MARION COUNTY, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—The Marion County Park District has announced a full schedule of free, no-registration-required nature programs throughout December, centered primarily on the Marion Tallgrass Trail. These events are designed to get community members outdoors for educational and recreational activities during the winter season.
All programs begin five minutes after the stated starting time and are subject to cancellation due to weather, with updates posted on the Marion County Park District and their Facebook page.
The events kick off on Dec. 11 with a Nature Photography Stroll at 1 p.m., where participants are encouraged to bring a camera or smartphone to capture images along the trail.
Mid-month activities include a Looking for Birds Nests program on Dec. 15 at 4:45 p.m., exploring remnants of the area’s avian residents, and Winter Wildlife Tracking on Dec. 17 at 4:45 p.m. to identify animal tracks in the park.
As winter officially arrives, the district will host a Winter Hike on the second day of the season, Dec. 22, at 10 a.m. The month wraps up with the Winter Plant ID Hike on Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. for learning how to identify foliage during the snowy months.
A special citizen science opportunity, the Killdeer Plains Christmas Bird Count, is scheduled for Dec. 28 in Marion, Hardin, and Wyandot Counties. Interested participants in this annual bird census should contact the Marion County Park District directly for details on how to join the count.
Unless otherwise noted, all events start at the Tallgrass Trailhead, located at 2093 Holland Road West.
