Kids | butlerswcd

Service Projects for Families

Looking for a project where your family can work together, look no further! Butler SWCD holds monthly volunteer events along with storm drain labeling that can be done almost anytime.

Poster Contest

This years theme is "One Water".

Deadline to enter is June 30, 2023.

Find out more on our poster contest page.

Summer Programs, 2023

Conservation Kids Summer Camp

Tuesdays from 10 am - 2 pm

At the Hamilton Ecological Education and Nature Center in Joyce Park.

We will post details for the topics each week by mid-March.

June 13 Native Plants and Birds, plant native plants
June 20 Dandelion Detectives, collect weed and insect data for Ohio State University.
June 27 Learn about water quality with a tour of a water treatment plant, followed by water testing along the Great Miami. We will get in the river to catch critters, so a change of shoes is recommended.
July 4 - off for July 4th
July 11 Mammals followed by planting of shrubs to provide habitat
July 18 Passport to fishing, followed by a litter pickup
July 27 - we hope you will join us at the Butler County Fair.

Registration required. Register Here. Registration is first-come, first-served. If you sign up and find you cannot participate, please remove your name from the sign up to let another child attend.

Allergy & Contact Information Along with registering on SignUpGenius, we ask parents/guardians to complete this form to provide allergy and contact information.

Creeking in the Parks

Thursdays at 10 am.

Location changes each week

June 1 Rentschler Forest, Reigart Road
June 8 Rentschler Forest, Line Hill Mound (pond study)
June 15 Elk Creek Metropark, Sebald area (Elk Creek Road)
June 22 Gilmore Ponds (wetland wade)
June 29 Indian Creek Metropark, Oxford Reily RoadFour Mile Creek, Antenan Preserve (New Miami)
July 6 Forest Run Metropark, Timberman Ridge (pond study)
July 13 Four Mile Creek, Antenen Preserve
July 20 Governor Bebb Metropark

Partners Butler Soil & Water Conservation District and MetroParks of Butler County will be your hosts for this series. Learn about the animals and fossils found in the creeks, ponds, and wetlands around the county.

All ages are welcome!

Registration is requested

https://reservations.yourmetroparks.net/programs/

Appropriate footwear required. No flip flops please.

Passport to Fishing

Saturday, July 15 from 9 am - 12 noon

At Elk Creek Metropark in Madison Twp

Ages 8- 17 only

Registration required

New to fishing? Thought of taking the kids out, but haven’t cast your line yet? Join Butler Soil and Water Conservation District and MetroParks of Butler County for Passport to Fishing.

This is a program developed by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. The Division of Wildlife and their trained educators (that’s us!) use its curriculum as a beginning angler program for kids and teens.

Kids will learn the skills needed to fish and get time to practice these newly learned skills at the VOA lake with these trained educators and experienced fishermen and women. These skills include knot tying and rigging, line casting, fish identification, aquatic habitat health, and more!

Registration is REQUIRED for this FREE program and space is limited. The age range for this program is children ages 8-17. Please only register participating children. At least one adult must stay on-site with participating child/children for the duration of the program.

https://reservations.yourmetroparks.net/programs/3005/

Other Kids Programs

At Butler SWCD, we partner with many other organizations to provide programs including:

West Chester Parks - WOLF programs

www.westchesteroh.org/government/parks/nature-programming

Butler SWCD will be there on June 28.

Pyramid Hill - Summer series for kids

On June 16 and 30th, we will be providing programs at Pyramid Hill.

Fridays at noon. Registration is required. Find out more and register at www.pyramidhill.org

Liberty Township Parks

Still waiting to find out if we will be partnering with year. Info will be posted here as soon as it is available. www.liberty-township.com/calendar.aspx?CID=23

Nature of Kids

Butler SWCD will be a guest presenter on Friday, June 23 at VOA Park. We will have our huge soils trailer and be exploring the world beneath your feet. 10 am

Creeks Critters

If you look at a creek, it's much more than just a bunch of moving water. There are nooks and crannies under rocks, holes in tree root clumps, and sneaky hiding spots in vegetation. These different areas provide awesome habitat for a wide variety of critters. In this section we have provided information that you can use to head out to a creek and identify the creatures you find.

Blog

with information on what to find and what to take to the creek

Identification sheets

Animal Videos:

Wonderful Wildlife

Videos

Blog

Activities

Fairfield County Park District (in central, Ohio) has created an amazing series of kids activity sheets on salamanders, fox, woodpeckers, fungus, and more.

Scavenger Hunts

We've made a bunch of different scavenger hunts for different locations.

Looking Down- go for a hike and focus on the ground.
Sky- see in the sky and the tree tops
Staying in Place- find a place to sit outdoors and see what you can see
Window - what can you see from your window
Creek - what kind of wildlife and wildlife habitat can you find at your local creek?