The Greene County Park District will hold the following programs this month:

Enjoy spring, free walks

Get Walking Greene County offered by Greene County Parks gives you the opportunity to see the signs of spring all while getting some exercise. Join us for any of the free hikes/walks below and start accumulating your miles. For every 10 miles accumulated, you may be entered to win a Greene County Parks gift basket.

• Wednesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, 9:30 a.m. – Stroller Striders at Fairgrounds Recreation Center (210 Fairground Rd., Xenia)

• Thursdays, April 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 9 a.m. – Thursday Morning Hikes (ages 60+) at Indian Mound Reserve (2750 SR 42 N., Cedarville)

• Tuesdays, April 7, 14, 21 and 28, 9 a.m. – Paws to Lose Pounds (bring dog on leash) at Glady Run Reserve (799 Lower Bellbrook Rd., Xenia)

Saturday, April 11, 10 a.m. – Family Nature Hike at Narrows Reserve, main parking lot (2575 Indian Ripple Rd., Beavercreek)

• Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. - Healthy Hike at Narrows Reserve, main parking lot (2575 Indian Ripple Rd., Beavercreek)

Sunday, April 26, 1 p.m. – Frog Fun at Sara Lee Arnovitz Nature Preserve (350 Kinsey Rd., Xenia)

For additional information on these hikes/walks, contact Greene County Parks at 562-7440 or visit the web site at www.co.greene.oh.us/parks. These hikes/walks are free and do not require preregistration.

Scouts can earn badges, beads or blue cards

Scout Saturday is an outdoor scouting event on Saturday, April 4 at the Narrows Reserve (main parking lot) that provides Scouts with a great opportunity to earn badges, beads or blue cards. A morning session is available from 9-11 a.m. and an afternoon session is available from 1-3 p.m. Preregistration is required and the cost is $5 for Greene County residents and $7 for non-residents per scout, per program. An adult is required to be with each troop or individual that registers. Greene County Parks’ naturalists will be on hand to assist in the requirements for the topics listed below:

9–11 a.m. topics include: Webelos, Geologists; Jr. Girl Scouts, Rocks Rock; and Brownies, Eco Explorer.

1–3 p.m. topics include: Webelos, Forester; Jr. Girl Scouts, Earth Connections; and Wolf, Your Living World.

To register or for additional information on Scout Saturday, contact Greene County Parks at 562-7440 or visit the web site at www.co.greene.oh.us/parks.

Natural dyes make egg coloring ‘egg-citing’

Families are invited to come to the Narrows Reserve Nature Center for “Egg-Citing” on Sunday, April 5 at 2 p.m. to experiment with natural dyes to color eggs. Families should bring at least a dozen eggs to experiment with how nuts, onion skin and other plants create a beautiful rainbow of colors. Pre-registration is required and the cost is $10 per family of four and each additional person is $2 each. To register or for additional information on Egg-Citing, contact Greene County Parks at 562-7440 or visit the web site at www.co.greene.oh.us/parks.

Spring has spring, forest babies are on the run

Forest Babies is the topic for Greene County Parks’ preschool program, Big Backyard, on Wednesday, April 15 at the Narrows Reserve Nature Center in Beavercreek. Two sessions are available at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Preschoolers ages 3-6 along with their adult companion will either go for a hike, hear a story or create a craft to further their learning on forest babies. Preregistration is required and the cost is $3 for Greene County residents and $5 for non-residents, per child. To register or for additional information on Big Backyard, contact Greene County Parks at 562-7440 or visit the web site at www.co.greene.oh.us/parks.

Spring bird field trip heads to Lake Erie

Greene County Parks is offering a Spring Bird Field Trip to the southern edges of Lake Erie on Saturday, April 18. The naturalists will do all the driving and share their birding knowledge while you sit back and enjoy watching the eagles, waterfowl and early spring migrants. We will leave the Narrows Reserve Nature Center at 7 a.m. and return around 8 p.m. Please bring a sack lunch, drink and binoculars are recommended. We will stop for dinner on the way home. This field trip is for those ages 14 and older. Ages 14 – 16 years old must be accompanied by a paying adult. Preregistration is required and the cost is $50 for Greene County residents and $60 for non-residents, per person. To register or for additional information on Spring Bird Field Trip, contact Greene County Parks at 562-7440 or visit the web site at www.co.greene.oh.us/parks.

Spring beekeeping clinic offered

Join the Greene County Beekeepers Association on Saturday, April 18 at 12 p.m. at the Narrows Reserve Nature Center (2575 Indian Ripple Rd., Beavercreek) for their spring beehive management clinic. Demonstrations include spring housecleaning, inspection, treatment for mites, swarm prevention and methods of honey production. This is a free program and registration is not required. For additional information on the Spring Beekeeping Clinic, contact Greene County Parks at 562-7440 or visit the web site at www.co.greene.oh.us/parks.

Go green while you are greening

Greene County Parks is providing an interactive workshop, Greening Greene County, on Sunday, April 19 at 1 p.m. at the Narrows Reserve Nature Center (2575 Indian Ripple Rd., Beavercreek) to discuss how to “go green” when planting this spring. The workshop will include what types of grasses, trees and flowers grow best in our growing conditions, along with how and why native plants save water and replanting. If you have native plants you would like to share with others, you are encouraged to bring them for exchange. This is a free workshop and does not require registration. For additional information on Greening Greene County, contact Greene County Parks at 562-7440 or visit the web site at www.co.greene.oh.us/parks.

Test, tune your bicycle

Join the Greene County Parks Trail Sentinels and K & G Bike Center on Sunday, April 26 from 2–4 p.m. at the Fairgrounds Recreation Center in Xenia for Bicycle Test and Tune where participants can get their bike ready for spring riding. First, participants will learn how to tune up their bike to get ready for riding the bike trails this spring and repair it should it breakdown while riding. Greene County Parks Trail Sentinels will also conduct a bike rodeo for riders to test their skills on obstacles, weaving, close maneuvers and more. Now that you are tuned and tested, it is time to enjoy a leisurely ride along the bike trail hosted by a Trail Sentinel. Preregistration is required and the fee is $2 for Greene County residents and $3 for non-residents per person. To register or for additional information on Bicycle Test & Tune, contact Greene County Parks at 562-7440 or visit the web site at www.co.greene.oh.us/parks.

Preschoolers leap into action for ‘Book’em’

Preschoolers (ages 3-6) and their adult companions are invited to join a Greene County Parks naturalist to hear the story, The Frog Alphabet Book on April 28 at the Narrows Reserve Nature Center. Two sessions are available at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Another fun activity is planned to further our knowledge on frogs and the alphabet. Preregistration is required and the cost is $3 for Greene County residents and $5 for non-residents, per child. To register or for additional information on Book ‘Em, contact Greene County Parks at 562-7440 or visit the web site at www.co.greene.oh.us/parks.