SNOWSHOE SAMPLER AT CLEVELAND LAKEFRONT NATURE PRESERVE (DIKE 14)—SUNDAY, JANUARY 17 @ 1PM—3PM  Back in Ohio’s history, snowshoeing was a good way to get around in the winter. Today we have modern inventions that are better forms of transportation. But, snowshoeing is still a great way to explore nature’s winterscape and wildlife. We’ll meet at the park office for instruction from the Cleveland Metroparks IGO
Program and then snowshoe our way down to and out on Dike 14. Snowshoe rental and instruction provided free of charge to you courtesy of Cleveland Lakefront State Park. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited to 20 participants. Open to ages 8 and up. In the event of no snow there will be a winter hike offered.

FRIDAY FAMILY FUN NIGHT: FULL MOON HIKE, FRIDAY, JAN. 29 @ 7PM—8:30PM
Get over your case of the winter blues and join me for a night hike under the almost full wolf moon. While wolves haven’t been wild in Ohio in over 200 years, we’ll keep our eyes open for other animals of the night. We’ll meet at the Wildwood entrance parking lot. Dress for the weather.

CHILDREN’S ICE DROWNING PREVENTION WORKSHOP, SUNDAY, FEB. 7 @ 1PM—3 PM
Come learn how to recreate safely in the winter around frozen water. There will be a slide show presentation, practice of hands on self-rescue techniques, and a show and ‘try it’ of rescue equipment. This program takes place entirely indoors at the park office conference room and is geared to children age 6 and up. Pre-registration is appreciated.

SNOWSHOE SAMPLER AT WILDWOOD, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21 @ 1PM—3PM
See Jan. 17 for program description, however, this program will take place at Wildwood State Park. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited to 20 participants. Open to ages 8 and up. In the event of no snow there will be a winter hike offered.

FRIDAY FAMILY FUN NIGHT: SHIPWRECKS, FRIDAY, MARCH 12 @ 7PM—9PM
Test your knowledge of ship parts and lingo as well as participate in hands-on exploration activities related to shipwrecks, water science, and aquatic wildlife. These are just a few of the new activities and experiments planned for this evening. Stop by the park office building to participate and learn more about the upcoming summer day camps sponsored through Case Western Reserve University Center for Science and Mathematics
& Cuyahoga County Public Library. Pre-registration is greatly appreciated for activity planning purposes.

SUNDAY FUN & GAMES: FAMILY CHALLENGE— SUNDAY, MARCH 21 @ 1 PM—3 PM
Compete against other families in this Survival Ohio Style event—a spin off of the popular television show, Survivor! Families will compete against each other in challenges of knowledge, memory, and skill to win the game. This event will take place at the park office building and surrounding grounds. Pre-registration is required and limited to 8 families.

NATURE CENTER UPDATE:
I am pleased to announce that we are in the final stages of completing the exhibits and activity stations for the nature center. I am looking forward to announcing soon the opening of the Cleveland Lakefront Exploration Station in late winter or spring. Please keep an eye out for this announcement! Currently, I’m also seeking donations of the following items: books on assorted nature topics (can be used), bird feeders & hanging
stakes, bird seed, recording of bubble/underwater sounds, boom box or stereo to play sound recordings, anything else you may have that could be used for an exhibit/display/activity station. Thanks for your continued support of this facility and programming.

FOR QUESTIONS, MORE INFORMATION, OR PRE-REGISTRATIONS
PLEASE CALL 216-881-8141 EXT. 3001
PARK OFFICE IS LOCATED AT 8701 LAKESHORE BLVD., CLEVELAND, OH 44108
CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM 2009 PROGRAMS AND EVENTS AT
WWW.CLEVELANDLAKEFRONT.ORG & CLICK ON NATURALIST PHOTO ALBUM
***Programming is available for youth and scout groups, schools and preschools, etc. FREE of charge. Please call for topics and schedule availability.***

Things you may not have known about snow..

Snow is a mineral, just like diamonds and salt. At the center of almost every snow crystal is a tiny mote of dust, which can be anything from volcanic ash to a particle from outer space. Freshly fallen snow is typically 90—95% air, which is what makes it such a good thermal insulator. According to Guiness Book of World Records, the largest snowflake ever recorded was a 15 incher that besieged Fort Koegh, Montana in 1887. There are occasional reports of red, yellow, or black snow falling from the sky, probably due to pollen, windblown dust, ash and soot. The whitest place in the United States is Valdez, Alaska—near the site of the infamous oil spill, which receives 326 inches of snow a year, on average. (Aren’t you glad we don’t live there???)
Adapted from the article, "20 Things You Didn’t Know About... Snow" from Discover Magazine, January 2008.