Rain Barrel Workshop

Build your own rain barrel! Participants in this workshop will take home a fully functional 55-gallon rain barrel with installation kit. These are the same rain barrels that retail for $99 and up! Workshops are limited to ten barrels, so reserve your spot now. One registration per barrel. Cost is $55 per barrel and participation is limited to two people per barrel (the person who signed up and one extra person to help). Ages 18 and up. Register online.

Crabtree Nature Crafts



Next time you bring the kids out to the park to enjoy the playgrounds, trails, or other facilities, be sure to stop by the Manager's Office for a free craft! Look for signs posted at the restrooms and playgrounds indicating that the craft is available that day (generally Mondays through Thursdays from 10 am to noon). 

Each month we will feature a different craft and theme. This month's feature is a beautiful sunflower!

Full Moon Paddle at Lake Crabtree

Mark your calendars for a full moon paddle on Friday, September 1st from 7-9 p.m. This fun evening of exploration under the stars is limited to ages 18 and up. Register HERE beginning on August 1st.

NC Adapted Sports Ribbon Cutting!

NC Adapted Sports is celebrating the completion of their Accessible Trail Project at Lake Crabtree County Park on Saturday, August 19th. Right now registration is open to attend the event, check it out and learn more at their website! As always, we thank NCAS for their hard work and dedication to make the trails more accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities!

Help wanted for Creepy Crabtree

It's July, so Halloween is just around the corner... at least on our planning schedule. If your group is interested in helping out at our Halloween event on October 28th, you can reach out to [email protected].

Check out our first Storywalk®!

You can now find StoryWalk® at Lake Crabtree County Park! For the month of August, we will feature the book “Daniel Finds a Poem” by Micha Archer as the first StoryWalk® at Lake Crabtree County Park. Explore the park as Daniel discovers many beautiful sights and sounds of nature. Interactive activities provide additional fun as you make your way through the story! This self-guided StoryWalk® can be found along the paved trails starting at the playground near Beech Shelter.

UPCOMING PARK PROGRAMS 

Come out to Lake Crabtree and discover more about the natural world while exploring the park. Click the links (program titles) for more details and to register. Spaces are limited, so register today! Full programs are not always listed, but you can join the waitlist. For the full listing of all programs visit our website.

All public programs are FREE!

Lake Crabtree also offers group programs! If your group is interested in booking a program, contact our new Assistant Manager of Education, Susan Jones at [email protected].

In-Person Programs

Birding with Vernon

Saturday, August 5th from 8:30-10 a.m.

Join our bird enthusiast, Vernon, for an easy walk while looking and listening for our feathered friends. Discover different types of birds and their habitats. Bring your own binoculars and field guides if you have them. Beginners and experienced birdwatchers are welcome! Ages 8 and up.

Nature Nerds: Herp Search

Friday, August 11th from 11 a.m. - Noon

Join park staff as they "nerd out" over a different group of animals, plants, fungi or other living things each month. This month we will be searching for box turtles and any other herpetological species we can find in the forest. Learn how to identify some of our common species, and see what else we can find. Ages 8 and up.

Homeschool/Track-out: Partnering with Pollinators

Thursday, August 17th from 10 a.m. - Noon

Join us as we take a closer look at pollinators and their relationship with flowers. We will discuss pollinator conservation and learn how you can make your yard or garden friendly to these valuable creatures. Parents/guardians are welcome to stay for the program or drop-off. Ages 6-13.

Intro to Orienteering

Saturday, August 19th from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Come get your bearings at Lake Crabtree County Park. We will give an introduction to orienteering, including using compasses, reading bearings, and calculating your strides, then send you out to explore our orienteering course! Ages 8 and up.

Rain Barrel Workshop

Tuesday, August 29th from 6 - 7:30 p.m.

Join us for a rain barrel building workshop and take home your very own 55-gallon rain barrel. Ages 18 and up.

WILD SIDE: Losing their spots

This time of year is full of changes for white-tailed deer. By early August, fawns will lose their spots and by late August, most adult male deer will have completed their antler growth. Let's take a quick look into both of these important parts of white-tailed deer's lives.

White-tailed deer young, known as fawns, are born during the late spring and early summer months. Adult female deer, known as does, seek out safe and secluded area to give birth to one to three fawns, twins being the most common. When fawns are born they are covered in white spots on their reddish-brown fur. These spots serve as a form of camouflage the help them blend in with the dappled light of the forest floor. As they grow older and are more capable of evading danger, these spots will fade and their coat will transition into the grayish-brown color characteristic of adult white-tailed deer.

Later this month adult males, known as bucks, will also be showing off some changes. Bucks grow and shed antlers each year. These majestic bony structures begin to grow in spring, covered in a soft, velvet-like tissue that provides nutrients they need. By late summer these antlers have finished growing and the velvet is shed, revealing the hard and impressive antlers underneath. These antlers are important as they get ready for mating season, they will fight other males to establish dominance and social hierarchy and the right to mate in that area. As winter approaches, bucks will complete the annual cycle by shedding their antlers, only to repeat the process again the next year, an enduring symbol of strength and renewal in nature.