GEAUGA PARK DISTRICT

GEAUGA PARK DISTRICT
June calendar
For more information, call (440) 286-9516, or (800) 536-4006 (toll free in Geauga County), or visit the park district Web site at www.geaugaparkdistrict.org.
Friday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Prose, Poetry & amp; Pastries: Nature Writer's Coffee House. West Woods Nature Center, Russell Township. Mingle with writers of all ages and literary expertise. Winners from GPD's 10th Annual Nature Writing Contest will be honored; all in attendance are welcomed to read their work. Free.
Saturday: 11 a.m. Scienteens: Radical Researching! Recently Acquired Park, Montville Township. Teens are introduced to a variety of natural sciences as they rub elbows with biologists, and help inventory the plants, mammals, birds and other creatures of this future park property. Free.
Saturday: 6:30 p.m. National Trails Day: Break Around the Reservoir. Headwaters Park, state Route 608 entrance, Claridon Township. GPD joins the American Hiking Society in promoting trails for healthful recreation and nature appreciated with this 7-mile tour around scenic East Branch Reservoir. Pedal wooded lanes with some highway riding and brief nature observation stops along the way. Participants must provide own mountain bike; helmets are mandatory. Free.
June 9: 10 a.m. Stroller Eye-View. North Point Shelter, Beartown Lakes Reservation, Auburn Township. Bugs, birds, bees and blooms will be evident as children, ages 1 and 2 with adult companion, walk and enjoy the summer day on Beartown Lake's paved lakeside trail. Free.
June 10: 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., cloud date June 11. Astronomy Night in the Park. Great Blue Heron Lodge, The Rookery, Munson Township. Gaze through telescopes of the Chagrin Valley Astronomical Society to see star clusters, nebulae, the crescent moon and the planets Venus, Jupiter and Saturn, along with the early summer constellation. Telescopes are welcome. Registration is required. Free.
June 11: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Lewis & amp; Clark: From Sea to Shining Sea. Big Creek Park, Chardon. Performance by musicians from the Fairmount Fine Arts Center featuring various regional styles of folk music that developed during the Lewis and Clark westward expedition, dawn of the 19th century. Held indoors if rain. Free.
June 12: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Learn to Canoe. Headwaters Park, Huntsburg. Learn basic canoe handling techniques in this Red Cross course. For ages 12 and older. Fee: $7 per person, paid in advance. Registration required.
June 18: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. West Woods Backcountry Hike. West Woods Nature Center, 9465 Kinsman Road, Russell Township. Explore remote areas of the West Woods on this rugged hike. Five miles of uneven, hilly terrain, on and off trail, with stream crossings, away from restrooms. Group size limited. Free.
June 19: 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., weather permitting. Bluebird Express Wagon Ride. Eldon Russell Park, Troy Township. Rides run continuously. Free passes ensure first-come, first-served boarding for a horse-drawn ride around the meadow. Peer inside nest boxes and, if the time is right, witness the banding of young bluebirds and swallows. Free.
June 19: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Evening kayak. Eldon Russell Park, Troy Township. Paddle the peaceful Upper Cuyahoga River wetlands where the bellows of bullfrog and barrel owl and the splash of a beaver's tail break the peaceful stillness. Bring your own kayak or single-seat kayak rental available through Camp Hi for $15. Free.
June 20: 7 p.m., and June 21: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Timbertots (preschoolers, ages 3 to 5, and their adult companion). Big Creek Park, Chardon. Celebrate outdoors on the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice, to see how wildlife and plants in the natural world take advantage of the extra daylight. Free.
June 25: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bob Kravos & amp; The Boys in the Band Polka Concert. Frances Hall Amphitheater, Big Creek Park, Chardon. Enjoy an evening of polka favorites with this popular northeast Ohio polka band. Together for more than 10 years, this five-member ensemble will have you dancin' and prancin'. Indoors if rain. Free.
June 26: 2 p.m. Kettle Canoe. Lake Kelso, Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve, Burton Township. Experience the serenity of glacial Lake Kelso by canoe while enjoying the beauty of its unique flora and fauna, and learning of its "icy" creation more than 12,000 years ago. Children 8 and older, with adults with canoeing skills. Free.
June 28: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Crinkleroot. Little Critters Hide and Seek (ages 6 to 8). Aspen Grove, Big Creek Park, Chardon. Explore habitats through a search for insects and other little critters in the places they call home. Free. Registration required.
June 29: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Muskratreers. In Search of the "Little" Creatures (ages 9 to 11). Aspen Grove, Big Creek Park, Chardon. Explore communities that animals call home by taking part in a fun hide-and-seek activity. Free.