Celebrating Park Volunteers

April is National Volunteer Month and we want to give a special shout-out and thank you to our park volunteers for sharing their time, skills and expertise with the community and the Portage Park District. Please share your gratitude when you see these fine folks along the trail or at a park program. Interested in becoming a park volunteer? Contact Diane Sperko or visit our volunteer page to learn more!

Registration is Open!

The annual Headwaters Adventure Race is scheduled for Saturday, June 6 and will once again coincide with the Triple Trail Fest. This PPD Foundation event is all about having a blast and sharing high-fives along the way. It doesn’t matter if you’re the first to cross the finish line or the last; what counts is the fun we’ll have together!

Urban Forestry Student Video

The Theodore Roosevelt High School Urban Forestry classes have volunteered with the Portage Park District for many projects over the years, including a Portage Soil & Water Conservation District research tree planting project at Dix Park last fall. We appreciate their efforts to build skills and highlight the value of forest systems. Enjoy this video from the class about urban forests!

iNaturalist in Portage Parks

We know that many of you use and love iNaturalist! When you document your observations, you are helping us track the plants and animals in the parks. Please double check that you are part of our Portage Park District Survey and manually join the survey. The project is no longer set up in a way that automatically adds observations without users first having to join the project and agree to the terms of use.

Reserve Your Dinner Tickets

Tickets are now on sale for the Environmental Conservation Awards Dinner on Saturday, April 25. This event supports the Foundation and is an opportunity to celebrate local individuals and businesses that are making a difference in our community. Join us for dinner, fellowship, a lively silent auction, and awardee recognition. There will also be some new park swag reveals! Thank you to all our dinner sponsors!

2026 Wild Hikes Challenge

It is the Year of the Bog! Portage County has some of the highest quality bog ecosystems in the state. These special wetlands were created by receding glaciers, are acidic and nutrient-poor, and support rare and interesting plants like tamarack (seedling pictured), sphagnum moss, leatherleaf, pitcher plants, and so many more. Earn your tamarack medallion to celebrate the opening of our newest park later this summer: Kame-Esker Bog! Download your WHC Form and complete 8 of the listed hikes!

May Happy Hour Hike

The next Portage Park District Foundation Happy Hour Hike will be held May 5 at 5:30pm. We will start with a spring wildflower hike at Dix Park, then journey to West Main Street Winery in downtown Ravenna for beverages! Registration is not required - simply show up for a hike and and enjoy fellowship with other park supporters.

American Farmland Trust Survey

Are you looking for farmland – or – do you own agricultural land and need to plan for its future? The American Farmland Trust is surveying land seekers and landowners to understand what support they need to access or transfer land. The survey should only take a couple of minutes to complete. The information gained from this survey will help build strong programs to support farmers and ranchers. You can access the survey here.

Tick Talk: Biting Back

Portage OSU Extension and the Portage County Health District are teaming up to bring you an informative program on May 21 at 6:00pm at the Portage Health District’s building at 999 East Main Street, Ravenna. As a growing public health and farm concern, it is important now more than ever to learn about tick prevention. This evening class will feature Dr. Timothy McDermott, DVM from the Ohio State University Extension - Franklin County. This program will cover tick identification, disease risk, prevention recommendations, and will provide more information on getting ticks tested. If you spend time outdoors or have livestock, pets, or children, please consider attending this class. There is no cost to attend. Please register by May 15th by calling (330) 296-6432 or emailing kannberg.1@osu.edu.

• Towner's Woods Park turns 50 this year! Mark your calendar for a special Towner's Woods History Webinar on May 18. Remember to share your Towner's Woods memories with us!
• Construction season is underway and our park project plate is full! Follow our Planning page for project updates and please remember to avoid construction areas for your safety and the safety of workers. Your new parks and trails will be open soon for you to enjoy. Please be patient!
• Join our park team or share our job openings with a great candidate!
• Sometimes the work to improve Portage Park District means your favorite park or trail may be temporarily closed. The most current closures or alerts can be found by clicking the orange Alerts icon at the top of the park website. Please check before you leave for your park adventure. Thank you for your patience as we continue to improve your Portage Parks!