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Ideas for Teachers and Scout Leaders for Activities in Rush Run Park
Location: Four blocks west of Colonial Hills Elementary School is a small neighborhood park at Park Blvd. and Granby. It is a 6.1 acre park with a grassy field and picnic tables. A stream called Rush Run divides the park. Forest trees and other dense vegetation border the stream. A bridge crosses the stream in the center of the park and you can follow a walking path beside the stream.
What is new
at the Park? In April 2007, FLOW worked with the Worthington Parks and Recreation Department to begin to restore native vegetation to the streamside. Volunteers worked along 400 feet of the streamside, removing an invasive shrub called bush honeysuckle. This shrub has escaped cultivation and shades out native wildflowers as well as native tree saplings. Honeysuckle does not provide the variety of habitat and food that wild animals need. In May, volunteers planted 94 native trees and shrubs, 50 ferns, and over 900 native wildflower plants! A seed mix of floodplain loving plants was spread over the ground. During the hot summer, volunteers and park employees watered the new trees. In November, a new sign explaining the restoration project was put in place by the bridge. The goal of this restoration project is to not only improve the streamside environment, but to improve the aquatic habitat as well. It will also serve as an example what Worthington residents can do to improve their streams.
Come visit the
Park!
Bring
your class for a nature exploration to
Park Blvd. Park. It is a
short walk from your
school. Take an hour or an afternoon to explore.
Please note:
FLOW and Worthington Parks and Recreation will not be providing fieldtrip leaders for your visit. You are on your own. Please remember to practice “minimum impact.” Take only pictures and leave only footprints at the park. Thanks!
Here are some ideas
for your visits to Park Blvd. Park.
Winter
Exploration Suggestions:
- Look at the colors and shapes in the
winter.
- What colors dominate?
- Can you find all the colors of the
rainbow in nature during the winter?
- How does snow change the shapes of
natural objects—logs, trees, hills,
rocks?
- Explore the winter sounds.
- How does snow change outdoor sounds?
- Can you count the number of different
sounds from nature you hear in one
minute?
- Can you find the mammals or birds
making the sounds?
- Explore animal tracks.
- How many different kinds of animal tracks can you find?
- Can you identify
some?
- Note that many neighbors walk their dogs through the park so it is important to know what their tracks look like. A good track guide to use is A Field Guide to Animal Tracks by Olaus Murie or visit ODNR's Species
Guide.
- Compare the restored area to the unrestored area along the stream. There is much less vegetation in the restored area this winter. Is there a difference in the activity of birds and animals in the restored area than the unrestored area, by sound, and by number of tracks?
Spring Exploration
Suggestions
- Look for the emergence of spring wildflowers. Many native species emerge in early April before the tree leaves emerge. Look for these species: Spring Beauty, Dutchman’s Breeches, Wild Geranium, Bloodroot, Virginia Bluebells, Blue Phlox and Golden Ragwort. Please don’t pick the flowers! For photos
of Ohio Wildflowers visit ODNR.
- Streamside forests are great places to observe birds in the early spring. Look for American Robin, Carolina Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpecker, and Red-bellied Woodpecker. Use a field guide such as Sibley’s Field Guide to the Birds or visit ODNR's Bird
Species Guide.
- Compare the restored area and unrestored
area along the stream with bird sitings and wildflowers.
Spring
Conservation Projects
Your class may be interested in helping the Park and the Rush Run. In past years, classes have planted a tree for Arbor Day. To arrange a class conservation project, contact Jim Coffield or Shawn Daugherty at Worthington Parks and Recreation 786-7368
Prepared by Marty
Kotter, Project Coordinator, FLOW www.olentangywatershed.org
Funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
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