February is Heart Health Month

Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for regular posts all month long. Take care of your heart and set a healthy example for others to do so too!

Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a fun way for new and experienced birders to get involved in citizen science in a big way! This annual event is free and easy, all you need is some basic bird identification knowledge, and to report your observations of at least 15 minutes during the GBBC period online at birdcount.org. This year is the 25th annual GBBC, taking place from Friday, February 18th through Monday, February 21st. We are getting ready for GBBC here at Lake Crabtree County Park with lots of bird programs happening this month! If you want to sharpen your skills or don't know where to start come to our Birdie Basics program leading up to the count, or join us in the morning on all 4 days of the event for a bird walk. All the data gathered from the Great Backyard Bird Count helps researchers at the National Audobon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology learn more about our bird populations. We hope you can help out at home or come to Lake Crabtree to do some birding with us!

Awesome Opportunity

for Your Homeschooler!

Our homeschool/track-out programs are coming back this month with an exciting beginner birding lesson on Monday, February 21st from 1-3 pm. We will spend the afternoon learning all about birds and why it is important to help conserve them. Parents/guardians are welcome to stay for the program or drop-off. Open to ages 6-14. Sign up here!

Now hiring part- time positions at Lake Crabtree!

We currently have openings for multiple part-time positions for Park Operations, Environmental Education, and Boat Rental. This is a great time to already figure out a summer job or a way to get some awesome hands on experience in a park setting. Click HERE to view all of our current openings on our website.

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 that the craft is available that day (generally Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon). 

Each month we will feature a different craft and theme. This month's feature is BIRDS! Stop by to make your very own paper bird craft.

Crabtree Creek Greenway Closure Notice

The sewer rehabilitation project has officially started. The section of Crabtree Creek Greenway between Evans and the Black Creek Greenway will be closed until sometime in Spring 2022. Signage is in place to indicate detours. 

Following that project, the town will rehabilitate sewer lines along the Black Creek Greenway from the Old Reedy Creek Road Trailhead at I-40 South to West Dynasty Drive. Black Creek Greenway will close for these repairs and greenway renovations between 2022 and 2023. 

More information can be found here.

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 to allow for social distancing at in-person programs, so register today. All programs are FREE!

Lake Crabtree also offers group programs! If your group is interested in booking a program, contact Colleen Bockhahn at colleen.bockhahn@wakegov.com.

In-Person Family Programs

Birdie Basics

Sunday, February 13th from 2:00-3:30 pm

Join park staff at the office feeders for a tutorial on both Project FeederWatch and the Great Backyard Bird Count. This is a great opportunity for people of all ages with little or no birdwatching experience to gain confidence identifying backyard birds. Bring your own binoculars if you have them or borrow some of ours. Open to ages 6 and up.

Bird Walk (GBBC)

Friday, February 18th from 8:30-10:00 am

Bird Walk (GBBC)

Saturday, February 19th from 8:30-10:00 am

Bird Walk (GBBC)

Sunday, February 20th from 8:30-10:00 am

Bird Walk (GBBC)

Monday, February 21st from 8:30-10:00 am

Join park staff and volunteers in collecting data for the 25th annual Great Backyard Bird Count. We will look and listen for birds in a variety of habitats, and keep track of how many individuals of each species we find. New and experienced birders of all ages are welcome. Learn field ID techniques for our winter residents and visitors. We will end at the park office for a review of our sightings. Open to ages 8 and up.

Birdability Birding

Saturday, February 19th from 1:00-3:00 pm

Join park staff on a bird outing to look for our year-round bird species, as well as winter visitors. Birders of all experience levels are welcome! We will be collecting data for the 25th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count, and sharing ways you can participate at home.

This outing will be on docks and paved trails and roads. Our route will be fully accessible for wheelchairs and others with mobility concerns. We will spend time scanning the lake for winter waterfowl, so if you have a spotting scope, please bring it! Binoculars will be available to borrow for anyone who needs them. Open to ages 8 and up.

Salamander Walk

Saturday, February 19th from 1:00-3:00 pm

Join park staff on a search for salamanders at Lake Crabtree County Park. This time of year is actually a good time to find salamanders on the move as they are busy using ephemeral bodies of water to lay their eggs. We will hike by some of these temporary pools to look for egg masses, and check under coverboards and logs for adult salamanders as we go. All attendees must be registered and minors must be accompanied by an adult. Open to all ages.

Birding with Vernon

Saturday, March 5th from 8:30-10:00 am

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. Open to ages 12 and up.

Virtual Family Programs

Beginner Birding Class

Thursday, February 17th from 1:00-2:00 pm

What is the difference between birdwatching and birding? Birding with Vernon walk leader, Vernon Janke, will talk about the art of birding, and the tools and techniques you need to improve your birding skills. This is the perfect opportunity to prepare for the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count! This is a virtual program open to all ages.

Storytime for Tots Homeschool/Track-out Programs

Homeschool/Track-Out: Adventures in Birdwatching (GBBC)

Monday, February 21st from 1:00-3:00 pm

Join park staff for a fun introduction to birding. All children must be registered, parents are welcome to stay or drop off. Open to ages 6-14.

Storytime for Tots: Secretive Salamanders

Wednesday, March 2nd from 10:00-11:00 am

This month's Storytime for Tots is all about salamanders! Come listen to a story, search for secretive salamanders along the nature trail and create habitats for our amphibian friends. All children must be registered and accompanied by an adult. Open to ages 18 months-6 years old.

WILD SIDE: Salamanders on the move

There is a lot of bird coverage in the rest of this newsletter with the Great Backyard Bird Count and all of our birding programs coming up. So, this Wild Side will be about salamanders! You might think this is an odd time of year to talk about an amphibian, with North Carolina seeing snow these past couple of weeks. But, this is right when several species are on the move. 

Amphibians start their life cycle as eggs that are usually laid in water. Next, they hatch as larvae with gills. Then, they will grow limbs and eventually reach maturity where they will exit the water and begin their terrestrial life as adults. In fact, the name "Amphibia" is derived from Greek meaning "two life" (referring to the time spent in water and on land).

But life is not easy for salamanders. They need to make sure their eggs are laid in a safe space to allow the eggs to hatch and the larvae to grow. These places can vary, but one of the safest places for an amphibian to lay their eggs is in a vernal pool. Also known as an ephemeral pool, vernal pools are seasonal pools of water that provide important habitat for our salamander friends. These temporary areas of water will not have a lot of the same dangers a permanent pond will have. There will be less predators like hungry fish to snap up a salamander or its eggs. Also there is less competition for the microorganisms and insect larvae the young salamanders will eat as they grow. 

Even as terrestrial adults, salamanders need to live in a moist environment. Adults will spend most of their time under decaying logs or other damp, quiet areas. You can help make artificial habitat for them by laying flat pieces of wood or tin out in good areas for them and giving them a dark, cool area to live. We call these coverboards.

If you want to learn more and go on a search for some spectacular salamanders we will be leading a Salamander Walk on Saturday, February 26th from 1-3 pm. We will check the vernal pools for any egg masses that might have been laid and we will look under logs and our coverboards to try and spy some adult salamanders. If you’re interested in attending, sign up here! Also on Wednesday, March 2nd from 10-11 am we will have Storytime for Tots: Secretive Salamanders for children ages 18 months-6 years old. If you have a little one, sign up here!