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Beekeeping The Foxfire Way & Now will take place at Cedarock Historical Farm on May 21 from 1 to 4 pm there are photos from last year's event Beekeeping The Foxfire Way & Now will take place at Cedarock Historical Farm on May 21 from 1 to 4 pm there are photos from last year's event

Beekeeping: The Foxfire Way & Now

Written by on . Posted in Events, Outdoors.

Join us September 17th, 1:00pm, at the Cedarock Park Historical Farm for a presentation by NC-certified beekeepers Ira Poston of Blueberry Hill Apiaries and Paul Jollay of the Glencoe Honey Company. Ira and Paul join us again this year to present a workshop on beekeeping practices, past and present. They will have honey to sample, honey for sale, a demonstration hive, take-home seeds to grow your own bee-friendly flowers, and copies of their favorite reference materials for participants to look through. Ira and Paul are members of the Alamance County Beekeepers, a chapter of the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association.  Ira & Paul’s presentation was a favorite last year- don’t miss it!

The Foxfire in Cedarock Park program is a series of workshops celebrating Appalachian culture and tradition. So far this year we’ve enjoyed programs about canning and woodturning, as well as the annual Preserving Our Heritage Festival. The next and final program after Beekeeping will be the Fall Festival in October which features old-time farm games followed by Ghosts in the Park storytelling in the evening. This year we’re adding professional face painting and a daytime storytelling station to the Fall Festival. More details will be announced soon.

All programs are free and open to the public. The Foxfire in Cedarock Park series is co-sponsored by Alamance Parks and Alamance County Public Libraries.

HRT screenprint poster HRT screenprint poster

HRT Art Series Reveal

Written by on . Posted in Events, Haw River Trail.

The Haw River Trail is excited to announce custom silk screen art prints capturing the beauty of the Trail. The HRT plans to offer a series of pieces showcasing the natural history and culture of the Haw River. A huge thank you to local artists and Haw River Trail supporters Ron Rozzelle and Rosa Patton for sharing their time and talent to create the first of these works of art, a view of the Haw River from Red Slide Park (see featured image). These limited edition prints are hand signed and numbered.

The HRT will reveal the posters during an evening art event at the Eddy Restaurant & Pub in Saxapahaw. Mark your calendars for September 20th from 6:30pm throughout the evening (show up any time). Additional event details will be announced soon. Prints will be available for purchase. All proceeds support the HRT.

We are also looking for local artists who are interested in working on the next pieces in the Haw River Trail art series. If you are interested in purchasing a print and can’t attend the event, or if you are an artist and would like to discuss working on a piece for the series, please contact the Haw River Trail Coordinator at info@thehaw.org.

 

collage of photos from 2015 FarmFest collage of photos from 2015 FarmFest

Preserving Our Heritage Festival

Written by on . Posted in Events, Outdoors, Parks & Trails.

On August 27th from 10:00am to 4:00pm we will send off summer with our annual Preserving Our Heritage Festival. Join us at the Cedarock Historical Farm. Bring chairs or a blanket and enjoy live bluegrass music by Smokey Hollow; view demonstrations of old-time crafts and skills such as beekeeping and canning (vendors often have their crafts for sale as well); and peruse displays of antique tractors, cars, and farm equipment. The historic Garret Farm will be open with tours and living history demonstrations. We will have food available for purchase provided by Danny’s Cafe; Pelican’s Sno Balls will be on site; and this year we’ve also added face painting for extra family fun!

Volunteers needed! Please call (336) 229-2410 or email recinfo@alamance-nc.com if you’d like to help out.

You can see photos from last year’s event on the Cedarock Park Facebook Page.

American Hiking Society's National Trails Day Find Your Trail Logo American Hiking Society's National Trails Day Find Your Trail Logo

Celebrate National Trails Day With Us

Written by on . Posted in Events, Haw River Trail, Outdoors, Parks & Trails.

Alamance Parks is hosting two American Hiking Society National Trails Day® events on Saturday, June 4, 2016. American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day® is a nationally recognized trail awareness program that occurs every year on the first Saturday of June and inspires the public to discover, learn about, and celebrate trails while participating in outdoor activities, clinics, and trail stewardship projects.

Want to celebrate with us? We’re holding Create a Natural Journal, a workshop at Shallow Ford Natural Area (SFNA) presented by Environmental Educator Kim Brown. Join us from 9:00-10:30am at the SFNA Observation Deck to learn about nature journals and enjoy exploring the Haw River Trail’s Shallow Ford Natural Area. Nature Journaling is a great way to record observations, perceptions and feelings about the natural world around you. Kim will share a brief overview of nature journals, then you will have a chance to use your creativity to make your own! No art experience necessary and all materials will be provided. Free and open to ages 16+. SFNA features 5 miles of passive use trails in and around the Haw River and a beautiful Wildflower Meadow surrounding the Observation Deck. If you would like to attend, please sign up on RecDesk at https://alamance.recdesk.com under “Programs.”

If you’re looking for something more active, we will also host a hike at Cedarock Park from 9:00am-10:30am, a guided hike on Cedarock Park’s Rock Creek Trail (the green trail). Join park technician TJ Mumford for this 2-mile hike, appropriate for all fitness levels. Rock Creek Trail winds through the woods, along Rock Creek, and past the mill dam waterfall. Free & open to the public. Meet at 9:00am at the middle park office (near the fishing pond). View a map of Cedarock Park and the Rock Creek Trail on our website (www.alamance-nc.com/recreation). No sign-up necessary for the hike.

Or, celebrate on your own! Alamance Parks’ trails and park facilities offer miles of trails and open spaces to explore and enjoy nature. Cedarock Park has 6 miles each of hiking and equestrian trails, Shallow Ford Natural Area offers over 5 miles of wooded trails, and the Haw River Trail access points offer both land and paddle opportunities to connect to the natural resources that surround us. For information on access points please visit www.thehaw.org or www.alamance-nc.com/recreation.

For more information about these events, email recinfo@alamance-nc.com or call (336) 229-2410. National Trails Day® is a registered trademark of American Hiking Society.

Beekeeping The Foxfire Way & Now will take place at Cedarock Historical Farm on May 21 from 1 to 4 pm there are photos from last year's event Beekeeping The Foxfire Way & Now will take place at Cedarock Historical Farm on May 21 from 1 to 4 pm there are photos from last year's event

Beekeeping: The Foxfire Way & Now

Written by on . Posted in Events, Outdoors, Parks & Trails.

Join us May 21st from 1pm-4pm at the Cedarock Park Historical Farm for a presentation by NC-certified beekeepers Ira Poston of Blueberry Hill Apiaries and Paul Jollay of the Glencoe Honey Company. Ira and Paul join us again this year to present a workshop on beekeeping practices, past and present. They will have honey to sample, honey for sale, a demonstration hive, take-home seeds to grow your own bee-friendly flowers, and copies of their favorite reference materials for participants to look through. Ira & Paul’s presentation was a favorite last year- don’t miss it!

Ira and Paul are members of the Alamance County Beekeepers, a chapter of the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association. Beekeeping will kick off the second year of the Foxfire in Cedarock Park program, a series of workshops celebrating Appalachian culture and tradition. Other programs to look forward to this year include canning in June, wood turning in July, the Preserving Our Heritage Festival in August, soapmaking in September, and the Fall Festival in October which features old-time farm games followed by Ghosts in the Park storytelling in the evening. Last year we celebrated mountain music, beekeeping, canning, the Heritage Festival, pottery, and the Fall Festival/Ghosts in the Park.

All programs are free and open to the public. Workshop leaders will share information about their trade, both how it was done in the past and modern practices. All programs include live demonstrations and/or hands-on activities, with information for participants to take home to learn more about the craft or trade. The Foxfire in Cedarock Park series is co-sponsored by Alamance Parks and Alamance County Public Libraries.

images from a nature journal images from a nature journal

Nature Journals

Written by on . Posted in Events, Haw River Trail, Outdoors, Parks & Trails.

We’re offering an introductory Nature Journal workshop at Shallow Ford Natural Area (SFNA) on June 4th, 2016, from 9:00am-10:30am. Join Environmental Educator Kim Brown at the Observation Deck to learn about nature journals and enjoy exploring SFNA. Kim will share a brief overview of natural journals and then you will have the chance to use your creativity to make your own journal. You will have time to complete your first journal entries at SFNA. No art experience necessary and all materials will be provided. Free and open to ages 16+. Limited space so sign up now on RecDesk!

Nature Journaling is a great way to record observations, perceptions and feelings about the natural world around you. Nature journals have a long history, and were kept by famous naturalists such as John Muir (founder of the Sierra Club), John James Audobon (renowned for his ornithological art), and Charles Darwin (iconic naturalist). They’ve served many purposes, including scientific observation, artistic expression, inspiration and source material for books, and more. Most importantly, they’re a great way to connect with nature and express your creativity.

There are many kinds of nature journals- there is no right or wrong way to make them and the possibilities for creativity are endless. They can include pressed flowers and leaves, sketches, written observations, logs of the seasons, and more. You can find numerous nature journal resources online, such as the introductory information page provided by the Sierra Club. Try searching for Nature Journals on Pinterest to find ideas and inspiration for what to include in yours and admire some impressive examples!

 

photo collage of nature journal examples

Photo Credit: The Nature Journals and journal pages featured in the photographs on this page are the work of Kim Brown, who will be leading the workshop.

References: Reference information about Nature Journals found on the Sierra Club website (see link above) and Wikipedia.

photo collage with YeeHaw logo and photos from past paddles and of the river photo collage with YeeHaw logo and photos from past paddles and of the river

2016 YeeHaw! River Paddle

Written by on . Posted in Events, Haw River Trail, Outdoors, Parks & Trails.

Join us in Saxapahaw for the 9th Annual YeeHaw! River Paddle on Saturday, May 14, 2016, from 9:00am-finish. The Yee-Haw! River Paddle brings together paddlers of all skill levels to share the Haw River as a community. The YeeHaw! River Paddle is held each year on a different section of the Haw River Paddle Trail to help the community connect to the river and enjoy the opportunity to paddle. The recent construction of Union Bridge Paddle Access in March completes the Paddle Trail through Alamance County. The 2016 YeeHaw! Paddle will end at Union Bridge Paddle Access to celebrate access to this final stretch of river through the county.

This year’s event features two paddles, a Family & Beginners’ Paddle in the morning and the Yee-Haw! River Paddle in the afternoon. The cost for each event is $20/adult and $10/child (12 & under). All proceeds benefit the Haw River Trail. The Family & Beginners’ Paddle will be held on Saxapahaw Lake, featuring calm flat water ideal for families and new paddlers. The more challenging YeeHaw! River Paddle in the afternoon will put in at Saxapahaw Mill Race Paddle Access and take out at the newly completed Union Bridge Paddle Access. This 5-mile stretch is suitable for intermediate paddlers, featuring moving water and intermittent rapids with beautiful views of the river and its wildlife.

Additional details and registration are available on the Haw River Trail website (www.thehaw.org).

telescope photos of the Orion Nebula telescope photos of the Orion Nebula

Making Time to Look Up

Written by on . Posted in Events, Outdoors.

From Jason Witherspoon, Program Leader:

Most of the time when I am outside I spend a lot of time looking down. I have a background in horticulture and it makes me feel comfortable to know the plants around me. When I’m in my yard I’m identifying weeds and if I’m walking a trail I’m trying to ID native plants, looking out for snakes and generally trying not to fall on my face. It is an empowering feeling to make sense of your surroundings. But when the sun sets, that all changes. The ground underfoot cannot be trusted and the trees are now the shadowy formless perches of all kinds of creatures. There is not much for the horticulturist in me to grab onto for comfort. So I looked up.

I have always been impressed with the early astronomers. You know, back in the day before reality TV and ESPN. With the lack of light pollution every evening must have grabbed the curiosity of many. For quite a few people they had the patience and made the time to sit and observe. Recently I have felt that same pull. Instead of eating dinner and watching TV at the end of the day I’ve been putting my coat back on and sitting in the dark on the back porch. And I was not bored. I started by reading a little ahead of time. I learned to find Orion and The Big Dipper and use the stars in those constellations to find other stars. Pretty soon the sky was not filled with nameless dots of light but Red Giants, nebulas and galaxies.  I had found my White Oak and May Apple of the sky.  I had made sense again of my surroundings.  Not only that but I have found an intellectually stimulating pastime that will not run out of new material.  I can do it by myself and practice solitude or I can invite a bunch of friends over, grill some meat, toast some marshmallows and share a little bit of my sky with them.

My experience has inspired me to start a new Stargazing program through the department to share this interest with others. You can come to as few or as many of the stargazing sessions as you want and enjoy taking a few moments to just look up together. The program is free of charge and open to the public. You don’t need any special equipment, but if you have binoculars please bring them. To sign up for a session please visit RecDesk (alamance.recdesk.com).

 

What You’ll See & Learn

We hope that you’ll join Jason for the new Stargazing program! In the first couple of sessions, he will share what he has learned about major constellations and points of interest such as The Big Dipper (an asterism that’s part of the constellation Ursa Major), Polaris (the North Star, compass to the ancient world), Orion (one of the most recognizable constellations in the sky), and how to use these “road markers” to find other constellations and stars of interest. In the process, you will have a chance to view the Orion Nebula (pictured in the photos); the constellations Cassiopeia and Andromeda (both observed by Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd Century); and the planet Jupiter and some of its moons. Jason will also share resources for learning more about astronomy. This program is intended to be an informal forum to learn about astronomy in a comfortable group environment rather than in an instructional setting.

 
Resources: Astronomical information and history can be found on Wikipedia at the links above.

The leftmost image of the Orion Nebula is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons from authors ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA. As stated by the source, “This wide-field view of the Orion Nebula (Messier 42), lying about 1350 light-years from Earth, was taken with the VISTA infrared survey telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The new telescope’s huge field of view allows the whole nebula and its surroundings to be imaged in a single picture and its infrared vision also means that it can peer deep into the normally hidden dusty regions and reveal the curious antics of the very active young stars buried there.”

The rightmost image is also courtesy of Wikimedia Commons from authors NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team. As stated by the source, “In one of the most detailed astronomical images ever produced, NASA/ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured an unprecedented look at the Orion Nebula. … This extensive study took 105 Hubble orbits to complete. All imaging instruments aboard the telescope were used simultaneously to study Orion. The Advanced Camera mosaic covers approximately the apparent angular size of the full moon.”

HRT logo HRT logo

Haw River Trail 2016

Written by on . Posted in Events, Haw River Trail, Outdoors, Parks & Trails.

2016 is a big year for the Haw River Trail. It marks the 10 year anniversary of the agreement that started the Haw River Trail Partnership and its efforts to build this 40-mile land and paddle trail through Alamance County! Amazing progress has been made over the past 10 years thanks to the support and dedication of landowners, the community, many grant funding sources, the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, and the Haw River Trail Coordinators.

 

 

photo of hiking boots-Join us for First Saturday Hikes, led by park technician Kim Brown on different sections of the Haw River Trail. The First Saturday Hikes all begin at 9am. The schedule for 2016 is as follows:

April 2nd Haw River Trail at Sellers Falls

June 4th Great Bend Park

September 3rd Nature Journal Hike on the Basin Creek Trail at Shallow Ford Natural Area

October 1st Hidden Hill Trail at Shallow Ford Natural Area

      November 4th Haw River Trail from Indian Valley to Red Slide

 

 

 

 

photo of trail and fence in the winter on the Sellers Falls section of the Haw River Trail-We just opened Sellers Falls, the newest 4-mile section of Haw River Trail. For more info, check out our recent Sellers Falls post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photo of ACRPD staff working on the Union Bridge Paddle Access installation-The 14th and final paddle access to the Haw River is almost complete. Union Bridge Paddle Access will be open within the month. It marks the southernmost paddle access point in Alamance County and provides a safe take-out for paddlers headed downstream. The stretch from Saxapahaw Mill Race Paddle Access to Union Bridge is particularly beautiful and a fun paddle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

trailathlon logo-The 2nd Annual Haw River Trailathlon will be held March 19th in Saxapahaw (postponed from November 2015). This multi-sport adventure race is family friendly and includes a 2-mile round trip paddle on Saxapahaw Lake, a 7-mile bike ride, and a 5K trail run. For more information and to register please visit the Haw River Trail website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

riverpaddle_final_color

 

 

 

-The 9th Annual YeeHaw! River Paddle will be held on Saturday, May 14th. This event consists of a Family & Beginners’ Paddle followed by the regular River Paddle. Stay tuned for more information at www.thehaw.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saxapahaw Island preliminary site plan-We are working on the site plans for Saxapahaw Island Park. Thanks to various grant-based and community sources of support, work has already begun on the trails for the park and on clearing the areas that will house a waterfront access area, nature play area, and gathering spaces. A community working group is helping with the design and construction of the park; work on the nature play area will begin this year.