Sunday, March 31, 2013

Echoes of the Wild Turkey

It is hard to believe that it is now officially Spring. It wouldn't seem like it with the oddities of weather that we have had to endure these last few weeks. What would normally be mild days this time of year have been covered in cold rainy and snowy days, with more forecasted in the coming week. That being said, it hasn't kept Mother Nature from displaying the fact that it is in fact Spring, and that things will soon get better.

Tom "strutting" and courting hens (Photo courtesy of Ryan Raybourn)
One of these signals from Mother Nature is unmistakeable, and it is the Spring gobbling of the Wild Turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo). Nothing will send chills up your spine like an early morning hike through a foggy forest and hearing the thunderous gobble of a wild turkey near you. This call of the male Turkey (called a Tom) is unmistakeable and can be heard from quite a long distance away. This call is a breeding call, and is a way to let a female Turkey (a hen) find a Tom to mate with. He will typically roost at night away from the hens, and when the Sun comes up and he awakens, he will
gobble from his roost tree to make the hens aware of his location. Shortly after his wake up gobbles, he will fly down to the ground and will begin his courtship display of "strutting" or dancing around with his tail feathers spread and fluffed out, and gobbling all the while. He will also gobble at any loud noises such as Owls, Woodpeckers, Coyotes and Crows in an effort to let them all know that he is the king of the forest. These displays will continue up into the day, until he is satisfied that he has attracted and bred all of the hens near him that are ready to breed. This behavior will begin in mid- March and will continue until the end of breeding season some time in May.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

March 30th, Easter Egg Hunt at the Breaks

It's that time of year again! Daffodils are blooming, birds are chirping and the Easter Bunny is making preparations for Easter! Join us a Breaks Interstate Park for our Annual Easter Celebration. The Easter Egg Hunt begins at noon on Potter's Knoll. Get there a little early because the Easter Bunny will be stopping by, giving out treat bags to all the kids! One thousand eggs total will be hidden for three age catagories (1-3, 4-6 and 7-12 years of age) and 350 eggs will have a prize ticket inside! After the hunt, make your way down to the Rhododendron Lodge to enjoy our Easter Buffet!

For more information, dial (276)865-4413 or by visiting the BREAKS INTERSTATE PARK WEBSITE.

I can be reached by emailing me HERE

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Spring & Summer Special Events at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park


For more information on any of the following events call 1-800-325-1711 and ask for recreation or email rebeccae.clark@ky.gov



Abigal McGregor with the Easter Bunny

 Easter Eggcitement  

Date: March 31     Time: Noon - 6:00 PM
Make Easter Eggciting at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park! Schedule (Central Time): 12:00 PM-4:00 PM Buffet in Dining Room, 1:30 PM Easter Bunny Pictures ($2/picture) at lodge, 2:30 PM Free Easter Egg Hunt at lodge. Events will go on rain or shine! The egg hunt is sponsored by the Friends of Pennyrile.










Spring Photography Weekend 2012 Best in Show by Timothy Blair 

Photography Weekends 

Dates: April 19-21 or Oct. 18-20      Time: 2 P.M. Friday - Noon Sunday
We strive to not only put on a good contest, but also to present information that will help participants become better photographers.  Photographs may be taken anywhere within the state park and forest. Bring your own camera. Registration: $35. Register at least one week before the event and get a $5 discount. Children 16 and under pay just $10. Lodging discount available. Online registration is available at: https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Parks/photography

Friday, March 22, 2013

March 30th Blue Licks Easter Egg Hunt


Traditions. Whether it be something as simple as spending a little extra time in bed every Saturday morning or gathering for a huge family reunion, we all have them. My dad has a tradition that he's started over the past 10 years or so of collecting refrigerator magnets from the places he visits. He's gathered quite the collection that has not only filled the refrigerator but has spilled over into their entry way. He has magnets from nearly every state in the nation and even some from across the Atlantic. Another tradition that is one of my favorites is during Christmas. It lets me know how much my father and I are alike. It doesn't matter how old my brother and I get, but every year at Christmas my father gives us.....a toy....I know. It seems childish, but for me, its a way for my brother, my father and I to keep from having to be a grown-up for just a minute. Whether it's a nerf gun, radio controlled helicopter, or rubberband gun, (Just a few from the past few years,) It's a chance for my brother and I to bond with my father and just for a second, make it feel like we're all still "home."

A tradition for many families is the tried and true Easter egg hunt. I'm sure we all have memories of these as a kid. Mine involves, you guess it, a state park. When I was young, my father would have a huge Easter egg hunt at the park he worked at. I can remember the kitchen hard boiling hundreds upon hundreds of eggs, dyeing them, and hiding them around the lodge. I never actually hunted the eggs, but I would always help hide them. Children from all over would come to the park each year to hunt the eggs. Now for the rest of the story......In the following weeks after the annual hunt, it became obvious how many eggs never got found, there would be the slight smell of rotting eggs in the air for about a month. Now I don't think he planned it that way, but I'm thinking maybe my sense of humor is similar to my fathers because I still get a chuckle just thinking about that now.

The Easter Egg Hunt here at Blue Licks has become a local tradition for many families in the area. It's been really great for me to watch many of the same children coming back year after year and how much they've grown during my time here, even watching former employees bring their own children to participate. I'd like to take this opportunity to invite you and your family to visit us on March 30th at 11a.m. to start a family tradition of your own. Several of us here at Blue Licks including employees and volunteers will be hiding 2,000 Easter Eggs. Don't worry, they're plastic candy filled, not hard boiled. We'll have 4 different age categories including 0-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 with a chance for a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place egg in each category. Each prize egg found will receive a prize basket filled with goodies from the Worthington Lodge gift shop.

Just remember though, we will start the hunt at exactly 11am, so you'll want to be sure to be there early so you can find your age category. For additional information on the Easter Egg hunt here at Blue Licks, or maybe even share a Kentucky State Park tradition of your own, contact me HERE.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park: Watchable Wildlife March 15, 2013


On Friday March 15th we had an unseasonably warm day here at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park.  I took the opportunity to check the lake trail, a 2.25 mile trail around Pennyrile Lake.  The trail was in pretty good shape, only a few trees to step over from winter storms.

The following is a list of wildlife that I saw/heard during my hike: Eastern Phoebe, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina wren, Tufted Titmouse, Dark-eyed Junco, American Robin, Yellow-shafted Flicker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red bellied Woodpecker, Wood Duck, Belted Kingfisher, Spring Peeper, Upland Chorus Frog, Southern Leopard Frog, Red-eared Slider, and Common Garter Snake.

Spring is on the way!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Signs of Spring Blossoming at Lake Cumberland S.R.P

       Daffodils


I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,      
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

         


Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they        
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
 In such a jocund company:
 I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
 What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;                                    
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.                                    


Monday, March 11, 2013

Wildflower Weekend at Carter Caves

Goldenstar: Photo by R. Vanover

April 19-21, 2013

Spring is arriving and with that comes the beauty of wildflowers bursting with splendid beauty.  Carter Caves State Resort Park will be hosting a wildflower weekends on April 19-21.  Experienced field trip leaders and naturalists will be leading hikes to observe these "spring beauties."  In addition, there will be birding field trips, canoeing excursions, fern walks, invasive species hike and eradication, and much more.  For information about the Carter Caves Weekend, please see the PDF File link below.  It has a complete schedule of events for your review.

Carter Caves PDF Wildflower Flier


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Up the Creek With A Paddle!


Guests on a Cave Tour


Great paddling events are planned for Carter Caves State Resort Park for March, April, and May. Warm up the Spring with an adventure float down Tygarts Creek.  Known for its caves and outdoor amenities, Carter Caves State Resort Park has a dining room, cottages, lodge rooms, golf, horseback riding, hiking trails, fishing, and camping.

‘BYOK’ Tygart Creek Kayak Float
March 23 and May 11
Paddling on Tygarts Creek
This is a 6-mile kayak trip that navigates paddlers down Tygart Creek, which cuts through one of Kentucky's most scenic limestone gorges. You will be on the creek for at least 3.5 hours. “BYOK” stands for bring your own kayak. The park provides the transportation shuttle from the Welcome Center and guides for your trip on the creek. You will see high cliffsides and the natural beauty that the spring has to offer. There will be a side trip into one of Kentucky’s largest natural limestone tunnels. Required equipment includes: kayak, paddle, PFD (life jacket), the correct attire for cool-weather paddling, a complete change of clothes, treaded footwear, flashlight (for natural tunnel visit), sack lunch, bottled water and a

Monday, March 4, 2013

AHS Volunteer Vacations in Kentucky



View of Pine Mountain

Great news!  Natural Bridge State Resort Park and the Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail (PMSST) have been chosen by the American Hiking Society for Trail Volunteer Vacations for 2013.

Natural Bridge will host the event in April 2013 and the PMSST will host the event in September 2013.  These trips are great opportunities for those people who want to give back to the outdoor world through trail maintenance.  These trips are also located in many parts of the United States.
Natural Bridge in the fall

To schedule your Kentucky trip, visit the links below.

Natural Bridge American Hiking Society Volunteer Vacation Link

Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail American Hiking Society Vacation Link