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Cub Scout Day 2023 at The Woodlands Nature Station

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Bobcat at Woodlands Nature Station (Land Between the Lakes)

Beautiful Bobcat at The Woodlands Nature Station

Cub Scout Day is scheduled for Saturday, November 18, 2023 at the beautiful Woodlands Nature Station, inside the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The theme of this year’s day  is Outdoor Skills.

The annual Cub Scout Day will run from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 18 at the Woodlands Nature Station

From The Friends of Land Between the Lakes Newsletter:

Cub Scout leaders can bring the whole pack—or families can bring their own Cub Scouts — for a full day of hands-on activities focused on this year’s theme: Outdoor Skills.

Cub Scouts of all ages will practice using a compass, casting a fishing rod, and other outdoor skills while working on an Adventure from their Cub Scout rank.

Adventures Include:

  • Mountain Lion – Lions
  • Tigers in the Wild – Tigers
  • Finding Your Way – Wolves
  • A Bear Goes Fishing – Bears
  • Castaway – Webelos

View the full schedule of events and details on Adventure requirements here.

Nature Station staff recommends planning at least a two hour visit to complete all the activities. All activities are included in Nature Station admission fees, which are $7 for ages 18 and up; $5 for ages 5-17; and free for ages 4 and under.

The Woodlands Nature Station is located within Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area at 3146 Silver Trail Road, Cadiz, Kentucky 42211.

PERSONAL MESSAGE:

I am rebounding from a serious health issue (pretty much had me homebound from March-July, 2023!), so my much beloved Kentucky blog sat idle for a long time… as did I! We’re both up and kicking again and maybe even more excited than ever to get out and enjoy and celebrate every Kentucky moment!

If you have any Kentucky events you’d like covered on the blog, please send them to joi t sigers @ gmail . com (no dashes, of course!), along with any photos you’d like included. I’ll be delighted to add them to the blog and our social media right away! ~ Joi (“Joy“)

A Sensational Spring Break at Woodlands Nature Station in the Land Between the Lakes April 2-10, 2022

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Owl at Woodlands Nature Station

Owl at Woodlands Nature Station

As I said in my last post, everything is coming back to life around Kentucky… everything from Genuine Kentucky to trees and the wonderful Land Between the Lakes are filled with hope and are firmly facing better days ahead!

If you’ve read Genuine Kentucky any, you know how in love I have always been with the Land Between the Lakes. I cherish every minute I spend there and downright miss it when I’m away. That’s why I’m kind of tickled that my first “coming back to life!” event we’re posting on the Kentucky blog involves the Land Between the Lakes and one of my favorite places in the world, Woodlands Nature Station.

From The Friends of the Land Between the Lakes:

Spring has sprung at Land Between the Lakes and the Woodlands Nature Station offers plenty of family friendly activities throughout the month of April to celebrate. Special programs include Spring Break activities, guided hiking and kayaking trips, Homeschool Day, and more.

“A Sensational Spring Break” is April 2-10 with themed programs, crafts, games, and hikes. April is also Homeschool Month at the Nature Station with the 8th annual Homeschool Day on April 29. Educators are encouraged to check the online calendar at landbetweenthelakes.us for homeschool programs and activities.

“With blooms of wildflowers dotting Hematite Lake, wildlife becoming more active, and the many programs and activities offered at the Nature Station, the next few weeks present the perfect opportunity to get outside and have fun!” said Interpretive Naturalist Marissa Lindstrom.

April program highlights at the Nature Station include:

  • A Sensational Spring Break (programs include Bioluminescence Boogie and SLIME!), April 2-10
  • Homeschool Spring Learning Series: Native Bees, April 14
  • Wildflower Wander Hike, April 16
  • Animal Treat Baskets and Sunday Funday: Rabbit Playtime, April 17
  • Earth Day Sunset Kayak Trip, April 22
  • 8th Annual Homeschool Day: Forest FUN-damentals, April 29

The Woodlands Nature Station is in Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area and open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults ages 18+; $5 for children ages 5-17; and free for children under 4.

Fun animal-themed programs are available daily and included in the cost of admission.

About the Friends of Land Between the Lakes
The Friends of Land Between the Lakes have partnered with the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area of the USDA Forest Service to provide interpretive and informative services along with support services for those visiting the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.
More information is available at www.friendsoflbl.org. The Friends are supported through business and personal memberships, gift shop sales and other contributions.

Woodlands Nature Station to host 25th Annual Hummingbird Festival

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Hummingbird at the Nature Station in the Land Between the Lakes

Hummingbird at Woodlands Nature Station

Woodlands Nature Station is one of my favorite places, not just in the Land Between the Lakes, but in all of Kentucky! The Nature Station celebrates the migration of hummingbirds during the annual Hummingbird Festival, scheduled for August 7 and 8, 2021.

If you love hummingbirds like I do, the Nature Station is a dream come true. It’s hummingbird paradise!

The weekend of August 7-August 8 marks the beginning of the great hummingbird migration through Land Between the Lakes. I hope you’ll mark your calendar and join in the celebration with the 25th annual Hummingbird Festival.

TIME: 10 am – 5 pm on Saturday, August 7 and Sunday, August 8, 2021

PLACE: Woodlands Nature Station, 3146 Silver Trail Road in the Land Between the Lakes

PRICE: Special admission price is $9 for ages 18 and up, $7 for ages 5 – 17 and free for ages 4 and under.

If you love hummingbirds, this is the event for you! August brings hundreds of hummingbirds to the Woodlands Nature Station as they migrate south to Central America. You can see as many as 200 in a single day!

Special programming includes:

Saturday, August 7

  • 10 am – 4:30 pm | Hummingbird Banding and Release Demonstrations – licensed banders Brainard Palmer-Ball Jr. and Mark Monroe
  • 11am | 2019/2020 Photo Contest Awards
  • 12pm | Attracting Bluebirds – Bob Peak, The North American Bluebird Society
  • 1pm | The Buzz on Beekeeping – Scott Sutton, Houston-Stewart County Beekeepers Association
  • 2pm | Social Eco-art: Igniting Conversation and Invoking Social Change – Shannon Roberts, The New South Arts Initiative
  • 3pm | Rest Stops for Ruby-Throats: Landscaping for Migrating Birds and Butterflies -Botanist Alicia Bosela, owner of Ironweed Native Plant Nursery
  • 4pm | Build a Hummingbird
  • 4:30 pm – Parade of Raptors

Sunday, August 8

  • 10 am – 4:30 pm | Hummingbird Banding and Release Demonstrations – Licensed banders Brainard Palmer-Ball Jr. and Mark Monroe
  • 11am | Bringing Nature Home: Creating a Haven for Wildlife
  • 12pm | Rest Stops for the Ruby-Throats: Landscaping for Migrating Birds and Butterflies-Botanist Alicia Bosela, owner of Ironweed Native Plant Nursery
  • 1pm | Build a Hummingbird
  • 2pm | Attracting Bluebirds – Bob Peak, The North American Bluebird Society
  • 3pm | Pollinators: Beyond the Bees
  • 4pm | Attracting Purple Martins
  • 4:30 pm – Parade of Raptors

Ongoing activities include:

  • Hummingbird Photo Gallery
  • Hummingbird Gift Shop
  • Kids’ Crafts and Games
  • Local Craftsmen and Artists
  • Attracting Bluebirds
  • Kentucky Wildlife
  • Garden Friend or Foe? – Live Animals
  • Attracting Native Bees
  • Monarch Magic
  • Beekeeping Basics
  • Native Plant Sale
  • and more!

For more information, call 270.924.2299 or visit www.landbetweenthelakes.us.

Fourth grade students can go to https://www.nationalparks.org/our-work/campaigns-initiatives/every-kid-outdoors to get their free Every Kid Outdoors pass, and get their family in for free.
For more information, please call the Nature Station at 270-924-2299.
If you love birds, you’ll love The Birds o Kentucky by Burt L. Monroe, Jr. Click the link to learn more about this wonderful guide to Kentucky’s beautiful birds.
Hummingbirds at The Nature Station (Land Between the Lakes)
Hummingbirds at The Nature Station (Land Between the Lakes)

Memorial Day Weekend at Woodlands Nature Station in the LBL

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Gorgeous Owl Nature Station

Great Horned Owl: One of the Gorgeous Residents at Woodlands Nature Station

One of my favorite places in all of Kentucky (and beyond) is Woodlands Nature Station in the Land Between the Lakes. In fact, as soon as the weather allowed this year, it was the first place we visited in the region. I told the bobcat, owls, groundhog, eagle, possum, turtles, deer, turkeys, and other birds how much I had missed them.

I did not give the snakes the same greeting. They understand – they know a walking phobia when they see it.

This Memorial Day weekend, for “River Days,” The Woodlands Nature Station will have extended hours and will be open until 7:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, May 29 & 30.

There will be many great programs throughout the weekend to celebrate the area’s rivers and to welcome back the season. For most of us, Memorial Day Weekend just feels like the whole world is coming back to life. And with so many things opening back up and mandates being lifted soon… I don’t know about you, but it makes me so happy, I can feel happy tears building up, threatening to flow like the rivers that’ll be celebrated!

Fourth grade students can go to https://everykidinapark.gov/, for their free Every Kid in a Park pass, and get their family in for free! For more information, call the Nature Station at 270.924.2299.

Woodlands Nature Station is located at 3146 Silver Trail Road (a beautifully scenic road you’ll most definitely enjoy).

Beautiful Turtle at Woodlands Nature Station

One of the Turtles at the Nature Station

Woodlands Nature Station will celebrate Harry Potter Appreciation Day on March 30, 2019

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Gorgeous owl at the Nature Station

I can remember (years and years ago) when the first Harry Potter book came out. I had ran into Kroger to grab something (story of my life) and saw the books on display. Figuring it was a big deal, I grabbed a copy to take home to my girls. Their reaction let me know it was a very big deal, indeed, and I could do no wrong in their eyes for weeks on end!

The Nature Station is having an especially fun event for the Harry Potter fans in your life… heck, you may even be one, yourself! They’re calling it Harry Potter Appreciation Day and it sounds like a lot of fun. After enjoying the fun at Woodlands Nature Station, head over to the 1850 Homeplace for a special night of storytelling!

There are two special story-based events coming up this month. Harry Potter Appreciation Day will include multiple events at the Woodlands Nature Station and the 1850 Homeplace will host a special night of storytelling, both on Saturday, March 30, 2019, at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.

Programming for Harry Potter Appreciation Day at the Woodlands Nature Station includes:

10am-4pm – Seeker of the Snitch
The Golden Snitch is flitting around somewhere in the backyard! Brush-up on your seeker skills and see if you can find it! When you find it, snap a photo and report back to the Quidditch Referee for a prize!

10am-4pm – The Triwizard Tournament Training Course
Think you have what it takes to compete in the Triwizard Tournament? Test your skills in this rigorous training course, available one day only! Test your magical ability, intelligence and courage to see if you could handle the real deal!

11am-4pm –Make Your Own Wand
Expelliarmus! Let’s have some fun and create our own magic wands using native wood and natural materials! Turn an ordinary stick into a wand with a little crafty magic!

11am-4pm – Potions
Turn to page 394! Attend this year’s Potions demonstration and take home a “potion” sample of your very own! Which will you make? Felix Felicis for luck? Amortentia for love? Polyjuice potion for trickery? You decide!

11am-12:30pm – Fantastic Beasts of LBL and Where to Find Them Hike
Join guest instructor “Mudpuppy Scamander” (distant relative of the famous Newt) in learning how to find the fantastic beasts that live deep in the woods and waters in Land Between the Lakes. Go on a ½ mile hike to check out a variety of habitats and see if you can locate any fantastic beasts’ homes!

12pm-2pm – Herbology
Plants are truly magical! Using just sunlight, water and soil they create energy, grow and make beautiful flowers! Join Professor Gillyweed to learn what plants need to grow and plant your own niffler-attracting mariGOLD!

12:30-1:15pm – Outstanding O.W.L.s
It’s time to earn your O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) in owls! Test your owlish knowledge with a fun game and see if you earn an Outstanding, Exceeds Expectations or Troll!

1:30-2:15pm – Defense Against the Dark Arts
Aspiring wizards need to know practical techniques of defending themselves against dark charms, creatures, and spells. We will study how some of the fantastic beasts of Land Between the Lakes defend themselves using tricks such as camouflage, poison and mimicry, and how we can use their methods in our magical adventures!

2:30-3:15pm – Care of Magical Creatures
How do you care for an owl? What do bowtruckles eat? These topics and more will be covered in your very first Care of Magical Creatures class! In this course, we will learn about magical creatures from the world of Harry Potter and also how to care for creatures from our world. Hippogriffs not included (advanced classes only).

All activities are included in Nature Station admission fees, which are $5, ages 13 and up; $3 ages 5-12; and free for ages 4 and under.

Evening Storytelling at the Homeplace is scheduled for March 30, 2019.

Want to hear tall tales from years ago? Don’t miss the Evening Storytelling at the Homeplace, 5:30-7:30pm. Cost is $5 per person, a separate fee from Homeplace admission. Be sure to note that this fee for the storytelling is in addition to the admission fee.

Reservations are required and space is limited. Call 270-924-2020 to reserve your space. Pre-registered participants will meet at The Homeplace Interpretive Center at 5:30pm, storytelling begins at 6pm;

Traditional refreshments will be served during the break. Be prepared to laugh and have a great time as you enjoy this rare evening experience in 1850.

"When reading about a Kentucky event, please be sure you check the date. Old events are not always deleted from the website. If you have an event you'd like to see on Genuine Kentucky or a 'Made in Kentucky' food or product you'd like reviewed, please contact us! " ~ Joi ("Joy")

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