Bike to Work Breakfast

Friday, May 18
6:00 - 9:00 A.M.

Iron Horse Trail
Whipp Road Intersection

May is National Bike Month. Ride your bike to work and celebrate with a free breakfast during your commute on the Iron Horse Trail. Enjoy fresh juice, bagels, and oatmeal, along with biker camaraderie and raffles.

Members of the Creating Community connections Implementation Committee will be available to discuss updates to the community's Multi-Use Trail Plan.

Registration is not required for this program.

A highlight of the party will be the dedication of the new Commissioners Grove. The grove is a gift to former park commissioners who have served since the formation of the Park District in 1959.

A second dedication will be a flower garden donated by the children of Victor & Mary Jane Smith.

Other activities will include a wildflower walk, art displays from the Centerville High School ceramics class and Cline elementary art students, face painting, garden inspired crafts, a presentation on landscape beautification, and refreshments.

Hidden Meadows Day Camp Registration

Hidden Meadows Day Camp offers eight weeks of camp for kids to experience the outdoors. Each week brings new opportunities to make friends, explore Grant Park, play games, and make fun crafts. In addition, campers will be treated to guest speakers, animal shows, and activities related to the weekly theme.

Studies show that those who play outside on a daily basis demonstrate increased creativity, better problem solving skills, more focus and flexibility, and better cooperation in groups.

Register your children now for Hidden Meadows Day Camp. You can register online, by phone at (937) 433-5155, or in person at Park Headquarters, 221 N. Main Street, Centerville.

Read all about HMDC here.

The Dog Park at Oak Grove Park is on Facebook

To better serve the residents of Centerville and Washington Township a Facebook page has been created for the Dog Park at Oak Grove Park. Here you will find general information about the dog park, closings as well as events happening throughout the year.
 
The dog park located inside Oak Grove Park, 1790 East Social Row Road opened on September 29, 2007. This two acre fenced-in dog park is a fun place for dogs to exercise off-leash. The double-gated entrance helps ensure the safety of your pets while they await release into the exercise area. Two separate enclosures are provided, one for small dogs (under 25 pounds) and one for larger dogs.
 
The dog park recently underwent a major renovation to improve drainage and turf and to enlarge the smaller side of the park. Now the two sections of the park are of equal size to allow more flexibility in their use.
 
The following closure guidelines have been developed to ensure a safe and positive experience for all visitors. These guidelines will take effect beginning Monday, February 27, 2012 in conjunction with the reopening of the renovated area. To help preserve healthy turf, the dog park will close when there is standing water, saturated or soggy ground, excessively muddy conditions, or any other extreme environmental conditions that would cause turf damage. The dog park will also close the first Monday of every month for scheduled turf maintenance.

Visitors are encouraged to check to see if the dog park is closed prior to their visit by viewing the dog park Facebook page or by calling (937) 433-2524 and selecting option 3. A handy dog bone link is available on the right sidebar of this web site. Visit the Oak Grove Park web page for more information about the dog park, including the rules to review before your visit.

Watch Us Grow

Several non-native species of Honeysuckle are threatening Ohio’s woodlands. These vigorous shrubs shade out native vegetation, particularly in the woodland understory. They are able to out-compete native plants and wildflowers for light and other resources. Bush honeysuckles green up earlier in the spring than most other plants, giving them an advantage over other species.

Tackling Invasive Honeysuckle

One effective method of control for large infestations is a fall foliar herbicide application when there are no desirable species actively growing in the vicinity. Over the next few weeks the Park District will be conducting foliar application to control Honeysuckle at many park locations. Native plant species including wildflowers will be given the opportunity to flourish in the spring after the removal of this invasive species. For more information about Honeysuckle and other non-native plants threatening Ohio’s landscapes visit:

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Ohio Invasive Plants Council

Read the Naturalist Notes page for additional online resources.

You will not want to miss these videos:

• Athletics Partners
• School Partners
• Park Commissioners Responsibilities
• Volunteer Naturalist Program
• Volunteering

• Nature Programs
• Recreation Programs
• Fitness and Wellness Programs
• The Value of Open Space
• Park Operations

Do you have concerns about your Austrian Pines? Wendi Van Buren, Regional Urban Forester of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, supplied the following information:

If mature Austrian Pines are dying, it would be likely to be Diplodia Tip Blight. Austrian Pines which are short lived tree species in this area because at about 15-20 years they succumb to Diplodia Tip Blight which is a fungus that commonly attacks mature trees that have been under stress from drought, root restriction, or other planting site problems. A telltale way to determine if a tree is infected with Diplodia tip blight is to look for the signs of the pathogen, which consist of tiny black, fungal fruiting bodies (pycnidia) that are formed on the surface of infected needles and infected cones.

It is common practice to plant Austrian Pine along with spruce and some deciduous trees in a border. The Austrian Pine trees are fast growers and will grow anywhere. The trade off is that they die early. That is why you have the spruce and deciduous trees that are slower growers but then are longer lived. The Austrian Pines die and the spruce and deciduous trees are still there.

Visit the OSU site for more information.

Dupont's product Imprelis may also have an impact on your trees, especially Norway spruce and white pine. Please contact your lawn company to determine if Imprelis has been used on your property. If Imprelis has been used on your lawn alongside CWPD park land, please contact Ken Carter at 433-5155.

Visit Dupont's web site for more information.