Gorgeous Great Horned Owl
Woodlands Nature Station is one of our favorite places to visit in the Land Between the Lakes. The animals and birds are simply breathtaking and we, literally, see (and photograph) something new each time we visit… which is, trust me, OFTEN.
The Nature Station will have their annual Wildlife Celebration, Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday through Monday, May 27-29, 2017. Nature Station admission is $5 age 13 and up, $3 age 5-12, and free for ages 4 and under.
Guests can learn all about nature’s superheroes, visit with Smokey Bear and find ways they can assist wildlife in the Nature Station’s backyard at Land Between the Lakes. Special event programs are included with standard admission unless otherwise noted.
“Join us to help celebrate the diversity and complexity of native wildlife through a fun superhero theme. Bring the whole family and see wolves, turkeys and bats in a whole new way,” says Monica West, Land Between the Lakes naturalist. “We’re also offering two canoe trips that weekend for people to view wildlife from the water. We usually see a lot of native birds, mammals and reptiles along the shoreline and on the water during these outings.”
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White-Breasted Nuthatch
Nestled in the woods between Honker and Hematite lakes, the Nature Station serves as a gateway to the 6,800-acre Nature Watch Area. The friendly and very knowledgeable staff also serve as “go to” specialists for wildlife viewing throughout Land Between the Lakes.
One of the coolest things about the Nature Station is that, in addition to their many wonderful resident birds, animals, turtles, and snakes, you’ll see birds and animals who also choose to call this paradise home. A cage doesn’t keep them sticking around… appreciation for being treated like royalty does! We are a couple of the biggest bird lovers you’ll ever meet. We don’t just have one “feeding station” in our yard… we have multiple feeding stations, suet feeders, houses, and too many feeders to count. So, we are very familiar with seeing a variety of birds. Yet, we STILL see birds at the Nature Station we don’t see regularly in our own yard.
You’ll also frequently see squirrels who call this beautiful place home. If you’re lucky, you might even see a skunk or two (pictured below)! We’ve had that great honor a couple of times. Other visitors to the center looked at me like I was “half crazy” when I stepped closer and got down on their level to take a picture. My husband just smiled as if to say, “If you think she’s half-crazy, you’re underestimating her.”
Gotta admit he’s right. When it comes to animals, I’m off my chain. That’s why The Nature Station is one of my favorite places on earth. They’re my kind of people.
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Adorable Skunk at the Nature Station Last Autumn
Something that I love about the staff (aside from the friendliness and eagerness to “brag” on the beauties they care for) is that, it seems, each member has an “area of expertise.” One may know everything there is to possibly know about wolves while another could tell you things you’d never even imagined about owls. One may be a walking turtle encyclopedia while another knows more about turkeys than the turkeys know themselves.
They even have a resident snake expert who seems to love snakes as much as I love my cats. Go figure!
Wildlife Celebration Events:
Saturday, May 27, 2017
- 10am-4pm – Be a Hero for Turtles
- 10am-4pm – Be a Hero for Hurt and Orphaned Animals
- 11:30am – Owls: X-Men of the Sky
- 1pm – Transformer Turkeys
- 2:30pm – Bats: Power Behind the Caped Crusader
- 3:30pm – Red Wolves: Wookiees of the Land Between the Lakes
- 6-8:30pm–Sunset Canoe Trip ($25; Reservations required; call 270-924-2020)
Sunday, May 28, 2017
- 10am-4pm – Be a Monarch Butterfly Buddy
- 11:30am – Just-hiss League of America
- 1:30pm – Fantastic Four of Lake and Shore
- 2:30pm – Captain America: The Bald Eagle
- 3:30pm – Nature Station Daredevil
- 6-8:30pm–Family Sunset Canoe Trip ($25; Reservations required;
call 270-924-2020)
Monday, May 29, 2017
- 10am-4pm – Throughout the day–visits with Smokey Bear
- 10am-4pm – Be a Scientist Hero for Nature
- 11:30am – Who’s the Real Flash?
- 1:30pm – Be A Superhero for Baby Birds
- 3:30pm – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Call 270-924-2020 to pre-register for guided canoe trips Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm. Daily canoe and kayak rentals start Saturday, May 27, 10am-4pm, weather permitting. For more details, call 270-924-2299.
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