The Darke County Park District would like to extend a huge thank you to the Ketrow Foundation for their recent grant contribution. The funding from this grant will be used to overhaul the Nature Center’s outdated “Kids’ Corner”.

Currently it has a child sized table and chairs with crayons, books, puzzles, blocks, and stuffed wild animal toys. While this area provides entertainment for little ones while their older companions explore the nature center exhibits, it hasn’t been updated in fifteen years, and many pieces are damaged or missing. The park district staff plans to move the books to a new kids’ section in their library and use the area for more creative play.

Possible ideas for the new corner include things like a larger-than-life manufactured bird’s nest; a turtle shell that kids can climb inside; wearable wings; and a touch area for animal pelts, antlers, bones, and other articles from the natural world. This space will encourage exploratory play and promote the use of imagination, creativity, and inquiry. Instead of reading about nature in a book, these young naturalists can touch, explore, see, and experience it right there in their own nook of our facility. This new kids’ corner will help Darke County Parks expand the age range of their displays to better accommodate the full spectrum of nature center visitors and refresh a very dated and underutilized area.

The updates will be a beautiful addition to the Nature Education Center and, thanks to the generous support from the Ketrow Foundation, they are now possible. The park district is grateful to the trustee of the foundation for making this possible.

For information about Darke County Parks, their programs, or the Nature Center on St. Rt. 502 just west of Greenville, call (937) 548-0165, or email info@darkecountyparks.org.

The Darke County Park District would like to extend a huge thank you to the Lydia E. Schaurer Memorial Trust Fund for their recent grant contribution. The funding from this grant was used to make the Nature Center's new fish tank fully functional.

Recently local park supporters donated a beautiful 170 gallon aquarium to the park district. The new display features an enclosed wooden cabinet stand and a wood top with crown molding. The new tank is larger and more elaborate than any the park district currently owns, and therefore was not ideally suited to function with their regular equipment inventory. With the help of the Lydia E. Schaurer Memorial Trust Fund the park district was able to purchase a pump/filter combination and a year’s worth of filtration media suitable for the expansive tank.

 The tank is now home to “pond life” creatures like bluegill, redear sunfish, and a small catfish. The pond fish’s former tank became the new home for DCP’s rapidly growing snapping turtle. Both of these tanks now allow the young and young at heart to explore the wonders of pond life up close, and the new pump and filter will keep their aquatic wildlife healthy and educating to their full capacity. In the near future, the display will feature informational signage about fish species and pond life, but for now Darke County Parks invites everyone to check out their gorgeous donation and all the other live animal displays.

Naturalist Kathi McQueen, who manages the animal ambassadors, said she’s so pleased that the “community is helping to keep our displays fresh and updated, so the park district can continue to grow and prosper, teaching future generations about the importance of nature and conservation.”

The tank is a beautiful addition to the Nature Education Center and, thanks to the generous support from the Lydia E. Schaurer Memorial Trust Fund, is now fully functional. The park district is grateful to the trustees of the fund for making this possible.

To see the beautiful new “Pond Life” display, visit the Nature Center on St. Rt. 502 just west of Greenville Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm. The Nature Center can be reached at (937) 548-0165 or info@darkecountyparks.org.