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Kids enjoy Spring Fling at Mill Creek MetroParks
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
When asked if she was happy to see a harsh winter segue into mild, spring weather, 11-year-old Brianna Hall didn’t flinch.
“Oh, yeah!” the excited Boardman Glenwood Middle School student said.
It was more than sheer glee, however, that has connected Brianna with the change of seasons: She also noticed skunk cabbage, fish and other unmistakable signs of spring, courtesy of a mile hike that quickly morphed into a scavenger hunt.
Brianna was one of 15 youngsters age 7 to 12 who participated in Wednesday’s Spring Fling program at Mill Creek MetroParks’ Ford Nature Center on Old Furnace Road.
The five-hour event gave the children an opportunity to discover and more-fully appreciate nature and look for signs of spring, noted Marilyn Williams, a park naturalist who led the hike from the center to the Lily Pond.
Brianna, who listed English, social studies and science as her favorite subjects, said she spent her birthday Jan. 9 sledding and having a party. Nevertheless, she was glad to see the end of winter, and enjoys hiking with her family in the park as well as at the MetroParks Farm in Canfield, she said.
Also happy to see winter in the rearview mirror was 8-year-old Kelsie Rudolph, a Robinwood Lane Elementary School second-grader.
“I found a red feather, something from an old furnace, and I found a big red rock,” she said, referring to some of her discoveries on the scavenger hunt.
Kelsie also has noticed a greater abundance of deer and other wildlife as the temperature has risen, she said, adding that she also spent time this winter on a climbing wall in Boardman Park.
On the hike, one of the first signs of spring Williams pointed out were scattered patches of wild onions and chives that resembled tall, thin grass. The youngsters were asked to smell and try to identify the plant.
Several of the children also noticed deer tracks along the trail. Greeting the group at the pond were several small turtles, along with a few Canada geese and a kingfisher, a small- to medium-sized colorful bird with a loud cackle that usually is found close to water.
“It’s not good to feed the wildlife because they won’t be able to find their own food,” Williams cautioned, noting that doing so also deprives the birds of proper nutrients, causes them to lose their innate fear of people and often makes them more aggressive.
In addition, the children were asked to identify three types of trees, including beech, which has light, smooth bark.
The Spring Fling gathering also featured arts and crafts and other related activities.
Before the hike, the youngsters were asked what aspects of spring they enjoy most, to which the responses included swimming, bicycle riding, hiking, playing basketball, climbing trees and spending time outdoors. One girl said she likes to watch salamanders and toads emerge.