News and Updates from the Geauga Park District

Boy Scout Plants Wet Meadows – Chardon Eagle Scout candidate drives new feature at Observatory Park

When the parks’ goals align with the goals of area Eagle Scout candidates, everyone wins, including Geauga County wildlife.

This summer, Daniel Potter of Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 985 Chardon was looking for a project to complete his Eagle Scout rank when his troop leader recommended he explore possible projects at Geauga Park District.

Meanwhile, the Park District’s Natural Resource Management (NRM) Department was planning the enhancement of a small wet meadow in an old farm field portion of Observatory Park in Montville Township. The goal there was to create a bigger, more substantial wet meadow for wildlife.

Aligning the two initiatives, Daniel raised $225.00, then organized himself and groups of assistants to plant eight species of appropriate vegetation there in September and October. “We put in a total of 132 work hours on the actual site,” Daniel said. “I think that besides gaining leadership skills, I really learned how to plant things and also a little about how in-depth an ecosystem can be.”

Executive Director John Oros knows the Park District is very fortunate to have local Boy Scouts seek it out for their Eagle Scout projects. “This particular project by Daniel is especially relevant given the strong connection to our mission,” Oros said. “Habitat restoration is directly related to Geauga Park District’s conservation ethic.”

In addition to the wet meadow enhancement project at Observatory Park, the planting of 30 acres of native meadow there was also funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, totaling more than $21,000.00 worth of assistance. After paying for outlying project supplies like landscaping paint and volunteer lunches, Daniel donated the remaining $151.59 to the Park District for reforestation efforts.

Added Oros: “As we establish diversity in our plant communities, in this case a wet meadow, future generations of Geauga residents will have the opportunity to appreciate Daniel’s work in seeing showy flowers and plants for generations to come.”

As for Daniel, who has been home-schooled all this life, he was glad to help, and said he does have some interest in working outdoors after graduation.

“People should take advantage of the great parks we have in Geauga County,” he said, “and I would invite them to get involved and help the Park District improve the world a little bit at a time.”

Geauga Park District has been pleased to host two additional Eagle Scouts projects this year. Graham Cashier of BSA Troop 241 built and installed a new bench along the Affelder Trail, and Ryan Sauder of BSA Troop 102 built and installed turtle habitat logs at Frohring Meadows and Walter C. Best Wildlife Preserve.

Please visit Geauga Park District to peruse seasonal program listings for Boy Scout and Girl Scout offerings at Geauga Park District. To discuss Eagle Scout project opportunities in the parks, please contact Holly Sauder, outreach coordinator, at hsauder@geaugaparkdistrict.org or 440-279-0802.

A Portable Planetarium? Cool! – Watch for this mobile unit coming soon to a school or group near you

A new portable planetarium has arrived at Geauga Park District – an amazing piece of equipment that will most definitely increase astronomy outreach in the community!

This mobile unit is equipped with the exact same software found in the grounded planetarium located at Observatory Park in Montville Township, said Chief Naturalist John Kolar.

“The advantage of this portable version is that we can take it to area schools and other groups as requested to offer them the same caliber planetarium shows,” he said. “We will also utilize it for public programs located at various parks throughout the year.”

Geauga Park District naturalists had previously created a homemade planetarium – think: holes popped in plastic representing constellations – to teach the incredible lessons of outer space. This is a real improvement to the product and should breathe new life into mobile astronomy education countywide.

Best of all, as are most Park District programs, the naturalist program utilizing this new tool is absolutely FREE for Geauga County schools and groups to request. To learn more about this offering, check out the Park District’s Environmental Education Catalog located online at Geauga Park District under Education, then For Teachers.

Geauga Park District is online at Geauga Park District, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Geauga News
Author: Geauga News