Geauga Park District Quarterly Events Calendar for January 2020

Find your adventure in Geauga Park District this winter – from Frozen Fest (please register this year) and our first-ever Geauga Gems Trekking Series kick-off to a handful of bird counting opportunities that will make you an official Citizen Scientist!H

Here are our offerings for January 2020. You may also view these programs and events published on Geauga Park District, and in our quarterly Park Explorer newsletter, which will be mailed before January to every Geauga County household and available from all in-county libraries.

  • Icicle Hike Call List – January – February, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at The West Woods – Register for a call to join a naturalist hiking to find the best locations on and off trail to view beautiful ice formations when conditions are right. Please dress for the weather with waterproof boots that have good traction in snow and ice. Registration required.
  • Bird Banding Hotline – January – March, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at The West Woods – Nature’s Not to Be Missed – Register to receive a call to witness bird banding at The West Woods feeders, a spectacle not to be missed. Put your name on a hotline list and get a call when we decide to throw up a mist net. See birds up close and personal. Bring a camera. Entirely indoors. Registration required. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.
  • Grandparents in the Park: Nature DetectivesThursday, January 2nd from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at The West Woods – Attention all super-sleuths grandparents and grandkids: test your detective skills by helping solve Nature clues in an interactive way! Program indoors. Please bring a snack to share; beverages provided. Registration required. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.
  • Burton Christmas Bird Count – Saturday, January 4th from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at The West Woods, Lobby – Come to the warm, cozy West Woods lobby and help park staff/volunteers count birds at the feeders. Our count will be included in the results of tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas who brave snow, wind and rain in order to help Audubon and other organizations collect data in this long-running census to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.
  • Learn to Cross Country Ski – Sunday, January 5th from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Orchard Hills Park, Lodge – Learn the basics of cross country skiing including proper clothing, equipment and technique. Indoor presentation followed by outdoor instruction. Ski rental available in advance from Geiger’s, 50 Shopping Plaza, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022, 440-247-4900. A special rental rate for this program applies: $17 for pick up on Friday and return on Monday during business hours. Registration required.
  • Travelogue: Alaska – Can’t Wait to Go Back! – Sunday, January 5th from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at The West Woods – Join the Sauder family as they share their dream trip to Alaska! Travel with them through the inside passage, national forests, tidal shorelines and highest peaks and, after 12 days, felt they barely saw any of this incredible state! Wheelchair/stroller accessible.
  • Geauga Skywatchers Club: Exploring Our Solar System – Monday, January 6th from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Burton Public Library – Join us on a tour of our solar system from the sun, through the major and minor planets, to the farthest reaches of the solar neighborhood. Also learn about the library’s new telescope lending program and some basics on how to use a telescope to view the moons of Jupiter and rings of Saturn! Registration required at https://geaugalibrary.libcal.com. Prospective members may login to Meetup.com to find dates and times of future lectures and activities.  Wheelchair/stroller accessible.
  • Geauga Walkers – Tuesday, January 7th from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at B Benner Metzenbaum Park – Hikes for active seniors 1 to 1 ½ miles long. Naturalist led. If temperatures below 20 degrees, call the park to see if hike will still being held. Call Geauga Senior Center for full schedule, 440-279-2126. Also January 21st.
  • Full Moon: The Wolf Moon – Friday, January 10th from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Observatory Park – January’s full moon is known as a “Wolf Moon.” Learn all about wolves, then take a look at the moon using the park’s telescopes. Followed by night-sky viewing until 11:00 p.m. if weather conditions permit. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.
  • Scout Day: Webelos Into the Woods – Saturday, January 11th from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at Sunnybrook Preserve, Lodge – Join us to complete your requirements for the Into the Woods Elective Adventure! Outdoors, so dress for the weather. Registration required by phone only at 440-279-0880.Please register only participating Webelos. To maximize attendance and minimize no-shows, there is a limit of 4 registrations per person. 
  • Geauga Gems Trekking Series Kickoff! – Saturday, January 11th from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at The West Woods – Join us as we launch our new trekking series, designed to get you out on the awesome trails at Geauga Park District. This information session will cover all the details of this year-long adventure, including number of hikes, hiking opportunities, how to register and incentives for completion – then take a naturalist-led hike that completes your first required hike!
  • Scout Day: Senior & Ambassador Girl Scouts Snow Shoe Adventure – Saturday, January 11th from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. at The West Woods – Discover winter in a whole new way…on snowshoes! This is a great warm-up for your Snow or Climbing Adventure Badge! Wear snow boots to fit into snowshoes. Registration required by phone only at 440-279-0880. Please register only participating Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. To maximize attendance and minimize no-shows, there is a limit of 4 registrations per person.
  • Timbertots: Searching for Squirrels (Ages 3-5 w/adult) – Saturday, January 11th from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Claridon Woodlands, Judge Lester Taylor Lodge & Tuesday, January 14th from 10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. at The Rookery, Great Blue Heron Lodge – Join Nora the Explorer for fun activities to learn all about these furry friends. Program indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Registration required.
  • Nassau Night Sky Viewing – Saturday, January 11th from 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. at Observatory Park, Nassau Astronomical Station – Observe the wonders of the night sky using this facility’s giant research-grade telescope! If weather prevents sky viewing, join us for a planetarium presentation in the McCullough Science Center instead. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.
  • Travelogue: Tasmania – The Island Down Under – Sunday, January 12th from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at The West Woods – Biologist and photographer Ami Horowitz shares pictures of flora, fauna and landscapes of Tasmania. Presented in collaboration with The Native Plant Society of Northeastern Ohio. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.
  • Plant Your Own Meadow! – Sunday, January 12th from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at The West Woods – Interested in growing your own native meadow? Sick of mowing all that extra lawn? Join Geauga Park District staff to learn how you can start your own meadow that will benefit wildlife including pollinators and look amazing, too. Free meadow seed samples will be distributed. This is the first program in a series to feature meadows and prairies in Geauga parks throughout the seasons. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.
  • Timbertots: Searching for Squirrels (Ages 3-5 w/adult) – Tuesday, January 14th from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. at The Rookery, Great Blue Heron Lodge – Join Nora the Explorer for fun activities to learn all about these furry friends. Program indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Registration required.

Geauga News
Author: Geauga News