Eat at Ruby Tuesday, Support Portage Parks As part of his Eagle Scout Project, Logan Roliff from Troop 269 in Aurora has organized a fundraiser for Portage Park District at the Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Aurora. 100% of the funds raised will go directly to Portage Park District. The event will take place on the next two weekends, Friday & Saturday Sept. 13 & 14 and again on Sept. 20 & 21 from 11am to 11 pm each day at the Ruby Tuesday, 7135 N. Aurora Rd, Aurora. (S.R. 43 across from Geauga Lake) Simply download and print out the flyer found HERE and present it to your server at the time of purchase, and 20% of your purchase amount will be donated directly to Portage Park District. Join us for lunch, dinner or dessert, dine in or carry-out and help support the Portage Park District. |
Family Fun Fitness Event to Benefit Bikes for Kids
Saturday, Sept. 28th
Portage Cyclery is hosting a Family Fun Fitness event on September 28th starting at 10:00 a.m. to kick off the "Bikes For Kids" program with several partners. The goal is to get donations of 150 used bikes and the funds for repair parts before Christmas. The bikes will go to kids in need.
Participate in a road ride that leaves from Portage Cyclery, or a ride on the PORTAGE Hike and Bike Trail starting at the Lake Rockwell Rd. trailhead near Beckwith Orchard. Both rides leave at 10:00 am. All are welcome to stop back at Portage Cyclery for food, beverage and activities at noon, with proceeds going to Bikes for Kids. For more information, contact Portage Cyclery.
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Save Towner's Woods Roofs
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Help us buy the materials necessary to replace the roof on the crossroads shelter and the restroom. Please make a donation to Portage Park District Foundation with "Towner's Roofs" in the subject line. Make an online donation or mail your check to 705 Oakwood St. Suite G-4 Ravenna, Ohio 44266. THANKS
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Dear Friend,
I hope you've all enjoyed a beautiful, nature-filled Summer. We've been busy, and Portage Parks continues to grow and improve thanks to our many partners, volunteers and donors. Please consider joining us on some of the upcoming guided hikes to learn about your parks, then get involved with our efforts to promote and protect them however you are able--it will make you feel great!
Christine Craycroft, Executive Director
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New Park District Property
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Rare Sphagnum Peat Bog is Preserved in Franklin Township
The Western Reserve Land Conservancy partnered with the Portage Park District to preserve a 58-acre parcel in Franklin Township with a rare sphagnum bog ecosystem.
The Franklin Bog is located on State Route 43, about a half-mile north of Kent. It's adjacent to the City of Akron's 2,334-acre Lake Rockwell Reservoir property, Oak Knolls Golf Course and about 500 feet from the Cuyahoga River. The property contains high-quality wetlands that are home to 8 rare and endangered species, and it has been eyed for conservation since botanists first explored it almost 20 years ago. Such bogs were once common in Portage County, but are now rare due to a variety of human impacts.
The Park District worked with the Land Conservancy to obtain project funding for land acquisition from the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund, the Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership for Biodiversity and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Due to limited funding for development and maintenance, the preserve is currently open for guided hikes only. |
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2013 Wild Hikes Challenge
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 The Wild Hikes Challenge provides a little extra incentive to get out on your own or with friends and family to explore Portage Parks. We've had Silver Sneakers groups, families, scout troops and solo hikers take the Challenge.
And now, your four-legged hiking friend can earn a Wild Hikes dog tag too!
You just need to hike 8 of the listed trails between June and December to earn a hiking stick and brass tag (your first year), and then a brass tag each year after that you complete the challenge. This year's tag gives a nod to 2013 being the Year of the Snake.
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Join Park District staff and volunteers on these guided nature hikes, with a chance to see some special preserves that are not usually open to the public. We'll learn about the history of the parks, trails and preserves, as well as some of their natural features, plants and animals.These hikes can also be counted towards your Wild Hikes Challenge, but you can join us whether you are taking the Challenge or not! Visit the Park District website for a google map of park and trail locations. September 14, 8:30 am Chagrin Headwaters Preserve (call for directions)* September 21, 8:30 am Breakneck Creek Preserve (call for directions)* September 28, 8:30 am Dix Park Trillium Loop October 5, 1:00 pm Morgan Preserve Nicodemus Road parking lot* October 12, 8:30 am The PORTAGE Towner's Woods to Redbrush Road October 13, 2:00 pm Gray Birch Bog Brimfield (call for directions)* October 19, 8:30 am Seneca Ponds Swan Loop October 26, 8:30 am Headwaters Trail going east; SR 700 parking lot November 2, 8:30 am Walter Preserve (call for directions)* November 9 8:30 am Berlin Lake Trail SR 224 trailhead parking lot November 16 8:30 am Towner's Woods Ski Trail *These hikes count as "Hiker's Choice"
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"Without health, there can be no happiness.....Walking is the best possible exercise."
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Tell us why you support Portage ParksSend in a photo of you and yours enjoying our parks and trails with a caption of why you love Portage Parks. We'll draw a name each month from the submissions to win a Park District ballcap. Email your photo and testimonial to info@portageparkdistrict.org and help us spread the word.
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