Park and Recreation Month activities in Butler County include fishing, hiking and identifying foliage

The MetroParks of Butler County are inviting locals to celebrate Park and Recreation Month through a series of planned events at the parks.

The Meadow Ridge Area Shelter at Elk Creek MetroPark will be the site of “Passport to Fishing” from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. Also that day, Harbin Park in Fairfield will host “Let’s Go Hiking! Summertime Flora.” That event is from 10:30 a.m.-noon.

For Passport to Fishing, “Division of Wildlife and their trained educators use its curriculum as a beginning angler program for kids and teens,” according to MetroParks. “Kids will learn the skills needed to fish and get time to practice these newly learned skills ... These skills include knot tying and rigging, line casting, fish identification, aquatic habitat health and more.”

“Let’s Go Hiking” allows participants to explore plants at Harbin Park, when they are in full growth.

On July 19, Indian Creek MetroPark will have “Foliage Tree ID” from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Mayer Picnic Shelter on Springfield Road in Oxford.

Park and Recreation Month is an initiative of the National Recreation and Park Association to showcase the parks and programs that benefit the communities.

“Parks and greenspace, including MetroParks, have been shown to support mental wellness, promote the local economy and improve quality of life. Our top priority is to protect and preserve land so that generations now and years from now can enjoy their MetroParks,” said Executive Director Jackie O’Connell

“Butler County is home to a strong and vibrant population, and we are thrilled to support them with nearly 5,000 acres and over 60 miles of trails.”

The MetroParks also have “creeking” at 10 a.m. every Thursday at a different park each week. Find more information online at yourmetroparks.net.