While the birding season is coming to a close, as long as food remains available, birds will stick around.

Jim Witter, program manager for the Wood County Park District, presented the spring migration patterns in Northwest Ohio at the district’s board meeting on May 14.

Birds heading from the tropics to Canada stop off in Ohio as the days get longer and warmer, and food is accessible, he said.

“The best time to look is the month of May,” Witter said.

He said birds use the landscape and landmarks, celestial bodies and the earth’s magnetic field to make it to their northern destination.

Waterfowl tends to migrate in March-April and again in October-December.

Warblers make the trip in April-May, he said.

“We are a hotspot, one of the best locations to watch birds,” he said.

Lake Erie, area parks and prairies, and rivers offer both habitats and lots to eat, he said.

People can help by putting in native plants, limiting pesticide use and keeping cats inside.

Resources include apps Merlin, eBird and BirdNET; BirdCast migration maps; and the All About Birds guide.

Also at the meeting, the board:

Heard Director Chris Smalley report the purchase of 30-plus acres at JC Reuthinger Memorial Preserve is complete.

“It was a labor of love,” he said. “It was fantastic to see everyone come together and make that project happen.”

The Country Garden Club has awarded a grant of $24,233 to purchase plant seed for that park, he said

Purchased an F-250 XL 4×4 truck for the operations department from Reineke Ford, Fostoria, for $47,594.

Authorized Smalley to purchase a replacement truck for the program department for up to $42,000.

Agreed to pay $83,093 for liability, vehicle and property insurance.

Watched a time-lapsed video of the Friends of the Parks plant sale, six hours in a 30-second clip.

They sold 3,409 plants and 246 shrubs within six hours, said friends President Candace Weis.

“I don’t know if you can find that anywhere,” she said. “It was so nice to be in a room with so many people having a good time.”

The friends made over $21,000, with funds going back into the park’s stewardship program, she said.