Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glen Reservation hosted its third Nature Game Day event, an opportunity for people to play games while also learning about nature. The event took place on Oct. 6 at 8668 Kirtland Chardon Road. According to Lake Metroparks Interpretive Naturalist Tony Gazso, the event started when Penitentiary Glen staff was trying to come up with something new. “We all thought well, people love to play games,” he said. “People love to play trivia and compete against each other, so what if we did something like that, but themed all around nature so they’re also learning about nature while they’re having fun — sometimes the key to get people to learn and make it so they don’t realize they’re learning.” Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glen Reservation hosted their third Nature Game Day event, an opportunity for people to play games while also learning about nature. (Marah Morrison -- The News-Herald)Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glen Reservation hosted their third Nature Game Day event, an opportunity for people to play games while also learning about nature. (Marah Morrison -- The News-Herald)Show Caption1 of 2Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glen Reservation hosted their third Nature Game Day event, an opportunity for people to play games while also learning about nature. (Marah Morrison -- The News-Herald)Expand Over the last couple of years the one-day event has taken place, between 1,100 and 1,200 people have attended, Gazso said. “It seems to appeal to everyone,” he observed. “We have games and obstacle courses for the younger kids, and we have our take on various game shows. This year, we’re doing Are You Smarter Than A Park Naturalist and we have the Legends of the Wildlife Yard, an homage to the Steps of Knowledge on Nickelodeon’s game show ‘Legends of the Hidden Temple.’ ” What attendees are learning varies from game to game, Gazso said. Those playing the Legends of the Wildlife Yard game, which features some of the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center’s animal ambassadors, will learn more specifically about those animals and what staff does at the center. Other games taking place as part of the event will be nature-themed. “Trivia Night at the Glen, our regular trivia program we’re running today, does a mixture of nature and Lake Metroparks trivia,” Gazso said. Starting next year, the event will be moved to July. “It’s more reliably warm and there’s so many other events going on in October,” Gazso said. “Moving it, we won’t have as much competition. People love it, but when you pair it up with some sort of fall harvest thing, people are usually going to pick that, which is completely understandable.” Hosting the event in the summer will allow it to continue to grow, Gazso said. “It’s been popular,” he said. “I think it’s important for people to understand the world around them and how everything works, and how everything is connected. If you have a better understanding of nature and not just little animal facts, you have a better understanding of how it connects to our everyday lives and how we should make decisions based on that moving forward.”