, peppers, cucumbers, nor many other fruits and vegetables. Swarms can …Read More

Late spring is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy a romp through the parks. My personal favorite is going for a hike shortly after a rain. There is something magical to me about the woods when the air is still cool and tiny rain droplets cling to rejuvenated leaves. I love the sights and smells, and especially seeing all the life around …Read More

Spend a morning, afternoon or even all day hiking some of the trails at Clear Creek Metro Park and discover some of the lush greenery that abounds where the ferns carpet the forest floor. Ferns grow in the dense understory of the mature forests or in the sandy soil or on the sandstone rocks at the 5,260-acre park. They are survivors, living where few …Read More

We hear it all the time: “Life is short.” And the rest are memories of that life. This is the backstory of the redesigned natural play area at Blendon Woods Metro Park—also known in my life as “Daddy and Maris’ park.” This morning when I woke up, my social media memories delivered the day my husband Tim and I announced that we were pregnant. …Read More

It probably isn’t a surprise that bees and butterflies of all kinds find a home at Inniswood. Our combination of cultivated gardens and natural areas provides opportunities to meet the needs of many lepidoptera species. Every week, April through October, an Inniswood educator sets out on a stroll through the gardens in search of butterflies. We follow a set route past flower beds, prairie …Read More

It’s that time of year, when you might see monsters. If you live within a few miles of a pond, lake or stream, you could step outside one morning and come face-to-face with a 20-pound reptile. But there’s nothing to worry about. In fact, you could be in for a treat. Chances are, it’s a female snapping turtle just looking for a place to …Read More

If you’d like a beautiful, tranquil, challenging canoe or kayak float without leaving Franklin County then Big Darby Creek is for you. This dedicated National Scenic River is not only a biological gem it’s also an opportunity for a day of visual candy. Nature at its best is revealed as you float down the creek, making twisting turns and bouncing through riffled waters. Then …Read More

It’s Arbor Day in Ohio, Friday April 28, 2017. Why not get out and celebrate this Arbor Day weekend by exploring your Metro Parks for some giants—giant trees, that is. The following are just a very few of the awesome trees you could visit. Follow the links for park directions and trail maps. Perhaps taking in the majesty of these behemoths will inspire you …Read More

Last month when we visited the vernal pool (see Blog post), spring was just starting to break free from the icy grip of winter, although this winter wasn’t so icy…! The salamanders and wood frogs had just awakened from their winter torpor, the fairy shrimp cruised silently under the water’s surface, and the resident birds were cautiously announcing the longer days with song. But …Read More

MARCEY SHAFER Clear Creek Metro Park is one of Ohio’s best spots to see birds. Every year the park comes alive with migratory birds. Some stop here for a break on the journey further north. Others nest here for the season. Over 150 species have been documented here at the park. Most of Clear Creek is also a dedicated state nature preserve. We provide …Read More

Spring is a special time in any temperate deciduous forest. The woods wake up after sleeping all winter, and a variety of life “springs” forth. In the swamp forest at Blacklick Woods, the vernal pools come alive. These temporary wetlands fill with water from snowmelt and spring rains, and despite having been dry since the previous summer, suddenly teem with life. Amphibians are the …Read More

Friends of Metro Parks will again award grants to parks from the Tad Jeffrey Memorial Grants Fund. Last year, five were awarded inaugural Tad Jeffrey Memorial Grants to complete unique and diverse projects to enrich the park experience for visitors. The projects included an insect hotel, a roving nature station, and even a tandem bike to use on the Greenway Trails. These grants were …Read More

On a slightly brisk, yet sunny March day, a group of women keen to start a walking or running routine met at Blacklick Woods’ Beech Maple Lodge for a Metro Five-0: Walk and Run 101 program. They were greeted by Metro Parks Outreach Naturalist Karen Ricker and Columbus Running Company’s Outreach Coordinator Lisa Dillahunt. The program, for people age 50 and older, was designed …Read More

In late 2009, a bald eagle pair started investigating an abandoned raptor nest within Highbanks Metro Park, along the Olentangy River. They were young birds, by eagle standards, probably about four years old, and this was their first nesting attempt. Though the nest was hard to see, a few dedicated volunteers spent many hours from March to May 2010 monitoring the eagles. They used …Read More

Spring is the beginning of the new farming year, when the gardens and fields are being planted. It is also the time when we have the most animal births, specifically our sheep, cattle and hogs. As Slate Run is a Living Historical Farm, we do things the 1880s way. It means that our animals are heritage breeds, which can be loosely defined as breeds …Read More

Metro Parks educators are always trying to find new ways to engage our park visitors to utilize nature. Several years ago, a few naturalists read an article in the National Association for Interpretation magazine about fairy house programs and events. This seemed like an interesting way to get new visitors to the parks, but some of us wondered whether it would work, whether it might not …Read More

In 2016, Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks was one of the first agencies in the state to have been certified in meeting Ohio’s standards to improve community and police relations. So far, 506 of the state’s 877 law enforcement agencies have adopted or are working toward adopting statewide standards for use of force, use of deadly force and the recruitment and hiring of …Read More

UPDATE 2: April 12 (Dog Park now open! See first update and original post below) As promised, the Dog Park is now open. The poor turf areas have been fenced off. Grass seed and fertilizer will be spread in those areas. The Splash Pads are also temporarily fenced off as we won’t open them until it gets warmer. It is anticipated the construction of the Shade Structure will …Read More

A young at heart couple is proving the adage, sixty is the new forty, with their energetic mission to walk every trail in all 19 Metro Parks. Pat Andrews and Donald Cade Sr, both Golden Buckeye card members, are already two-thirds of the way through their mission. They’re looking forward to seeing more parks in the next few weeks as they adopt their vibrant …Read More

Growing our own food doesn’t have to change our residential landscape into a row-covered produce farm. The food that we grow can also be quite pleasing to the eye and there are some simple ways to add them to your garden. Here are five ways to incorporate edibles into an existing landscape. Look down First, remember to look down. Many types of thyme grow …Read More

The mobile game Pokémon Go made a big impact on us at Highbanks last year. We had approximately 400,000 additional visitors to the park compared to 2015, and a big part of that increase was people coming to Highbanks in order to play the game. Visitors arrived at Highbanks from all over Ohio, and some even made trips from Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois so …Read More

I wait with anticipation for this event every spring: monitoring the weather like a rabid meteorologist; trying to prognosticate and see into the near future with oracle-like prophecy. There is a helpful formula to use, though it is far from foolproof: Night time temperature over forty degrees, and rain, preferably for more than one day in a row. And warmer is better. But only …Read More

Registration is under way for the spring sessions of The First Tee of Central Ohio programs for kids age 5 to 17, hosted by Blacklick Woods Golf Courses. There is a lot of fun and a lot of golf, but the programs are also designed to build character and develop leadership skills. More than a thousand kids participated in the program last year, led …Read More

We all went down in the woods today… Actually, it was more like two weeks ago, and boy, did we get a surprise. It was not a Teddy Bear’s Picnic that we found. Our discovery was rooted in much deeper stuff and was quite stinky besides. For years I had wondered what the roots of skunk cabbage look like, and today was the day to …Read More

UPDATE FOR 2018:  Details of Metro Parks Summer Camps for 2018  Here at Metro Parks, we’re gearing up for summer and you know what that means—SUMMER CAMP! Trails are cleared, hot dogs are roasted, archery bows are strung, kayaks are docked on the bank, fishing line and friendship bracelet thread is untangled, and all of the wonders of your Metro Parks are waiting for you …Read More

Many adults have fond memories of playing in the woods as a child. I wax nostalgic remembering my own woods outside of Marietta with an extension into Wayne National Forest. But what about kids today? With televisions, online videos and electronic devices, do kids need the woods and a natural place to play? The answer has to be yes. Natural play areas and unstructured …Read More