Carrick Creek Trail

I have been wanting to go hiking for several weeks but something always got in the way. We had things to do, the weather was too hot or it was raining. Sometimes the mind was willing but the body wasn’t.

Well, yesterday was the day that everything worked out and we got up early to eat breakfast at Waffle House. Then we headed to Table Rock State Park to do a short hike.

It felt wonderful to be outdoors and experience nature. We looked for flowers and listened for animals. It was nice to see God’s world and appreciate all that he has created! We saw the flowers of a cranefly orchid which was great because normally we only find the red leaves. We also saw some white bergamot. I heard birds and we found a snail.

Gnicky the gnome hitched a ride with us and rode on the back of my pack. He got a picture with the water cascading behind him. At one trail crossing, he pointed the direction that we needed to go.

By the time we left, it was starting to get hot and more crowded. We found out that the parking lots were being monitored and when they filled up, the gates were closed for an hour or two so I’m glad we went early.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Being Outdoors

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Being Outdoors, Rushton features a “video by an organization called Dirt is Good, you’ll hear from several men about what it means to be in prison. They talk about how they think and what they value. In particular, they talk about being outdoors.”

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“If you were in prison, do you think you’d feel the same way that these men do? Why or why not?

Do you know people who aren’t in prison, but they are prisoners to something that holds them back from things they want to do? Without sharing a name, can you describe someone like that?”

As a hiker, I couldn’t imagine not being outdoors. We love to hike and camp because we love nature. It puts all of my problems and worries into perspective. There is so much to learn from being outdoors and too many adults forget about this. I think finding ways to bring learning activities outdoors can really impact learning.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Mountain Boarding

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In A Mountain and a Board, Rushton features Jason Lee who loves snowboarding so much that he wants to do it year-round.

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“Is there something that you enjoy that you could do in a rather different way? That is, can you bring a creative insight that allows something totally new to emerge?

Don’t worry if you can’t think of anything now. The more important lesson is that you should be ready for a cool idea, and when one happens, write it down and then try building on that idea.

So, what might you have learned, built, and refined by a year from now? Whatever it is, there’s the possibility that it can become a path for a very cool future.”

This is a great way to have students focus on things they love to do and try to find ways that they can do it in different seasons. Or maybe they need to find different locations. It would be good to have students share their interests and they might find others who are interested in the same things. Together, they may come up with ways to make it better or different.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Raven Cliff Falls Hike

Last week we went on a hike to Raven Cliff Falls in South Carolina. It was perfect weather and it felt so good to be outdoors. The smells and sounds and colors were just amazing! I hope you enjoy the video I made of our hike. 

I think encouraging students to make videos of something they did is a great learning experience. It is also a great way to share things that they enjoy.

Hickory Knob State Resort Park

Hickory Knob State Resort Park is located in McCormick, South Carolina. It is the only resort park in the state park system. I have been to this park several times and it is a very nice park. The views are fabulous!

There are a lot of activities available at this park. There is a playground, a basketball court, a volleyball court, a horseshoe pit, tether and ladder balls, and a putting green. You can also make a reservation for archery or skeet shooting. There is also an 18-hole championship golf course.

Water sports include swimming in Lake Thurmond or the swimming pool if you are staying in a cabin or the lodge. You can rent a canoe, kayak, rods, and reels at the park office. The boat ramp for the lake is also available.

Accommodations include rooms at the lodge, 16 cabins, a group lodge, and a campground. There is a restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

A historical house, the Guillebeau Houses is located at the park.

There are 3 bike/hiking trails that go along the lake’s edge. The Beaver Run Trail is 2.5 miles, the Lakeview Loop is 7.2 miles, and the Turkey Ridge Trail is 1.7 miles.

Map of the park

Devils Fork State Park

Devil’s Fork State Park is located near Salem, South Carolina. The park consists of 622 acres and was created in 1990. There are many small waterfalls that feed Lake Jocassee and is the home of the rare flower, the Oconee Bell. 90% of the world’s population of this flower is found at Devil’s Fork State Park. There is a campground and a park store/gift shop at the ranger station here. Most of the activities to do involve the lake and water sports. You can fish in Lake Jocassee and you will find many boaters on the lake. On-site kayak and canoe rentals are available. This the only public access to the lake. Some people even scuba dive here where there is thirty-foot visibility. There is a swimming area with no lifeguard in the park. Some people even like to do geocaching here. There is also a 1-mile nature trail called The Oconee Bell Trail where you can find the flower and identify birds.

Lake Jocassee is a 7565 acre, 300-foot-deep lake that is fed by four mountain streams and several waterfalls. The lake was created by the state and Duke Power in 1973. The Jocassee Dam forms the lake and is 385 feet high and 1750 feet long. Most of the manmade structures were demolished when the lake was created but divers found the remains of a lodge that was left intact. The Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery was a setting used in the film Deliverance in 1972 and is now underwater in the lake.

Photo: https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/fetch/q_75/https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/crm/greenville/Jocassee-Gorges-2--35f660805056a36_35f674c9-5056-a36f-2398160f42326e7c.jpg

Table Rock State Park

Last week, we went to Table Rock State Park and enjoyed hiking on the trails. The weather was beautiful, and it was a great day to be outside. I was very happy to see so many families in the park and on the trails.

I thought I would share some interesting information about the park with you.

The park is located on Highway 11 in Pickens, South Carolina. It has two lakes, picnic shelters, a campground and cabins, a meeting house, and a historic, renovated lodge. The park consists of 3083 acres at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Pinnacle Mountain, the tallest mountain in the state is located in this park.

Years ago, the lodge was well known for its Sunday brunches and I remember going there with my family. The lodge was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and has a kitchen and 72 seat dining room.

Before 1785, the land used to be part of the Lower Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee called this area “the Great Blue Hills of God.”  The mountain got its name from a legend that the flat-topped mountain was the Great Spirit’s dinner table. After the Hopewell Treaty, Europeans moved into Pumpkintown (known for the unusually large pumpkins there).  A lodge was open up by William Sutherland and James Keith. In 1845,  they built the Table Rock Hotel that had twenty rooms. The hotel did well after the Civil War.  After Reconstruction, Stephen Keith reopened the Table Rock Hotel. Keith’s family built a new hotel in a different place in 1899 but abandoned it by 1912.

2860 acres of the land was donated to South Carolina by Pickens County and the city of Greenville in 1935. In 1936, A concrete dam and spillway were constructed to create the 23-acre Pinnacle Lake. Miles of trails, roads, a bathhouse, concessions building, fish pools, cabins, picnic shelters, and staff housing were also built. A lodge was also built made of logs. The park opened on April 4, 1938.

In 1989 the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is also considered a South Carolina Heritage Trust Site.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Outdoor Fun

After spending months in self-quarantine and only going grocery shopping every other week, it felt really nice last week to get out and do some hiking. I was very happy to see so many families and young people on the trails and at the parks. Being outdoors can be a great learning experience for many students.

Here are some examples of what students can learn about:

·      Reading and following a map.

·      Following trail blazes.

·      Identifying wildflowers.

·      Identifying trees.

·      Identifying ferns.

·      Identifying fungus.

·      Identifying salamanders.

·      Identifying birds.

·      Identifying insects.

·      Studying erosion.

·      Studying water ecology.

·      Life cycles.

·      History of the park.

·      History of structures that once existed.

·      Water safety.

·      Learn first aid.

·      Healthy snacks to take on a hike.

There are so many wonderful things to see and do outdoors! Find a park or nature preserve near you and check it out. You may be surprised at all the new things you can find!

Have you enjoyed somewhere outdoors? What did you see and do? Please share.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Get Outside

Last week I had a young friend at the university who didn’t feel well and was a little homesick and lonely. I invited her over and we went for a 3-mile hike. It was nice weather and it felt so good to get outside. Then we went downtown and walked some more. Getting outside and moving around was a great antidote for the blues.

Then on Wednesday, we joined our hiking group on a 4.4-mile hike to see a waterfalls. There were 25 of us and it was great catching up with friends we haven’t seen in a while. Plus, the benefit of exercising was wonderful. It has been so cold, and the weather has been so miserable that it felt great to be outdoors.

I know in school we encourage students to study and work hard but I think we also need to encourage them to get outside. I think they need to connect with nature, not just in the summer but other seasons also.

It would be great for students to study the same area during different seasons. See the changes that take place each season. Draw pictures and compare them each season.

It would be interesting for students to watch an area and look for new growth and new beginnings. This could lead to great discussions how people have a chance for the same new growth and new beginnings.

Maybe there is a walking track or a trail at the school. Look for a walking path where different things can be observed. Have students talk about what they think they will see. Then later have them make a list of the things they saw and compare the two.

Now is the time to start planning a flower or vegetable garden. Sometimes the planning is almost as much fun as the growing! Looking up different plants, pricing, and thinking about where to plant them is fun. Maybe thinking about growing things from seeds and gathering supplies as well as deciding when the best time to plant them is very educational.

Whenever the weather is not bitter cold, we all need to get outside. We need to breathe fresh air and soak up some Vitamin D from the sun!

Do you get outside? What things do you do? Please share.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Get Outdoors

Now that spring is here and the school year is ending, it is time to think about activities that will get students and teachers outdoors. Too many times we want kids to do summer reading and teachers want to plan for the next year. We tend to want to be a couch potato and plop in front of the TV or do video games. STOP! Instead, get outdoors! Here are some suggestions for all ages.

·      Check out your local State or National Parks and see what ranger led activities are available.

·      Plant a garden – either vegetable or flower gardens.

·      Take a nature photo a day.

·      Go on a hike.

·      Have a picnic outdoors.

·      Go camping.

·      Wash your cars.

·      Sit in a pretty place outside to read or knit or just enjoy nature.

·      Go for a walk in your neighborhood.

·      Go to a town and walk around Main St. to window-shop.

·      Do your exercising outdoors. If you do aerobics or yoga or Pilates, do it outside.

·      Visit a local garden or plant nursery.

·      Visit a zoo.

·      Sketch a flower that you see outside.

What other ideas can you think of to get outdoors? Please share.

State Park Volunteer Training

We had the training of volunteers for the spring session of the school program at Paris Mountain State Park last week. I was thrilled that there was such a big turn out! It was even exciting to see the region this training is offered twice a year and I have been to 3 of these sessions. I’m always thrilled that I learn something new at every session I attend. Click HERE to look at the pictures that I took. I find this such a rewarding program and really believe in what is being done here. It encourages students to be outdoors and to learn about their environment. I believe it teaches them an appreciation of their state parks and their surroundings. If you haven’t done so, I would suggest that you check with the state park system where you live to see if there is a program available for your students.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station

For more pictures, click HERE.

For our Upstate Master Naturalist Meeting, we met at the Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station in Oconee, SC. We met in the Foothills Trail parking area where we were introduced to the men who organized this program for us and would take us on our tour. We had to carpool because places where we would stop didn’t have a lot of parking area. Marcus Pitts (Duke Energy employee) led us on a tour of the facility.

First we traveled across the top of one of the dams (there are three of them) which is an earthen dam. It was an amazing sight to see. The station took 10 years to build starting in 1981 and finishing in 1991. The Bad Creek Reservoir is the upper reservoir and Lake Jocasee is the lower one. After that, we drove into the access tunnel which they used to bring in equipment and personnel. We were able to walk around in the Powerhouse (which was actually lower in elevation than Lake Jocasee). The huge room we stood in was 74 feet wide, 160 feet high, and 433 feet long. The generators weigh over 425 tons and there were cranes that lifted the generators when they needed to be worked on. We saw the smaller generator which actually reverses and brings water back into the upper reservoir. The 30 foot power tunnel allows over six million gallons of water per minute to pass through the turbine. This was truly amazing to see and how no one would actually know that all of this took place so far underground just by looking at the lakes and the land in between.

After leaving there, we went to the outdoor classroom which was a wonderful science lab available to teachers of all grades. Available was a shelter with tables for the class to sit for talks and lunch. There was also a food plot, butterfly garden, and trail with stations. There were plywood boards with rope on them so that the class could lift it up and see what kind of insects live under there. Teachers have the flexibility to use this outdoor classroom in any way they need to in order to meet their curriculum standards. If teachers are interested in something special, they can contact the education specialist there and talk to them about specific needs. I liked that teachers of any grade level could bring their class to this if they thought it could be used for hands on learning experiences. There is no program, guide, or instructor for this classroom so each teacher would be responsible for teaching their own lessons. Duke Energy is just making their facility available to the teacher and class. After going through an orientation, teachers may use this outdoor classroom the way they thing it would best enhance their lessons. All Duke Energy asks is that they reserve the site (so more than one class isn’t there at the same time) and check in when they arrive and leave.

I was surprised that this fantastic free opportunity is available but not many schools use this. I hope as some teachers read this they may be interested in using this facility. The only cost would be the bus and bus driver. If anyone is interested in using this facility, contact me and I will give you the contact info for the Outdoor Classroom.

I thought this was an awesome day (and great way to celebrate my birthday)! In fact, coming back home from Myrtle Beach to attend this meeting was part of my birthday present from my hubby. If any teacher lives close enough to bring their class to Bad Creek, I would highly recommend it!

Original Photos by Pat Hensley

Students in Nature’s Classroom

As we travel to different national parks and monuments, I always feel thrilled when I see young people experiencing this wonderful gift that we have. I also wonder how many people realize how lucky we are in the United States to have so many wonderful places. I love to meet people from other countries who are seeing my country for the first time and enjoying the beautiful parks that we have. If it hadn’t been for someone with a vision, these places would not have been protected over time. But what about the future? Are we instilling this same vision in the generations to come? How many of my students have never been to a park, or hiked, or experienced the outdoors? That is what scares me.

When I was growing up, I was expected to be a young lady and never get dirty. I was never allowed to do much outdoors but I wonder if it is because my parents had no experience with it either. Even now, I’m not sure my parents understand my love for the outdoors. As I see the world around me, I am constantly amazed at how this earth was made and continues to change. It helps me put my own life in perspective and see things in life differently. This made me wonder if my students did not have much experience outdoors because their parents did not have any experience either. Maybe their parents worked two jobs and it was all they could do to support their families. There could be many reasons for why my students had no clue about the outdoors.

This made me think that I had to offer opportunities for my students to experience nature. I began to look up websites but that would only let them see the outdoors on a virtual level. I began to look up hands on activities. I found courses like Project Learning Tree that offered lessons to use with my students. I joined a hiking club so I could learn more about the areas where I lived that I could share with my students. I began taking my class outdoors when the weather was nice to look at trees and plants and discuss what they saw outside. At the end of the school year, I always planned a hike in the state park which my students really enjoyed. Many of them had never been hiking or even seen a mountain before. Just to see their faces as they experienced this for the first time was extremely moving to me!

Many of my students thanked me for the opportunities and I hope I planted a seed. I hope their memories of what they did in my classroom would inspire them to continue with a relationship with nature and the outdoors. Hopefully a love for our earth would grow in their hearts and would be passed on to their children. I might not see the results of my teachings but hopefully the future will benefit and be more successful for the little part I played in this story.

Photo credit: Capitol Reef National Park by Pat Hensley