Category: Parks

As time goes by: Lessons on aging from the birds and the bees While changing over the calendar from 2024 to 2025, it’s only natural that thoughts turn to the passage of time and the advancement of years. Aging and…

Perfect for birthday parties, graduation parties, family reunions and more, large group shelters are available in eight of the Centerville-Washington Park District community parks. Reservations for the 2025 calendar year may be made beginning at noon on Thursday, January 2.  …

From its name, one might reasonably expect that the Carolina wren — Thryothorus ludovicianus — is a bird of the south. That’s certainly true in part; Carolina wrens are common in the Carolinas and across the southeastern US. However, these…

For any animal, the temperature of its body matters. Bodily functions depend on chemical processes that are temperature-sensitive and on enzymes whose functions vary with temperature. For many simple systems, chemical reactions proceed more quickly at higher temperatures. For biological…

In 2020, the Board of Park Commissioners adopted a new master plan for Grant Park, the largest park in the District. The master plan reflects a large number of passionate voices from the community. The recommendation for safe, reliable access…

There’s something about spiders… Despite the numerous spider decorations that will appear on and around houses this October, spiders remain high on many people’s list of “least favorite animals.” Nevertheless, spiders have some amazing traits. They can travel hundreds of…

Go to relax under a spreading oak tree this autumn and you may discover a somewhat unwelcome surprise. That oak may be buzzing with large, black and white hornets. What’s going on? The answer is a bit complicated. But rest…

Complete the sentence, “Thistles are _______.” Weeds? Prickly? Bothersome? Invasive? A lot of the obvious choices to fill in that blank carry a negative connotation. And there are good reasons for all of those choices! Yet thistles also have substantial…

The Centerville-Washington Park District began work on a Grant Park master plan project in March 2020 and the Park Board adopted the plan in January 2021. Based on collective input from the community and in collaboration with park staff, the…

As pollinators of both crop species and wildflowers, bees are critical elements of Ohio’s economy and natural landscape. Our most familiar bees surely are honeybees, which were imported from Europe in the 1600s. However, Ohio also is home to more…