GREENVILLE — Darke County Parks has a January schedule full of nature activities. There are a variety of activities perfect for families.
DCP is hosting two Winter Bird Walks this month. The first is on Jan. 14 at 9 a.m. in the Shawnee Prairie Preserve and the second will be held on Jan. 24 at 9 a.m. in the Routzong Preserve. The Winter Bird Walks allow guests to search for various winter bird flocks and is perfect for all levels of birdwatchers.
Also on Jan. 14, DCP is hosting a Rock Talk and Swap at 2 p.m. at the Shawnee Prairie Preserve. Guests can bring pieces of their personal rock collections to claim and swap rocks with fellow collectors.
On Jan. 17, DCP is hosting Walking on Sunshine at 6:30 p.m. DCP is welcoming hiker Andy Niekamp to discuss his recent thru-hike of the Florida Trail. Guests will learn how Niekamp endured sun, heat, rain, wind, cold, floods, hurricane damage, alligators and venomous snakes to complete his two and a half month hike.
DCP is hosting a Native Animal Encounter on Jan. 21 at the Shawnee Prairie Preserve at 10 a.m. For this event, guests can stop by the DCP Nature Center to visit with educational animal ambassadors to learn all about native animals.
Also on Jan. 21, DCP is hosting Pawsport to DCP: a Dog Hiking Adventure at 2 p.m. in Alice Bish Park. Guests are invited to bring their dogs to Alice Bish Park to visit another of DCP’s 13 preserves and fill their passports with stamps and paw prints from yet another park. Once guests collect at least eight stamps in their booklets, they will receive a free DCP bandana and toy.
The last event of the month is an Intro to Beekeeping on Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. at the Shawnee Prairie Preserve. Guests will join beekeeper and park volunteer Carol and Naturalist Mandy while they teach the basics of getting started with honeybee hives. The workshop is designed for beginners and will cover the life history of honeybees, starter equipment, tools, management and maintenance.
Each of these events is free to the public, but registration is required for all of them. For more information and registration, visit www.darkecountyparks.org or call the Nature Center at 937-548-0165.
