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Ottawa County Parks & Recreation offers programming and volunteer opportunities year-round! Visit the Program and Events Calendar for details and registration. Call our Nature Center at Hemlock Crossing Park for more information: 616-786-4847.
 December
Scroll down to find information about ways to get outside this fall, as well as upcoming programs, events, and much more. Thank you for reading!
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OTTAWA COUNTY, MI — Join us for this year's annual Holiday Luminary Event hosted by the Friends of Ottawa County Parks as the Nature Center is transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland. There is no charge for attending, so bring your families and enjoy this magical evening! Hot cider, cookies, and candy canes will be waiting. There will also be a mitten tree (all donations go to Boys and Girls of Holland).
*We added more spots to this event, so if you could not sign up yesterday, you should be able to today!
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Find and share this event on Facebook HERE.
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Congratulations to our Coffee with the Birds Mug Club Photo Contest winner, Mike Bergeon, for his AMAZING shot of a Cedar Waxwing. This picture will be featured on the 2023 Mug which you can order and pick up at the Nature Center for $25. Sign up online to secure your membership HERE.
Membership benefits include:
- Exclusive, limited-edition mug with contest winner
- Event reminder magnets
- Membership card for free hot drinks at the Nature Center
- Entry into a drawing for prizes!!
Learn more about Coffee with the Birds and Mug Club at: miOttawa.org/birding
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NEW 2023 Calendars - Mug Club Photo Contest!
Looking for a good gift idea? We are selling 2023 calendars that contain the winning photo, all four honorable mentions, and 10 selected pictures from the 2022 Photo Contest! All 95 entries are on the front page of the calendar and birding events throughout the year are marked right in the calendar! They are $15 and only available for purchase at the Nature Center!
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Enjoy coffee and baked goodies as you watch the birds at the feeders. Bring your bird questions, curiosities, and stories, and don't forget your favorite mug! There will be in-person and live-stream options.
SCHEDULE:
9:30-10:20 am:
Feeder Watching Session 1
10:30-11 am:
Birding Tidbits (Bite-sized presentations)
11:10 am-12 pm:
Feeder Watching Session 2
For more information and to learn about upcoming events, visit: news.miottawa.org/cwb
Infested branch: Round, white hemlock woolly adelgid ovisacs are found on the undersides of branches near the base of the needles.
Invasive pest already confirmed in five southwest Michigan counties.
The Michigan departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development encourage those who have eastern hemlock trees on their property to take time this winter to inspect the trees for signs of hemlock woolly adelgid. Anyone taking to the woods also can help by looking for signs of this invasive insect while hunting, hiking or enjoying other outdoor activities.
Winter is the best time to look for evidence of an infestation, according to Robert Miller, MDARD’s invasive species prevention and response specialist. “Cooler temperatures trigger feeding activity,” Miller said. “As hemlock woolly adelgids feed, they secrete a white, waxy material that creates ovisacs. The presence of these small, round, white masses make it possible to identify infested trees.”
As they feed, these tiny, soft-bodied insects consume a hemlock’s stored nutrients, slowly sucking the life from the tree. These insects are considered invasive because they are not native to the state and can cause significant harm to Michigan’s estimated 170 million hemlock trees.
Infestations of hemlock woolly adelgid have been confirmed in Allegan, Ottawa, Muskegon, Oceana and Mason counties, all bordering Lake Michigan.
How do I identify hemlock trees?
Since adelgids feed and form ovisacs only on eastern hemlock trees in Michigan, it is important to distinguish hemlocks from other conifers like pines or spruces. Look for:
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- Cone- or egg-shaped trees up to 75 feet tall.
- Drooping or feathery branches.
- Flat needles growing individually from the sides of twigs.
- Needles that are dark green on top with two parallel, white stripes underneath.
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Late fall through early spring is the best time to check hemlock trees. Look on the undersides of branches for evidence of round, white ovisacs near the base of the needles.
Up close, ovisacs look like tiny cotton balls and may appear alone or in clusters. The short video “Hemlock woolly adelgid: invasive species in Michigan” provides helpful identification tips.
Report your findings!
Report infested hemlock trees by using the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network, available online at MISIN.MSU.edu or as a downloadable smartphone app. The MISIN smartphone app will take a GPS location point if a report is made at the site; it also will allow you to upload photos with a report.
Reports also can be made by email to MDA-Info@Michigan.gov or by phone to MDARD’s Customer Service Center at 800-292-3939.
Identify the location of infested trees and, whenever possible, take one or two pictures of infested branches to help confirm identification. To avoid spreading the insect, do not collect sample branches or twigs.
  Click on a program date to be redirected to our registration page for that program!
Kids & Family
Fireside Storytime
Registration appreciated, ages 3+
Snuggle up by the fire with your kids for a relaxing time of seasonally themed nature stories and a mug of hot chocolate! Don’t forget a comfy pillow and blanket! An optional walk will be offered afterward. Recommended for ages 3 - 8, accompanied by an adult.
Tuned into Nature
Registration required, $5/child
Kids ages 2-4 can bring their favorite grown up to sing songs, dance, and learn about nature together. We'll spend time making and moving to music based on a nature theme and go outside for a walk to explore it outdoors. Children must be accompanied with an adult.
StoryWalks
Pages from a featured book will be posted along a path at one of the parks listed below for your family to read together. Stories are available during park hours. Registration is not required.
Art & Writing
Nature Journal Club Themed Walks (BIRDS)
Registration required, $5/person
Experience the autumn season in a new way through nature journaling! Learn new drawing and writing techniques specific to the walk theme while building community and connection.
Walking & Well-being
Eat Green. Stay Active. Live Well.
Registration required, $35 class fee; ages 18+
Rediscover healthy eating and the outdoors at its best. Get expert tips, recipes, latest nutrition news, and natural foodie finds!
REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 5 PM TODAY, 12/1/22
THRU Hikes
Registration required, $5/person
Enjoy the changing seasons as you venture ALL THE WAY THRU these amazing parks with an outdoor educator.
Land, Water, & Sky
Wildlife Encounters: The White-tailed Deer
Deepen your knowledge of the natural history of this common Michigan mammal of which many are only merely acquainted. Registration appreciated.
Moonlight Night Hike
Registration required, $5/child; ages 10+
See which nocturnal creatures lurk as you explore by moonlight!
- Dec 2, 7-8:30 pm | Stearns Creek
Birding
Coffee with the Birds
Enjoy coffee and baked goodies as you watch the birds at the feeders. Bring your bird questions, curiosities, and stories, and don't forget your favorite mug! In-person & live-stream options.
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