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Email Announcements We Are Receiving Today: See What’s Going On Around The Community

1) July Programs at Grandfather Mountain State Park

Clouds

Sun, July 6, 2014   |   2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Location: Boone Fork Parking Area  (Just north of the 300 Milepost on Blue Ridge Parkway)

Appropriate for all ages (Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult)

Have you ever looked up at the clouds and formulated an image of something into them (for example you see the image of a dog when you look at the cloud)? Chances are you were looking at a cumulonimbus cloud. Join Ranger Sicard to learn how to identify cloud types and what kind of weather is associated with the each cloud. Participants have the option to make a cloud poster to take with them at the end of the presentation. This program will be held at Boone Fork Parking area at 2pm and will last approximately 30 minutes. If wanting to stay and make a cloud poster plan to stay an additional 20 minutes after the presentation. If it is raining the program will be held at the park office 9872 Hwy 105 S. Please no pets.  Please dress appropriately for the weather conditions. For more information please call Andy Sicard at the park office 828-963-9522 or email: andy.sicard@ncparks.gov.

Right or Knot

Sat, July 12, 2014   |   2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Location: Park Office – 9872 Hwy 105 S., Banner Elk

Appropriate for all ages (Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult)

How often do you tie a knot? If you tie your shoes in the morning you tie an overhand knot and also a bow. There are many knots that we use regularly throughout our day to day routines but may not necessarily know what kind of knot is tied. Join Ranger Sicard to learn a variety of simple knots that can be used for Household fixes, Camping, Outdoor sports, and for tying down items to vehicles (canoes, kayaks, or when moving). Participants will get instructions they can take home with them and will also get to learn to tie the knots in person with the Ranger and provided rope. This will be a 30 minute program held at the park’s office (9872 Hwy105 S.) at 2pm. Please no pets.  For more information please call Andy Sicard at the park office 828-963-9522 or email: andy.sicard@ncparks.gov.

Camouflage

Sun, July 13, 2014   |   2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Location: Boone Fork Parking Area  (Just north of the 300 Milepost on Blue Ridge Parkway)

Appropriate for all ages (Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult)

Animals use camouflage every day to either stand out in an environment or remain hidden in it. Test your skills in finding the animals hidden at the Boone Fork Parking Area while learning how important it is for animals to use camouflage for survival. Participants will learn through a 10 minute presentation the Pros and Cons camouflage has in the wild. Then test your skills to find the animals that are hidden in the edge of a wooded area; once finding the animal Ranger Sicard will tell about the animal’s adaptations and behaviors from its unique habitat. Please no pets.  Please dress appropriately for the weather conditions. For more information please call Andy Sicard at the park office 828-963-9522 or email:andy.sicard@ncparks.gov.

Twilight Hike

Mon, July 14, 2014   |   8:00 p.m.

Location: Profile Parking Lot  (Hwy 105 South – 1/4 mile north of the Hwy 184 intersection)

Appropriate for all ages (Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult)

Join a Park Ranger for an evening stroll through the Southern Appalachian Forest and see the woods come to life after the sun sets. Experience the park from a different prospective and learn about nocturnal wildlife. Participants must bring flashlights or headlamps and are encouraged to wear hiking boots. Hike will go approximately 1.5 miles. Dress appropriately for the weather. Please no pets.   Please contact Luke Appling with any questions. 828-963-9522 orluke.appling@ncparks.gov.

Edible, Medicinal and Toxic Plants of Appalachia

Fri, July 18, 2014   |   2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Location: Profile Parking Lot  (Hwy 105 South – 1/4 mile north of the Hwy 184 intersection)

Appropriate for all ages (Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult)

The wilds of the Southern Appalachians can be useful to those knowledgeable in woodcraft and a curse to those who consume a misidentified plant. Join a Ranger for a stroll through the woods and learn some science and folklore behind our botanical bounty. We will not be collecting or consuming plants during this program. Please dress for the weather conditions and hiking approximately one mile. All ages are welcome. Please no pets.  Please contact Luke Appling with any questions. 828-963-9522 or luke.appling@ncparks.gov.

Moth Madness!

Sat, July 19, 2014   |   8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

Location: Lowes Foods parking lot  (Highway 105 at intersection of Highway 184)

Appropriate for all ages (Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult)

2014 is the Year of the Lepidoptera for North Carolina State Parks! Lepidoptera is the scientific name for moths and butterflies and means ‘scale wing’. Moths are just as beautiful and varied as their butterfly cousins. Join a Ranger for some Moth Madness as we turn on the lights after dark and try to lure in some moths for observation and identification. Please dress for the weather conditions, bring a headlamp or flashlight and be prepared for walking on uneven ground. Please No Pets.  Meet at Northern side of Lowes Food parking lot – program will be in adjacent wooded lot. Please contact Luke Appling with any questions. 828-963-9522 or luke.appling@ncparks.gov.

 Volunteer Trail Work Day (Cragway Trail)

Sat, July 19, 2014   |   9:30 a.m.   

Location: Boone Fork Parking Area  (Just north of the 300 Milepost on Blue Ridge Parkway)

Join the Park’s staff for a day of trail maintenance and get a feel for what goes into managing a highly popular hiking destination. Volunteers will learn how to safely and effectively use tools, be shown sustainable trail design techniques and become familiar with trail labor. Work will be based on experience and skill level of volunteers and will range from easier low level physical activity to advanced highly physical trail construction. This volunteer day is suitable for adults and children above 12 years of age. All volunteers under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal adult guardian present. Volunteers should be dressed in appropriate clothing for outdoor work, bring work gloves, wear closed toed shoes and bring food and water for refreshment during the day.  Email: grandfather.mountain@ncparks.gov.

Butterflies for Beginners

Sat, July 26, 2014   |   10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

Location: Foscoe Grandfather Community Center Park  (Hwy 105 S.

Appropriate for all ages (Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult)

2014 is the Year of Lepidoptera for North Carolina State Parks! What’s Lepidoptera? It’s the scientific name for moths and butterflies and means ‘scale wing’. Join a Ranger for a short presentation about traits, life cycles and identification followed by a hands-on field class. We will observe, identify and try to catch few for closer inspection. Please dress for weather conditions and walking on uneven ground. Please no pets.

Meet at the picnic shelter at the Foscoe Community Center beside Grandfather Campground. Please contact Luke Appling with any questions. 828-963-9522 or luke.appling@ncparks.gov.

Animals of Grandfather Mountain State Park

Sun, July 27, 2014   |   2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Location: Boone Fork Parking Area  (Just north of the 300 Milepost on Blue Ridge Parkway)

Appropriate for all ages (Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult)

Join Ranger Sicard to learn about a few of the many animals that live within Grandfather Mountain State Park. Participants will get to hear about each animal’s neat adaptations and see what they look like in person using taxidized animal mounts. If you live in the area you are most likely to have these same animals living in or near your home so be sure to attend and find out all you can about them. This will be a 30 minutes presentation held at Boone Fork Parking Area at 2pm. No pets please.  Please dress appropriately for the weather conditions. For more information please call the park office 828-963-9522 or emailgrandfather.mountain@ncparks.gov.

2) Challenger Sports Hosts Free Soccer Clinics Sunday

Watauga County Parks and Recreation is proud to offer a free soccer clinic to the community on Sunday, July 6 in conjunction with Challenger Sports. This free skill session will help improve the player’s technical skills in a fun and challenging environment. The professional Challenger Sports Soccer coaches will lead each session. This is a great opportunity for your child to experience the British Soccer Camp and register for this summer’s camp. The session will be held at Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex at 574 Brookshire Rd. in Boone from 5-6 p.m. for ages 3-16. Please bring your own soccer ball and drink to the session. No need to register, just come on Sunday at 5 p.m.! Challenger Sports will also bring the very popular British Soccer Camp to other locations nearby. Check out these opportunities by visiting www.challengersports.com.

3) New York Times Bestselling Author Frances Mayes Visits Appalachian July 24

Although many know Frances Mayes from the international bestselling memoir and subsequent film “Under the Tuscan Sun” set in Italy, Mayes is first a Southerner. Currently splitting her time between homes in Italy and North Carolina, Mayes will visit the High Country as the Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Lecturer July 24 at Appalachian State University. The lecture is sponsored by University Libraries and also is part of An Appalachian Summer Festival. Mayes will read and sign copies of her latest work, “Under Magnolia: A Southern Memoir” beginning at 3:30 p.m. in Plemmons Student Union’s Parkway Ballroom. A reception and book signing will follow. The public is welcome to attend. Formerly a professor of creative writing at San Francisco State University, where she directed The Poetry Center and chaired the Department of Creative Writing, Mayes now devotes herself full time to writing. Frances Mayes’ lecture is 15th in the Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Lecture Series. Irwin and the late Carol Belk of Charlotte have provided funding for the series through the Belk Library and Information Commons Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professorship. Previous speakers in the series include regional writers Ron Rash and Sharyn McCrumb, children’s author Gloria Houston, Guggenheim Fellow Randall Kenan and North Carolina Poet Laureate Joseph Bathanti.