Staff report

DARKE COUNTY — Darke County Park District will be offering a variety of programs during the month of February.

Hands-On Telescope Experience will be held Feb. 8 at 7 p.m., at Shawnee Prairie Preserve. Start the evening stargazing with the Stillwater Stargazer Astronomy Club. During this program, you’ll learn the basics of using telescopes similar to those that can be borrowed from the Greenville, Arcanum, and Bradford libraries. This program will begin inside, and then head outdoors to complete the evening. Registration is required for this free program.

Native Animal Encounter will be held Feb. at 10 a.m., at Shawnee Prairie Preserve. Raptors, reptiles, amphibians… oh my! Stop by the Nature Center to visit our educational animal ambassadors. Why is a box turtle called a box turtle? Do salamanders really breathe through their skin? Will Pip the eastern screech-owl ever get bigger? Find out the answers to all of these questions, and more during this free Saturday morning encounter.

Hike Thru History: 50 Years of Preservation will take place on Feb. 12 at 2 p.m., at the Routzong Preserve. In celebration of our 50 year anniversary, throughout 2022, we will rediscover the history of the Darke County Parks. Join a naturalist as we tour all 1100+ acres of preserved land across the county. From woodland to wetland to prairie, we will trek through time. Registration is required for this free program.

Winter Bird Walks will be Feb. 15 at 9 a.m., at the Worth Family Nature Preserve, and Feb. 26 at 9 a.m., at Shawnee Prairie. We’ll walk the trails of Shawnee Prairie, and other Preserves (be sure to keep track of each date’s location) in search of winter bird flocks. Expect to see upwards of 10-20 species of birds. All levels of birdwatchers are invited. Please bring binoculars (we will have a few available for loan). Dress for the weather and snowy/muddy trails. These programs are free.

Full “Snow” Moon Hike will take place Feb. 16, 6:30 p.m., at Coppess Nature Sanctuary. Whoo Whoo comes out after the sun goes down? Find out on this night hike under the full moon. We’ll hike the trails by the light of the full moon, and attempt to call in and locate the nocturnal residents of the forest. Registration is required for this free program.

Parent & Preschool Adventures: A Heart for Nature will be held on Feb. 16, 10 a.m., at Shawnee Prairie Preserve. Parent and Preschool adventures is designed to give parents and their preschoolers (ages 2-5) an opportunity to investigate nature through hands-on activities, hikes, stories, songs, and take-home projects. Registration is required for this program, and the fee is $4.

Dogs and Donuts will be on Feb. 19 between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., at the Bish Discovery Center. Come hang out with some furry friends while eating some tasty donuts at the Bish Discovery Center. The Darke County Animal Shelter will be bringing some pups that are available to adopt. You can also just stop in and have coffee and donuts. Feel free to bring a donation of any of the items from the list provided. Coffee will be available for $1 per cup. Any cash donations will also be given to the Darke County Animal Shelter. This is a free event. To view the donation list, visit www.darkecountyparks.org. Please register at www.darkecountyparks.org/programs. For more information call 937-548-0165.