Lease Options for Profit

#### Level: Advanced or almost advanced *Longform Toolbox 1* Longform improv is where everything you’ve learned starts to breathe. Instead of short scenes or structured games, we begin to explore what happens when scenes are allowed to grow, connect, and evolve. One idea can spark a whole world. A single moment can ripple through multiple scenes. And suddenly, you’re not just improvising—you’re building something together. In **Longform Toolbox 1**, we take the tools you may already know and start applying them with more intention, clarity, and awareness. Instead of focusing on isolated scenes, we explore how scenes can breathe, connect, and evolve over time. You will work with tools like editing techniques, story in 3 acts, the role of the narrator or director, strong starts, characters with aspirations, finding the game, themes and callbacks, and exploring characters and their relationships. But more than just learning the tools, this course is about understanding *when* and *why* to use them. \- How do you make a strong start that gives direction without locking anything in? \- When is the right moment to edit—and when is it better to stay? \- How do you recognize the game of a scene and build on it together? \- And how can themes and callbacks emerge naturally\, instead of being forced? We’ll explore these questions through play, repetition, and reflection. You’ll learn to trust your instincts while also developing a sharper eye for structure, pacing, and group dynamics. Longform asks for a different kind of awareness. Not just of your own character, but of the whole piece that is unfolding. What is the story that wants to be told? What patterns are appearing? And how can you support them—on stage or from the sidelines? #### Who this course is for This course is intended for almost advanced improvisers who want to see if longform is something for them, or who want to gain more insights in narrative choices. You should have done at least four improv courses or similar. #### **Course details** Course start: Tue 19 May New location: Buurtcentrum Rosa, Actviteitenzaal 1, [Malakkastraat 6 Utrecht](https://share.google/ixy1GPi4lHSiMr9Ct) Schedule: Tueasdays 19:30-21:30 Nine sessions in total, consisting of eight lessons and a show. ##### **Dates** 19, 26 May 2026, 2, 9 , 16, 23, 30 June,7 July. Show date t.b.d. Price: €248 including 21 percent VAT Tickets : improv-utrecht.weticket.io #### **About the teacher** Rutger Pull specialises in short-form improv and Dutch Theatresports. He has a sharp eye for what a scene needs in order to work and excels at teaching players how to recognise and support that. His feedback style is positive, clear, and precise, helping players grow while staying playful and confident. Rutger began improvising during his university years in Enschede and has been performing for many years with Iets Anders in Utrecht. His classes combine structure, insight, and enjoyment, creating a focused yet relaxed learning environment.

**3D Workshop** * **Ontwerpen met Fusion360** * **Scannen in 3D** * **Het gebruik van 3D printers** **Je bent nu welkom in de nieuwe locatie NewTechPark** Je kunt ook online aan deze fysieke bijeenkomst deelnemen. De bijeenkomst is dan op de locatie te volgen. Als je [hier](w.j.put@hccnet.nl) vooraf een mailtje stuurt kun je dinsdagavond tussen 19.00 en 20.00 uur inloggen met Jitsi voor vragen, of ter kennismaking met hcc!3D. Online neem je deel aan de bijeenkomst met [https://wij.hcc.nl/3D](https://wij.hcc.nl/3D) [(Alleen toegang als je zichtbaar bent met voor- en achternaam. )](https://wij.hcc.nl/3d)

Every Tuesday, the group 024 Waalrunners go for a run at a distance of between 7km - 10km depending on the group. Everyone is welcome to join, you just need to turn up at 20:00 on Tuesday in front of Brouwerij De Hemel. There are different routes every time, and the group welcome all new people to join them. [https://www.facebook.com/024waalrunners-710731759317504](https://www.facebook.com/024waalrunners-710731759317504)

Join us for an evening of good vibes! Whether you’re a local or an expat, Mingle Mania is the perfect place to socialize and make friends or even to practice languages. 🤝🤼‍♂️💬🙋‍♂️🫂 👉 Join [https://chat.whatsapp.com/GopSuzuFKRBKeYVKQrX4pE](https://chat.whatsapp.com/GopSuzuFKRBKeYVKQrX4pE) The group has many regular members, we intend to do various type of events, the goal is to build a strong community for all sorts of activities. If you have an event idea that you would like to see happen, let us know. We generally have about 20 participants, the age is between 20 and 60 averaging somewhere around 30, language exchange is not strictly enforced, culture exchange happens naturally. **mingle** (verb, intransitive): to move among people and talk to them, especially at a social event. 📍 **What We Are:** * A diverse group of locals and expats * ...going out at least every Tuesday 😊 🆓 **Event Details:** * It is free to join and operated on a voluntary basis! * Please honor the bar by ordering at least one drink.

Thierry Berger is bringing an exclusive Rustlang themed [Techy Cards](https://github.com/ThierryBerger/techycards) edition, come to play and go home with your playable booster! Date: Tuesday May 19th 19H30–21H30 Location: Bunk Hotel Utrecht Catharijnekade 9, Utrecht, NL

Do you want to meet fellow Women in Rust at RustWeek 2026? Join our friendly and vibrant community for lunch on Tuesday 19 May at 12.45pm CEST. Find us at a dedicated table in the lunch area! This will be an opportunity to share experiences, expand your network, and simply enjoy a chat with like-minded individuals. Please note that a RustWeek 2026 ticket is required to enter the venue. More info at https://2026.rustweek.org.

**RSVP here via EventBrite [here](https://www.eventbrite.nl/e/you-and-your-brand-a-casual-networking-hour-tickets-1984283125243).** Expand your visibility. Join a casual online time to share about you, your brand and business, and learn more about other business owners, locally and globally. Share upcoming events and workshops, too. After each business owner gets the spotlight to share, we then move into a topic-oriented discussion. This month, the topic is begin chosen by [Isabella Maria Noguera, MSc](https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabellamarianoguera/) over of Be Your Brand Consulting. Every session closes with gratitude and a creative activity, so have a pen and paper, tablet, or something available in case we write/create/draw. **RSVP here via EventBrite [here](https://www.eventbrite.nl/e/you-and-your-brand-a-casual-networking-hour-tickets-1984283125243).** *-* *\*\*\*The only requirements are a minimum age of 18 years old, be a business owner or preparing to launch,* *and **at least three attendees** register to make it a worthwhile hour for everyone.\*\*\**

So, you have experienced what improv is like? And you want to play and learn more? In this longer course you learn more about the basic techniques and mindset of improvisation, through fun and easy games. You will: • explore playfulness • listen with intent • accept making mistakes, • discover your imagination and creative thinking, • build confidence, • improve your communication skills, with and without speaking • and mostly: have fun! ### Course details course Wednesdays 20 May – 8 July 2026 lessons 19:30-21:30 . Location ZIMIHC Wittevrouwen. bouwstraat 55 Utrecht. Teacher Burgert Kirsten Show in june. 10 lessons including a show €245 incl BTW ### ### About the tickets Improv Utrecht offers 1 or 2 funded courses with 20% discount for people with less finances. Send a message to Marieke van Laar. **Tickets: improv-utrecht.weticket.io** info: www.improvutrecht.nl/courses

We’re back! On **May 21st**, PuXu returns to Acato in Utrecht for a meetup dedicated entirely to **Research**. **Speaker 1: Emmanuelle Savarit** Emmanuelle is a UX researcher with 20+ years of experience. She's built and led research teams at Facebook, Just Eat Takeaway, LSEG (Refinitiv), and Thomson Reuters. She ran her own UX research agency for 10 years. She's written two books, hosts the UX Research Club podcast, and now focuses on helping researchers increase their strategic impact, including navigating AI. In short: she knows what it takes to move research from tactical to strategic, and she's coming to Utrecht to talk about it. **Special Offer:** Emmanuelle is the author of *The UX Research Powerhouse*. As a PuXu attendee, you can [pre-order your copy](http://clicks.meetup.com/ls/click?upn=u001.NY3oBFzZ5LJDG7YcnfSAKt-2FPbu0mdbClRwu8GKKRoO80nKlP-2FLm90aUF5CQqytHZ3qPz_74u5-2F-2BkTZmgMdnIu03cC4mmjtImPovdZ1zhiEax5tCGl-2BX4fyxb41gNAMGCWV5p-2F3ZXnrHzXrYb-2FEX1gm6iU0hCqBeZf0X8TDiJ-2FF2Pb5b0AYKY0z73yUDJwsJeyVUq2KtnZTX6IPrsDNa2UkzczY3hKG3S2HRTZ-2F-2F-2B5qIwx3CPXatPQFxQ52SkLNZ5jtWr2BsPEXqg9XUqI4UVveDZFOzr6Jpxsj6HpP5WPTNn9JfRQGsEK6lvy8Funa0EQyQ5-2Fcs-2B47BimpzF-2BEXne3mS-2BZNzrupqrFFi2fX4yIrWqpynPk6sL8GL1wQYphmXVe60iss42yhd4nNcrL3QnxXpmXREmBBaQDTLdBvlEgh-2BlmcKlZdw6YOLqURK9zvY-2FZT5KaZSep0LjLq0ckOBsBXggyUAiy01ioYfPSic9ypG0U9487DG53iY3jWQMuNSrHZokvJpDhdJ90J3JwMV8sFus1jAghL1xl0LlFTEJpqn6t0IDZ1Yply0uZ5X2veN2tA6ExM9KeLmTIDEk7ps7HLzVl7BhlE3HPR0nzpsaeXQjsAOoU-2BnH0eHPtBMoFi4jTJ-2BzcDaUWHmnZT1Xq5B2aktBwrvpQR2rC-2B2F3HcHTn3UrTwP8UrRAlyo7TVk8S34miQEhNN6-2BmmpLC1LwWfU-2FC5CHRq0sQuuBynnS2qztg0oS1no5qCyhZ0QvtvBawQvEzT9) at a **15% discount** and get it signed during the event! **Speaker 2: Sabine Bakker** Sabine is an inclusive user research consultant at the Accessibility Foundation, supporting organizations with making their products and services accessible for users of all (dis)abilities. She knows the challenges that UX teams face in demonstrating their added value from her 10+ years of experience at the tech start-up Blendle, cybersecurity scale-up Zivver, and low-code SaaS Mendix. She now helps teams with gaining a competitive edge through inclusive research and co-creation “from a to y”. Her talk will point you to the importance of user experiences that are not reflected in the training data of LLMs and the “curb cut”-effects to be gained which no synthetic persona will provide. **Speaker 3: Bo Kusters** Service Designer at the Dutch Tax Administration. With millions of users, the team often sees the same generic functional and emotional needs recurring in their user research. To avoid reinventing the wheel every time, they developed an interactive, tarot-style card game. With this clever deck, they make complex user insights tangible, allowing internal teams to apply this data directly in their daily work. Learn during this session how to successfully translate abstract research data into a practical design tool that actually works for your team. **Event details** **When:** May 21 \| 18:30 – 22:00 **Where:** Acato, Oudegracht 231, Utrecht **Cost:** Free \(Includes snacks & drinks sponsored by Visma \| ProActive\) **Capacity:** 50 spots Stay tuned for more updates! Later this week, we’ll also share our *Utrecht Visitor Guide* for those traveling in to make a day of it. See you there!

Come along, lovely queer hikers! 🌿✨ This time we’re serving an easy-going queer nature moment with a short loop through **Landgoed Heidestein** near Zeist. Think dreamy forest paths, shimmering fens, a peaceful forest pond, and heather fields - a lot of diversity for such a short walk :) We’re teaming up with **Cocktail (COC’s group for LGBTQIA+ refugees & asylum seekers)** for this event, so besides soaking up nature, we’re creating space for connection, sharing stories, and learning from each other’s journeys and experiences. Expect a vibe that’s part hike, part picknick, part wholesome community exchange. 🌈 Bring your snacks and blankets, as we’ll pause along the way for a relaxed picnic moment together. Because queer joy isn’t just about where we go, but who we walk with. 💖 **Practical info** 📏 **Distance:** 5 or 7 km (loop walk) 📍 **Start:** Bus stop Prinses Margrietlaan, Zeist (5km option) Driebergen-Zeist station (7km option) 🏁 **End:** Back at the starting point 🥾 **Level:** easy - chill pace 🤝 **Meeting point:** outside the train station **Driebergen-Zeist at 13:45** or bus stop **Prinses Margrietlaan (Zeist) at 14:20** ❗You’re welcome to join from another direction. If you come by car you can park at P+R Driebergen-Zeist. Please note: we published this hike with Cocktail simultaneously, which is also why we lowered the participant number from Hiking Queer NL's side. Pack your: 🍱 snacks 🚰 water 🧥 rain coat/umbrella ☀️ sun screen 🏳️‍🌈 anything else you might need ❌ If you signed up and cannot make it in the end, please cancel your RSVP attendance so we know how many people will show up and someone else can take your place instead. 💗 A voluntary donation helps us to keep the Meetup group up and running :) you can either pay via a Tikkie or in cash after we finish the hike. *Hiking Queers Netherlands & Cocktail (COC)*

(english/german below) **Bitcoin Pizza Dag!** Op 22 mei 2010 betaalde programmeur Laszlo Hanyecz 10.000 BTC voor twee pizza's — de eerste gedocumenteerde aankoop met bitcoin. Hij plaatste een bericht op een forum waarin hij BTC aanbood voor pizza; een andere gebruiker ging akkoord, bestelde de pizza's en leverde ze af. Die transactie werd later bekend als "Bitcoin Pizza Day". Laszlo bewees dat Bitcoin als ruilmiddel gebruikt kan worden. **Sluit je bij ons aan voor pizza-avond bij De Pizzabakkers! (vanaf 18:00)** RSVP zo snel mogelijk; we moeten reserveren bij De Pizzabakkers en er is beperkte plek. Zorg dat je je geladen Lightning-wallet meeneemt! *** **English: Bitcoin Pizza Day!** On May 22, 2010, programmer Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 BTC for two pizzas — the first documented purchase using bitcoin. He posted on a forum offering BTC for pizza; another user accepted, ordering pizzas and delivering them. That trade later became famous as "Bitcoin Pizza Day," Laszlo proved that Bitcoin can be used as a medium of exchange. **Join us for pizza diner at De Pizzabakkers! (from 18:00)** Please RSVP as quick as possible as we need to make a reservation at De Pizzabakkers and there is only limited space. Be sure to bring your loaded lighting wallet along with you! *** **Deutsch: Bitcoin Pizza Tag!** Am 22. Mai 2010 zahlte Programmierer Laszlo Hanyecz 10.000 BTC für zwei Pizzen — der erste dokumentierte Kauf mit Bitcoin. Er postete in einem Forum und bot BTC für Pizza an; ein anderer Nutzer akzeptierte, bestellte die Pizzen und lieferte sie aus. Dieser Tausch wurde später als "Bitcoin Pizza Day" bekannt. Laszlo bewies, dass Bitcoin als Tauschmittel verwendet werden kann. **Begleite uns zum Pizza-Abend bei De Pizzabakkers! (ab 18:00)** Bitte antworte so schnell wie möglich; wir müssen bei De Pizzabakkers reservieren und es gibt nur begrenzten Platz. Nimm unbedingt deine geladene Lightning-Wallet mit!

Donderdag 21 mei 2026 is het weer tijd voor onze Techday: hét vaste moment waarop we kennis delen, elkaar inspireren en nieuwe ideeën direct in de praktijk brengen. Deze editie pakken we het aan als een conferentie in het klein. Drie sprekers, drie verhalen, één middag – drie verhalen voor de prijs van één. Wat kun je verwachten? **Dirk neemt een kijkje onder de motorkap van AI** AI voelt voor veel mensen als magie. In deze talk probeer ik de magie weg te nemen door een kijkje te nemen onder de motorkap. Een essentieel bouwblok van moderne AI is een neuraal netwerk. Als je begrijpt hoe een neuraal netwerk werkt, is het een stuk makkelijker om te begrijpen hoe en waarom een LLM werkt. De beste manier om iets te begrijpen is door het te bouwen, vanaf scratch. Dus dat gaan we in deze talk doen. Door dat te doen leren we over artificial neurons, activation functions, backpropagation en meer. **George vertelt hoe AI Cyberaanvallen verandert** George Schizas (extern), voormalig IT Manager, nu werkzaam als CISO, vertelt over zijn ervaringen in de Cloud Cyber Security en hoe hackers met behulp van AI nieuwe aanvalsmethoden kunnen gebruiken om kwetsbaarheden op te sporen en te exploiteren. Hij geeft voorbeelden van manieren om in Kubernetes omgevingen in te breken en noemt manieren om dit tegen te gaan. **Roland duikt in de wereld van de fraude fabriek** Als ontwikkelaar kom je dagelijks in contact met technologie en de laatste jaren natuurlijk ook vaak met AI. JIJ snapt heel goed wat de voordelen en de gevaren zijn, maar hoe leg je complexe onderwerpen als AI gegenereerde afbeeldingen, Voice Phishing en Hallucinaties uit aan je ouders, de buurvrouw, of je kinderen? Ik neem jullie mee in een realistische situatie waarin Anna en haar familie opgelicht wordt met behulp van verschillende technieken en hoe dit oplichters-landschap met behulp van AI verandert. **Wanneer:** Donderdag 21 mei 2026 **Wat:** Techday – conferentie-editie “AI kansen en valkuilen” **Voor wie:** Iedereen (!) die nieuwsgierig is en wil leren **Agenda** 14:45 - 15:00 - Inloop 15:00 - 16:00 - Neurale netwerken 16:15 - 17:15 - AI risico’s en kansen 17:15 - 18:00 - Eten 18:00 - 18:45 - Fraude fabriek We zien je graag op de Techday!

Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!

This is a free, in-person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. Burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

**How to Get Off-Market Deals With Direct-to-Seller Marketing** Want to learn how to get off-market deals through direct-to-seller marketing without relying on agents, wholesalers, or the MLS for consistent deal flow? That is exactly what we are covering at this next Columbus Investors Club Meetup. Get Your Free Ticket **[HERE](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-get-off-market-deals-with-direct-to-seller-marketing-tickets-1987845260686?aff=cicmeetupapp)**[ ](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-get-off-market-deals-with-direct-to-seller-marketing-tickets-1987845260686?aff=cicmeetupapp)🎟️ Most investors who try to do off-market deals make the same mistake: they throw money into a marketing channel, pray that it works, and hope a deal comes out the other side. There is no real strategy, no clear math, no tracking, and no process to know what is actually working. At this meetup, we are going to break down how to reverse engineer direct-to-seller marketing using our SCALE framework so you can approach your marketing with more clarity, confidence, and consistency. We will cover how to think through inbound, outbound, and free marketing channels, how to choose the right channel for your goals, how to run the numbers before you spend, how to allocate the right budget, how to launch the campaign correctly, and how to evaluate and track performance so you can make better decisions moving forward. **SCALE Framework:** **S –** Select the right channel **C –** Calculate the numbers **A –** Allocate the budget **L –** Launch the campaign **E –** Evaluate and track it **What We’ll Cover** * How to get off-market deals through direct-to-seller marketing * How to stop guessing and start reverse engineering your marketing * The difference between inbound, outbound, and free marketing channels * How to choose the right channel for your business and market * How to calculate the numbers before launching * How to allocate a budget based on goals, not emotion * How to launch and track a campaign the right way * How to create more consistent and predictable deal flow **Date:** May 28, 2026 (Thursday) **Time:** 6 - 8pm EST **Location:** Ohio Brewing Company, 421 E 2nd Ave, Columbus, OH 43201 **Save Your Seat** → https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-get-off-market-deals-with-direct-to-seller-marketing-tickets-1987845260686?aff=cicmeetupapp **FREE DRINKS & FOOD PROVIDED!** **About Columbus Investors Club** The Columbus Investors Club is a local meetup for real estate investors, aspiring investors, contractors, vendors, lenders, realtors, and other professionals who want to grow in the Columbus market. The goal is to create real connection, real opportunity, and real growth by getting the right people in the room. Whether you are brand new or already doing deals, this is a place to build relationships, learn from others in the business, find opportunities, and grow your presence in the local real estate community.

Attend a free seminar on how to have successful and lasting relationships. At this seminar you will learn: How to spot and handle negative and toxic relationships. How to get through the "rough patches" in a relationship. How to choose the right people to work with. The three things that make or break any relationship. How to make a good relationship great. All are welcome. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. Hosted by the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

**History** The history of [Blendon Woods Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/blendon-woods/) began long before its 1951 opening, rooted in a landscape of rugged ridges and deep ravines that made the land unsuitable for traditional farming. In 1945, a report proposing a metropolitan park system for Franklin County specifically highlighted these cliffs of Bedford Shale as some of the "wildest land in the vicinity". Following this recommendation, the recently formed park district purchased the first 229 acres in early 1949. Because the terrain was so uneven, developers had to cut a mile-and-a-half-long roadway through dense woods just to bring in heavy equipment. This initial preservation effort ensured that the mature second-growth hardwood forests remained largely untouched by the urban expansion spreading toward Westerville. Opening day arrived on Labor Day, September 3, 1951, marking Blendon Woods as the second park in the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks system. The final push to open was a frantic race; the State Highway Department only finished the primary gravel access road four days before the gates opened. Early staff members, consisting of just four full-time employees, had to hand-dig pit toilets and learn construction skills on the fly to build the first picnic shelters. Despite the dusty conditions and limited facilities, the park was an immediate success, drawing massive crowds from across Central Ohio. By the end of the 1950s, annual visitation had already climbed to over 190,000 people. As the surrounding suburbs grew in the 1960s, the park faced severe overcrowding that threatened its natural habitats. In response, Franklin County voters passed the first Metro Parks levy in 1960, providing the funds necessary for a decade of steady expansion. During this era, the park nearly doubled in size, growing from 264 acres to over 570 acres by 1968. Planners also addressed a critical water shortage by collaborating with the U.S. Soil and Conservation Service to build a lake in 1964. This body of water originally served as a temporary reservoir before its role shifted toward conservation and wildlife support. The 1970s marked a transition toward the specialized wildlife and educational focus for which the park is known today. In 1971, the Walden Waterfowl Refuge was established around the 11-acre Thoreau Lake, creating a sanctuary that remains restricted to provide a quiet habitat for migratory birds. A formal nature center was also developed during this period, expanding on the guided Sunday walks that had been a park staple since the early 1950s. The park’s famous "Monarch Mansion" also became a prominent fixture, starting a long tradition of raising and releasing thousands of monarch butterflies each September. These initiatives cemented the park’s reputation as a premier destination for birders and nature enthusiasts. In more recent decades, Blendon Woods has continued to modernize while maintaining its wilderness character. The 10-acre Natural Play Area was added in 2017, encouraging kids to explore the ravines and woods off-trail. This was followed by the opening of a $1.5 million inclusive playground in April 2025, designed to accommodate children of all physical abilities. The nature center also underwent major renovations to include immersive, three-dimensional exhibits and a new butterfly house. Today, the park encompasses 653 acres, preserving a unique geologic and biological corridor amidst the bustling Westerville and Northeast Columbus area. **Map of the Park** Here is a map of [Blendon Woods](https://www.metroparks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BLN_map_Inclusive-Playground-and-Butterfly-Trail_May-2025_1980px.png). **Summary** For this event, we will hike the Lake View, Hickory Ridge, Ripple Rock, Overlook, Brookside, and Sugarbush Trails. This sounds like a lot, but it will really be only a little over five miles. Blendon Woods has a few hills here and there, but it's not one of the more strenuous metro parks. **Where We'll Meet** We'll meet just in front of the Nature Center. This is about a mile into the park from the main entrance. You have to go past the Ranger Station and the Shadblow Reservable Area to get to it, so don't stop too early at the Ranger Station and get it confused with the Nature Center. **After the Hike** Afterward, we will head over to [Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery](https://forbiddenroot.com/restaurants/columbus-ohio/) at Easton for [drinks](https://forbiddenroot.com/restaurants/columbus-ohio/#dinner-menu) and [food](https://forbiddenroot.com/wp-content/uploads/Cbus-Food.pdf). We should be there by 5 if you can't make the hike and just want to join us for drinks. The brewery's actual address is [4080 Worth Ave, Columbus, OH 43219](https://www.google.com/maps/place/4080+Worth+Ave,+Columbus,+OH+43219/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x88388a86d10b6619:0x4d42b470a5cf11d3?sa=X&ved=1t:242&ictx=111); however, I recommend pointing your GPS to the [Worth Garage](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Worth+Garage/@40.0542293,-82.9137962,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x88388b4df6082825:0x17582f0eccd9dda1!8m2!3d40.0542293!4d-82.9137962!16s%2Fg%2F11rzfvvv8b?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) across the street. Parking in this garage is free as long as you're not on the first floor, and it is literally right next to the brewery.