By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The woods near the W.W. Knight Preserve in Perrysburg are aglow with the shapes of wildlife.
The Wood County Park District’s Wild Lights display opened. The animals take on a spectral form — there’s the expected white tail deer, wild turkey, owl, and even a skunk. More aspirational creatures make their appearance— bears, an elk, and a grey wolf, who presides over a trio of industrious homebuilding pigs. And then next door, the visitor will spy a few flying monkeys.
The monkeys are part of a display put together by Smith Family Insurance Center inspired by the hit movie “Wicked.” The business was one of the organizations that created the lighted display with the guidance of Park District staff.
Wild Lights continues tonight and Sunday from 5-8 p.m. at the W.W. Knight Nature Preserve, 29530 White Road, Perrysburg.
Students from Penta Career Center Job Training were responsible for “Howling Wolf” with the three little pigs,
Owen Higgens was fascinated by the bear in the scene set by Boy Scout Troop 12303. Owen, from Mansfield, was visiting with his grandmother JoAnne Rynski, Perrysburg, and aunt Sara Rynski, Oregon. They come every year. It’s nice to have this kind of event in the winter, JoAnne Rynski said.
Rita Chovan, volunteer coordinator at Nature’s Nursery was on hand Friday night checking out her display.
The lights, she said, come from her house. When she removed them for the season, she repurposed some for the nursery’s scene. She also burrowed some lawn animals, but she didn’t get enough, so she added drawings of additional creatures.
Complimented on their quality, Chovan said she doesn’t draw well but created these using the guidance of YouTube videos.
Among other organizations participating are: Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ Venture Crew; the Wood County Court Appointed Special Advocate;, and BNI Cobra — the Northwest Ohio chapter of Business Network International.
A panel of volunteer judges will award prizes, to be announced on Sunday.
Craig Spicer, program naturalist for the Park District, said Wild Lights “was born out of the pandemic” in January 2021.
Park staff, he said, had to be creative to keep people involved outdoors in a safe manner.
They also wanted to find a way to “fight the winter blues,” that set in once all the holiday festivities are over. Especially during the pandemic, Spicer said, “people were so hungry for things to do that integrated them into the community in some way.”
They drew inspiration from the scarecrow competition held annually at the Wood County Museum
The first year 1,300 people came out. “So it was an instant hit,” Spicer said.
Since the inaugural Wild Lights, the number of attendees has hovered about 1,000.
Among the tweaks is an inside warming station i where visitors can drink cocoa or tea and eat cookies, and play cornhole.
Participation depends on the weather, Spicer said.
Friday night there was a light snow. For JoAnne Rynski that just added to the experience. “The snow,” she said. “Wow!”
