Claire Merrick, Marketing & Public Relations Manager From the interview that inspired Restoring Biodiversity: One Woman’s Journey, get ready to embark on a fascinating journey that will motivate you to create your own Wild Back Yard. Marcia Carsten’s mission to create a biodiverse and sustainable Wild Back Yard is a…

Karen Koch, Interpretive Naturalist Want to support rapidly declining wildlife populations (including pollinators), conserve vanishing biodiversity and promote garden resilience? Use native plants to create pollinator gardens and support wildlife in your home landscapes! With more than one million acres of urban and suburban habitat lost annually to development in…

Katelyn Freil, Marketing Specialist As warmer evening temperatures meet spring rains, salamanders across the region make their trek out from under leaf litter and mud to meet in the vernal pools. Created by snowmelt and rainfall during winter and early spring, vernal pools provide critical habitat for critters like frogs…

Claire Merrick, Marketing & Public Relations Manager Motherhood is a transformative experience that can bring incredible joy, love and fulfillment. But, even for the most resilient mothers, it can also be lonely, challenging and stressful, resulting in maternal mental health disorders like postpartum depression or anxiety. Fortunately, spending time outside…

Stephanie Walton, Chief of Marketing & Communications Did you know that Akron was once the fastest-growing city in the United States? …

Marlo Perdicas, Biologist You may notice Bierce Cave, near Old Maid’s Kitchen in Gorge Metro Park, received a new look last summer. Previously bricked up in 1968 after a teenager got stuck and had to be helped out by the fire department, Bierce Cave is now gated. Gates are put…

Joan Long, Summit Metro Parks Volunteer Five years ago, a dream came true when I purchased a 3-acre property and began rewilding and restoring the landscape with native plants. …

Jen Harvey, Chief of Philanthropy; Julie Haumschild, Donor Relations Coordinator; Katelyn Freil, Marketing Specialist; & Claire Merrick, Marketing & Public Relations Manager Welcome to Earth Month! As we celebrate our planet and the beauty it holds, it’s essential to acknowledge the environmental impact of large-scale events. That’s why we are…

Janean Kazimir & Joe Malmisur, Interpretive Naturalists Some of the most magnificent and beneficial trees in the forests of Summit County are maples. Red, sugar and silver maples, and their distant cousin the box elder, are found throughout the park district and are even emblazoned in SMP’s logo! …