The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department is beginning its ‘Programs in the Parks’ educational series this week at Scott Springs Park.
The series, which is free to attend, will take attendees through Scott Springs Park (2825 SW 24th Avenue), Fort King National Historic Landmark (3925 E Fort King Street), Heritage Nature Conservancy (2005 NE 3rd Street), and Tuscawilla Park (800 NE Sanchez Avenue) on tours of some of the various features.
The first program, ‘Animal Tracks,’ takes place on Friday, August 5, from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. at Scott Springs Park. During the event, attendees will follow different tracks to figure out the animals that they belong to, and then they will get to make their own animal tracks using Play-Doh.
Below is a list of the upcoming programs in the series:
- ‘Tremendous Parks’ on Friday, August 12 (9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.) at Fort King National Historic Landmark. Learn about different types of trees and how to identify them. Attendees will also have a chance to help plant a tree.
- ‘Learn About Pollinators’ on Friday, August 19 (9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.) at Fort King National Historic Landmark. Learn about the important role that pollinators play in the ecosystem. Attendees will get to make a flower bookmark to take home.
- ‘Fishing For Beginners’ on Saturday, August 27 (9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.) at Tuscawilla Park. Learn the basics of baiting and casting with the park rangers at this catch and release fishing event.
- ‘Bats – Night Flight’ on Friday, September 9 (7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.) at Heritage Nature Conservancy. Experience bats flying out from the bat house as the park rangers share interesting facts about the world of bats.
- ‘Owls – A Hoot of a Time’ on Friday, September 16 (7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.) at Heritage Nature Conservancy. Join the park rangers as they call out to the owls and provide fun facts about these animals.
- ‘Archaeology – I Dig It’ on Saturday, September 24 (9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.) at Fort King National Historic Landmark. Dig in a kid-friendly sandbox and learn about the laws that protect important artifacts.
- ‘Florida Black Bears’ on Saturday, October 1 (9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.) at Scott Springs Park. Learn about the Florida Black Bear with the recreation and parks department’s Bear Mystery Box.
- ‘Birds of a Feather Hike’ on Friday, October 7 (9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.) at Tuscawilla Park. Walk through the park and identify different Florida bird species and learn what makes each of those birds unique.
- ‘Bats – Night Flight’ on Friday, October 14 (7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.) at Heritage Nature Conservancy. Experience bats flying out from the bat house as the park rangers share interesting facts about the world of bats.
- ‘Owls – A Hoot of a Time’ on Friday, October 21 (7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.) at Heritage Nature Conservancy. Join the park rangers as they call out to the owls and provide fun facts about these animals.
- ‘Not Just a Hike, an Adventure’ on Saturday, October 29 (9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.) at Scott Springs Park. Join a scavenger hunt hike and learn about the local wildlife at the park.
All programs are available to children and adults of all ages.
For more information, call 352-368-5517 or visit the Ocala Recreation and Parks Department webpage.