Programs

Critter Tales: Baby Owls Hatch!

Ages 3-5, plus adult. Whooo's hatching in the Park? Baby Barred Owls! Learn all about what it takes to become a fully fledged owl. Listen to a tale about learning to fly, and use all of your senses on a hike around the nature center. Warm up indoors with a baby owl craft to take home. Meet in Classroom B of the Education Building at Ford Nature Center. Register/pay by 3/23, online or call 330.740.7107 x 129. $7 per child

Hike With an Educator: Collier Preserve

Hike with a Park Educator - Join a Park Educator on a casual and educational hike through Collier Preserve. Meet at the Preserve parking area at 2819 W. Western Reserve Rd. in Canfield OH . Difficulty: moderate. Registration requested, not required. Walk-ins welcome. No pets. Rain or shine. FREE

Ready, Set, GROW Gardening Program

This is a weekly gardening program for a child and an adult partner (Children must be in Grade 2 or older). The adult/child partners will join park educators and learn the basics for growing their very own garden. Ready, Set, Grow is a weekly hands-on gardening program. The adult/child partners will have their own 3X10 foot raised garden bed to plant, tend, and harvest from all summer long at the MetroParks Farm (7574 Columbiana-Canfield Road). The program meets weekly on Thursdays from 5-7pm from April-August (23 weeks) and includes weekly lessons on basic gardening skills, hands-in-the-dirt time at your own garden, cooking, and other activities related to gardening. Program begins on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, from 5-7pm at the Ford Nature Center (840 Old Furnace Drive), where you will be introduced to gardening by starting your own seeds. Register by April 1st, 2025. All materials (garden bed, plants, tools, etc.) will be provided. $125 for adult/child pair includes program and all materials. Registration required. For adult/child pair (grade 2 and older).

Disc Golf 101

Join us at the MetroParks Farm Disc Golf Course to learn the basic fundamentals needed to understand and play disc golf. Bring your own disc or rent a disc from us for $2.50 per disc. Meeting Dates: 4/4, 5/2, 6/6, 7/11, 8/1, 9/5, 10/3, 11/7 @ 5:00-6:30 PM. Complimentary instruction (for beginners) from 4:30-5:00 PM. Rented discs must be turned in by 6:30 PM. Call Wick Recreation Area for more details.

Fishing at the Farm

Join us at the MetroParks Farm for a fun evening of fishing! Bring your own fishing equipment or use what is available. Meeting Dates: 4/4, 5/2, 6/6, 7/11, 8/1, 9/5, 10/3, 11/7 @ 5:00-6:30 PM. Call Wick Recreation Area for more details. A valid fishing license is required for participants 16+ years old. To purchase a fishing license prior to the program date(s), please visit: https://ohiodnr.gov/buy-and apply/hunting-fishing-boating/fishing-resources/fishing-licenses

Coffee With the Birds

Spring is on it's way! Who will we see at the feeders today? Enjoy a hot cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and watch our feathered friends at the feeders in Nancy's Nook at the Ford Nature Center. A Park Educator will guide you in identifying the birds that frequent the Nature Center and interpret their behavior and ecology. Registration required; space is limited. No walk-ins. Ages 12+. Please register/pay by 4/4 online or call 330.740.7107 x 129. $5

Recreational Hike

Cascade Ravine Trail & West Cohasset Trail. Meet at the Lake Cohasset Parking Lot. Call Wick Recreation Area for more details.

Boaters Education Course

Join us for a one day, 8-hour class in boating and water safety designed and presented by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Division of Watercraft. This course covers the fundamentals of safe boating including state-required equipment, watercraft laws, navigation rules of the road, basic safety and risk management, and aids to navigation. A proficiency exam will be issued at the end of the class, and those who pass the exam will obtain a lifetime boating license that satisfies the Ohio Boater Education Requirement. **Anyone born on or after January 1, 1982 is required to have a boating license if they are going to operate a vessel more than 10 horsepower, including jet skis.** Online pre-registration is required. Call or visit Wick Recreation Area for more details: (330) 740-7114

Mushroom Meander 101

Join Gary Davenport, Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist, in the warmth of the Ford Education Building as we explore Mushrooms 101. The classroom-based setting allows us to gain insights and information about local mushrooms and other fungi, their roles in nature, which ones grow in the area, and how to get involved in volunteer community science opportunities. Register by 4/16, online or call 330.740.7107 x 129. No walk ins, no pets. FREE.

Birding the Sanctuary

Enjoy birding with Jeff Harvey on this early morning hike at Mill Creek Wildlife Sanctuary, 2650 W. Calla Rd. Space limited. Boots required. Moderate. 1.25 mi. Register by 4/17, online or call Ford Nature Center 330.740.7107 x 129. FREE