Check out these upcoming events but for the full list of available opportunities, visit our programs page.
WINTER WANDERINGS
Nov. 1, 2024 - Mar. 1, 2025
Free to participate
Wander the Lorain County Metro Parks this winter and earn the Winter Wanderings button! Enjoy the winter season on 10 hikes in at least 5 different parks between November 1, 2024 and March 1, 2025. The naturalist staff has been busy planning hikes that will encourage you to get out and discover how special the winter season in the Lorain County Metro Parks truly is. So, zip up your winter coat, pull on your winter boots, and join us for the NEW Winter Wanderings program!
Participants may choose from naturalist-led hikes, self-guided or a combination of both, therefore, staff signatures are not required. Please return your completed form no later than March 10, 2025 to any of the following locations: Miller Nature Preserve (Avon), French Creek Nature Center (Sheffield Village), Mill Hollow Carriage Barn (Vermilion), or Carlisle Visitor Center (LaGrange). Buttons will be available when you drop off your completed form.
PAINT AND SIP
Fri., Nov. 8, 2024 &
Fri., Dec. 20, 2024
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Miller Nature Preserve
2739 Center Rd., Avon
Tickets: $30
Learn how to paint, step-by-step, amongst friends at this NEW Paint & Sip event at Miller Nature Preserve! Each participant is supplied with all the materials required to complete their project. Painting smock or apron recommended.
A light snack is provided; other pre-packaged items and a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase. This program is for those 21 and over.
The November session will include a painting of a pumpkin on 10" square pallet wood sign while the December session will feature a a painting of a snowman on a canvas.
SNOW DAY
Sat., Jan. 4, 2025
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Cascade Park
387 Furnace St., Elyria
Free to attend
Explore winter with your family at Cascade Park for FREE! Registration is requested, but walk-ins are welcome! Enjoy winter crafts, guided hikes, games, and more! Make a s’more and enjoy hot cocoa by the fire, while supplies last. Weather-permitting activities may include sledding, snow painting, snowshoeing, and snowman building. Don't worry if there is no snow, we will still have plenty of winter fun!
Snowshoe rentals will be available for $2 per person per hour (first-come, first-served) and will cash only. Snowshoes can only be worn in snow that is 4” or more.
FIRE & ICE WALK
Sat., Jan. 18, 2025
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Vermilion River Reservation
51211 North Ridge Rd., Vermilion
$5/person (Under 4: Free)
Watch artists work on cool ice sculptures and warm yourself at firepits along the icy cliffs of the Vermilion River. Enjoy the sights and sounds of winter, have fun roasting S’mores (while supplies last), visit with sled dogs and Frozen characters, and learn about winter fun activities. Take a ride on the Little Green Choo Train to see all the winter beauty in Mill Hollow’s Vermilion River Valley. NEW this year – ice skating on our artificial ice rink! Enjoy the ice as you glide along! (Skates are provided). Naturalist-led scenic snowshoe hikes will also be held, weather permitting. Don’t worry if there is no snow – our snow globe photo op will provide a snowy backdrop for this fun winter event. We will have a variety of food trucks selling warm treats and hot beverages and the Carriage Barn will be open as an additional warming space.
This is a ticketed event, registration is REQUIRED. The deadline to purchase tickets is January 17. No walk-ins will be permitted. Closely review your emailed receipt for additional event information. For questions contact (440) 967-7310.
This outside event is weather-dependent, and refunds will only be provided if the program is canceled by the Lorain County Metro Parks due to weather or other circumstances.
WINTER NATURE AT NIGHT
Sat., Feb. 8, 2025
5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
French Creek Nature Center,
4530 Colorado Ave., Sheffield Village, OH
$5/person
Coyotes howl, trees creak, owls call, ice cracks, and snow silently falls. Join us at the French Creek Nature Center for an evening dedicated to the mystery of nature during winter nights. Participate in full moon hikes, a silhouette trail, owl pellet dissection, crafts, stargazing and smores by the fire, a winter insect station, and The Mary and Larry Show with a special animal guest! Pre-registration required.
HEARTS A GLOW
Sat., Feb. 15, 2025
5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Schoepfle Garden,
11106 Market St., Birmingham
$5/person
Join us for an evening stroll through the garden with the one(s) you love. Romantic tunes will fill the cool night air as you walk by fire pits and luminaries that will warm and light your way. Enjoy hot beverages and sweet treats as well as a special something to share with a loved one.
Arrival times are staggered to reduce wait time for beverages and to allow for spacing along the trail. Register for your start time and pay $5 per person by February 13. The illuminated walk is along our ½-mile-paved trail that will be cleared of snow.
MAPLE SUGARING
Feb. 15-16 & 22-23, 2025
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Sugar Shack Open House)
& 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. (Naturalist-led Hikes)
Carlisle Visitor Center,
12882 Diagonal Rd., LaGrange
Free to attend | No registration required
Maple Sugaring Open House and Guided Hikes - February is when the ideal conditions for the running of maple sap typically begins. This year, we will be tapping the Carlisle maple trees on February 12 and converting that sap to syrup in our beautiful Sugar Shack--which opened 25 years ago! Drop by between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. on February 15, 16, 22, and 23 to watch the process, learn about the equipment, and sample some of our home-made maple syrup. There will also be naturalist-led hikes leaving from the Sugar Shack every 30 minutes between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. These hikes will follow the paved Children’s Nature Discovery Trail and includes a stop at one of our sap-collecting sites (known as a “Sugar bush”).
HOMESCHOOL EXPLORERS:
Various park locations
$3 per child
Homeschool Explorers is geared for children learning at home. This program series (September through May) will travel to different park locations to engage your children in nature, science, history, the arts, and recreation!
Depending on the program’s topic and location, children will learn through educational biofacts, nature hikes, activities, games, crafts, or meeting a live animal! Program fee is $3.00/child. To be able to accommodate as many students as possible only students within the age range listed in the program description (usually ages 7-12) will be permitted to attend and participation waivers are required. Please dress for the weather.
Registration opens one month prior to the program date.
SEPTEMBER: Open Gym
Thursday, September 12, 2024 | 1:00-2:30 pm
Splash Zone (Oberlin)For children ages 7-12. Register and pay $3/child by 9/10/24. Registration opens 8/15/2024.
OCTOBER: Rainbow of Colors/Fall Foliage
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 | 10:00-11:30 am
Cascade Park (Elyria)Gear up for fall by learning about the weather, the seasons, and the changes in the colors of our environment! During this program, we will play group games, complete an art project, and do hands-on demonstrations of how to use weather tools. Take-home activities will also be provided. Please dress for going outside!
For children ages 7-12. Register and pay $3/child by 10/15/24. Registration opens 9/15/2024.
NOVEMBER: Rocks and Gems
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 | 10:00-11:30 am
Vermilion River Reservation, Mill HollowLearn all about rocks, gems, and crystals with a naturalist-led lesson filled with activities! We will be outside for a portion of the program if weather permits, so please wear appropriate outdoor clothing.
For children ages 7-12. Register and pay $3/child by 11/11/24. Registration opens 10/13/2024.
DECEMBER: Animal Tracks, Homes, and Signs
Thursday, December 5, 2024 | 1:00-2:30 pm
French Creek Nature Center (Sheffield Village)Explore the French Creek Reservation and look for clues about the animals who live in the park. Learn how to find and identify different types of tracks, scat, homes, trails, and other animal signs.
For children ages 7-12. Register and pay $3/child by 12/2/24. Registration opens 11/4/2024.
JANUARY: Winter Survival Skills
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 | 1:00-2:30 pm
Wellington ReservationTest your skills with this winter survival program. Learn how early humans survived in the winter. Discuss the adaptations that allow animals to survive the winter.
For children ages 7-12. Register and pay $3/child by 1/21/25. Registration opens 12/22/2024.
FEBRUARY: Wildlife Forensics
Thursday, February 13, 2025 | 10:00-11:30 am
Columbia Reservation, Briarwood Lodge (Columbia Station)Learn how to apply forensic techniques to solve wildlife crimes through hands-on activities and crafts.
For children ages 7-12. Register and pay $3/child by 2/8/25. Registration opens 1/8/2025.
MARCH: Vernal Pool Critters
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 | 1:00-2:30 pm
Carlisle Visitor Center (LaGrange)Learn what a vernal pool is, meet various critters that use these temporary habitats, and then hike to a nearby pool to look and listen for more residents. For ages 7-12. $3 per child. If weather permits, we will be going outside so dress appropriately.
For children ages 7-12. Register and pay $3/child by 3/24/25. Registration opens 2/26/2025.
APRIL: Plants on the Menu
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 | 10:00-11:30 am
Miller Nature Preserve (Avon)From hungry herbivores and insect pests to humans growing & eating them, plants are an important part of many organisms’ diets and survival, therefore plants have evolved a myriad of helpful & amazing adaptations and strategies to defend themselves from becoming a meal. Students will learn about some of these plants’ protective adaptations through a fun, engaging lesson and tour through the Conservatory. For ages 7-12. $3.00 per child. This is a drop-off program, and a medical form is required to participate. Registration is required by 3/16.
For children ages 7-12. Register and pay $3/child by 4/14/25. Registration opens 3/16/2025.
MAY: Birds and Their Habitats
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 | 10:00-11:30 am
Sandy Ridge Reservation (North Ridgeville)Join a naturalist to explore the bird species of Sandy Ridge Reservation. We will hike through the woods looking and listening for warblers, thrushes, vireos, and more as we learn about spring songbird migration. Bring binoculars if you have them (binoculars available if needed). Meet at the Johnson Wetland Center. Dress for the weather as this program takes place outdoors.
For children ages 7-12. Register and pay $3/child by 5/13/25. Registration opens 4/14/2025.