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Enjoy winter? Sure, it’s only natural

Here are 6 ways you can get outside and make the most of these frosty days

Photo by Christine Klinger Bob and Judy Hawkins, of Franklin, Ohio, love their nature walks. "We like to get away on the weekend," said Judy. "Just drive and park," said Bob, "get out of your car and move around. You'll see that nature is wonderful."

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Jan Van Vlack, of Greenwood, Indiana, poses briefly at the start of her Volks Walk on Saturday, January 15 at Carriage Hill Farm, while her friend Linda Hunt, of Upper Arlington, Ohio, walks on ahead.

Photo by Christine Klinger Jan Van Vlack, of Greenwood, Indiana, poses briefly at the start of her Volks Walk on Saturday, January 15 at Carriage Hill Farm, while her friend Linda Hunt, of Upper Arlington, Ohio, walks on ahead. "I love to be in nature," said Van Vlack. "I like to walk, see a variety of things, and meet new people. I met my friend Linda on a nature walk!"

Ken Carman, founder of the Greater Dayton Fishing Association, catches a carp on the banks of the Great Miami River on Monday, January 17.

Photo by Christine Klinger Ken Carman, founder of the Greater Dayton Fishing Association, catches a carp on the banks of the Great Miami River on Monday, January 17.

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By Christine Klinger, Contributing Writer Updated 8:51 PM Thursday, February 3, 2011

Regardless of how much you may love nature and the outdoors, at the first sign of yet another Ohio winter many of us make plans to hibernate or, better yet, flee. We dread the bitter cold, dry heat, gray days and endless windshield scraping. Winter in Ohio marks that time of year when venturing outside is done in short spurts and walking on pavement becomes not only unpleasant but downright dangerous.

But winter can offer many pluses for the senses — the quality of light, the soft colors, the quiet sounds, the fresh-smelling air, and all these sensory experiences are markedly different during the winter season.

Traditional winter activities such as ice skating, sledding, skiing (with the possible exception of cross-country) are not really about enjoying nature per se. They’re more about exercise and fun, with a nature bonus if you’re paying attention. But if you’re truly after an exploration and appreciation of nature for nature’s sake, here are six activities you may wish to try.

HIKING

Another word for hiking is walking — and walking can be done anywhere by most everyone. To experience nature for educational, spiritual and physical enjoyment, several locales around the area offer paths and programs for the winter walker.

Five Rivers MetroParks, with 14,000 acres of land across the Dayton area, offers Hike for the Health of It. These hikes are at 2 p.m. every Saturday throughout the year at various parks throughout the county. There also are hikes sponsored by groups other than MetroParks, such as the recent Ohio Volks Walk, which may begin at different times. Most of the hikes are 3 miles long and move at a comfortable pace. Terrain varies per site, and some terrain is rugged.

Upcoming Hike for the Health of It events: Saturday, Feb. 5, at Cox Arboretum and Saturday, Feb. 12, at Huffman MetroPark, Saturday, Feb. 19 at Sugarcreek MetroPark and Saturday, Feb. 26 at Eastwood MetroPark. For more information, call (937) 567-1413 on weekdays.

More information about MetroParks hiking programs: For a complete list of parks, with detailed descriptions and handy maps, visit www.metroparks.org. Trails are open all winter long in most MetroParks. Some trails are plowed, some are snow-packed. To view all parks, with links to interactive, directional maps and hiking trails, visit www.metroparks.org/GetOutside/FindPark.aspx. To learn about MetroParks’ hiking/walking programs, visit www.metroparks.org/GetOutside/fitness_health.aspx. For other questions, call MetroParks at (937) 278-2623.

Don’t forget about other park districts throughout the area, such as the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Parks District, southeast of Dayton. This park district and nature preserve offers a wide range of programs for nature lovers in the winter season and year-round. For more information. visit  www.bellbrooksugarcreekparks.org.

In Yellow Springs, you can hike in John Bryan State Park, Clifton George or the Glen Helen Nature Preserve. The latter is a 1,000-acre nature preserve, and all of it is accessible from a 25-mile network of footpaths. There are some steep hills and drop-offs in some of these preserves, so you will want to be cautious and wear good hiking boots.

Glen Helen offers programs such as talks at the Glen Helen Building, guided hikes through the preserve and nature hikes in every season. Whether hiking solo or in a group, hikers begin at the Trailside Museum or the Glen Helen Building, both of which can be found at 405 Corry St., located off Xenia Avenue (u.s. 68) in Yellow Springs, across from Antioch College. Programs are free or have a nominal fee to help support operations at Glen Helen. For more information, call (937) 769-1902 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends or visit antiochcollege.org/glen_helen.

BIRDING

Birding can include bird watching, feeding, counting or photographing. If birds are your interest, then Glen Helen can be a valuable resource, even in winter.

“We have a monthly bird walk in the Glen,” said Glen Helen Ecology Institute director and self-described birder Nick Boutis. “The next walk is on Feb. 26, starting at 9 a.m. from Grinnell Mill at the intersection of Grinnell Road and Bryan Park Road” in Yellow Springs, he said. The goal of the upcoming Winter Birding Walk is to “search for ducks on the Little Miami and woodpeckers everywhere.”

Many of the Glen’s birding and other nature walks start at the Trailside Museum. For more information, visit antiochcollege.org/glen_helen.

For winter birding, the Dayton Audubon Society recommends you should “grab your binoculars and spotting scopes, and dress warmly.” To learn more about the Dayton Audubon Society, or to join, go to: www.dayton.net/audubon. The site also lists 16 of the Dayton Audubon Society’s favorite spots for birding, including Aullwood, Creekside Reserve (a small fen, wetland and prairie in Beavercreek off u.s. 35), Grand Lake St. Mary’s Fish Hatchery, two state parks and eight of the MetroParks. For the complete list, with descriptions and links to directions and types of birds you may see, go to: www.dayton.net/audubon/favsites.html.

WINTER FISHING

When most people think of fishing in the wintertime, they probably picture ice fishing — but that’s not the only way to go. Five Rivers MetroParks offers opportunities for winter fishing on ponds and lakes, or in deeper sections of local rivers. For suggestions, visit www.metroparks.org/winter. Ice fishing is permitted at several of the parks, however conditions are not monitored, so fishers must take necessary safety precautions.

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