MILL CREEK METROPARKS | Activities scheduled in February

Wednesday: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Mill Creek MetroParks is having a job fair for seasonal and part-time positions. Park staff from golf, horticulture, maintenance, police and recreation departments will be available to answer your questions. Held at the Davis Center in Fellows Riverside Gardens. Call (330) 702-3000 for information.
Feb. 2, 9, 16 and 23: 8:30-10 a.m. and 5:30-7 p.m. Yoga at Fellows Riverside Gardens. Learn the basics of yoga movements taught by Heidi Suraci. Herbal tea will be served after class. Call (330) 740-7116 for information. Fee: $9 per class.
Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25: 9-10:30 a.m. Yoga at Fellows Riverside Gardens (see Feb. 2).
Feb. 5: 2 p.m. Walk to explore the cultural and natural history of the Mill Creek Golf Course. Meet at the clubhouse. Moderate difficulty, 3 miles.
Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28: 5:30-7 p.m. Yoga at Fellows Riverside Gardens (see Feb. 2).
Feb. 8: 9 a.m. Health and wellness walks. Meet at East Golf Hike and Bike Trail off Shields Road. Easy rating, 1 or 3 miles.
Feb. 8: 7-8:15 p.m. Indoor Golf Clinic. Bring your seven iron and get a jump start on your golf game. PGA professionals will conduct informative classes covering a variety of topics to improve your golf skills. Call (330) 740-7112 to register. Held at the Davis Center. Fee: $5 per session.
Feb. 9: 10, 10:45 or 11:30 a.m. Birds are the focus of this wintry program as 2-year-olds listen to stories and make an edible craft for their feathery friends. Call (330) 740-7107 to register.
Feb. 9 and 11: 11 a.m.-noon or 1-2 p.m. Each preschooler 3-5 with an adult will decorate a twig valentine with dried flowers making a lovely gift or keepsake. Valentine treats and a story will also be enjoyed. Call (330) 740-7116 to register. Fee: $4 R, $6 NR.
Feb. 11: 1:30-3 p.m. Each child 6 and up will work with their adult partner to decorate a papier-m & acirc;ch & eacute; heart box and fill it with a dried arrangement of flowers. The lucky person to receive this valentine will be surprised to open the box and discover an orchid tucked among the other dried flowers. Call (330) 740-7116 to register. Fee: $7 R, $10 NR.
Feb. 12: 1 p.m. Winter picnic hike. Load up your knapsack with hot dogs, chips, and other picnic items for this hike. There will be a fire for cooking any treats you bring. We'll provide the hot chocolate. Call (330) 740-7107 to register by Feb. 10. Meet at Ford Nature Center. Moderate difficulty, 3 miles.
Feb. 14: 7 p.m. Enjoy an evening of entertainment as Rocky Chirchiglia plays a variety of music. Held at Yellow Creek Lodge, Struthers.
Feb. 17: 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Children ages 3-5 with their parents will be "Digging into Dinosaurs" as they learn about the extinct creatures through a story, craft and fun activities. Held at Yellow Creek Park, Struthers. Preregister at Ford Nature Center. Fee: $2 R, $3 NR.
Feb. 17, 18, 19 and 20: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Bird lovers of all ages and skill levels can help count the birds at Ford Nature Center during this nationwide event sponsored by Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Individual daily counts will be combined into one site report. A naturalist will be available from 2-4 p.m. each day to explain count procedures, help with bird identifications, and provide information on counting in your own back yard.
Feb. 18: 10 a.m. Preschool Nature Hour: Digging Into Dinosaurs (see Feb. 17).
Feb. 19: 2-4 p.m. Join Friends of Fellows Riverside Gardens for an afternoon tea in the tradition of Elizabeth Fellows' Literary Club. Tea sandwiches and sweets will be available. Enjoy a guest performance by Martha Oliver as Gertrude Jekyll sharing wit and wisdom on designing a colorful garden border. Fee includes a donation to the Antonucci Horticulture Library. Call (330) 740-7116 to register. Fee: $25 ($20 FFRG members).
Feb. 19: 9 a.m.-noon. Take a short walk near Ford Nature Center and help count birds. Bring your own binoculuars. Easy rating, less than one mile.
Feb. 22: 9 a.m. Health and wellness walks. Meet at MetroParks Bikeway trailhead at Kirk Road. Moderate difficulty, 2 or 4 miles.
Feb. 22: 7-8:15 p.m. Indoor Golf Clinic. (see Feb. 8).
Feb. 23: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Fill your day with a choice of speakers who will update you on topics that interest the home gardener: deer issues, floral design, newest veggies, and attracting birds to your garden. The Men's Garden Club of Youngstown, Ohio State University Extension Mahoning County and Mill Creek MetroParks invite you to attend this educational day at Fellows Riverside Gardens. Call (330) 740-7116 for registration information. Fee: $20 (includes lunch).
Feb. 24: 8:30-10 a.m. View winter highlights of Fellows Riverside Gardens on this outdoor walk. Return to the Garden Cafe to enjoy a light breakfast and learn more about the family of plants that includes calla lilies and philodendron. Call (330) 740-7116 to register. Fee: $6 R, $8 NR.
Feb. 26: 2 p.m. Last year's inventory of the Brocker Preserve revealed several hundred species of flora and fauna. On this hike, we'll search for a special species that defies the winter weather. Wear footgear for wet and muddy conditions. Meet at the MetroParks Bikeway trailhead at Kirk Road. Difficult rating due to length and conditions, 4 miles.
Feb. 28: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Add a touch of romance to a wall or door in your home when you hang a delicate hydrangea wreath accented with pink and cream colored orchids. Dolly Vivalo will help you create the wreath. Call (330) 740-7116 to register. Fee: $25 R, $32 NR.
Feb. 28: 7 p.m. Ray Novotny of Mill Creek MetroParks will present a program about our local frogs. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m. Program begins at 7 p.m. Held at MetroParks Farm.
Now through March: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday Buffet. The Georgetown proudly announces the return of the Sunday buffet in the Garden Cafe in Fellows Riverside Gardens. Look for your favorites as well as new menu items. Reservations are not necessary. Fee: $11.95 adults, $10.95 seniors, $8.95 children 12 and under.
EXHIBITS
Weller Gallery: Fellows Riverside Gardens, Davis Education and Visitor Center, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration. The watercolors, drawings and prints from the collection of the Hunt Institute will fascinate and delight viewers. Shown through Feb. 26.
Melnick Museum: Charles Eliot: Landscape Architect. This prominent Boston landscape architect, hired by Volney Rogers, was influential in the early design of roads and paths around Lake Cohasset in Mill Creek Park.
UPCOMING
Weller Gallery: March 4-April 9, Nature Photography Exhibit. It's not too late to get your entries in for this annual exhibit that highlights the talents of amateur photographers. Deadline for entries is Feb. 12. Applications are available at the Davis Center and Ford Nature Center. Exhibit is held in Fellows Riverside Gardens at the Davis Center. Call (330) 740-7107 for details.
Abbreviations: R means Mahoning County residents; NR means nonresidents; FFRG means Friends of Fellows Riverside Gardens.