Vol. 57 No. 2
SPRING 2O6
GREEN ISLANDS S U M M I T M E T RO PA R KS
Q U A RT E R LY M A G A Z I N E
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Birding for Beginners Learn tips to get started
Your Metro Parks are funded by a small Summit County real-estate tax. This magazine is an example of your public dollars at work.
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Critter Crossings
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Pop Bottle Posies
New tunnels keep wildlife safe
Make a craft with recycled materials
Our parks are like green islands in an urban landscape. IN THIS ISSUE Birding for Beginners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Your Back Yard for 95 Years . . . . . . . . . . 7 Critter Crossings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Pop Bottle Posies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Spree For All form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
BOARD of PARK
commissioners
BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS Herb Newman Chair Joel D. Bailey Tonya Block Mark A. Spisak Jane Bond Lisa M. King Executive Director EDITORS Nathan Eppink Chief of Community Engagement Lindsay Smith Marketing Coordinator ART DIRECTOR Karl Simonson Graphic Design Coordinator
The park district’s governing body is appointed by the Summit County Probate Judge. Commissioners serve overlapping three-year terms and are assisted by the executive director, who oversees the work of full-time and part-time employees, seasonal workers and volunteers. For more information, please call the administrative offices at 330-867-55.
Summit Metro Parks 975 Treaty Line Rd. Akron, OH 4433-5837 330-867-55 F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm: 330-865-8065 Liberty Park Nature Center: 330-487-0493 Seasonal Information: 330-865-8060 Volunteer Information: 330-865-8047
ABOUT THE
COVER
An indigo bunting calls out in the Metro Parks.
Photos contributed by: Rob Blair Jerry Cannon Christy Counterman Doug Dawes
Kathy Mock Dennis Roliff Robert Roach Karl Simonson
This magazine is mailed free of charge to Summit County residents. To join the mailing list, send your name and mailing address to marketing@summitmetroparks.org or call 330-867-55.
Green Islands can be downloaded online: summitmetroparks.org
PARK
NEWS
• In January, Summit County Probate Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer appointed Tonya Block to the Board of Park Commissioners. Block replaced Morgan Greene, who served a one-year term.
• This season, the park district will open its first mountain bike trail at Hampton Hills Metro Park (2092 Theiss Rd., Akron). Check our website for details.
• A fence has been added to the beach area at Munroe Falls Metro Park (52 S. River Rd., Munroe Falls). Admission fees during swim season will only apply to individuals entering the fenced-in beach Printed on FSC®-certified Chorus Art Silk; a 30% post-consumer, processed chlorine-free recycled paper.
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©206 Summit Metro Parks
area and will not apply to others visiting the park.
summitmetroparks.org
GREEN ISLANDS Magazine | SPRING ’6
PARK
NEWS (CONTINUED)
5 th annual
• Spree For All, the two-month hiking series on flat, easy trails, begins May . Earn rewards by completing five hikes before June 30. A first-year hiker earns a neck lanyard and commemorative pin. A veteran hiker earns the commemorative pin. Visit: spreeforall.summitmetroparks.org. For more news, visit our website: summitmetroparks.org
SWIM SEASON BEGINS Enjoy lake swimming May 28 through August 4. During swim season, an admission fee or season pass is required to enter our swim areas, open weekdays a.m. to 7 p.m., and weekends/holidays 0 a.m. to 8 p.m. Swim areas may be closed due to weather conditions. Munroe Falls Metro Park Lake Area 52 S. River Rd. Munroe Falls 44262
Silver Creek Metro Park Bathhouse 5000 Hametown Rd. Norton 44203
Daily admission is $4 for adults and teens (ages 3 and older), $3 for children (ages 2 to 2). Kids under 2 are admitted free. Age at time of purchase determines price. For more information, visit summitmetroparks.org or call 330-867-55 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday,
May 8
Munroe Falls Metro Park Lake Area 52 S. River Rd., Munroe Falls
Run , jog or walk in celebration of
Mom!
REGISTRATION IS ONLY ONLINE http://bit.ly/MD5K206
No day-of registration The paved course travels twice around
FRIENDS OF METRO PARKS Friends of Metro Parks is a nonprofit 50(c)(3) organization that supports the park district in many ways, including educating visitors about important issues and connecting residents of Summit County
the scenic lake. Jogging strollers are welcome. Registration is $30/person through May . Participants 4 and under are free, but they must register.
A fundraiser to support the
with the rich resources of our Metro Parks. Membership dues allow Friends to support the mission and programs of the park district. For information about joining Friends: friendsofmetroparks.org summitmetroparks.org
summitmetroparks.org 330-865-8065 3
GREEN ISLANDS Magazine | SPRING ’6
BIRDING B
irding, the second most popular leisure sport in the United States, can be an easy way for you to enjoy the outdoors. Here are some tips and tricks for you to know before you get started.
You can learn about birds in our area by going on a birding hike with one of our experienced naturalists. Rose-breasted grosbeak 4
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GREEN ISLANDS Magazine | SPRING ’6
FOR BEGINNERS Meghan Doran, Interpretive Naturalist
beginners to try. Find birding programs on our website: summitmetroparks.org.
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Take it slow. Don’t try to learn too many bird
songs at once. Pick one or two birds per season and read about them, listen to Brown thrasher
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their songs, and try to identify them in the field.
Birding is not, and does not have to be, expensive.
User-friendly binoculars can be
Scarlet tanager
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#
knowledgeable, and agencies like the
Find like-minded people to go
Greater Akron Audubon Society and the
birding with.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources,
purchased for less than $50. Look for
We live in a region where we are
Division of Wildlife are here to help you.
sales online on reputable optics websites.
surrounded by individuals who are very
Don’t be afraid to ask questions or share
Prices will increase with quality, but you
your newfound information with others.
don’t have to settle for less if you know
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what to look for. With this new hobby in
#
mind, a pair of 8x42 binoculars are the
Learn how to be part of your surroundings.
best bet. Make sure they are waterproof
Move slowly. Be mindful of what is
and have a warranty.
happening around you. Learning a bird’s habits — and habitats — will help you
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: Come to a bird walk program with a Summit Metro Parks naturalist. We bring a few pairs for
summitmetroparks.org
tremendously. Joining a naturalist-led bird hike is a great way to meet other birders.
continued on page 6
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GREEN ISLANDS Magazine | SPRING ’6
Black-throated blue warbler continued from page 5
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#
Find out where to go. Call a Summit Metro Parks
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#
HAVE FUN! You are trying birding as a way
naturalist or use online resources such
to relax, learn and spend time outdoors,
as eBird or a listserv. F.A. Seiberling
right? Think of it as a new adventure.
Nature Realm (828 Smith Rd., Akron),
We’re here to help and be part of it!
Liberty Park Nature Center (9999 Black-throated green warbler
Liberty Rd., Twinsburg) and your own back yard are all great places to start your journey into birding.
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Visit your local library or book store.
Borrow or purchase an inexpensive field guide. One of the benefits of having your own copy is you can write notes or use it like you would a journal. Part of being a better birder is to observe the birds’ Yellow warbler
behaviors.
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#
Get outdoors! There is no better time than
now. Put down your Green Islands Magazine and go. Don’t wait until the peak of spring migration to go on a bird walk. Learn a few basics now so when the migrants return, you will not be
Easily identifiable spring birds: • American woodcock • Baltimore oriole • Black-throated green warbler • Black-throated blue warbler • Blue-gray gnatcatcher • Chipping sparrow • Eastern bluebird • Eastern phoebe • Rose-breasted grosbeak • Virginia rail • Yellow warbler
overwhelmed by all of the new sights Virginia rail
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and sounds. summitmetroparks.org
GREEN ISLANDS Magazine | SPRING ’6
YOUR BACK YARD FOR 95 YEARS We’re celebrating our 95th anniversary this year. Here’s a historic look at Summit Metro Parks, by the numbers:
Founded in 92, the park district has had
Ours is the
3 NAMES:
2nd
OLDEST metropolitan
• Akron Metropolitan Park District
park district in Ohio,
• Metro Parks, Serving Summit County
second only to Cleveland
• Summit Metro Parks
Metroparks (97).
.76 ACRES: the size of the first gift of land to the fledgling park district. Dairy farmer Joseph Courtney donated the property in 925.
The st MASTER PLAN was developed by the Olmsted Brothers — sons of renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York’s Central Park.
NEARLY 500 ACRES: the first large acquisition by the park district. It was donated by F.A. Seiberling — co-founder of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and an early park commissioner — to help form Sand Run Metro Park.
ACRES, with several conservation areas.
There are 6 developed parks throughout Summit County that make up the park district.
We manage 22.4 MILES — or a little more than half — of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Summit County.
Our longest trail is the Bike & Hike Trail. Its 34 MILES are paved, from Sagamore Hills to Munroe Falls and Stow.
Today, the park district manages 4,00
Flat, easy trails for all abilities (est. 2004)
May – June 30
summitmetroparks.org
Running Spree Natural-surface and paved trails for all runners (est. 205)
FR
June – August 3
since 92, and
45 volunteer COMMISSIONERS.
Goodyear Heights Metro Park, Akron
GYH
G SR
Gorge Metro Park, Cuyahoga Falls Sand Run Metro Park, Akron
Visitors enjoy more than 25 MILES of trails thanks to our dedicated crews …
… 62.4 MILES are multipurpose trails built for biking, hiking, running and walking.
Multipurpose trails to explore by bike July – August 3
7 DIRECTORS
Furnace Run Metro Park, Richfield
Summer Biking Spree (est. 203)
had
4 METRO PARKS have been open more than 85 YEARS:
Trails are enjoyed by thousands of visitors during our Spree For All
The park district has
4 SPREES: Fall Hiking Spree Easy, moderate and challenging hiking trails (est. 964)
September – November 30
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GREEN ISLANDS Magazine | SPRING ’6
NEW TUNNELS Summit Metro Parks has installed two “critter crossings” under the Bike & Hike Trail, between Boston Mills Road and State Route 303 near Boston Ledges, for salamanders and other amphibians. The tunnel provides an alternate route for critters attempting to cross the paved multipurpose trail, allowing them safe access to their habitat.
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summitmetroparks.org
GREEN ISLANDS Magazine | SPRING ’6
HELP CRITTERS CROSS Mark Szeremet, Land Acquisition Specialist
WHY INSTALL CRITTER CROSSINGS? Roads and trails get us where we want to go, but they can also stop animals in
are partially filled with native debris to make the crossings feel like part of the natural environment. Park biologists are monitoring the tunnels and hope to install similar devices in other locations.
their tracks. For many species, survival depends on being able to move from one area to another. When manmade structures fragment the landscape, they can divide wildlife populations into smaller, isolated units. Habitat fragmentation can cause wildlife hardship and less stability over time.
HOW DO THEY WORK?
BIKE & HIKE TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS
Installation of the crossing tunnel
The tunnels were installed as part of recently completed pavement improvements. The project included adding better drainage and re-paving more than two miles of trail. The trail improvements provide visitors with a
Tunnels can provide a safer route.
smoother surface on which to walk, jog
Workers completed the crossing tunnels
or bike. The critter crossings aren’t the
in late 205. The tunnels are made from
only new “tunnels.” A new pedestrian
a concrete box culvert with an open
tunnel on the Bike & Hike Trail will get
metal casting strip, intended to guide
cyclists and hikers moving under Akron-
creatures into the tunnel and prevent
Cleveland Road, just south of State
them from crossing the trail. The tunnels
Route 303. Spotted salamanders
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GREEN ISLANDS Magazine | SPRING ’6
POP BOTTLE Posies With a little help from an adult, kids can create pretty flowers from recycled materials. (see list
+)
PREP BEFORE YOU BEGIN: A. Cut off the bottoms of the plastic bottles — you’ll use one bottle per A B
flower. Trim the edge in a wavy pattern to resemble a flower. Kids or adults can cut leaf shapes from green plastic items.
B. Cut and straighten a wire coat hanger for the stem. Bend the coat hanger with pliers to create a small L shape. This will stop the caps from sliding off of the stem.
C
C. Drill a /6" hole in the center of the bottle base, as well as the caps and the edge of the leaves.
D. Optional: Spray paint the outside of the flower. (If you choose not to paint, have the kids color the bottles with markers.)
CREATING YOUR POSIES: . Choose the smallest cap for the center and thread it onto the stem, with the outside facing the end. Next, take a medium-size cap and thread it on the opposite way, so the caps nest inside each other.
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2. Take the colored bottle base and thread it onto the stem, facing the caps. 3. Finally, add a leaf or two to the stem.
3 0
Your new posies can be “planted” outside! summitmetroparks.org
GREEN ISLANDS Magazine | SPRING ’6
GATHERING LIST for your POSIES
Get creative! Kids can choose any colors.
FOR THE FLOWERS: • Plastic pop BOTTLES — any size • Plastic bottle CAPS — milk, juice, etc., in various sizes • Spray paint or permanent markers
FOR THE LEAVES:
FOR THE STEMS:
• Flexible plastic lids, OR • Green colored pop bottles
• Wire coat hangers
TOOLS: • Hand drill • Pliers
• Scissors
• Wire cutters
2016 Spring Hiking Event TO PARTICIPATE
MULTIPURPOSE TRAILS
Complete FIVE hikes between May and June 30 — on five different trails, the same trail or any combination of trails — to receive a reward. Starting point at each trailhead is the information kiosk, which has a legend with the following symbols:
l Blue Circle = /4 mile round trip
n Yellow Square = /2 mile round trip
▲ Green Triangle = mile round trip
2016
Mileage markers are provided as an aid. You do not need to hike any prescribed length to receive credit. First-year hikers earn a neck lanyard and commemorative pin. Veteran hikers earn the commemorative pin. Hikes are FREE for all participants. Out-of-county residents pay to receive their rewards ($0 for first-year hikers, $5 for veteran hikers).
WHERE TO GET YOUR REWARD The administrative offices, 975 Treaty Line Rd., Akron, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm, 828 Smith Rd., Akron, noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Liberty Park Nature Center, 9999 Liberty Rd., Twinsburg, noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Rewards are not mailed. Forms cannot be redeemed after August 5, 206.
BIKE & HIKE TRAIL
OHIO & ERIE CANAL TOWPATH TRAIL
Barlow Road 33 Barlow Rd. Hudson 44236
Big Bend 337 Merriman Rd. Akron 4433
FREEDOM TRAIL
Memorial Parkway 499 Memorial Pkwy. Akron 4430
Middlebury 765 Northeast Ave. Tallmadge 44278
Franklin 2328 Center Rd. New Franklin 4426
Clinton 2749 North St. Clinton 4426
206 C
ommem
PARKS F.A. SEIBERLING NATURE REALM 828 Smith Rd. Akron 4433
GORGE Main Entrance 60 Front St. Cuyahoga Falls 4422
FURNACE RUN Brushwood Area 4955 Townsend Rd. Richfield 44286
LIBERTY Twinsburg Ledges Area 9999 Liberty Rd. Twinsburg 44087
GOODYEAR HEIGHTS Pioneer Area 550 Frazier Ave. Akron 44305
MUNROE FALLS Tallmadge Meadows Area 088 North Ave. Tallmadge 44278
Additional forms available at Acme Fresh Market stores. For park maps, directions and descriptions of the trail surfaces: spreeforall.summitmetroparks.org, 330-867-55.
orative
Pin
SAND RUN Old Portage Area 300 Sand Run Pkwy. Akron 4433
G R E E N ISLANDS Vol. 57 No. 2
SPRING 2O6
PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE
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975 Treaty Line Rd. Akron, OH 4433-5837
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Please share this publication and recycle it when finished.
13th ANNUAL
PRIMARY PARTICIPANT
FIRST-YEAR Hiker
VETERAN SUMMIT CO. RESIDENT
❏ ❏ ❏ Yes ❏ No _________________________________________________________________________________ Primary Participant’s Last Name First Name M.I. Age
_________________________________________________________________________________ Address
City
State
Zip
_________________________________________________________________________________ Email
Phone
ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS
2016
INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY/GROUP HIKING FORM
VETERAN SUMMIT CO. RESIDENT
❏ ❏ ❏ Yes ❏ No _________________________________________________________________________________ Last Name
First Name
M.I.
Age
❏ ❏ ❏ Yes ❏ No _________________________________________________________________________________ Last Name
First Name
M.I.
Age
❏ ❏ ❏ Yes ❏ No _________________________________________________________________________________ Last Name
First Name
M.I.
Age
❏ ❏ ❏ Yes ❏ No _________________________________________________________________________________ Last Name
First Name
M.I.
Age
❏ ❏ ❏ Yes ❏ No _________________________________________________________________________________ Last Name
First Name
MULTIPURPOSE TRAIL
TRAILHEAD
Bike & Hike Trail
Barlow Road
Freedom Trail
Middlebury
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail
Big Bend
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail
Memorial Parkway
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail
Franklin
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail
Clinton
METRO PARK
LOCATION
F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm (no pets)
Rock & Herb Garden
Furnace Run (/8 mile round trip, only)
Brushwood Area
Goodyear Heights (/2 mile round trip, only)
Alder Trail
Gorge (/2 mile round trip, only) Grade is approximately five percent.
Gorge Trail
Liberty
Maple Loop Trail
Munroe Falls (/2 mile round trip, only)
Meadow Loop Trail
Sand Run
Jogging Trail
Please note: Before starting any fitness program, it is the participant’s responsibility to contact their physician with respect to any past or present illness or injury that may affect their ability to participate in the program.
M.I.
Age
DATES (Volunteers or staff may be available to date your form.)
All of these trails are flat, easy and accessible for users of all abilities.
SPRING HIKING EVENT
FIRST-YEAR Hiker