Earth Day Every Day Series
Happy Earth Day 2024! Officially recognized on April 22, Stark Parks will be hosting Earth Day events in April and throughout the year. There are not too many things that every person in this world has in common, but it starts with sharing this planet together.
On Earth Day, we look at what we have done in the past and what we hope to do in the future from a personal perspective and a larger community. We invite you to come together with other individuals, families, and groups and show appreciation for our mother earth by participating in these service activities and programs. In 2023, the impact of human power was great. Earth Day Everyday efforts 2023 removed 41 tires - Removed 4,860 pounds of invasive garlic mustard - Collected & cleaned 16 species of native plants (approximately 17,200 seeds) - Removed 2 dump truck + 1 truck bed worth of trash - Collected 3,000 pounds of e-waste
2024 Clean Up and Activity Schedule
-
Park and Trail Clean Up
Join us on the 54th anniversary of Earth Day for a morning clean up at two different locations! A representative from Stark Parks will provide instructions, gloves, and trash bags for volunteers. Off the trail the surface may be uneven exceeding a 5% grade, so volunteers are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, long-sleeve shirts, and pants. We look forward to your help! Please use the registration above to sign up to volunteer.
April 20, 2024
Clean-ups begin at 9 a.m.
Iron Horse Trail (North side of trail in Alliance)
Volunteers will walk on and along the trail picking up trash. Further parking instructions will be sent after registration.Esmont Park
194 Mill St. SE, Canton, OH 44707
No additional volunteers are needed as of April 13, 2024. -
City Nature Challenge
April 27
Exploration Gateway at Sippo Lake Park
5712 12th St. NW, Canton 44708The annual “City Nature Challenge” is when community members of all ages explore the outdoors and document all things nature – plants and mushrooms, or birds and butterflies, or tracks and scat. This is an international community science competition where cities are in a contest against each other to see who can make the most observations of nature, who can find the most species, and who can engage the most people.
In 2022, our region placed 7th in the world overall. Bring your camera or smartphone to Sippo Lake Park.
-
Garlic Mustard Contest (Invasive Species Pull)
May 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wildlife Conservation Center-Sippo Lake Park
800 Genoa Ave., Massillon 44646Stark Parks has joined the annual garlic mustard pulling contest against the City of Green, Put-In-Bay, Portage Park District, and others. Join us at the Wildlife Conservation Center to help Stark County come out on top! Garlic mustard, an invasive weed that poses a threat to our native plants and wildlife, is easily pulled by hand. In rare cases it can be mildly irritating to the skin, so wear long sleeves, and bring your competitive spirit! Registration not required, drop-in anytime to help.
-
River Clean-Up
August 13, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.
Lock 4 Trailhead
Join us on the Tuscarawas River for an evening clean up! Volunteers will follow the Towpath Trail walking south starting at Lock 4 Trailhead in Canal Fulton along the limestone trail and in the water. Representatives from Stark Parks will provide gloves, trash bags, life jackets, and waders. Volunteers who are in the water will be pulling a canoe or kayak provided by Stark Parks. We recommend that you wear closed-toe shoes and bug spray if you are helping clean up on land. -
Seed Collection and Cleaning
Native Seed Collections and Cleanings
Held in October and November 2024. Dates Coming Soon! -
Trash to Treasure Recycle Art Contest
Another person's trash could be your ticket to a winning art piece! Join Friends of Stark Parks and partners, Stark Parks, Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Recycling District, Ohio Ocean Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity ReStore Canton for our annual upcycle art contest in celebration of America Recycles Day in November! We’re looking for the most unique piece of art made entirely of recycled items. 2024 Information will be posted soon.
Recent Posts
Derby Circuit-Spring and Summer 2024 Kids (Ages 4-15) can join the 2024 fishing derby circuit and participate in free fishing derbies from April to August. Sponsored by Stark County Federation… More
Stark Parks celebrated volunteer accomplishments in 2023 at the annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner at the Exploration Gateway at Sippo Lake Park earlier this month. Through September, over 14,000 volunteer hours… More
A new Stark Parks logo is being debuted to better reflect the park mission and create more consistency throughout the organization. The last true redesign occurred over 25 years ago when… More
Come back to Summer Camp on July 20 at Sippo Lake Park! This one-day event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is for everyone. Bring along families and friends to… More
Beginning in March 2023, Stark Parks crews will begin preparing areas at Tam O'Shanter Park for parking lot and driveway updates including removing and relocating trees and vegetation. Construction will… More
We hope you enjoy the observations of eagle watching volunteers and invite you to stop by the nest site located on the west side of Walborn Reservoir at 13600 Marlboro… More
Geocaching is a great way to explore Stark Parks year-round! Find the hidden caches at different park locations and collect 12 out of 15 code words to win a unique… More