Five Rivers MetroParks

Special delivery! ParkWays are headed to mailboxes as we speak, new programs are live and we can't wait for you to discover all the ways you can Get Out & Explore in your Five Rivers MetroParks through spring of 2025! In this issue, we check in at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark five years after the Memorial Day tornadoes, discover what friends are flying in the sky and much more. You'll also hear from MetroParks CEO Karen Hesser about MetroParks on the ballot this November. Learn more about MetroParks on the November ballot: https://lnkd.in/gEiEZrjY Read the winter 2024 - spring 2025 issue of ParkWays: https://lnkd.in/gUtcaS67

Hunger Action Month starts tomorrow at the 2nd Street Market! Each Saturday, we'll host a local organization addressing hunger in our region - tomorrow it's our awesome friends at The Foodbank, Inc. If you can, bring a non-perishable item (suggestions linked below) to donate. Visitors can also grab items from Market vendors with an orange Hunger Action Month bag displayed in their space. As your region's outdoor destination that supports your physical, emotional and mental health, we understand the considerable effects hunger can have on people in our community. Let's help feed our neighbors, MetroParks fam, we got this! https://lnkd.in/gSZJ6Ap9

"Five Rivers MetroParks leaders say their proposed 10-year, 1-mill levy would fund existing parks and services in Montgomery County as the community engages in local outdoor recreation more frequently. 'The community very clearly told us that taking care of what we have is what is important,” said Five Rivers MetroParks CEO Karen Hesser. “Pursuing this will allow us to keep our habitats safe and protected.'" https://lnkd.in/gZ24Cbrh

It's a joy for our staff to teach you how to connect with nature and it's also a joy when we learn important lessons from you, too. Thank you for the reminder to never give up, Brenda, and for letting us make your wish to ride a horse again come true. ?? Sassy and our Carriage Hill MetroPark Riding Center staff had so much fun with Brenda and the folks at Grace Hospice yesterday. A huge shout out to Grace Hospice for their important work and to our Riding Center staff for all they do for our horses - and humans! https://lnkd.in/gC74_K6E

Back to school was a little sweeter for our rangers this summer! Thanks to the generosity of a community donor, our rangers were gifted with 84 backpacks filled to the brim with school supplies! Naturally, our rangers wanted to get them to students who needed back-to-school items the most in our community. Thanks to Detective Hemmingway and MetroParks community outreach coordinator Sheena Johnson, Sergeant Becker and Lieutenant Sargent were able to drop off backpacks to kids at Adventure Central, DECA Prep and Sunlight Village Inc. Way to go, team! Join us in giving our rangers a shout out for all they do in the parks -- and beyond!

Everybody belongs outdoors and because of some awesome funders and partners, Carriage Hill MetroPark and the 2nd Street Market are now more accessible thanks to the addition of universal, height-adjustable changing tables. The changing tables at Carriage Hill MetroPark were made possible in part by a grant from the Charles D. Berry Foundation. The Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services provided funds from the Montgomery County American Rescue Plan Act to MetroParks for the purchase and installation of the table at the Market, and consultation expertise for the installation at Carriage Hill MetroPark. https://lnkd.in/g6tgzrRC

Happy National Dog Day! Just in case you couldn't tell, we ?? dogs (and responsible dog owners) here at Five Rivers MetroParks. You can help keep your pets, wildlife and other park visitors happy and safe in MetroParks by always having your dog leashed and under control, packing out ?? and sticking to pup-friendly park locations!

MetroParks and University of Dayton want to hear from you about protecting the region's natural heritage. Take this 10-minute survey or save this post and return to it when you have 10 minutes to spare! https://lnkd.in/gur7HHYx

Want happier, healthier kids this school year? One of the easiest solutions may be in your local park. It's science! (Bonus: Also works for grown ups) ?? Peep our latest blog to learn more - link in bio. https://lnkd.in/gKT7Yz-r

What's your favorite '80s tune and why is it "Let's Dance" by David Bowie?! ? Stick around downtown Dayton after work simply head to Dayton's front porch for one of our final Summer Music Series Concerts of the season. Retrobution will be hitting the RiverScape Pavilion stage this Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. for an '80s-filled evening of free live music. Plus, the RiverScape Cafe will **totally** be open and serving drinks, bites, desserts and snacks. We'll see you in your finest scrunchies, hand-made pink prom dresses and Members Only attire. PS: This is not a Rickroll - we're never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.?