What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Friends of the Wood County Parks

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Bowling Green, OH
Friends of the Wood County Parks

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The Friends support the system of safe, well-managed parks that reflect the natural beauty and ecological diversity of Wood County, Ohio

10/31/2026

Pumpkin Pal is back! Go to Carter Historic Farm page and follow to see what’s going on!

10/14/2026

Fall is returning to our parks — and that means it’s time for the Friends to gather.

You’re warmly invited to the Fall Membership Meeting of the Friends of the Wood County Parks:

Fall Membership Meeting
Sunday, October 18, 2026
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Otsego Park
20000 W. River Road Bowling Green, Ohio

We’ll enjoy a special presentation by Alyssa Garland, Museum & Events Assistant at the Wood County Museum, who will present the Program: The Cooking Gene: Genealogy Through Cooking. Community cookbooks not only offer delicious recipes, but they also offer a look into the past. As we celebrate America 250, we can look to these cookbooks for a better understanding of people, place and time. Alyssa will recreate a handful of recipes from local Wood County cookbooks and give the genealogy of the recipes’ creators.

In keeping with our program's theme, our phenomenal Hospitality Committee will be serving a delicious homemade lunch as follows:

Fall Membership Menu (Very Amish/German heritage here)

Meat filled cabbage rolls (beef/pork mix)
Baked chicken (boneless-skinless)
Warm German potato salad
Corn Casserole
Sauer Kraut, both regular (vegan) and sweet and sour (sweet and sour will have butter)
Homemade Bread with herbed butter and/or honey butter
3 different desserts (unknown type)
Coffee and Fresh Apple C***r

These gatherings are one of the best parts of being a Friend — a chance to connect, hear what’s ahead for our parks, and celebrate the impact your support makes possible.

Please take a moment and register by October 14th by calling the Park Headquarters at 419-353-1897 so we can prepare the proper amount of food and seating.

We will be voting on the slate of executive officers for the Friends of the Wood County Parks at this meeting.

We hope you’ll join us for good conversation, good food, meaningful updates, and the shared joy of supporting the places we all love.

See you at the meeting,

Jim Mathews
President
Friends of the Wood County Parks

10/12/2026

Join the Friends of the Wood County Parks for a free seminar on planned giving.

A local Certified Public Accountant from William Vaughan Company will discuss ways to include charitable giving in your estate plans, while a representative from the Greater Toledo Community Foundation will be available to answer additional questions.

Whether you're simply curious or actively planning your legacy, you'll leave with practical information and peace of mind!

A Q&A will follow a short presentation. Light refreshments will be served.

Seminar on Planned Giving
This Thursday, Oct 15th 5-6:30pm
W.W Knight Nature Preserve : 29530 White Rd, Perrysburg, OH

10/06/2026

Heritage Farm Fest was this past Saturday and the Friends came together to volunteer!

Friends members helped welcome farm guests by tabling the Welcome Booth, Friends Membership Booth, giving out some awesome Friends park promos, and helping at the serving food tent!

Friends members and volunteers alike come together to support this wonderful event and more! Want to become a Friend or learn more on how to help out for events like this? Check out our webpage at https://wcparks.org/friends/

10/05/2026

What a wonderful Fall Plant Sale last Saturday! 🌱🍂🍁 Thank you to everyone who came out to support!

All of the plants provided at our sales are Native Plants! Native plants are locally adapted to regional soil and climate conditions, making them an environmentally–friendly choice for the garden. They support many pollinators, including local butterflies, bees, birds, and more! Even here in the fall time, which is one of the best times to plant! 🍁

Missed out? Dont worry! We will be back for our Spring Plant Sale in May and again next September every year.

Thank you to our tabling partners The Xerces Society and Country Garden Club of Perrysburg for being with us for the day!

Join our digital e-newsletter to always get the latest scope first at the link below or checkout our website at wcparks.org for more info:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/YxCoJWj/WCParks

09/14/2026

During the Drop by Drop Fundraiser, Friends members and Park Staff gathered around for a picture at the J.C. Reuthinger Memorial Preserve - Native Seed Nursery and Greenhouse Pond!

Part of the previously zoned 33-acre industrial site will be turned into a 5-acre pond with adjacent wetland, prairie and forest habitat which should dramatically increase biodiversity. 🦋

By being awarded a grant from NiSource Columbia Gas of Ohio Charitable Foundation, the pond has begun Phase 1!

Phase 1 will consist of stabilizing the surrounding land and sloped sides of the pond. Stewardship staff will prepare and plant them with white Dutch clover to establish ground cover to prevent erosion and then lay coir matting. In December, staff will be planting approximately 500 live stakes, which are cuttings of various native trees and shrubs used to further stabilize the pond sides and provide future cover and food for birds and other pollinators.

When completing the project, we hope the pond will be a source of study for local secondary school and college students to learn various aspects of environmental science, ecology and biology. It will also provide increased volunteer and recreational opportunities for many of the residents of Wood County and Northwest Ohio. 🙌

All of this would not have been possible without the generosity of Columbia Gas/NiSource through their 2026 Columbia Gas Environmental Action Grant. Thank you!

09/14/2026

Two days until the Fall Native Plant Sale! 🍂🍁

There is no better way to get into the autumn season than some fall native planting! Join us at W.W Knight Nature Preserve for the sale Saturday September 12th, 10am-11am for Friends Members then 11am-1pm for General Public Sale!

For plant sale inventory list, Friends membership information and more please visit our website at:
https://wcparks.org/programs/ -sale

Fall Native Plant Sale Saturday, September 12th from 10am-1pm
10am-11am: Friends of the Wood County Parks Sale
11am-1pm: General Public Sale

09/14/2026

💧Drop by Drop was a success with great thanks to our Oak Tree, Button Bush and Dense Blazing Star Sponsors in support of this event! 💙
Bramblewood Bar
Kiwanis of Perrysburg
Ortinau Art, LLC
For Keeps
Rotary Club of Bowling Green, OH
The Willows at Bowling Green

🎁We also send a huge thank you to all our silent auction sponsors 🎁
Black Swamp Conservancy
Bowling Green Country Club
IM Jaffe Jewelers
Wood County Museum

09/14/2026

Thursday September 3rd was a night in celebration of conservation! 🍀💧🌱Not even the rain could stop us!

The evening was electric with beautiful music, fantastic native plant mocktails (like Bergamot Bloody Mary and Virginia Mountain Mint Mojitos) 🌸

The Friends of the Wood County Parks fundraiser for an improved irrigation system for the greenhouse at J.C. Reuthinger Memorial Preserve - Native Seed Nursery and Greenhouse was a great success!

With such a monumental night with our special guests - we will share memories and conservation efforts for years to come. Thank you!

09/09/2026

The Fall Native Plant Sale is this upcoming Saturday Sept 12th! ✨🍂🍁

Want to get ahead of the line and shop an hour early? Become a Friends of the Wood County Parks Member and shop from 10am-11am before the public sale that happens 11am-1pm! 🏃💨

For a plant inventory list, Friends information and more visit:
https://wcparks.org/programs/ -sale

Address

18729 Mercer Road
Bowling Green, OH
43402

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+14193531897

Website

http://www.wcparks.org/friends, https://toledocf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1337

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