5 noteworthy Metro Parks programs are offered this weekend
Editor’s note: Today we begin a weekly feature highlighting events and things to do at the Columbus and Franklin county Metro Parks. Each week, we’ll suggest a variety of programs designed to inform or just give you pleasure.
Late August can be a sweaty time to be outside, but this selection of programs from the Metro Parks has you covered.
Some of the events, such as a hunt for moths and a stroll to listen to night insects, take place in the cool of the evening. Others, such as an off-trail hike to the Giant Sycamore at Highbanks, take participants on a wade through the water.
More traditional jaunts, such as those to look at wildflowers at Inniswood, keep their distances short and sweet.
All of these programs are free, and none requires pre-registration. Some are designed for all ages, some for adults and some for senior citizens.
For more information and other program possibilities, check out the “program search” area at www.metroparks.net.
• Inniswood (940 S. Hempstead Road, Westerville) will offer two short walks for adults interested in learning to identify summer wildflowers. The first will start at 10 a.m. Aug. 27; the second at 2 p.m. Aug. 28.
• Clear Creek will engage visitors in night exploration in the “After Dark in the Park Program” from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 27. Meet nocturnal animals from the Ohio Wildlife Center, enjoy a campfire and let the park’s naturalist introduce you to some moths. The program will take place at the Barnebeyhambelton Picnic Area, 620 Clear Creek Road, Lancaster. All ages are welcome.
• Blacklick Woods will offer a chance to splash around in Blacklick Creek looking for crawdads from noon to 2 p.m. Aug. 28 in the “Crawdad Craze” program at 6975 E. Livingston Ave., Reynoldsburg. All ages are encouraged to join in the hunt.
• Highbanks will offer a rugged mile-and-a-half-long wade through the Olentangy River to the Giant Sycamore. Closed-toe or water shoes are required, and participants should expect to get wet. Be sure to check the website before leaving, because the program will be canceled if the river’s water is too high. The program starts at River Bluff, 8400 Olentangy River Road. A family program starts at 2 p.m. Aug. 28, and an adults-only hike will take place at 2 p.m. Aug. 29.
• Pickerington Ponds visitors can listen to the songs of cicadas, crickets and katydids on an amble along the Arrowhead Trail during the “Six-legged Songsters” program at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 29. The program starts at the Glacier Knoll Picnic Area, 7680 Wright Road, Pickerington, and is designed for those 50 and older.