DARKE COUNTY – This Friday from 5:30 to 6:15 and again on Saturday from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm, Mitchell will be doing a live animal demonstration as part of the 2025 Darke County Home & Sports Expo at the Darke County Fairgrounds.
Join Naturalist Mitchell Pence for a dive into some of our common birds of prey found in Ohio. This program will explore the natural histories of education ambassadors, Spirit the Red-tailed Hawk, Pip the Eastern Screech-owl, and Umber the Barred Owl. Enjoy seeing these birds of prey up close and observing their different personalities while learning about how they survive in the wild.
Mitchell Pence is the Outreach Coordinator for the Darke County Park District with six years of experience as a Naturalist. He is a Certified Interpretive Guide (GIG) through the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) as well as a certified level 1 Kayak instructor.
Raised in Darke County, his passion for nature and parks began in childhood as he grew up alongside the Darke County Parks. Now employed by DCP, he is most known for his bird of prey handling and programming as well as his appearances in video content from the Park District. When he is not sharing his passion with others through his work, he can be found cycling on local bike trails.
If you can’t make the demonstration, stop by the Darke County Parks booth at the Home & Sports Expo all weekend for great information on the great parks around Darke County.
