METROPARKS

METROPARKS
December calendar
Dec. 3: Saturday, 9 a.m., Bird Walk. Join volunteer naturalist Nancy Brundage to learn about local winter birds. Bring binoculars. Meet at Newport Wetlands. Easy rating, less than one mile.
Dec. 3 through 31: Tuesdays to Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Winter Celebration to Winter's Poetry. Fellows Riverside Gardens. Winter garden displays and floral arrangements. A buffet available Sunday at the Garden Caf & eacute;.
Dec. 4: Sunday, 2 p.m. Hibernating animals, such as bears and groundhogs, find cozy ways to cope with the extreme temperature of the winter season. Learn how these animals prepare for their deep sleep as we look for dens. Meet at Lower Bears Den parking lot. Moderate difficulty. 2 miles.
Dec. 7 and 21: Wednesdays, 9 a.m. Health and Wellness Walks. Dec. 7: Meet at MetroParks Bikeway trailhead at MetroParks Farm. Easy rating 1 or 3 miles. Dec. 21: Meet at Ford Nature Center. Moderate difficulty, 4 miles.
Dec. 7: Wednesday 10 a.m. to Noon; 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Greens That Glitter. Dolly Vivalo will help you construct a holiday wreath that will add a sparkling touch to your front door. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $25 R, $32 NR.
Dec. 8: Thursday 10, 10:45 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. Tales for Twos: The Snow Tree. Two-year-olds and their adult companions enact a story and make a craft. Cookies and milk served. Call Ford Nature Center to register.
Dec. 9 or 10: Friday, 11 a.m. to noon, or 1 to 2 p.m., or Saturday 11 a.m. to noon. Jack Frost Twig Wall Hanging. Preschoolers age 3 to 5 accompanied by adults will celebrate the arrival of winter in the Gardens. After listening to a story, each child will make a twig wall hanging that resembles a glittery Jack Frost. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $5R, $7 NR.
Dec. 10: Saturday, 1:30 to 3 p.m. Bayberry Candle Ring. Children ages 6 and up with adult companions will construct table wreaths of mixed greens and bayberry and receive four candles to take home. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $7R, $10 NR.
Dec. 11: Sunday 5:30 to 8 p.m. Gardens By Candlelight. Twinkling lights, luminaries, and madrigal singers during a walk through Fellows Riverside Gardens. Afterward, music, cocoa and cookies in the Davis Center. Please bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the Second Harvest Food Bank.
Dec. 13: Tuesday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Teapot Keepsake. Beverly Italiano helps you create an arrangement combining a pixie poinsettia and fresh greens in a teapot. Take home two matching teacups and an herbal tea recipe. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $32 ($25 FFRG members).
Dec. 13: Tuesday, 7 p.m. Yellow Creek Concert. An evening of music and dancing at Yellow Creek Lodge, Struthers. Ben Soriano will play.
Dec. 16: Friday, 8:30 to 10 a.m. Breakfast Botany: The Orchid Family. Start your morning with a brisk walk in the Gardens to admire winter's subtleties. Return to the Garden Caf & eacute; to enjoy a delightful breakfast with treats from the orchid family. Fee: $6R, $8 NR.
Dec. 16 to 17: Friday 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. or Saturday, 10 a.m. Preschool Nature Hour: Preschoolers and their families will listen to a winter story, create edible ornaments for the birds and decorate a tree outdoors. Each child will take an ornament home for the birds in their back yard. Preregister at Ford Nature Center. Fee: $2 per child R; $3 per child NR.
Dec. 18: Sunday, 2 p.m. Nature's Winter Palette. Explore the gorge for colors of nature that endure into winter. Meet at Lanterman's Mill parking lot. Moderate difficulty with hills and steps. 2 miles.
Dec. 30: Saturday, 1 p.m. Final hike of the year. Meet at Newport Wetlands. Moderate difficulty. 4.5 miles.
Yoga in the Gardens: Dec. 6, 13 and 20 Tuesdays, 5:30 to 7 p.m. and Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22 Thursdays, 8:30 to 10 a.m. or 5:30 to 7 p.m. Reduce stress and relax while learning the basics of energizing yoga movements taught by Heidi Suraci. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens for more information. $9 per class.
Sunday Buffet: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Georgetown announces the return of the Sunday buffet in the Garden Caf & eacute; in Fellows Riverside Gardens. Reservations are not necessary. Fee: $11.95 adults; $10.95 seniors; $8.95 children 12 and under.
XAbbreviations: R means Mahoning County residents; NR means nonresidents; FFRG means Friends of Fellows Riverside Gardens.