Holiday Memories at Caesar's Creek State Park
Caesar's Creek State Park Naturalist, Erin Shaw collaborated with the SW RiverLands Chapter of the Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists (OCVN) to host the Annual Caesar Creek State Park Holiday Traditions Workshop on Saturday, December 13, 2013. The workshop is held at the Caesar's Creek Nature Center each year.
More than 40 men, women and children braved the snowy and icy weather to design and assemble holiday wreaths, swags and other festive decorations using a variety of natural materials gathered in and around the Caesar's Creek area. Native wildflower, garden herb, heirloom flower and native tree and shrub materials were grown, collected and dried by SW RiverLands OCVN over the summer and fall months. Collection locations included the Mercer Smith Historical Park (circa-1799) in downtown Fairborn, the Internationally recognized Wright Patterson AFB Medical Center Gardens, and several private woodland gardens of the SW RiverLands OCVN's.
Workshop attendees were delighted to have such a plethora of unique and historic plant material to work with. White cedar, Douglas fir, white and scotch pine branches, wild grape vines, sweet gum balls, acorns, buckeyes, hickory nuts, milkweed pods, as well as Norway, white spruce, hemlock, white and scotch pine cones were in abundance.
Complementing the tree greenery were flower and herb varieties that Thomas Jefferson grew at Monticello in the early 1800's including yarrow, pink spike celosia, Amish cockscomb, nigella, black-eyed susan, purple coneflower, English lavender, sage, rosemary, basil and thyme.
The essence of peppermint oil permeated throughout the Nature Center as dried peppermint leaves were stuffed into small cloth bags to make fragrant peppermint sachets to be enjoyed throughout the year. Hot chocolate, herbal tea, Haitian coffee and holiday music added to the ambiance. Fond holiday memories that will be long remembered were created at the Caesar Creek Nature Center that cold and snowy day.
Photos of 2013 Holiday Traditions Workshop at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.567115136697675.1073741888.256402511102274&type=1
For Additional Park Information and 2014 OCVN Naturalist Event Schedules:
Contact the Caesar Creek Nature Center at (513) 897-2437
Caesar Creek State Park Office at (513) 897-3055
Caesar Creek State Park Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CaesarCreekStatePark