Findley State Park

06/03/2026

These lovely plants are most commonly known as either Jewelweed or Touch-me-not.
Jewelweed for the jewel like appearance of dew or rain drops on the leaves glistening in the sunlight.
Touch-me-not for the ripe seed pods that burst open scattering the seeds with just the ever so light of a touch.
We have two species of Touch-me-not here at Findley State Park, easily distinguished by the color of the flowers.
Spotted Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis) has orange flowers with darker reddish-orange spots on the front of the flower.
Pale Touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida) has shorter, pale-yellow flowers that sometimes have a few small spots on the front of the flower.
Some sources identify the orange flowered Spotted Touch-me-not (I. capensis) as Jewelweed and the yellow flowered Pale Touch-me-not (I. pallida) as Touch-me-not. Many other sources identify the two species as both being either Touch-me-nots or Jewelweeds.
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) notes this about the orange flowered Spotted Touch-me-not (I. capensis) “The showy orange flowers of jewelweed must be cross-pollinated by insects or hummingbirds. However, jewelweed also has inconspicuous flowers that never open. These flowers (termed cleistogamous by botanists) fertilize themselves and produce seed without ever exchanging pollen with another flower. Cleistogamous flowers are very small (about 1 mm long) and are borne near the bases of the leaves.”
The USFS also says “Jewelweed has a long history of use in Native American medicine. When applied topically, sap from the stem and leaves is said to relieve itching and pain from a variety of ailments, including hives, poison ivy, stinging nettle, and other skin sores and irritations. The sap has also been shown to have anti-fungal properties and can be used to treat athlete’s foot.”
Naturalist Wiz
Further reading:
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/jewelweed-impatiens-capensis/
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/impatiens_capensis.shtml
https://www.drugs.com/npp/jewelweed.html

06/02/2026

Great event this Saturday. And it's FREE!

This Saturday is our annual BRGC Youth Fishing Derby! Come out to Findley State Park and help the young kids have a great time. https://www.brgcohio.com/?page_id=33

05/31/2026

Findley State Park naturalist programs for June 4 through 7, 2026.

05/29/2026

Come out and explore our 93 acre lake by kayak.
Join Naturalist Wiz Moore on a guided excursion around Findley Lake.
Trips start at 2:00PM, 4:00PM and 6:00PM
Registration by email only!
Email for reservations, limited to 5 participants.
Please include the date, time slot and number in your group.
We will be making “wet foot” entries and exits. Water shoes are preferred.
Email Wiz Moore at [email protected]
Must be at least 12 years old and physically able to maneuver the vessel.
Must sign a waiver to participate, parent or guardian must sign for those under 18.
Meet at the former beach area.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/atxB1uCLh3ubyKLi9

05/27/2026

The Giant Floater (Pyganodon grandis) is a large, up to 10 inch long, freshwater mussel which is very abundant in Findley Lake.
As a typical bivalve (2 shells) mollusk, Giant Floaters are filter feeders. They siphon water containing plant plankton and organic debris through their body filtering out the plankton and other organics as food. Therefore, they actually do a great job of cleaning our water.
Although Giant Floaters can, and do, move around on their own, they rely on fish to disperse their offspring throughout the lake.
Reproduction:
The eggs of the Giant Floater are fertilized inside the female mussel and held as a brood till water temperatures rise in the summer months. The fertilized eggs develop into glochidia, a larval form of mussels without a hard shell.
When the water temperature increases, the glochidia are released into the water. These larval Giant Floaters pass through the gills of fish swimming in the area. As they pass through a suitable host fish, they attach to the gills of the fish. Giant Floaters have been known to use a variety of host fish including bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, and a host of others.
While attached to the fish’s gills, the Giant Floater larva develops into a tiny, juvenile mussel. The young mussel is shed into the water where it lives on the lake bottom growing into adulthood.
The period of development in the host fish only lasts from a few days up to a few weeks. This process has little to no effect on the fish and embedded glochidia does not pose a hazard to humans eating host fish since we do not generally eat fish gills.
Giant Floaters are regularly eaten by Raccoons, Mink, and Otters among others.
It is important to note that in Ohio, mussels, or mussel shells may NOT be taken, possessed, or collected for any purpose.
This rule is in place to protect several endangered and threatened species of freshwater mussels native to Ohio.

References:
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pyganodon_grandis/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyganodon_grandis
https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/wildlife/laws-regs-licenses/OhioFishingRegs_English.pdf
https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-1501:31-17-01
https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/biodidac/uniolifecycl2/
https://www.fws.gov/media/freshwater-mussel-lifecycle

05/24/2026

Findley State Park naturalist programs for May28 through 31, 2026.

05/22/2026

05/22/2026

Updated golf cart rules for Ohio State Parks:

05/22/2026

Come out and try what's SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard).
Join Naturalist Wiz Moore and try your hand at Paddleboarding.
Sessions start at 2:00PM, 4:00PM and 6:00PM
Registration by email only!
Email for reservations, space is limited to 5 participants.
Email Wiz Moore at [email protected]
Please include the date, time slot and number in your group.
We WILL be getting wet, dress for the water.
Must be at least 12 years old and physically able to maneuver the vessel.
Must sign a waiver to participate, parent or guardian must sign for those under 18.
Meet at the former beach area.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/atxB1uCLh3ubyKLi9