In this issue:
February Programs at Harris Lake County Park
Great Backyard Bird Count Programs
February Programs at the ATT
Day Camps
Longleaf Festival


February Programs at
Harris Lake County Park
All participants must be registered using our online system.

Wagon Ride to the Longleaf Area for Bird Watching
Saturday, February 3; 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
For ages 8 and up; $1 per person
Join us on a wagon ride to our 60-acre Longleaf Pine Forest where we will disembark to go bird watching in this unique habitat. Naturalists and Wake Audubon Society members Will Rowland and Larry Zoller will help us identify the birds we see and hear. Bring your own binoculars and field guide or borrow ours. Dress for the weather and bring water. 
Meet at the Wagon near the playground

Nature in MY Backyard
Saturday, February 10; 1:30–3 p.m.
For all ages; $2 per person
Do you love nature? 
Join us to learn simple ways to attract all kinds of wildlife to your
backyard then build a bluebird house to take home.
Meet at the Longleaf Shelter.

Citizen Science Thursday
Thursday, February 22; 1:30-3:30 p.m.
For ages 10 and up
Free but all participants must be registered through our online system.
Volunteer your time with our monitoring and citizen science projects. Tasks will vary depending on what needs attention and may include: cleaning or repairing habitat boxes or installing new ones, monitoring our current boxes and assisting with other relevant tasks. Come prepared to learn and work as you manage our natural resources.
Dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes and bring work gloves and a water bottle.
A signed Volunteer Release is required for participation in the program.
Meet at the Cypress Shelter.

Winter Campfire
Friday, March 2; 6–7:30 p.m.
For all ages; $1/person
Are you ready for spring? Enjoy an evening outside roasting marshmallows and listening to Native American tales, then go on a night hike to see and hear who is out and about. Dress for the weather, bring a water bottle and a camp chair or blanket.
Meet at the Cypress Shelter.

Great Backyard Bird Count Programs
These programs are all free but registration is required.
Great Backyard Bird Count:
Participate in the 21 st annual Great Backyard Bird Count on February 16-19, 2018. 
Bird watchers of all ages are encouraged to count birds to create a real-time snapshot
of where birds are across the globe. http://gbbc.birdcount.org/
The following programs are free at Harris Lake County Park and the
American Tobacco Trail for this exciting event.
Registration using our online system is required for all of these GBBC programs.


GBBC Bird Walk along the American Tobacco Trail
Friday, February 16; 8-10 a.m.
For all ages; Free for GBBC
As part of our Great Backyard Bird Count Programs, we will observe and count the variety of birds
that can be found along the Trail as we walk to the Beaver Creek Bridge.
Meet at the picnic table at the New Hill Parking Area.

Introduction to Bird Watching and the “GBBC”
Friday, February 16; 3:30–5:30 p.m.
For all ages; Free for GBBC
Discover some tips and techniques to identify birds as we introduce you to the rewarding
hobby of bird watching through fun activities.
Learn how to participate in the GBBC
and hike along the shoreline to practice your new skills and help us count the birds.
Meet at the Longleaf Shelter.

Morning GBBC Bird Walks at Harris Lake County Park
Saturday, February 17
and
Monday, February 19
9-10:30 a.m.; Free for all ages
Help park staff add to our Great Backyard Bird Count data as we walk along the trails and
shoreline to identify our birds in different habitats of the park. 
Meet at the Platform in the Educational Garden.

Wonderful Woodcocks and Wagon Ride for GBBC
Saturday, February 17; 5:30–7 p.m.
For ages 12 and up; Free for GBBC
Discover some tips and techniques to identify birds as we introduce you to the rewarding
hobby of bird watching through fun activities.
Learn how to participate in the GBBC
and hike along the shoreline to practice your new skills and help us count the birds.
Meet at the Longleaf Shelter.

Heart Healthy Bird Walk for GBBC
Sunday, February 18; 1-2:30 p.m.
For all ages; Free for GBBC
Join park staff for an afternoon walk for the Great Backyard Bird Count to add birds to our
GBBC list while engaging in heart healthy physical activity for Wake County’s Heart Health Awareness Month. A representative Wake County Human Services Health Promotion Chronic Disease Prevention Section will share some heart healthy tips and enter all participants in a drawing for a door prize.
Meet at the picnic table at the Cypress Shelter.

Raptors of Harris Lake County Park
Monday, February 19; 1-2:30 p.m.
Free for ages 6 and up
There are many kinds of raptors or birds of prey that call Harris Lake County Park home.
Some stay all year like the Bald Eagle and others like the Osprey live here only part of the year.
Discover the adaptations that make them such great survivors and take a short hike to search
for sightings of them around the park.
Meet at the Cypress Shelter.

February Programs at the American Tobacco Trail
All participants must be registered using our online system.
Geocaching 101 on the American Tobacco Trail
Friday, February 9; 3-4:30 p.m.
For ages 6 and up   
$1 per person
Geocaching is like a treasure hunt where participants use GPS coordinates to track down hidden “caches”. Learn what geocaching is all about and take off to find a geocache along the trail! We will provide a GPS unit per family and instruction on how to use them. Feel free to bring your own unit or smart phone with a geocache app. Register early as class size is limited.
Meet at the White Oak parking area at the picnic tables (1305 White Oak Church Rd., Apex)

Bike for Heart Health on the American Tobacco Trail 
Saturday, February 10; 1-2:30 p.m.
Free for all ages for Heart Health Awareness Month 
Join park staff, in observance of Heart Health Awareness Month, on an afternoon bike ride down the American Tobacco Trail. We will discover nature, learn about trail safety and speak to a representative from Wake County Human Services Health Promotion Chronic Disease Prevention Section who will share some heart healthy tips as we make stops along our four mile ride. All participants will be entered into a drawing for a door prize following the ride. You must bring your own bike, helmet and water.
Meet at the New Hill Parking area near the restrooms.

Day Camps at Harris Lake County Park are open for registration!
Outdoor Survival Camp - April 3-5, 2018
Mini Discovery Camps for 4-7 year olds:
June 18-22, July 9-13, and August 6-10
Discovery Day Camps for 7-11 year olds:
June 25-29 and July 16-20
Save the Date for Longleaf Festival at Harris Lake County Park
Saturday, May 19
Wagon rides to our Longleaf Forest; many exhibitors to visit; games and crafts for kids
and much more...

Harris Lake County Park and the American Tobacco Trail
 919-387-4342 (HLCP)  919-387-2117 (ATT)  919-387-4349 (Fax)
 email: harris.lake@wakegov.com