Native Plant Sale
Saturday, May 7 from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm at the Wood County Fairgrounds, 13800 W Poe Rd, Bowling Green, OH 43402.
Plants $5
Shrubs $10
For a list of plants & more information, click here.
*Bonus sale for Friends members only: Friday, May 6 from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm.
The Friends of the Parks invite you to become a member and support the parks.
Learn more about the Friends of the Parks HERE.
Pop-up Snowshoeing
Add your name to the pop-up program interest list.
When the weather conditions are right, we’ll go for a wintery hike.
Snowshoes are sized by the weight they distribute, not the shoe size. Snowshoes are available for weights between 60 and 250 pounds.
Sleigh Rides
Wild Lights
There are two ways to experience the brightest night in January. Register to decorate one of the ten 3-D animal display stations for the Wild Lights Workshop on January 5; 4:00 – 7:00 pm.
Register for Wild Lights Workshop
Wild Lights Rules
Stroll the magical twinkling forest during Wild Lights Weekend January 7-9, 2022 from 5 – 8 pm.
W.W. Knight Nature Preserve, 29530 White Road, Perrysburg, OH 43551.
Base Camp Stories: Local Adventurer Speaker Series
W. W. Knight Nature Preserve, 29530 White Rd, Perrysburg
Base Camp Stories:
A Climber’s Journey through Life
Thursday, December 2, 2021; 7 – 8:30 pm
Professional climbing guide Ben Waggoner has climbed all over the country. When it comes to life’s figurative obstacles, Ben has leaned on climbing to summit them as well. Join Ben as he covers the different types of climbing, shares highlights of his climbing adventures and conveys how the sport is analogous to life.
Fort to Port: An Adventure
on the Maumee River
Thursday, December 16, 2021; 7 – 8:30 pm
In 2019, four bold kayakers embarked to thru-paddle the entire 137 miles of the Maumee River in four days. Half of the expedition members, Wood County Parks senior naturalist Bill Hoefflin and Metroparks Toledo outdoor skills specialist Amanda Domalski, share stories and visuals from their adventure.
Base Camp Stories: Local Adventurer Speaker Series
W. W. Knight Nature Preserve, 29530 White Rd, Perrysburg
Base Camp Stories:
An Introduction to Boondocking
Thursday, January 27, 2022; 7 – 8:30 pm
Car camping is one thing, but car camping without connection to water, sewer, or electricity and outside of a designated campground is a rewarding adventure like no other. Join Craig and Heather Spicer as they share their planning, logistics, evolution of their rig, and lessons learned along the way from Utah to Maine.
Base Camp Stories: How to Spot the Great Grey Owl – Jim Witter
Thursday, February 3, 2022; 7 – 8:30 pm
A 2nd Grade report on the Belted Kingfisher changed it all for Wood County Park’s Program Coordinator, Jim Witter. Join Jim as he regales in stories of his birding adventures in the U.P. and shares birding wisdom to use on your next outdoor experience. In order to protect the health and wellness of program staff and participants, the park district board of commissioners requires that masks be worn when inside public spaces of park facilities.
Heritage Holiday
Saturday, December 11, 2021; 1 – 4 pm
Carter Historic Farm, 18331 Carter Road, Bowling Green
A festive celebration of our cultural heritage with activities, crafts, wagon rides, and wassail. Make holiday memories down on the farm.
Autumn Nature Bingo
Nature Bingo Fun.
Thanksgiving Food Drive
November 13 – 20, 2021
Bring non-perishable items to park locations for donation to the Brown Bag Food Project in BG.
Delivery locations: Otsego Park, Carter Historic Farm, Park District Headquarters, and W.W. Knight Nature Preserve.
*Look for the delivery bin by the entrance/kiosks. Accepted items: non-perishable food items, baby items, hygiene items (e.g. soap,
deodorant), and pet food/supplies. For a complete list, visit www.brownbagfoodproject.org
The nature villains are back, and more diabolical than ever in their effort to ruin the parks! Using your smartphone “chase” our virtual villains by traveling from one coordinate clue to the next within the park, eventually leading to your success and an opportunity for a prize! Complete all three for a special reward. Register for direct information on starting clues or simply stay connected to our social media platforms. Share your adventure by tagging us on Facebook or Instagram with photos of your masked hero. Registration not necessary to participate. Complete on your own time within the open date window for each park’s GeoChase course.
October 10 – 17, 2021 at W.W. Knight Nature Preserve, 29530 White Road, Perrysburg, OH
October 17 – 24, 2021 at Otsego Park, 20000 W River Road, Bowling Green, OH
October 24 – 31, 2021 at Cedar Creeks Preserve, 4575 Walbridge Road, Northwood, OH
Good luck, Geochasers!
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Scarecrow Contest Winners
Congratulations to all of the participants. The scarecrows were all awesome, they added to the Heritage Farm Fest event where everyone loved them.
Winners:
1st The Ramm Family
2nd Alexis Klassen & Associates DDS, LLC
3rd Theo, Mariah, and Keanu Madaras
Under 16 1st: Girl Scout Troop 10466
Under 16 runner-up: Ian Gray-Luring
Park District Plans Fall Prescribed Fire
Wood County Park District stewardship department is planning to conduct prescribed fires in several park properties this fall. The locations of these burns may be in Bradner Preserve, Rudolph Savanna Area, and Cricket Frog Cove. The exact timing of the fires will be determined by weather factors to ensure the most effective and safe conditions, including smoke mitigation.
All of our prescribed fire practices are conducted under waiver through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, notification of the Ohio EPA, as well as, direct supervision by an Ohio Certified Prescribed Fire Manager. Local fire departments for each site are aware of these plans and will be directly notified at least 24 hours before the fire and also on the day of the fire by our fire manager.
The purpose of the fires is for the benefit of the natural areas and native ecosystems. All fire management is completed with best management practices. The public is advised to stay clear away active burn sites.
Please call 419-575-7339, or email alowien@wcparks.org, with any questions directly involving wcparks prescribed fire practices. For general Wood County Park District questions, 419-353-1897 wcparks.org
Fall Plant Sale
Native plants will be available for purchase at the Heritage Farm Fest on Saturday, October 2, 2021 from 3 – 7 pm.
FALL PLANT SALE PLANTS 2021
The numbers are the number of plants available for sale.
1. Elderberry (20)
2. Common Milkweed (30)
3. Butterfly Milkweed (30)
4. Virginia Mountain Mint (30)
5. Hairy Mountain Mint (30)
6. Penstemon (30)
7. Prickly Pear cactus (30)
8. Bergamot (30)
9. Blue Lobelia (30)
10.Wild Columbine (30)
11.Brown eyed Susan (30)
12.Ohio Spiderwort (30)
13.Ridell’s Goldenrod (30)
14.Boneset (30)
20th annual Scarecrow Contest & Workshop
Join in the tradition of this lighthearted autumn competition! Use our materials at the Workshop, or build your scarecrow at home. Enter by September 27, 2021. Enter Here.
Workshop & Set-up: Friday, October 1.
Winners announced at Heritage Farm Fest, a free community event on Saturday, October 2, 2021.
Cash Prizes: 1st place: $150
2nd place: $100
3rd place: $50
16 & Under Winner: $50
16 & Under Runner-up: $25
Thank you to our cash prize sponsors:
- Water fountains are back open. 6/5/2021
Adam Phillips Pond is now open. 7/12/2021
Native Plant Sale
For 2021, the Wood County Park District and Friends of the Parks will not conduct their own sale. We are participating in and supporting other native plant sales for the Lucas County Soil & Water and The Green Ribbon Initiative’s Blue Week Sale.
Oak Openings Region Blue Week, May 10-16, 2021
Online Native Plant Sale pre-order May 1-15, 2021
Plant pick-up May 22 and 23, 2021 from the Blue Creek Seed Nursery. Oak Openings Blue Week Details Here.
Blue Week programs: Oak Openings Region Blue Week Nature Hike on 5/11/21 at Bradner Preserve
AND
Lucas County Sale: Pre-order Here by May 17, 2021
Pick-up: Friday, May 21, 2021 from 9 am – 5 pm at the Lucas County Fairgrounds, 1406 Key Street, Maumee, OH (Please use the south entrance near the railroad tracks.)
Find the event flyer here.
Nature Quest
Nature Quest is a series of self-guided activities. Think of an escape room without the claustrophobia. Each new Quest is based on a different level of puzzle difficulty. Solve the logic puzzles that lead from one clue to the next and you’ll win the Quest.
Nature Quest II: Virtual Escape Room.
Click here for an online puzzle-based logic challenge.
2020 Photo Contest
The 6th annual Friends of the Parks Photo Contest is happening now.
Let your inner nature photographer out.
- Photos taken at Wood County Park District properties
- Entry fee: $5
- Enter by November 30, 2020
- Entries printed and framed in a gallery exhibition
- Park District Main Office is now open to the public. 4/19/2021
Earth Day T-shirt Fundraiser
Order online by April 30, 2021. T-shirts shipped to you by May 14, 2021. (Thank you to everyone who ordered!)
Earth Day Upcycle Contests
Create something new from something otherwise thrown away or recycled. Winners will receive a free Earth Day shirt available for online purchase in April. This is a Carter Historic Farm program. Press Release. Flyer.
Kids and adult contests:
1 ) Register at wcparks.org by April 1
2) Receive instructions and create
3) Email photos by April 15
Recycle your Christmas Tree.
December 26 through January 31, 2021
Remove all decorations and bring your tree to one of these park locations for us to recycle (click on the park name for directions):
Park District Headquarters in Bowling Green, Ohio
W.W. Knight Nature Preserve in Perrysburg, Ohio
William Henry Harrison Park in Pemberville, Ohio
Slippery Elm Trail in North Baltimore, Ohio
Otsego Park in Bowling Green, Ohio
Also, if you need a tree for fish structure in a pond, you are welcome to take one from the pile of tree to be recycled.
Rudolph Bike Park sweatshirts
Sweatshirts are available to preorder online until December 6. Order here. These are super soft and high-quality sweatshirts. Proceeds will support bike park programs.
Ready-made sweatshirts are currently available for sale at two local bicycle shops: Spoke Life Cycles and Stout Cyclery.
Wild Lights
Enjoy a walk in the woods to see illuminated 3D foam animal displays. W.W. Knight Nature Preserve in Perrysburg will be open after hours for the displays to be visible at night.
January 8 – 10, 2021; 5:00 – 8:00 PM
This Wild Lights Decorating Contest Winners: 1st place Downey Family, 2nd place Girl Scout Troop 11582, 3rd place Bunny Builders. Thank you to all the participants. Thank you to the Friends of the Parks for their generous donation for the contest cash prizes.
Masked Hero Geochase 2020
Experience a self-guided geocaching adventure October 5-31.
How to participate: Check our social media each Monday in October to find a new video about the Geochase and the villain at each park. Bring your smartphone/GPS with you for an outdoor excursion to solve the clues, defeat the villain, and win the Geochase!
October 19-25; Cedar Creeks Preserve
October 5-11; W.W. Knight Nature Preserve
October 12-18; Bradner Preserve
October 19-25; Cedar Creeks Preserve
October 26-31; Sawyer Quarry Preserve
No registration is needed to participate in this free, self-guided program. *All GeoChases are up through October 31st.
Accomplish the Sawyer Geochase for prizes.
Everyone who participated in all four Masked Hero Geocahse adventures will be entered into a drawing to win a gift basket. Watch the live raffle drawing on our Facebook page on November 5, 2020 at 12:00 noon.
Autumn Nature Bingo
Download and print the Autumn Nature Bingo. While out in the parks, think about what you hear and smell. How many colors can you find? Can you find something purple, red, orange, yellow, light green, dark green, and brown?
Scarecrow Contest 2020
Community members created 19 scarecrows for the 19th annual Scarecrow Contest. Watch this video about the entries and the winners.
While at home, with a little straw and some imagination, make your creation “come to life.” Once completed, bring your finished creation to be put on display to celebrate the season.
Prizes
1st prize: $100 sponsored by Robert K. Miller Insurance Agency, Inc.
2nd prize: $50 sponsored by Kathrens Insurance Agency
3rd prize: $25 sponsored by InTech IT Solutions
16 & under: $25 sponsored by Grounds for Thought
Nature Quest
Nature Quest
Nature Quest is a series of self-guided activities. Think of an escape room without the claustrophobia. Each new Quest is based on a different level of puzzle difficulty. Solve the logic puzzles that lead from one clue to the next and you’ll win the Quest.
Nature Quest I: Multi-park Tour
Nature Quest II: Virtual Escape Room.
Click here for an online puzzle-based logic challenge.
Nature Quest III: Sawyer Adventure
Carter Historic Farm
Summer
Produce grown on the Farm is being donated to local food panty the Brown Bag Food Project. Great things are happening at Carter Historic Farm.
Turtle Time
Aquatic vs. Terrestrial
Diet & Resources
Download the .pdf of the Turtle Time resource scavenger hunt.
The Shell
Print this standing turtle activity. Color, cut, and fold to create a standing turtle. For all ages. No really, you’re not too old.
Camouflage
Backyard Naturalist
Insects of summer
Monarch butterfly release
Birds
Native Plants
Why do some trees hang onto their leaves?
Vermicomposting
Lichen
Fun from the Farm
Looking for something fun to do? Check out these fun and educational activities from the Carter Historic Farm.
Carter Historic Farm History Class
Skits for Snake
Mimicry
Vision
“Fox” Snake?
Food
Camouflage
Smelling
Ecopsychology
Part I
Part II
Part III
Nature Bingo
Download and print Spring Nature Bingo for your next outdoor experience.
Nature Bingo encourages us to focus on the nature all around us. You can play in your backyard, on a walk around the neighborhood, and in a park. If you print nature bingo, printing on the back of used paper is a go-green idea, and this version is designed to use less printer ink. #lovenature
Evening on the Portage
Springtime in a Vernal Pool
Wind through White Pine
Bird Song Opera (from ShakeUp Sound Design)
Rudolph Bike Park Sponsorships
Rudolph Bike Park
14038 Mermill Road, Rudolph, OH
See the latest updates with the Rudolph Bike Park here.
With three pump tracks and one mountain bike skills course, there’s something for everyone. Be a part of this exciting community project.
Click here for a Rudolph Bike Park Sponsorship Package.
In a public survey of Wood County residents with over 2,000 respondents, 43.48% of people requested more bike trails & increased access, with 55% of those respondents requesting non-traditional biking opportunities. The Rudolph Bike Park directly meets community needs. The park will attract cyclists of all ages from all around the region, as it will be directly accessible from the 13.1-mile Slippery Elm Trail bike path. The Slippery Elm Trail has an average of 275 users per day. The Bike Park will have a picnic shelter, 3 pump tracks for all ages and skill levels, and a mountain bike skills loop. The parking lot is being paid for by the Wood County Park District. 100% of your donation will go toward creating this community wellness and adventure park. The park will be free and open to the public every day of the year from 8:00 am until 30 minutes past sunset. Positive recognition for your sponsorship will be far-reaching and long-lasting.
Make check payable to the Friends of the Parks, 18729 Mercer Road, Bowling Green. Email jsands @wcparks.org with sponsorship questions.
Land Management
The Stewardship Department is hard at work maintaining, cultivating, and improving natural areas.
Current activities include: cutting back garden displays, mowing, invasive species control, growing plants at the Native Plant Nursery at Reuthinger, and preparing for clearing out the greenhouse to propagate plants throughout the parks.
Recent accomplishments: planted buffers of trees at Cedar Creeks Preserve and Baldwin Woods, planted fruit trees at Carter Historic Farm, planted vegetable garden at Carter Historic Farm, seeded new wetland at Reuthinger Preserve with native plant seeds, and grew thousands of native plant seedlings.
2020 Passport to the Parks
Passport to the Parks
- Pick up a passport from a park kiosk.
- Attend Programs for stamps
- Redeem your prizes for 10 (Campfire Mug) and 20 stamps (tee-shirt) at the Park District Headquarters, 18729 Mercer Road, Bowling Green, OH 43402. Open Monday through Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.
Click here to print a passport.
Carter Historic Farm Wetland Restoration Project
The Wood County Park District and the Black Swamp Conservancy worked together to restore twenty acres of wetland and prairie at the Carter Historic Farm. Wetlands are important to our natural environment because they filter out pollutants in runoff from the farm fields before it reaches the Lake Erie watershed, provide habitat for wildlife, and create drought and flood resistant areas with the native plants used.
Sixteen acres have been converted to wetland and four acres restored to upland prairie with walking trails along the berms. This is an important conservation effort that yields, educational interpretation opportunities.
Sally and Lyle Loomis, donated the Carter Historic Farm property. The wetland restoration was part of their wishes for the use of the donated land and specifically wished this restoration to take place.
Arrowwood Archery Range
Arrowwood Archery Range on Linwood Road in Bowling Green, Ohio is free and open to the public everyday from 8:00 am until 30 minutes past sunset. Select programming can occupy the space, so check the program listing for details.
Previous Park Updates related to Covid-19
April 20, 2020
The Wood County Park District Parks and Preserves are Open from 8:00 am until 30 minutes past sunset. Playgrounds are closed. Restrooms are open.
During the State stay-at-home order, park access is considered essential services. All park properties are open daily from 8:00 am until 30 minutes past sunset. Playgrounds are closed.
All Wood County Park District buildings are closed. Restrooms are open.
Please observe 6-10 feet of social distancing. Call out to people before you pass them. Be well.
Buttonwood Recreation Area is closed. Access to the Maumee River via Hull Prairie Road is open.
All facility rentals and public programs (including the Native Plant Sale) are cancelled through May 18, 2020. At that time, the situation will be further accessed. All refunds have been issued and will be sent by mail. The administrative offices at Park District Headquarters are closed.
All community members are advised to follow public health guidelines. Social distancing, staying at home, and proper hand-washing are being advised. For disease and health information, please contact the Wood County Health Department, The Ohio Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control.
May 2021:
- *Facility Rentals for W.W. Knight and Otsego Park can be made with reduced occupancy. Fill out this supplemental agreement and to email kstrong at wcparks.org. Facility rental dates start in May.
- June 2021: Facilities open again without covid restrictions.