Programs
Throughout the duration of MCMP events, programs and/or classes, there are opportunities for photographic and video coverage by MCMP which may include your participation or observance of the activity. MCMP reserves the right to use the photos and video at its discretion for media coverage and promotional materials, including broadcasts, reports, publications, social media and marketing materials of MCMP. If you do not wish to be photographed or video recorded at the event, please let the photographer or videographer know prior to being photographed or videotaped. MCMP shall otherwise assume that it has your permission to photograph or video you and/or your child's involvement and participation in this activity. If you have any questions, please contact the Community Engagement Department at 330.702.3000 ext. 120.
Forest Babies
Join Park staff for Forest Babies, a program for your youngest ones, ages 1-3 years old. Enjoy bonding time together while exploring the trails at Ford Nature Center and then creating a simple nature craft or completing an activity to take home. Please be sure you and your little one are dressed for the weather as this program will include outdoor nature time. Register/pay by 1/5, online for your Forest Baby (adults need not register) or call 330.740.7107 x 129. Only registered children may attend. Please do not bring unregistered children to this program. No walk-ins. No pets. $5 per child.Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 10-11 am
Ford Nature Center Classroom A
Ford Nature Center Classroom A
T'ai Chi Step One in the Gardens
Ease stress, improve health, and increase vitality. Join Marie Lew in warm-ups, breathing exercises, instruction of selected movements and narrated practice of a classic Chen T'ai Chi form. Register online or call 330.740.7116 ext230. Walk-ins welcome. $12/classWednesday, Jan. 7 - Dec. 16, 2026, Noon -1 pm
Fellows Riverside Gardens: Radius Program Classroom
Fellows Riverside Gardens: Radius Program Classroom
Coffee With the Birds: Dark Eyed Juncos II
This month's programs will feature our friends from the north, the dark eyed junco. Savor a hot cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate with a themed mini lesson. Then enjoy guided birdwatching at the feeders outside Nancy's Nook at the Ford Nature Center. Registration required; space is limited. Register/pay by 1/9, online or call 330.740.7107 x 129. No walk-ins. Ages 12+. $5Sunday, January 11, 2026, 8:30-9:30 am
Mill Creek Park: Ford Nature Center
Mill Creek Park: Ford Nature Center
Yoga in the Gardens
Join Marina Perdos for a blend of energizing yoga styles that will help you keep a healthy outlook. All levels welcome. Bring a mat and a small blanket. Register / pay online or call 330.740.7116 ext230. Walk-ins welcome. $15/class No Class on January 29, April 14, May 26, July 7, Sept. 8, Nov. 26.Tuesday, Thursday, Jan. 13 - Dec. 17, 2026, Midnight
Fellows Riverside Gardens: Rossi Auditorium Plus Radius Room
Fellows Riverside Gardens: Rossi Auditorium Plus Radius Room
"Winter Talks" - Oak Hill Cemetery, a Virtual Tour
The Ford Nature Center "Winter Talks" series invites you to join Traci Manning, Curator of Education, Mahoning Valley Historical Society to learn about the history of Oak Hill Cemetery with an image guided virtual tour. The program will explore several families and individuals interred at the Cemetery and will feature a guide to cemetery and funerary symbols, artwork, monuments, and statues. Coffee and hot chocolate provided. Register/pay by 1/15, online or call 330-740-7107 x 129. Adults 16+ years or older. $5Saturday, January 17, 2026, 10-11 am
Mill Creek Park: FNC Education Classroom A
Mill Creek Park: FNC Education Classroom B
Mill Creek Park: FNC Education Classroom A
Mill Creek Park: FNC Education Classroom B
Winter Tree ID Hike
See the forest for the trees! Em"bark" on a wintry hike around the Ford Nature Center. A Park Educator will guide you on tree identification in the deep winter using various tools. Recommended for ages 10+. Difficulty: Easy. Please wear proper boots and dress for the weather. Register by 1/15, online or call 330.740.7107 x 129. No walk-ins. No pets. FREESaturday, January 17, 2026, 11 am-12:30 pm
Mill Creek Park: Ford Nature Center
Mill Creek Park: Ford Nature Center
"Winter Talks" - Bigfoot - Do You Believe?
The Ford Nature Center "Winter Talks" series invites you to join local Bigfoot enthusiast, Amy Bue and members of her investigative team as they share their own Bigfoot experiences. Join us in the warmth and bright lights of our Education Building to learn where Ohio ranks in the number of sightings by state and how many sightings there have been in Mahoning County. Bring your own Bigfoot stories to share. Coffee and hot chocolate provided Ages 16+. Register/pay by 1/15, online or call 330-740-7107 x 129. $5Saturday, January 17, 2026, 1-2 pm
Mill Creek Park: FNC Education Classroom A
Mill Creek Park: FNC Education Classroom B
Mill Creek Park: FNC Education Classroom A
Mill Creek Park: FNC Education Classroom B
Rock Talk
Do you have a favorite rock sitting around your home? Not sure what it is? Bring it to Ford Nature Center Education Building to meet with a Park Educator to learn how to identify your rock and how it was formed. Please bring a rock! Park Educator will be on site from 2 - 4 pm to answer your questions about your rock and have others on display for you to learn about. Walk-ins welcomed. No registration required. FREESunday, January 18, 2026, 2-4 pm
Ford Nature Center Classroom A
Ford Nature Center Classroom A
Throwback Thursday: Birch Hill Cabin & Lily Pond
Did you know that Volney Rogers once stayed in a cabin on the property of Birch Hill Cabin? Or that the Lily Pond was the first man-made body of water in Mill Creek Park? Join a Park Educator to learn about the history and stories of the Birch Hill area while enjoying a warm beverage (coffee, tea, and hot chocolate provided). Registration required. Register/pay by 1/20, online or call 330.740.7107 ext. 129. Recommended for adults. No walk-ins. No pets. $5 per person.Thursday, January 22, 2026, 6:30-7:30 pm
Birch Hill Cabin
Birch Hill Cabin
"Winter Talks" - Once Upon a Bedrock: The Story Beneath Mill Creek Park
Join Diana Alexander, Geologist and Mill Creek MetroParks Educator, for an immersive geological journey through Mill Creek Park as part of the Ford Nature Center "Winter Talks" series. In the warmth and comfort of the Ford Nature Center Education Building, you'll explore the formation of the region and get hands-on experience with local rock types. Together, we'll travel more than 320 million years into the past to uncover the geologic story of Mill Creek Park, discovering how ancient bedrock formed, how Ice Age glaciers shaped the terrain, and how these powerful forces created the remarkable landscape we enjoy today. Coffee and hot chocolate provided. Register/pay by 1/22, online or call 330-740-7107 ext. 129. Adults 16 years or older. $5Saturday, January 24, 2026, 10-11 am
Ford Nature Center Classroom A
Ford Nature Center Classroom A