  Ottawa County Parks Program and Events have been limited due to COVID-19, but we are adapting! Online and virtual nature programs are available, scroll down to learn more.
  Beginning Monday, August 10, 2020 Ottawa County Parks & Recreation will have limited office hours at the Fillmore Complex
New Public Office Hours
The Parks & Recreation Administrative Office at the Fillmore Complex (12220 Fillmore St, West Olive, Rm 267) will be open to the public every Monday and Thursday between the hours of 10 am-2 pm and by appointment. For an appointment, please email staff at ocparks@miottawa.org.
These hours do not reflect the entire building, only the Parks & Recreation Department. The Nature Center remains closed.
New Phone Hours
- Administrative staff are available by phone Monday-Friday from 9 am-4:30 pm by calling (616) 738-4810.
- While the Nature Center is closed, Nature Center staff can be reached by phone Monday-Friday from 9 am-4:30 pm at (616) 786-4847
Still time to register!
Registration is still open for the Explore Where You Belong | Greenway Run, Walk & Ride. This event is a virtual, convenient, family-friendly, all-fitness-levels event that will, again, serve as a fundraiser for paved trails. We have three rivers in Ottawa County and we invite you to run, walk, or bike with us on a date of your choosing between August 7 to August 23 on one or ALL four of the following trails along our waterways.
We’ll be offering a virtual, convenient, family-friendly, all-fitness-levels event that will again, serve as a fundraiser for paved trails. We have three rivers in Ottawa County and we invite you to run, walk, or bike with us on a date of your choosing from August 7 to August 23 on one or ALL of the following trails along our waterways!
Participants will receive a shirt, route maps, and love on social media. Gather your friends and family to explore together. Maps will be available at shirt pick-up and emailed to participants.
For more information and to sign-up click here.
|
 |
Step it Up! Group Walks provide the opportunity to meet new people, discover new parks, and be more active outside. Various speeds and distances will be offered at a variety of Ottawa County Parks.
To register for a walk go to: https://www.miottawa.org/Parks/programs.htm
Finding milkweed plants in your garden? Here is why you should leave them.
Flower Finder Scavenger Hunt
August 8, 10:00 AM- 12:00 PM at Hemlock Crossing
Meet a Naturalist at the Hemlock Crossing Picnic Shelters for a short outdoor introduction to the wildflowers of the restored native prairie. Then go on a scavenger hunt to find as many as you can!
Registration required.
During this program, please be mindful to keep yourselves at least 6’ from other participants. Masks recommended.
|
Wildlife Encounter: Dragonflies: Fierce Dragons, Downsized
August 16, 3:00 PM- 4:00 PM at Paw Paw Park - East
Dragonflies are neither dragons nor flies! So how did they get their ferocious name and reputation? Find out as you are introduced to the life of dragonflies and learn some locally common species. Afterward, adventure to observe them in action yourself!
The Wildlife Encounters series aim to introduce people to the amazing natural history of the wildlife found in our own yards, parks and region. These presentations are geared for audiences of all ages.
Bring your own lawn chairs or blanket for sitting on the grass. Please keep yourselves and your lawn setups at least 6’ from others not in your household. Masks recommended.
Registration required.
|
Fern Finder Scavenger Hunt
August 22, 10:00 AM- 12:00 PM at Pigeon Creek Park
Meet a Naturalist at the Pigeon Creek Lodge for a short outdoor introduction to the natural history of ferns. Then go on a scavenger hunt to find as many as you can!
During this program, please be mindful to keep yourselves at least 6’ from other participants. Masks recommended.
Registration required.
|
  Bringing Nature to You
We are building our library of online programs to Bring Nature to You! Our updated website allows you to explore the different habitats in Michigan from the comfort of your own home. We’ll continue to develop and add new programs, so please bookmark this page! We hope that these programs and activities can serve adults and children alike. Educators, please feel to share these resources with parents and students. As always, if you have any suggestions or feedback, we want to hear it! You can reach us at ocparks@miottawa.org.
Looking for Red-necked Phalarope at AAA Turf Farm
 Come along and join Naturalist Curtis Dykstra as he looks for a reported Red-necked Phalarope at AAA Turf Farm in Hudsonville Michigan (May 20, 2020). Learn about this rare shorebird to Ottawa County and watch it as it swims, feeds and preens while on this pit stop during its migratory journey from tropical ocean waters to the Arctic tundra for nesting.
Virtual Fern Walk
Ferns add a lush, green vibrance to the damp forests along our creeks and lowlands. In this video, you can follow along with parks naturalist, Curtis Dykstra, at Pigeon Creek Park to explore the diversity of ferns that grow there. He also shares tips on how to identify different species of ferns.
Bonus! Download our free “Fern Finder Scavenger Hunt” to take along with you on your next walk: https://news.miottawa.org/…/Fern-Finder-Scavenger-Hunt-PDF-
 Birding in Colorado
In an effort to get us to think "beyond COVID" and the limited travel we've been able to safely do the last few months, I decided to take a trip back in time with my newest birding video. I hope this can be a way of helping us to look forward to when we can freely move about the country again, whether in search of birds, to see loved ones or just for the sheer joy of travel! Until that time, I hope you enjoy this video and that you make time to safely get out and enjoy the birds locally!
|
