Crawford Park District Verified listing

The mission of the Crawford Park District is to create, preserve, protect and manage a system of parks, nature preserves and outdoor recreational facilities held in public ownership by the citizens of Crawford County. This park system was designed for the leisure use and enjoyment of this and future generations, with a focus on local cultural, historical, and natural resources.

The Crawford Park District encompasses more than 610 acres. The district includes a Nature Center located at Lowe Volk Park. The district also manages and maintains a total of 11 parks, nature preserves, and wildlife areas all throughout Crawford County, including:

• Carmean Woods State Nature Preserve
• Carpenter’s Bottom Natural Area, Daughmer
• Prairie Savannah State Nature Preserve
• Heckert Nature Preserve
• Kurtz-Etter Wildlife Area
• Lowe-Volk Park
• Sandusky Headwaters Preserve
• Sandusky Wildlife Area
• Sears Woods Nature Preserve
• Salem Prairie
• Unger Park

The Crawford Park District headquarters are located inside the Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center. The Nature Center offers interpretative exhibits on reptiles, birds, amphibians, trees, prairies, and more. History displays focus on Colonel William Crawford and Native American cultures.

The Crawford Park District offers a wide variety of programming throughout the year, both within the properties it manages, and as outreach to area schools and other organizations.

CPD History

The Crawford Park District was created on November 16, 1994 by Probate Judge Steven Eckstein following a public hearing.  This followed two years of research and meetings by a volunteer committee organized by Richard Carpenter to form a park district.  The District is governed by three volunteer Park Commissioners appointed by the Probate Judge.  In addition, the Commissioners have appointed volunteers to serve on an Advisory Board to help guide the District. Primary goals of the Crawford Park District are to preserve nature for its enjoyment now and in the future and to educate citizens about the wonders of the natural world.

In 1998, the non-profit group, The Friends of the Crawford Park District, was organized to help fund projects and to support the mission of the Park District.  Due to many grantor requirements, it was the Friends of the Crawford Park District who oversaw the funding and construction of the Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center.

Current sites in the Crawford Park District include Unger Park, Lowe-Volk Park, Sears Woods State Nature Preserve, Heckert Nature Preserve, Daughmer Prairie Savannah State Nature Preserve, Sandusky Wildlife Area, Sandusky Headwaters Preserve, Carpenter's Bottom Natural Area.

The Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center offers nature and history programs for families and environmental education programs to area schools and other community organizations, is open year-round, it features interpretive nature and local history exhibits, live animals, bird feeders, and butterfly garden observation room.  There is also an active beehive, children’s learning center, and a nature gift shop.

A quarterly newsletter is sent to over 1100 supporters.  Newsletters contain informational nature articles, news about Park District concerns, and most importantly, the newsletter details all scheduled public programs.