Explore Peaks and Valleys on the Fall Hiking Spree

Metro Parks, Serving Summit County - Peaks and Valleys Hike

Metro Parks, Serving Summit County's Fall Hiking Spree is still going on. If you have a chance, check out this great trail along with one of Metro Parks' excellent naturalists. The hike is on the Deer Run Trail at O'Neil Woods Metro Park in Bath. This winter weather provides a splendid opportunity to see the lay of the land along this trail without the vegetation blocking the long views available from the peaks along the trail.

Get outside and see something special!

Invasive Species in Ohio: Pathways, Policies, and Costs , from the Union of Concerned Scientists

As naturalists, we should all be very concerned with non-native invasive species. These plants and animals are brought, purposefully or accidentally, by people into ecosystems from far-away places. Once they establish themselves in a new geographic area, they out compete native life because they lack natural enemies in the new range, and reproduce quickly.

Many organisms on state and federal endangered species lists are there because of competition from non-native invasive species. As if this weren't bad enough, there are many economic impacts stemming from these invasions. To learn more, go to the Ohio Invasive Plant Council's web site, or read the new report linked here:

Invasive Species in Ohio: Pathways, Policies, and Costs | Union of Concerned Scientists

Cuyahoga Valley National Park offers a glimpse of nature

One of only 55 National Parks across the U.S., Cuyahoga Valley is a hidden gem. From towering waterfalls and tall trees, to the Ohio and Erie Canal that once connected the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, this park is a true national treasure that you should visit.

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