LOUDONVILLE – North Central Ohio will be abuzz with excitement this weekend as the 16th annual Mohican Wildlife Weekend kicks off Friday.

“Ohio’s Pollinators” is the theme of this year’s event, but “pollinators” doesn’t just mean bees. It also includes hummingbirds, bats and butterflies, and they all will be the focus of this year’s Mohican Wildlife Weekend

“Pollinators are an essential part in food crops and keeping Ohio’s native plants around. This weekend is how we, all, can help,” said Georgia Kauffman, executive director of the Mohican Visitors Bureau.

Dozens of events will take place at 11 different sites in Ashland, Richland and Crawford counties. Sites include Charles Mill Lake Park, Gorman Nature Center, Malabar Farm State Park, Mohican State Park, Mohican State Park Lodge, Mohican-Memorial State Forest, Ohio Bird Sanctuary, Mohican Outdoor School , Pleasant Hill Lake Park, Wolf Creek Grist Mill and Lowe-Volk Nature Center.

Mohican Wildlife Weekend gets underway with a Welcome Reception from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday at Mohican Outdoor School. The speaker will be Denise Ellsworth, Program Director, Honeybee and Native Pollinator Education with the Ohio State Department of Entomology.

Saturday’s events include:

  • A guided spring nature hike at Gorman Nature Center
  • Birding boat tours at Clearfork reservoir
  • A program on photographing birds of prey at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary
  • The animals that travel with Jack Hanna at Wolf Creek Grist Mill
  • A variety of activities for children, including nature crafts, a scavenger hunt and Queen Bee Puppetry
  • A program on pollination at Lowe-Volk Nature Center

“With over 30 programs at 11 sites, there are many choices on quality programs. That is why it is best to pick and choose where you want to go. It really is too much fun for one weekend,” Kauffman said.

A full schedule of events is listed at www.mohicanwildlifeweekend.com. For event updates and alerts sent to your phone, text MOHICANWILD to 888777.

The annual event is a partnership between the Mohican Visitors Bureau, Destination Mansfield-Richland County, and the Ashland Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.