Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District

Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District A system of natural areas designed to enhance the quality of life of the citizens of Allen County, OH

One more sunset. One more trail. One more adventure.🌲Thank you for spending August with us!🌿 What's been your favorite p...
08/31/2026

One more sunset. One more trail. One more adventure.🌲
Thank you for spending August with us!

🌿 What's been your favorite park memory this month?

08/30/2026

This week's park update! ⚠

The playground at Teddy Bear Park will be closed due to nearby stump grinding on Tuesday and (possibly) Wednesday.

Please call the park office with any questions!

That unmistakable BZZZZZZZ filling the air on warm summer days? It’s not coming from a cicada’s mouth! Cicadas actually ...
08/29/2026

That unmistakable BZZZZZZZ filling the air on warm summer days? It’s not coming from a cicada’s mouth!

Cicadas actually create their famous summer soundtrack using special structures on the sides of their abdomens called tymbals.

By rapidly vibrating their tymbals, cicadas produce those loud buzzing and clicking sounds that can be heard throughout our parks this time of year.

And here’s another fun fact: 🎶 Only male cicadas have tymbals! They use their songs to attract females, meaning all that buzzing you hear is essentially one very loud cicada love song.

The next time you hear cicadas calling from the trees, stop for a moment and listen. You’re hearing one of the signature sounds of an Ohio summer!

🌿 How loud have the cicadas been in your neighborhood lately?

The soundtrack of summer isn't complete without one more evening at the amphitheater.So settle in for another wonderful ...
08/29/2026

The soundtrack of summer isn't complete without one more evening at the amphitheater.

So settle in for another wonderful day of fun and laughter as Firefighter Dave Magician takes the stage! 🎩🐰

The Summer Amphitheater Series has been about more than entertainment.
It's been about seeing familiar faces, meeting new friends, and creating memories that remind us why community matters.

Let's enjoy one more summer day together. We'll see you at the amphitheater!

08/27/2026

Weekly Wildlife Watch: Marie vs. the Barn Swallows 😂

If you’ve noticed Marie making a VERY quick dash in and out of the Park District offices lately…there’s a reason.

She has some new neighbors, and they are a little protective!

A family of migratory Barn Swallows decided the awning at the Park District office looked like the perfect place to build a nest and raise their babies. And now, Mom and Dad are making sure everyone knows it!

But before we label them “aggressive,” Marie reminds us to look at what’s really happening: they’re simply protecting their young.

The good news? This is only temporary housing. Once the babies are ready to leave the nest, the family will eventually continue on their journey toward warmer temperatures.

Until then, Marie is embracing the challenge of peacefully coexisting with our temporary wildlife neighbors.

Her solution for safely navigating the commute to the door? ☂️ Bring an umbrella. 😂

Hit play as Marie introduces us to the Barn Swallow family, explains what all that swooping is really about, and reminds us that sometimes the best wildlife lessons happen right outside your own front door.

You never know what you’ll discover, or who might move in, when you take the time to GET OUTSIDE! 🌿

🐦 While many of Ohio’s songbirds are busy building nests and raising their young in the spring, one familiar backyard vi...
08/26/2026

🐦 While many of Ohio’s songbirds are busy building nests and raising their young in the spring, one familiar backyard visitor likes to do things on a slightly different schedule.

Which Ohio songbird typically nests later in the summer than many of our other songbirds?

A. Northern Cardinal
B. White-breasted Nuthatch
C. Black-capped Chickadee
D. American Goldfinch

Think you know the answer?

Drop your guess in the comments, but don’t give away your reasoning just yet! We’ll be back with the answer and the fascinating reason this colorful bird waits so long to start a family.

🌿 Bonus question: Have you spotted any of these four birds in your yard or the Parks lately?

🎡🌿 The Fair fun is in full swing!Haley, Jess, Dave, and the rest of the crew are hanging out at the Allen County Fair fo...
08/25/2026

🎡🌿 The Fair fun is in full swing!

Haley, Jess, Dave, and the rest of the crew are hanging out at the Allen County Fair for the rest of the week, and we’ve got plenty more to share with you!

Come find Johnny Appleseed Parks in the Conservation Tent from 1:30–5:30 PM each day, say hello to our team, and stick around for one of our Nature Education shows at 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM!

And there’s something different to discover every day:

💀 Tuesday | Skulls & Furs
Who did that skull belong to? What can fur tell us about an animal? Come take a closer look!
🐢 Wednesday | Turtles
Shells, scales, and some pretty incredible adaptations—let’s talk turtles!
🦊 Thursday | Adaptations
Discover some of the amazing features that help wildlife survive and thrive.
🐸 Friday | Fantastic Frogs
We’re hopping into the final day with some of our favorite amphibian friends!

Whether you’re spending the day riding rides, visiting the barns, grabbing your favorite fair food, or exploring the exhibits, be sure to make the Conservation Tent one of your stops.

👋 Come say hi to the team and add a little nature to your day at the Fair!

Which show are you coming to see?

🌿 What does every animal need to survive?For local first graders, the answer is waiting to be discovered OUTSIDE.This Se...
08/25/2026

🌿 What does every animal need to survive?

For local first graders, the answer is waiting to be discovered OUTSIDE.

This September, we are welcoming students to Hermon Woodlands Metro Park for Basic Needs, an interdisciplinary, nature-based field trip built around observing, exploring, describing, and comparing the needs of animals living right here in Allen County.

Students will discover how food, water, shelter, and space come together to create something every living thing needs: a habitat.

Registration is first-come, first-served. Schools interested in availability can contact the office at 419-221-1232.

Because sometimes the best classroom doesn't have four walls. 🌳

📖 Wild Reads Book Club | Arizona + New MexicoWhat does it mean to “think like a mountain?” 🏔️🐺This week’s journey throug...
08/25/2026

📖 Wild Reads Book Club | Arizona + New Mexico

What does it mean to “think like a mountain?” 🏔️🐺

This week’s journey through A Sand County Almanac takes us to Arizona and New Mexico, where Aldo Leopold shares experiences that helped reshape the way he thought about wildlife, predators, and the balance of an ecosystem.

One of the most powerful moments comes as Leopold reflects on hunting wolves and what he once viewed as progress. Fewer wolves might mean more deer, but what happens when there are too many deer for the landscape to support?

🌱 Vegetation changes.
🦌 Wildlife populations are affected.
🐺 Predator-prey relationships shift.
🏔️ And the entire ecosystem feels the impact.

It leads Leopold to the idea of “thinking like a mountain”, looking beyond what may seem beneficial in the moment and considering the much larger web of relationships at work in nature.

Sometimes, nature knows how to maintain a balance that we don’t fully understand until that balance has been disrupted.

Our Naturalist’s notes leave us with a great question to consider:
Who gets to decide what “progress” looks like when it comes to the natural world?

Take a look through this week’s notes and tell us what stood out to you. 🌿

Thursday night's moon has a story to tell. 🌕August's full moon is traditionally known as the Sturgeon Moon, a name given...
08/24/2026

Thursday night's moon has a story to tell. 🌕

August's full moon is traditionally known as the Sturgeon Moon, a name given by Indigenous peoples because this was the time of year when sturgeon were most readily caught in the Great Lakes and surrounding waterways.

For generations, the moon served as both a calendar and a guide, helping people recognize the changing seasons and the rhythms of the natural world.

Tonight, step outside for a few minutes.
Notice how early the moon rises. Watch how its light changes the landscape.
Nature looks a little different after sunset, and that's part of the magic.

Then join us Thursday evening for an unforgettable opportunity to experience Ottawa Metro Park + Lima Lake under the full moon. 🌕 Register here >> https://reservations.jampd.com/programs/

Address

1682 Slabtown Road
Lima, OH
45801

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+14192211232

Website

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