Community Events
Outdoor Adventures
Bring your family and friends to this special event featuring many outdoor activities for you to try, such as a super slide, kayak and canoe, and archery. There will be a petting farm, bounce houses, arts and crafts, nature activities, and community organizations to visit. The Wildflower Fairy Trail will be open and the fun will be magical! Come hungry, because food trucks will be offering delicious meals and treats! All activities FREE!
Sunset Tour of the Great Circle
After-Hours Tour at the Great Circle
Join us for a special evening exploration of one of Ohio’s most remarkable ancient sites—the Great Circle at the Newark Earthworks!
Meet us just before sunset for a guided, after-hours tour led by archaeologist and Site Superintendent Sarah Hinkelman. Together, we’ll experience the site as daylight fades and uncover what makes this earthwork so extraordinary—from its precise geometry and impressive engineering to its role as a place of connection and community for the Hopewell culture.
Come see the Great Circle in a whole new light—literally!
America 250: Cranberry Bog Open House
Located off the north shore of Buckeye Lake, Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve is truly a one-of-a-kind site. The world’s only island bog, it’s a remnant of Ohio’s glacial past.
Often referred to as a floating bog, Cranberry Bog’s sphagnum mat is not truly floating. The incredibly absorbent layers of peat, dead sphagnum moss, expanded like a giant, waterlogged sponge and rose 8 feet with the new water level. The resulting island was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1968 and dedicated as a state nature preserve in 1973.
Once 50 acres in size, the bog has now eroded to less than 11 acres. Today, the bog meadows are disappearing at a rapid pace with the arrival of hardwoods and other plants.
On June 12, the division will be offering its biennial Open House offering visitors guided tours (one boat every half hour) beginning at 9:30 a.m. through 4 p.m.
Reservations are required. Reservations will be accepted for this event beginning May 11. Tours times are 10 a.m.-noon, noon-2 p.m., or 2-4 p.m.
Rain Barrel Workshop
Join Licking Soil & Water and the Licking Parks for a Rain Barrel Workshop! You'll learn how to build a rain barrel, get hands-on instruction, and walk away with a fully plumbed rain barrel. The regular price for this type of rain barrel is $65, but the workshop cost is only $50, plus you gain knowledge on the environmental benefits of rain barrels!
Buckeye Lake Carp Roundup
Save the Date! The 2026 Buckeye Lake Carp Round Up will be on June 20th and 21st at the North Shore Park Boat Ramp. Over $2,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded and no fee to participate! New this year will be two categories of competition for both bowfishing and rod & reel.
Full Moon Tour of the Octagon Earthworks
After Hours Tour: Octagon Earthworks
Join us for a special after-hours tour of the Octagon Earthwork, part of the Newark Earthworks, and experience this incredible site in a whole new light—literally!
Meet us just before sunset at the Octagon Earthworks Visitor Center. From there, we’ll embark on a guided, hour-long walking tour led by Sarah Hinkelman, archaeologist and Site Superintendent of the Newark Earthworks.
Together, we’ll explore:
The vast scale of the Octagon
The complexity of its design
It’s fascinating connection to the moon
What this place meant to the people of the past—and what it can mean for us today
Meadows for Monarchs Project: Learning Landscapes
MEADOWS FOR MONARCHS PROJECT
Learning Landscapes
Tour + Community Science at the Land Lab
Join Pollinator Pathway for a morning at the Land Lab, a ~100-acre prairie and outdoor learning space just steps from Granville Intermediate School. This event explores how schools and other campuses can create living classrooms and contribute to community science.
Tour the Land Lab
Award-winning environmental science educator Jim Reding will lead guided tours through prairie, wetlands and other restored habitat, sharing the story behind this nationally-recognized space and the students and partnerships who helped make it happen.
Contribute to Community Science with iNaturalist
Learn to identify and document plants, pollinators and other wildlife using iNaturalist. Dr. Karen Goodell, professor of ecology at The Ohio State University at Newark and one of Ohio's foremost experts on native bees will share how to use this powerful tool to learn about the natural world while contributing to scientific research.
Connect & Collaborate
The morning program concludes with an optional BYO picnic lunch and networking at the Land Lab shelter house, overlooking the prairie.
This event is designed for school administrators, teachers, facilities leaders, Meadows for Monarchs Project participants, and friends of Pollinator Pathway at Otterbein Granville. Anyone passionate about conservation and outdoor learning is welcome.
Native Plant Sale
POLLINATOR PATHWAY + LICKING LAND TRUST
Native Plant Sale
Saturday, May 30, 2026
8:30 a.m. - noon
Granville Farmers Market
Raccoon Valley Park
1225 River Road | Granville
Mushroom Walk Wednesday
Each Wednesday for the month of October, join an Arboretum educator on a walk through the forest to discover what mushrooms are popping! Mushrooms grow quickly, so come each week to see something new. Collecting mushrooms is prohibited at The Dawes Arboretum unless part of an Arboretum sanctioned program.
Naturalist Series: Birding Hike
This event is free; however, due to the nature of the event, participation is limited to 20 registrants.
Click the link below to save your place!
Blackhand Gorge Garlic Mustard Pull
Join DNAP staff at Blackhand Gorge as we remove garlic mustard. This invasive plant will take over our forests if not managed, outcompeting beloved spring wildflowers.
We will be offering two sessions to remove garlic mustard: 9-11 am and 12-2 pm. Participants can choose morning, afternoon, or both!
First Friday Tours at the Great Circle with Brad Pepper
Join Senior World Heritage Archeologist Brad Pepper at the Great Circle of Newark Earthworks on the first Friday of every month for a guided tour!
Meet at the Great Circle Museum. Tours begin at 11am.
Arbor Day Festival
THE DAWES ARBORETUM
Arbor Day Festival
This Arbor Day Festival is an opportunity to learn about and appreciate what Mother Nature provides, and to spend a spring day enjoying the outdoors. An array of activities and educational displays takes place throughout the day, including tree climbing and kids’ crafts.
Saturday, April 25, 2026
The Dawes Arboretum
7770 Jacksontown Rd | Newark, Ohio
Naturalist Series: Plant & Pollinator Walk
Wildflower and pollinator walk with two plant-insect ecologists!
Join us for a gentle nature walk through Spring Valley Nature Preserve with Dr. Andy McCall (Denison University) and Dr. Karen Goodell (OSU). We will note native spring wildflowers and pollinators as we hike through the woods. This hike has some steep parts and can be wet. Children under 16 years should be accompanied by a responsible adult. Wear comfortable hiking shoes that can get wet. Optional: water bottle, insect repellant (prefer that you apply before joining us), sunscreen, hat, camera, binoculars, plant or insect guides. Parking and portable rest rooms are available on site. Meet at the shelter. Event duration, 10:30AM - 12:00PM.
Bobcat Lecture
Bobcats are elusive, charismatic, and ecologically important carnivores. Habitat loss and over-harvesting lead to their extirpation from Ohio by the mid-1800s, but in recent years, they have mounted a comeback. Beginning in 2015, Project Wild Coshocton (a research team at The Ohio State University at Newark) began documenting the distribution of bobcats in east-central Ohio using trail cameras. In this presentation, Dr. Shauna Weyrauch will discuss factors that have enabled bobcats to return, their current status in the state, the valuable role they play in ecosystems, as well as efforts underway to improve habitat for bobcats. Join us on April 16 at 5pm at Burton D. Morgan Lecture Hall.
Shauna Weyrauch, Ph.D.
Shauna Weyrauch is a Senior Lecturer in the department of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University at Newark, where she teaches courses in biology and humanitarian engineering. She earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biology from Wright State University, and her Ph.D. in EEOB from The Ohio State University. Her research interests lie in applied ecology/conservation biology, with topics ranging from wetland restoration, to the effects of habitat fragmentation, to improving habitat for bobcats by creating artificial den sites. She co-founded Project Wild Coshocton in 2015, a research program that seeks to document the recovery of Ohio’s bobcat population and learn more about the species’ habitat requirements.
Julie Zickefoose: Books, Birds, and Following Passion’s Path
An interactive session for makers and thinkers to collaborate, connect, and spark new ideas.
Vernal Pool Exploration at Flint Ridge
Come to Flint Ridge for an exciting exploration of the many vernal pools at Flint Ridge! This hands‑on program will introduce participants to the unique and vital world of vernal pools.
Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve
15300 Flint Ridge Road, Glenford, OH
Painting for Pollinators
Hosted by Licking County Pollinator Pathway & Licking Land Trust
Join us for an intimate evening of art and conservation as we celebrate the beauty of our local ecosystem. Led by artist Claire Wilson (of Smudge Studio), this workshop invites you to explore the delicate world of native plants and butterflies through watercolor.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced artist, you’ll spend the evening capturing the vibrant colors of the species our Pollinator Pathway works so hard to protect.
When: April 10 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Ingeborg Flora Co. 39 S Park Place, Newark
Tickets: $60 (All materials provided)
While you paint, enjoy a seasonal spread of hot and iced teas, botanical mocktails, and small bites. It is a chance to relax, sip, and create in a beautiful studio space.
