Welcome to the Wood County Park District! Your Natural Places For Fun!
Remnants of our Ohio Natural Heritage such as the Black Swamp Woods, Maumee River Floodplains and Wildflower Meadows can be explored in the Wood County Parks. Beautiful Oak Savannas and Prairies await visitors to discover the unique variety of flora and fauna that reside within. Encompassing 1,193 acres in 21 separate areas, these parks are open 365 days a year for folks to enjoy and have fun!
Dedicated citizen volunteer naturalists have been established in the parks to help with educational outreach and stewardship activities. In 2012, a collaboration formed between personnel of the Wood County Park District and personnel of the Wood County OSU Extension Office to create the partnership necessary in order to offer the Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Program (OCVN) to residents of Wood County. Two OCVN training classes (2012 and 2013) have been completed, certifying 23 volunteer naturalists.
These folks have made a huge impact and perform invaluable services at the WCPD. They have assisted and worked alongside the park staff to promote the WCPD as "Your Natural Places For Fun". Many activities are supported including invasive plant removal, native prairie seed collecting and cleaning, native nursery plantings, pumpkin carving, Heritage Days, STEM in the Park, Campus Fest, Bowling Green Holiday Parade, Folklore and Fun Fest, frog monitoring, day camp, bluebird trail monitors, paddling the pond, fishing derby and butterfly monitoring. The OCVNs have volunteered throughout the WCPD but, also lend a helping hand to many other organizations and locations in the State including: Black Swamp Conservancy, Sandusky County Parks, Maumee Bay State Park, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Kitty Todd Preserve, Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve in Greene County and Springville Marsh State Nature Preserve.
In 2013, 996 volunteer hours were donated by Wood County OCVNs with an additional 245 hours of Advanced Training classes which will further enhance their knowledge and skills. The value to the WCPD for this volunteer service is $21,702 (IRS 2013 Value for each volunteer hour is $21.79).
Photos and Personal Experiences from Wood County OCVNs in attachment
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Wood_County_Chapter_Spotlight_3_26_2014.pdf | 1.28 MB |