Programs and Events: March – May 2023
Check out these programs by our partners and are offering this Spring! Education and trainings are also included.
Darke County Parks
Bash @ Bish
All ages
June 24, 2023 12:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Greenville, OH
Registration Not Required
Join us at Bish Discovery Center for this FREE special event, focused on outdoor recreation! This event will offer a wide range of activities for visitors to enjoy, including BMX stunt shows, paddling, tree climbing, yard games and more. There will be several food trucks on site, including Badges BBQ, El Diablo Grill, and Kona Ice! Live music, featuring Camarillo Band and Authorized Personnel throughout the day!
Dayton Metro Library
Summer Reading Challenge: All Together Now
Ages 0-18 years
June 1 – July 31, 2023
Sign Up at your branch or online
Spend time reading or learning each day to earn up to 3 free books and a Summer Challenge Tote Bag!
Centerville-Washington Park District
THE Firefly Hike!
All ages
Friday, June 23
9:00 – 10:30 p.m.
Grant Park
501 Normandy Ridge Rd.
Fee/family: $4 nonresidents
Registration deadline: Wednesday, June 21
What else can we say? Words really cannot describe the fascination of peak firefly season in Grant Park. After a brief introduction, we will hike into the forest as the sun sets and watch the fireflies rise as darkness falls. Throughout the time, we will walk and wonder! Hike is on a natural path. This is a Tools to Trek program.
Creek Week!
All ages
Monday, July 17: Sand, Silt and Clay, Oh My!
Tuesday, July 18: Wildlife Survey
Wednesday, July 19: Oh Snap-ping Turtles!
Thursday, July 20: Kings of the Creek
Friday, July 21: Current Events
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Centerville, OH
Fee/family: $4 nonresident (each session)
Creek Week is back! Not only will we spend time playing in the creeks, but we will also learn about the threats to water quality, how to reduce our impact, and how the creek ecosystem functions. You will become creek experts by the end of this week! Individuals attending three or more programs will receive a special Creek Week patch. Please dress to be in the creek. Close-toed shoes are required. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Butterfly Surveys
recommended for ages 8 and up
Saturday, June 17
Saturday, July 15
Saturday, August 19
10:00-11:30 am
Centerville, Ohio, Grant Park, 501 Normandy Ridge Rd.
Free
Registration Required, click dates to register.
Help contribute to research by joining the naturalist on butterfly surveys. Identify and count butterflies while observing other seasonal wildlife as we stroll. No experience is necessary. Trail is approximately one mile in length on uneven terrain. This is a Tools to Trek program.
Project WILD/Aquatic Workshop
Ages 18 and up
Saturday, August 5
10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Grant Park, Kennard Nature Nook
6588 McEwen Rd.
Fee: $10 residents, $14 nonresidents
Registration deadline: Thursday, August 3
Project WILD is a curriculum guide designed for classroom use, however, it can also be used by scout leaders, nature club leaders, and homeschooling parents to teach environmental concepts to children. Participants will leave with the Project WILD and WILD Aquatic Guides as well as the know-how to use them to educate the children in their lives. Bring a packed lunch.
Learning Tree Farm
Summer Camps at Learning Tree Farm
K-5th grade
July 10-27th
Registration is open!
It’s time to get ready for summer fun! Whether you are new to the Learning Tree Farm community or have grown up on the farm, we invite you to immerse yourself in our many exciting, hands-on opportunities. Days become adventures as campers explore the farm animals, gardens, woodlands, and history of the Learning Tree Farm. Camp is a place where children forge new friendships, challenge themselves to try new things, make memories and end the day worn out from all the fun they’ve had. For summer 2023 camps will run from July 10th-27th with 6 sessions to choose from:
Session 1, July 10th-12th: 3-Day Farm Sampler
Session 2, July 13th: 1-Day Farmer for a Day
Session 3, July 17th-19th: 3-Day Jr. Naturalist
Session 4, July 20th: 1-Day Woodland Wanderers
Session 5, July 24th-26th: 3-day Camp Make & Do
Session 6, July 17th: 1-day Creative Critters
3 day sessions for 1st-5th graders: 9am-2:30pm
1 day sessions for K-2nd graders: 9am-1:30pm
Montgomery Soil and Water Conservation District
Booth at Pollinator Expo
all ages
June 21, 2023 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Wright Brothers Memorial, 2380 Memorial Rd, Dayton, OH
MCSWCD will be have an interactive display at the Pollinator Expo. This is a free event. Other activities include native plant sale, food trucks, and face paint. Stop by and see us!
Wright State: College of Health, Education & Human Services
Learning Gardens of Dayton: An Exploratory Tour
(Part of the Wright State Summer Partnership Institute)
18 and up
June 15, 2023 (12:30-3:30)
Fee- Free (registration required)
This event is part of the WSU Summer Partnership Institute. Many educators want to understand ways to start and maintain learning gardens at any school site. In this session, we will tour a diversity of garden spaces to experience a variety of ways schools operate gardens and integrate outdoor spaces into the school day. Join us to learn about how to grow edible plants, manage school gardens in the summer months, increase wildlife in garden spaces, plant pollinator gardens, tap into local resources, and more. There will be ample time for questions and building a network of local learning garden enthusiasts. Participants will need transportation between sites- carpools encouraged! This session will require transport between 3-4 locations.
Other Program Resources
Brukner Nature Center Young Birders Club
Geared just for students in grades 6TH-12TH with an interest in birding, membership in the YBC is just $10/year, plus high-quality binoculars and field guides are provided for meetings and field trips, so no additional equipment is needed! Please contact Brian for more information at brian@bruknernaturecenter.com!
Initiatives
MVLNCI has Partnered with Dayton Regional Green on a Connect to Nature Site Certification. Our work was featured in an article on the Children and Nature Network written by Richard Louv! Click Here to read about this initiative.
Information from our past Safe Routes Forum event can be found here. http://www.mvrpc.org/transportation/complete-streets/safe-routes
The MVLNCI collaborative engages and empowers our community to make time and create access for outdoor exploration, play and learning.
Contact us at miamivalleylnci@gmail.com
