5100 W Central Ave, Toledo, OH 43615-2106 -- 419-535-3050

Open daily 7am-dark

When one's soul seeks serenity it can sometimes be hard to find especially if you're in the middle of a concrete jungle. Within the boundaries of the city of my birth there lies what I feel is one of the most serene of spots and one of the most beautiful. It is the Window on Wildlife display at the Wildwood Preserve Metropark in Toledo, Ohio and it is truly one of my favorite places to relax.

Located in the Robert Metz Visitor Center in the southern part of the park the Window on Wildlife is a large room with one wall full of windows. Inside you can view several stations where critters of all shapes and sizes are carefully fed appropriate foods. You can see fox squirrels, frogs, toads and birds of every shape and color, but they can’t see you. Microphones out in the feeding area allow you to enjoy the lovely bird songs and the chattering of the rodents. There is even a working bee hive where you can peer deep within the honeycombs without fear of a single sting.

I recently had the pleasure of returning to the Window on Wildlife back in May and was pleased to find that the area has been well maintained. In addition to the familiar cardinals and blue jays prevalent in the area we were blessed by the appearance of a black-capped chickadee, Baltimore orioles, mourning doves, a chipping sparrow and a red-bellied woodpecker. It felt great to be back. Many are the times that I would come to this area to relax, to meditate or to problem solve.

The rest of Wildwood Preserve is great too. The metropark is home to many diverse plants and animals which can be observed from numerous walking trails. The park also features a deep stream which runs through it and prairie grass displays, some reaching 10 feet high. Visitors can also tour the park's historic Manor House estate, which features a number of restored rooms, buildings and formal gardens.

Wildwood is the former family estate of Robert A. Stranahan, Sr., co-founder of the Champion Spark Plug Company. Metroparks purchased the estate grounds, including the family home, in the 1970s.

Metroparks of the Toledo Area preserves 8,000 acres of natural, historical and cultural parklands in Lucas County. Eleven scenic parks and two recreational trails provide access and interpretation in northwest Ohio's premier natural areas: the Oak Openings Region, the Great Black Swamp and the Maumee River, Ottawa River and Swan Creek corridors. Additional parkland is being acquired for future corridors and park development.

Each of the Metroparks offers ample picnic areas, playfields, trails for hiking and cross-country skiing, interpretive information and natural beauty. Each also offers something that makes it unique. There are Windows on Wildlife at Pearson Park, Secor Park, Side Cut Park, Swan Creek Preserve and Oak Openings Preserve as well.

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