Upcoming Programs with Darke County Parks

Darke County Parks is offering a variety of family fun this month!

Winter Bird Walks

January 14th, 9am @ Shawnee Prairie Preserve

January 24th, 9am @ Routzong Preserve

Walk the trails of Shawnee Prairie and other Preserves in search of winter bird flocks. All levels of birdwatchers are invited. Registration required. FREE


Rock Talk & Swap

January 14th, 2pm

Shawnee Prairie Preserve

If you love rocks and have a large collection, then this is the program for you! Bring items from your collection as there will be a table to claim and swap rocks. Share the stories and memories of your special rocks during rock talk. No rock talk would be complete without rock themed snacks. Registration required. FREE


Walking on Sunshine: 1,100 miles Florida Trail

January 17th, 6:30pm

Shawnee Prairie Preserve

DCP welcomes local hiker-extraordinaire, Andy Niekamp, back the Nature Center to discuss his recent thru-hike of the Florida Trail. Where else can you see an alligator, bear, and panther all in one day? Take an 1,100-mile journey from the Everglades to Pensacola through the interior of Florida. Learn how Andy endured sun, heat, rain, wind, cold, floods, hurricane damage, alligators and venomous snakes to complete this 2.5-month hike. Registration required. FREE


Native Animal Encounter

January 21st, 10am

Shawnee Prairie Preserve

Raptors, reptiles, amphibians… oh my! Stop by the Nature Center to visit with our educational animal ambassadors. Why is a box turtle called a box turtle? Do salamanders really breathe through their skin? And will Pip the eastern screech-owl EVER get bigger?? Find out the answers to all of these questions and more during these Saturday morning encounters! FREE


Pawsport to DCP: A Dog Hiking Adventure

January 21st, 2pm

Alice Bish Park

Do you love exploring the outdoors with your canine friend? Join us each month as we discover one of Darke County Parks’ 13 preserves. From woodland to wetland to prairie we will trek to fill in our passports with stamps and pawprints from each park. Once you’ve collected at least 8 stamps in your booklet, receive a Darke County Parks bandana and toy!” Registration required. FREE


Intro to Beekeeping

January 28th, 10am

Shawnee Prairie Preserve

Join beekeeper and park volunteer Carol along with Naturalist Mandy as they share the basics of getting started with honeybee hives. This workshop is designed for beginners and will cover the life history of honeybees, starter equipment, tools, management and maintenance Registration required. FREE


For more information, or to register, visit www.darkecountyparks.org or call the Nature Center at 937-548-0165

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