Learn a thing or two about a swamp at the coast, ditto a riparian corridor in the Piedmont. Meanwhile, the Carolina Mountain Club hikes a new and emerging stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail originating at Waterrock Knob. Another great weekend to be in North Carolina.
Category Archives: Nature programs
This weekend: Reasons to start hiking and go star gazing
From mellow hikes at the coast and in the mountains to a statewide star party, your prospects for adventure are looking up in North Carolina.
Coast
This is the perfect event if you’ve been thinking: I really should get moving more, and now that the weather’s awesome I don’t have a good excuse not to be active. Still …
This weekend: A bi, a sign, a race
If you shy away from multi-sport races because they often include swimming (and you’re a sinker, not a floater) then you’ll like Saturday’s 6th Annual Wrightsville Beach Biathlon at Wrightsville Beach. If you like signs of spring, you’ll like Saturday’s totally awesome program at Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville. And if you like an early season road race but aren’t in early season form, then you’ll like the distractions of Saturday’s Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon and 5K on and around the mountain campus of Western Carolina University.
A Wild Idea from the Triangle Land Conservancy
The timing of the Triangle Land Conservancy’s “Wild Ideas for Getting Outside” symposium on Tuesday couldn’t be much better. If ever there were an audience receptive to the notion of discovering new ways and places to to get outside and explore, the frozen Triangle would be it. After two straight weeks of cold, snow, ice and no school, who isn’t ready to bust down the door and go a little wild?
TLC hatched its Wild Ideas concept last fall, with its inaugural “Feeding the Triangle: Increasing Access to Fresh Farms and Food.” The goal of Wild Ideas, according to TLC, is to provide “a dynamic, interactive venue for the community to share their innovative ideas for safeguarding clean water, protecting natural habitats, supporting local farms and food, and connecting people with nature.”
It’s the “connecting people with nature” goal that’s the impetus for Tuesday’s gathering. It’s a goal that dovetails with the mission of GetGoingNC, which is why they asked us to play a role. The event begins with GGNC’s Joe Miller offering an overview of the myriad ways you can connect with nature in the Triangle. Then, representatives from disciplines including hiking, mountain biking and paddling will discuss their areas of play in greater detail. But not too much, which is one of several great things about this program: the introductory speaker has 10 minutes to talk, the other speakers five. The emphasis is on sharing ideas, which will occur in a follow-up Q&A, and afterward, where at least 20 local groups will participate in an Outdoor Expo where you can learn more about connecting with nature in the Triangle.
And while you’re learning about connecting, enjoy free food by Parizade and beer donated by Lonerider Brewing Company. (We should note, too, that the event is supported by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina and Great Outdoor Provision Co., both of which are major supporters of GetGoingNC.com.)
Then, once you get all excited about getting outside, TLC isn’t going to just let you loose to your own devices. On Saturday, March 7, there’s a follow-up: Wild Ideas Goes Outside, a series of outings intended to actually connect you with nature. There are bird walks, trail runs, a bike ride, paddle trips and hikes (we’re especially keen on the GetHiking! Triangle hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail). Find a complete rundown of Wild Ideas Goes Outside events here.
Again, the timing for Wild Ideas for Getting Outside couldn’t be better. While the forecast calls for cold with light rain Tuesday, the thaw, and our return to connecting with nature, begins in earnest the following day. Forecast high high for Wednesday?
This weekend: Learn, learn, learn
To everything there is a season — and in this season of winter, the thing is making sense of the natural world. Learn your birds at the coast, your amphibians in the Piedmont, your naked trees in the mountains.
Coast
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird —
Yes, but what kind?
It’s a question that perplexes many of us when we spy an avian friend flying overhead. And it’s a question you can find answers to Saturday at 9 a.m. at Hammocks Beach State Park. There, a ranger will lead the group in identifying and counting birds as part of the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. It’s a massive exercise in citizen science, as people around the country report who’s flying in and out of their backyards. Binos and bird guides available, bring your own if you’ve got ‘em.