Off Trail with Erie MetroParks

It's our 50th episode! Help us celebrate with The Sandusky Recreation Department and the podcast crew from the Out of School @ Mills-after school program. We faced some fears and our podcasters got up close and personal with some of our education animals that they can find right in their own backyard. 

Join Naturalist Mike and the awesome podcast crew from the Out of School @ Mills-after school program with the City of Sandusky Recreation Department. In this episode we will discuss the notorious groundhog, their famous holiday, and the importance of these amazing ground squirrels.

Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day!

It's the perfect day to celebrate our tree-planting heroes. Forest regeneration, and seed dispersal are just a few reasons to be thankful for these furry creatures. Listen in to this week's episode as we share some squirrel experiences and learn the benefits of these scurrying little creatures.

It's Christmastime at Erie MetroParks! This merry holiday episode features Christmas trivia, animals, and more. Get in the holiday spirit and tune in as our naturalists chat all things festive and fun!

#podcast #behere #trivia #holiday #Christmas #offtrail #eriemetroparks 

Tune in for this week's special episode of Off Trail with Erie MetroParks! Erie MetroParks has teamed up with the City of Sandusky Recreation Department and the after-school program at Mills to create a few awesome podcast episodes. Over the last three weeks, the kiddos have been practicing their podcasting skills and researching information about some of their favorite animals and what animal superpowers they would like to have. Listen in and enjoy a few laughs with the Kids at Mills!

Halloween is here, and so is the newest episode of Off Trail!

Tune in this week as we chat about Halloween folklore and play some vampire-inspired nature trivia.

It's the Great Pumpkin Hunt, Erie County! 

Tune in for the behind-the-scenes work of the Great Pumpkin Hunt, the inspiration behind it, and some fun pumpkin trivia. 

We kick off the season and chat with Naturalist and Special Event Coordinator Mollie Knighton about our upcoming Osborn Fall Fest on September 24th and all the free, amazing activities we will have. We also quiz some of our Naturalist staff on the history of the Osborn Prison Farm. We hope you tune in and listen!

This week we hang out with special quests Jason Werling and Tondra Frisby from the City of Sandusky Recreation department and chat about some amazing events and activities they have going on in Downtown Sandusky this summer. We also have an unexpected quest that drops in for a mid podcast surprise!

Today is 2/22/22 and our newest Off Trail episode is all about poo. Animal poop has a large role to play in our ecosystems. Learn what animals contribute to our everyday lives with their waste.

Happy Valentine's Day! In this week's episode of Off Trail we are celebrating some weird animal courtships and ways that animals around the world find a suitable mate during the season of love.

This week's episode is all about the eight species of owl that take up residence in Ohio. Naturalists will chat about these feathered beauties and rank them to see which emerges victorious.

This weeks episode is all about Bald Eagles. Learn some interesting facts about our national bird and a few program opportunities we have coming up this spring.

This week's episode is all about ugly animals. Tune in and see what our naturalists think are some of our ugliest creatures to roam the earth.

Join Erie MetroParks as we chat about the upcoming Audubon Christmas Bird Count and how you can get involved.

This week on Off Trail, naturalists chat about some wildlife they are thankful for. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, what are some animals or plants that you're thankful for?

Listen in to this week's Off Trail episode as we chat about color variance and some of the unusual species our naturalists have encountered.

Listen in as Erie MetroParks staff rename some of the animals that really drive them crazy.

Halloween is here! Listen in as we talk about the zombies of the wild!

In this episode, we chat all about how animals are named, and we quiz some of our naturalists to see who the species naming champion is.

This week we will talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the not-so-humble wasp. We will also meet one of our newest Erie MetroPark team member.

Listen in to this week's episode. It's all about moths that call the MetroParks home and why they are so important to the ecosystem.

This week we talk with local Ph.D. candidate Cari Ritzenthaler about environmental education and how she uses it in her research.⁠

⁠

Bird migration has begun around Erie County! Listen in to hear what birds are around, and hear some funny stories!

Have you ever been fed on by a tick? Join special guest and former Erie MetroParks employee, Beki Hineline, as we chat about how weird and creepy ticks can be.

This week, we introduce the newest member of the MetroParks team, and Cheryl and Mike, and Kippie Loughlin, and give you the low-down on good wildflower spots throughout the MetroParks. 

In part three of our Natural Resources series, we cover controlled hunts, and how Erie MetroParks prepares and holds its controlled deer hunts.

In part two of our three-part series with Natural Resources Manager, Tara Kauffman, we talk about controlled burning and how Erie MetroParks uses it as an effective management tool.⁠

This week's episode is the first of a three-part series with our Natural Resource Manager, Tara Kauffman. It's all about how Erie MetroParks manages invasive species in and around the MetroParks.

One of the early signs of spring is the wonderful song of the American woodcock, heard around Erie MetroParks. Listen in, as naturalists talk about this exciting bird and where you can catch a glimpse of these wonderful birds.⁠

Warbler season is right around the corner. Erie MetroParks staff is ready, but will you be ready? Listen in, as naturalists talk about the warblers that pass through your parks.

Spring is near, and it feels like everything in the MetroParks is coming to life. Listen in as Erie MetroPark naturalists talk about their favorite parks to visit in the spring and what you can find there.

Citizen science plays a vital role in conservation. Listen in and see what Erie MetroParks does to contribute and how you can too!

Maple sugaring has a rich history with loads of interesting facts. Listen in with Erie MetroParks staff as we chat about how maple sugaring became so lucrative in the New World.

Maple sugaring season is right around the corner. Listen in and see how Erie MetroParks taps their maple trees to get a nice sweet treat from Mother Nature!

Exposing our children to nature early and often is important. Listen to this episode with Erie MetroParks and hear how they get kids outside!

Listen in as the naturalists from Erie MetroParks talk about their favorite parks. "Naturalists Favorite Parks" is our first listener requested episode!

The year 2020 had its downs, but Erie MetroParks found it wasn't all bad. Listen in to hear some good news about nature in 2020.

We all struggle with the winter blues. Listen in and see how we try to fight off the gloomy days of winter here at the Erie MetroParks.

Do you have a passion for birds? Well, you're not alone, here at Erie MetroParks our naturalists are obsessed with birds. Listen in and see how they got into "birding" and how you can too.

Who is the smartest animal in the animal kingdom? Join Erie MetroParks naturalists as we try to figure out who holds the crown as the "smartest" being.

Nature is loaded with myths that many of us have heard our entire lives. Let park naturalists enlighten you as we have a friendly competition to squash some myths you may know.

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Hang out with Erie MetroParks and have fun ranking the best Christmas movies, cookies, and other holiday festivities according to our naturalists.

Thanksgiving is full of family, friends, and great food. Hang out with Erie MetroParks and learn about how Thanksgiving has been hijacked by the infamous turkey.

Halloween can be a spooky time of year! Let’s investigate how some animals became associated with this eerie holiday.

This week's episode is all about poop. Yes we said it, poop! Learn all about what animal poop can tell us in the environment and some interesting facts you may not have known!

In this week's episode, we will dive into animal phobias and learn about some strange phobias you might not have known existed.