Five Rivers MetroParks has countless options to get outdoors and learn new things this spring

Spring is coming to the Miami Valley, and the best way to savor the season is by going outdoors. Five Rivers MetroParks has a host of classes, programs and activities for those young and old this spring, including mountain biking, gardening and birdwatching, which are just a few examples.

Bernadette Whitworth, MetroParks Outdoor Connections program manager, shares that there were multiple inspirations for these unique programs. “Outdoor activities like fishing, hiking and gardening are great ways to wind down and take some time for yourself in nature,” she says. “These activities, and many others, are all things you can do at your own pace while enjoying your surroundings and feeling a sense of accomplishment when you’re done.”

Another inspiration was to encourage nature appreciation and actions that support sustainable living and conservation. With programs like “Planting Early Gardens” at Cox Arboretum and “Tea Time: Herbs and Flowers to Grow for Your Tea Blends” at 2nd Street Market, this goal was clear.

“Understanding where your food comes from and knowing where you can take steps to grow your own veggies and herbs is fun and good for your health,” Whitworth says. “It can be really satisfying to grow your own fresh food and herbs. The gardens themselves add beauty to your yard with colorful blooms and the activity of bees, butterflies and other pollinators.”

The Miami Valley itself is ecologically unique with its wildflowers, gardens, wet woods, fossils, and frogs and salamanders. “The Miami Valley puts on quite a show every spring,” Whitworth says.

Wildflowers are at their peak in mid-April with bluebells at Aullwood Garden and trillium along the silver trail at Germantown MetroPark, according to Whitworth. Spring at Cox Arboretum boasts the Niehaus lilac and Magnolia collection’s flowers, and ferns. Peonies, trailside daffodils and a shade garden are at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark. Wegerzyn also gets spring rains that bring flooding to its woodland, and these conditions are perfect for native amphibians like small tree frogs and red-backed salamanders. The Miami Valley even has exposed bedrock from the Ordovician Period, which attracts geologists and fossil enthusiasts from around the world to Englewood and Germantown dams.

Activities and programs at Five Rivers MetroParks will put you right in the middle of this ecological haven. There is “Morning Chores” at Carriage Hill MetroPark, where participants will join a farm staff member to experience a typical workday for a farm hand, and “Spring Bird Walk,” which is part of the Conservation Kids series, at Possum Creek MetroPark. On April 6, there is even a “Solar Eclipse” program, a free event where kids can learn about the total solar eclipse passing over Dayton April 8.

Whitworth stresses the benefits of these programs. “Attending a program is a great way to get to know a new park, meet people with similar interests and learn something new,” she says. “We hope participants try something new at our programs and leave with the skills, knowledge and enthusiasm to continue the experience on their own or return to learn more.”

You can learn more at the Five Rivers website (metroparks.org) about additional and upcoming programs and events.