SUMMER 2015 FREE PARKWAYS GET ACTIVE OUTDOORS DISCOVER WAYS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO CONNECT WITH NATURE HONORING ONE OF FIVE RIVERS BIRD-WATCHING AT THE MAKE YOUR OWN NATURE METROPARKS’ FOUNDERS MITIGATION BANK EXPLORATION KIT SEE PAGE 4 SEE PAGE 8 SEE PAGE 10 2 SAVE SAVE THE THE DATE DATE • TOP 5 WAYS TO ENJOY YOUR METROPARKS Save the Date MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UPCOMING METROPARKS EVENTS JUNE 3, 10, 17 JUNE 5 & JUNE 6 JULY 2 SEPTEMBER 26 CONTINUES EVERY SATURDAY & 24 AUGUST 7 THROUGH FALL HARVEST & 27 HOOKED ON PICKIN’ IN OUTDOOR CITY OF DAYTON’S COUNTRY FAIR FISHING, NOT THE PARK FARMERS’ MARKET LIGHTS IN FLIGHT Carriage Hill MetroPark ON DRUGS RiverScape SEASON GRAND FIREWORKS SHOW Possum Creek MetroPark OPENING AND FESTIVAL MetroPark 2ND Street Market RiverScape MetroPark Top Five WAYS TO ENJOY YOUR FIVE RIVERS METROPARKS THIS SUMMER 1 2 3 4 5 ON THE GO WHERE THE S’MORE TIME: FOSSIL HUNTING: WATER, WATER BOARDWALK: IMAGINATION LEADS: Groups, families or Head to southern side of EVERYWHERE: Explore the Woodman Encourage children to individuals can reserve a the Germantown Dam at Cool off on a hot day by Fen Conservation Area, a explore the nature play campsite in a number of Germantown MetroPark to playing in the interactive groundwater-fed wetland areas found at Englewood, MetroParks for a night discover fossils of creatures water features at that allows for a large Hills & Dales, Possum under the stars. that lived in Ohio millions of RiverScape, Island and collection of native plants Creek, Sugarcreek, and years before us. Wegerzyn Gardens to thrive — the only fen in Wegerzyn Gardens MetroParks. Montgomery County. MetroParks. METROPARKS.ORG (937) 275 PARK (7275) IT’S OUR NATURE. THOUGHTS FROM BECKY 3 DEAR METROPARKS FRIENDS, DIRECTOR OF Summer offers so many ways to get active CONSERVATION outdoors in your Five Rivers MetroParks: Take a hike, observe wildlife, cycle our region’s more HONORED FOR than 300 miles of bikeways, picnic at one of 44 shelters. Learn about and connect with nature ADVOCACY WORK by attending one of many programs that allow you to try a new outdoor sport, learn how to Three Valley Conservation Trust grow food, help children become environmental named Dave Nolin recipient of stewards and so much more. the 2014 Wally I. Edwards Con- servationist of the Year award. Becky Benná Five Rivers MetroParks also will be learning new Nolin, Five Rivers MetroParks things this summer — namely, how the agency can Executive Director director of conservation, was provide the parks, services and programs you want. It’s part of the current development of a 10-year comprehensive master plan honored for his nearly 30 years that will sustain Five Rivers MetroParks well into the future. It’s your nature, and working to preserve and restore we hope you’ll share your priorities and input about how to strengthen Five Rivers thousands of acres of natural MetroParks. spaces in the Dayton region, as well as for his advocacy for Visit metroparks.org/plan to take a brief survey and provide other input. Follow conservation at local and us on social media for updates on the master plan’s development. (For more on national levels. the comprehensive master plan, see page 6.) Your input will provide direction for implementing short-term and long-term actions to best meet the needs and priori- ties of our community. Indeed, ensuring Five Rivers MetroParks is being smart and strategic — and meet- ing the community’s priorities — is more important than ever. We are conducting business in new, more sustainable ways that allow us to continue our commitment to maintaining the high-quality parks, programs and services the community de- serves. We have established a new Five Rivers MetroParks Foundation to provide new fundraising opportunities. Five Rivers MetroParks receives various inquiries throughout the year regarding donating to our organization. The Foundation will be able to provide a vehicle for donors to support our efforts through a 501(c)3 orga- nization, which serves as a funding source for special projects and/or programs at all our parks. We hope you’ll share your input this summer, and we also hope to see you and your family out and about as you develop a personal connection with nature. Best regards, METROPARKS COMMISSIONERS OUR MISSION Five Rivers MetroParks is dedicated to protecting the region’s natural heritage and to providing outdoor experiences that inspire a personal connection with nature. Irvin G. Bieser, Jr. Karen L. Davis Alan F. Pippenger Commissioner photos © Easterling Studios IT’S OUR NATURE. (937) 275 PARK (7275) METROPARKS.ORG 4 FUNDINGSPECIAL & FEATURE DEVELOPMENT A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE SUCCESS OF METROPARKS — and the development of Cox Arboretum MetroPark, in particular — Jean was a philanthropist, visionary and passionate conservationist. Five Rivers MetroParks lost one of its sculpture, “I Invite You,” in the prairie. founders and most ardent supporters Woodhull worked tirelessly to help when Jean Woodhull passed away at build and maintain our region’s open age 94 in January. spaces and natural areas. She was “Her public sense of responsibility an essential part of the Five Rivers and commitment to the outdoors has MetroParks’ initiative to connect parks been felt throughout the Dayton/ and open spaces along river corridors Montgomery County area,” said and restore such natural areas as Marvin Olinsky, former director of Island, Eastwood, and Hills & Dales Cox Arboretum and former executive MetroParks. She also was an early director of Five Rivers MetroParks. advocate and leader in the successful effort to create RiverScape MetroPark. Woodhull’s leadership and stewardship of our region’s environment began in “Jean had a passionate belief in the early 1960s. She was instrumental connecting people with nature in our in organizing the Save Open Space wild areas and in the city,” said Dave Committee, which in turn was key in Nolin, Five Rivers MetroParks the local effort to create a park district director of conservation. “She was in Montgomery County — what today is an avid naturalist and never tired Five Rivers MetroParks. She convinced of seeking out and protecting rare James Cox, Jr., son of former Ohio wildflowers in the woodlands and governor and publishing executive prairies of the Miami Valley.” James Cox, to donate his farm south of town for what is now Cox Arboretum Well into her later years, Woodhull MetroPark. As co-founder of the was an avid gardener and active arboretum, she served as the James conservationist. Five Rivers MetroParks M. Cox Arboretum Foundation’s board Executive Director Becky Benná president from 1979 to 1984. nominated Woodhull for the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association’s In addition, Woodhull was a member Outstanding Citizen Award, which of the MetroParks Board of Park Woodhull received in 2014. Her family Commissioners from January 1989 to and community leaders have praised November 1998. The Jean V. Woodhull her unending dedication to the Prairie at Possum Creek MetroPark is idea and practice of preserving and named in honor of her outstanding celebrating our natural world. contributions to Five Rivers MetroParks, and Woodhull arranged for the donation and installation of the METROPARKS.ORG (937) 275 PARK (7275) IT’S OUR NATURE. FUNDINGMETROPARKS & DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHT 5 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF OUTDOOR RECREATION With more than eight miles of trail, recreation staff members — who are teams, music and more than 100 including 20 tons of rock and 800 experts in their fields — continue to exhibitors. feet of bridges and boardwalks, provide programming that offers a In the past decade, MetroParks’ mountain biking at the MetroParks progression of skills development outdoor recreation programming Mountain Bike Area (MoMBA) has and the means to use those skills also has evolved and expanded. some serious game. independently. Programs also teach Working with community partners, environmental ethics, such as Leave Yes — mountain biking. MoMBA, MetroParks has launched new No Trace. Five Rivers MetroParks launched in 2007 with the support of events, facilities and programs to lay staff also work with other experts in hundreds of volunteers, is just one of a strong foundation for the growth the community to provide outdoor the many outdoor experiences Five of the outdoor community well into recreation programming. Rivers MetroParks has developed in the future. the past 10 years as it works toward In September 2005, MetroParks Five Rivers MetroParks was its vision of helping Dayton become launched its outdoor recreation ambitious when it launched its the Outdoor Adventure Capital of initiative under the name Five effort to become a leader in the the Midwest. Rivers Outdoors. Its first signature outdoor adventure space. However, event was GearFest, now known as Five Rivers MetroParks’ outdoor MetroParks hasn’t just added new the Midwest Outdoor Experience. adventure strategy was developed offerings — it has helped transform Launched to give outdoor as a way to help people connect with the culture of the community so that enthusiasts a chance to connect with nature and experience the outdoors, outdoor recreation now is a part of each other while exploring the latest since outdoor adventure sports was the Dayton region’s identity. in outdoor lifestyle activities and an activity that showed significant equipment, the event has evolved growth in the 16- to 24-year-old age to a two-day event where people of Read more about outdoor group. The focus was and remains all ages can try more than a dozen recreation in your Five Rivers on providing access, enabling outdoor activities – wrapped in MetroParks on pages 12-13. people to play in the outdoors a festival atmosphere with demo close to home. Today, outdoor IT’S OUR NATURE. (937) 275 PARK (7275) METROPARKS.ORG 6 METROPARKS NEWS Planning for a Greener Future Five Rivers MetroParks is developing a 10-year comprehensive master plan that will guide the future of your parks, facilities and services — and we need your help.