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Five Rivers Metropark

Recycle Christmas Trees & Lights With MetroParks

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Don’t ditch your tree in the landfill – recycle it with MetroParks and

Ohio Department of Natural Resources!

Photo taken prior to the pandemic and does not reflect current CDC best practices.

Five Rivers MetroParks  be collecting used holidays trees at Eastwood MetroPark (lakeside).Ohio Department of Natural Resources will bundle and sink them in lakes within local state parks to help bolster aquatic habitats.
Drop off dates include: Saturday, Dec. 26, through Thursday, Dec. 31, and Saturday, Jan. 2, through Thursday, Jan. 21. Trees must be free of all decorations, paint and artificial snow.

Five Rivers Metroparks and ODNR participated in a similar conservation project in early 2019, when Metroparks’ parks and conservation staff and volunteers and ODNR sunk nearly 750 trees into Eastwood Lake. The results of that project also have been successful, improving Eastwood Lake’s aquatic habitat and opportunities for angler

Christmas Lights Recycling

Five Rivers MetroParks and Cohen Recycling are making the holidays greener by providing bins at six MetroParks locations where residents can drop off holiday lights to be recycled. Recycling these lights supports MetroParks’ conservation mission, as Cohen will make a donation to the Five Rivers MetroParks Foundation based on how many lights are recycled.

Drop off unwanted lights at any of the following MetroParks locations through Sunday, Jan. 31. Light strands should be loose and not in bags or boxes.
Drop-off locations are contactless, but residents are reminded to maintain social distancing and wear face coverings if they encounter other park-goers who aren’t in their households.

  • The following locations are accessible during park hours, daily from 8 am to 8 pm.
    • Carriage Hill MetroPark, 7800 E. Shull Rd., Dayton: Recycling bin is located at the entrance to the Visitor Center.
    • Sugarcreek MetroPark, 4178 Conference Rd., Bellbrook: Recycling bin is located at the main parking lot entrance under the kiosk.
    • Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton: Recycling bin is located at the front of the main building.
    • Possum Creek MetroPark, 4790 Frytown Rd., Dayton: Recycling bin located at the education building at the Possum Creek Farm.
    • Cox Arboretum MetroPark, 6733 Springboro Pike, Dayton. Recycling bin located outside the Visitor Center entrance.
    • 2nd Street Market, 600 E. Second St., Dayton: Recycling bin is located at the southeast entrance and is accessible anytime.

Extra waste generated during the holidays — including decorations, food and paper waste —amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, according to the Use Less Stuff Report and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

This is the second holiday season the recycling program has been offered. Last year, MetroParks collected 3,600 pounds of lights. Cohen donated $2,000 to the Five Rivers MetroParks Foundation to support MetroParks’ mission to protect the Dayton region’s natural heritage.

“It was a great first year for MetroParks, and the agency expects to increase collection significantly this year,” said Tim Pritchard, Five Rivers MetroParks’ sustainability coordinator. “The holidays are a busy time and recycling might not be top-of-mind, so we wanted to make it easy for people to make more sustainable choices. Cohen is helping keep waste out of the landfill while supporting MetroParks’ conservation mission.”

The Great Outdoors!

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Daytonians, this IS the weekend for the biggest active outdoor event in the area! The Midwest Outdoor Experience is happening this Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3. There is something for everyone at this event, and it is one of the largest festivals celebrating the outdoor lifestyle in the Midwest. Over 15,000 people attended last year, let’s break that record for 2015! Extra bonus: admission and parking are free, so you have nothing to lose!

Entertainment at the Midwest Outdoor Experience

What started 10 years ago as an event to highlight outdoor gear has grown to a two-day festival featuring almost every outdoor adventure sport. Explore the active side of Dayton with the whole family at Eastwood Metro Park this weekend. “This event is a celebration of the many outdoor recreation opportunities our region and Five Rivers Metro Parks offer,” said Rebecca Benná, executive director of Five Rivers Metro Parks. “It is a way for everyone to personally connect with nature and experience the outdoors. It’s a chance not only for expert adventurers to further their skills, also for families to try something new.” New this year is a pumptrack. Pumptracks offer a full-body workout as riders push and pull bikes and skateboards through the looped course. Visitors can try one of the bikes provided or bring a skateboard to try it out. Also new is the Osprey Backcountry Zone, which includes exhibits by backcountry retailers and clubs, a campfire to hang around, a hammock lounge, and mock campsite. The Mad River Mountain Action Sports Area is where visitors can try snow tubing, climbing and more. An exciting new demo will be the Jeff Lenosky Bike Trials Show, where Lenosky will amaze audiences with tricks on a bike.

10934062_885813001467488_7039443340565030444_nFor those wanting a hands-on experience, the festival offers a variety of activities. Try your hand at fly fishing, canoeing or kayaking. These experiences are open to all ages and skill levels. Adaptive equipment also will be available for some experiences. Add to your biking knowledge at the IMBA Bike Village, and learn a variety of skills at the REI Outdoor School. Children can try a variety of outdoor activities at the Subway Fresh Fit Youth Adventure Zone. Other activities include backpacking, bouldering, climbing, disc golf, fitness programs, geo coaching, group bike rides, inline skating, night ultimate disc, orienteering, skateboarding, slacklining, snow tubing, stand up paddleboarding (SUP), and ziplining. This is definitely an active event that will knock your socks off!

After all that exercise take a break and enjoy live music featuring local acts. Fill up with a variety of options from local food trucks and grab a beverage from the Great Lakes Beer Garden. This year’s vendors also have committed to the festival’s Waste Free initiative. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own water bottle and pint mug or purchase a reusable stainless steel one to use in the Great Lakes Beer Garden and at water stations.

For the extreme hard core outdoors people bring a tent and camp for the weekend (sites are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis). For the first time, limited space will be available for small pop-up campers, too. Or take your involvement one step further and volunteer with the Midwest Outdoor Experience. Contact 937-275-PARK (7275) or email volunteer.services@metropark.org by October 1st. This will really amplify your experience of the event, spending as much time as possible in a beautiful natural environment!

Midwest Outdoor Experience 2015

The Midwest Outdoor Experience is the most happening festival of the great outdoors! Spend the first weekend in October immersed in nature, outdoor activities, exercise, camaraderie, music, and delicious food; what could be better? Get out and get moving Dayton, and let’s have the best outdoor experience ever!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sticks work.

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I had a “Christo” moment today. It may have been even better than Christo. As you may or may not know, Christo and his partner and wife, Jeanne-Claude, who died in 2009, are perhaps the best known environmental artists in the world.
Today I had the honor and thrill of assisting another talented environmental artist at Wegerzyn Metro Park. His name is Patrick Dougherty and he is best known for his Stickworks: large site-specific sculptural installations made of natural materials. He will be working at Wegerzyn for the next three weeks creating a truly willowy – it’s built of willow – snake inspired by the Serpent Mound in Adams County. When it’s done, visitors will be able to walk through its curvy body, go inside it and peer through its doors and windows, and walk around it. The willow snake sculpture will be allowed to decay naturally.
Volunteers can sign up to help, as I did, and work alongside the artist as he creates this local masterpiece. I had a great time, and I’m going back for another day!
To volunteer, and I highly recommend it as this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, contact Bob Butts, Assistant Volunteer Manager at Five Rivers Metro Park. He’ll put you in the right place in the snake.
For more information on the artist Patrick Dougherty and his work, check out his website at: www.stickwork.net/
Before I left today, I took some pictures of the work in progress.