GEAUGA PARK DISTRICT For more information, contact the park district…

March 7, 2013

GEAUGA PARK DISTRICT

For more information, contact the park district at 440-286-9516 or visit www.geauga-parkdistrict.org.

Annual Nature Writing Contest

Nature writers of all ages may submit poetry and prose to Geauga Park District’s 18th annual Nature Writing Contest for the chance to win acclaim and cash prizes.

Categories are both prose and poetry in the following age groups: Adults 18 and older; adolescents 12 to 17; and children 11 and under.

All entries must include nature-oriented subjects or themes and be received at The West Woods Nature Center, 9465 Kinsman Road in Russell Township or the Meyer Center in Big Creek Park, 9160 Robinson Road in Chardon Township, no later than April 1 at 4 p.m.

See the contest’s full rules and application on the Bulletin Board on the park district’s website.

Results will be mailed out to contestants and posted on the Bulletin Board by May 10. Cash prizes, awarded by the Geauga Park District Foundation, will be presented at the 18th annual Nature Writers’ Coffee House to be held at 7 p.m. May 31 at The West Woods Nature Center.

Winners who accept their prizes at the event will be encouraged, but not required, to read their work.

Call 440-279-0880 with questions.

Keep Dogs On Leash, Please

Signs have been posted at Frohring Meadows in Bainbridge Township with the noticeable return of a pair of coyotes.

Leash laws are enforced on all Geauga Park District properties, and dogs are required to be on leash at all times for the benefit of dog owners, other park visitors and the resident wildlife. Even the most highly trained and best-behaved pets can be unpredictable at times, and the park district must require leashing for the best interest of all. Failure to follow this law can result in a fine.

Frohring Meadows’ Big Bluestem Trail was closed for more than two months in 2012 after a woman and her dog had an encounter with the coyote pair. The same trail is now marked with signs at the entrance to the woods.

Rangers will also be monitoring the area more closely during this time to ensure compliance and safety according to Chief Ranger Scott Wilson.