Kentucky Department of Parks State Naturalist's Blog

State Park Gift Cards

Ron_Vanover — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 07:19:12 -0700

Kentucky Department of Parks News Release
Dec. 4, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gil Lawson,
502-564-4270, ext 168

Kentucky State Parks Offer Holiday Gift Ideas

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky State Parks have some great holiday gift ideas for you and your family.

The ideas include wildlife viewing trips such as the Eagle Watch Weekends at three western Kentucky state resort parks, the Sandhill Crane Weekends at Barren River Lake State Resort Park and the elk viewing tours in eastern Kentucky.

“These trips and packages make perfect gifts for family members and friends, especially when you’re trying to find the perfect gift for someone who has everything,” said Parks Commissioner Elaine Walker. “These gifts are great for family gatherings, or just when a couple wants to get away for a weekend.”

Also on the list are overnight golf packages, state park gift cards and the Commonwealth Getaway Package. This package for $149 plus tax includes a lodge room for one night and three meals for two people. The packages are subject to availability.

For details, visit the "GIFT IDEAS" tab.

Fall Colors are Peaking in Kentucky

Ron_Vanover — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 08:12:11 -0700

There is no doubt that this week is an excellent time to view fall colors in the Commonwealth. Last week, the Red River Gorge was and continues to be in splendid color. Also, I am being told that the Pine Mountain Region is beautiful as well. And, from speaking to my father in McCreary County, he says, "The colors are beautiful and in peak for viewing." He lives near Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. Also, while traveling to Big Bone Lick Historic Site on Friday, the colors in Northern Kentucky are in peak color.

The pictures attached were taken in Frankfort. The colors here are close to peaking and some areas offer great color. The Capitol sure does look beautiful this time of the year. The views from Elkhorn Creek are splendid with vivid colors in some areas.

Hope you will be able to travel and awe at the beauty of our fall colors in the Commonwealth. As always, safe travels to you and your family.

My Trip to Natural Bridge Today

Ron_Vanover — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:31:13 -0700

One word can sum up my trip to Natural Bridge State Resort Park and the Red River Gorge today. Spectacular! Of course, other describing words would be breathtaking, gorgeous, stunning, and amazing. It is the peak time to view fall colors in this part of Kentucky. Take a hiking trip, ride the skylift, or do the driving tour through the Red River Gorge. This may be the opportune time to view colors in Eastern Kentucky. I hope you and your family will be able to get out this weekend and enjoy the fall foliage. Safe travels.

Outreach Program to Methodist Women Group

Ron_Vanover — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:25:32 -0700

My travels this week, thus far, have kept me close to Frankfort. On October 16, I spoke to the Frankfort United Methodist Women's Group about the importance of backyard birds, their vocal sounds, and ways to attract various species. They were very attentive to the program and many were surprised to see the correlation between music and bird vocalizations. Topics included bird vocalization and identification on owls, woodpeckers, and songbirds. I guess you could say that we had a "hoot" of a time. I walked away having fourteen new friends!

Now is an excellent time to explore Kentucky in its fall splendor. I hope you have the opportunity to stop for a moment and enjoy the scenery around you. Safe travels.

ColorFall Report for October 10

Ron_Vanover — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 11:28:33 -0700

There is no significant change in colors this week of October 10 reporting compared to last week. I have observed some beautiful maples that are spectacular along Schenkel Lane. Also, the Kentucky River offers great picturesque views and plenty of canoeing and boating opportunities. This weekend is supposed to be beautiful and would make for an opportune time to travel and enjoy outdoor recreation opportunities. Hope you will have time to explore one of our state parks this weekend. Safe travels.

A View From Frankfort

Ron_Vanover — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 05:42:27 -0700

A picture is worth a thousand words. The view from Frankfort was taken from the Capital Plaza Tower last week and offers a picturesque moment. It looks like Frankfort is experiencing about 30-40% color in some areas. Sugar and red maples have begun to offer spendid color, along with dogwoods, sweet gums, persimmons, sassafras and some oaks. There is a lot to offer in our Commonwealth. For a complete listing of special events, please visit the Kentucky Department of Parks HERE.

Cardinal Flower

Ron_Vanover — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:02:30 -0700

CARDINAL FLOWER
"What a beautiful plant?" Those are the words you hear most commonly from tourists and wildflower enthusiasts as it relates to the Cardinal Flower. While visiting Breaks Interstate Park last week, I found this plant blooming near a natural spring. With camera in hand, I took advantage of the natural moment.

Cardinal Flower, with its rich, deep, crimson red blossoms, is a member of the lobelia family. In late summer, you can admire the brilliant, tubular flowers in many parts of Kentucky along streams, boggy areas, lakeshores, riverbanks, marshes, and damp rich areas. Since it has tubular-like flowers, it is often pollinated by hummingbirds. It is rather common but digging the flower has resulted in scarce populations in some areas.

How did it get its name? Cardinal Flower is named for the brilliant red robes worn by Roman Catholic Cardinals.

On a side note and for those that are not aware, Breaks Interstate Park was created jointly in 1954 by the Commonwealths of Kentucky and Virginia. Known as the Grand Canyon of the South, it offers spectacular breath-taking views and myriad forms of wildlife. With about 4,600 park acres, one third of the park is located in Pike County, Kentucky (along Pine Mountain) near Elkhorn City.

For additional information, visit the BREAKS PARK WEBSITE.

Meet Me Under The Mistletoe

Ron_Vanover — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:47:53 -0700

Meet me under the mistletoe. Now don't get any ideas! Yes, mistletoe has intrigued people for years. I remember as a small lad taking a shotgun and shooting the mistletoe out of trees in hopes that the succulent, evergreen plant would work its magic with some "kissing" adventures. As I look back on those years, I cannot help but chuckle with much laughter about that.

Recently, while driving down I-75, I asked my two sons, “What type of plant is that in the top of those trees.” Their reply was, “I don’t know.” After telling them the answer, they both wanted me to immediately stop the vehicle, get out, and climb the tree for a sprig of mistletoe. Why? It was the “kissing thing” again! I guess you could say that history does repeat itself.

Where have I seen the most mistletoe plants? The stretch of Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway, between Winchester and Clay City, has trees along the roadway that are absolutely covered with these parasitic plants. Also, in Frankfort, you can get a quick view off route 421 near Hardees'. In fact, it is in the same vicinity where I mentioned the Black Vultures in a recent blog. During this time of the year, look for the evergreen plants hanging in the branches.

There are so many songs with lyrics about mistletoe. Some songs that mention mistletoe include: “Blame it on the Mistletoe,” “It Must Have Been The Mistletoe,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas.” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," just to name a few. Why even Justin Bieber has a song out about Mistletoe. I guess there are a lot of people out there that believe in mistletoe powers. Go figure!

I also came across this article and wanted to share it with you. It was written in 2005 but has a lot of interesting information about “Mistletoe.” I think you too will find it useful as you learn more about this mysterious, kissing plant.

Before closing, I wish you and yours a splendid Holiday Season filled with much happiness. What are your waiting for? Now get out there and find a sprig of mistletoe, so you can secure your Holiday Kiss!

Mistletoe Man Tracks The Sprigs All Year Round
by Beverly Fortune - Dec. 20, 2005
Knight Ridder Newspapers

BEREA, Ky. - Few folks even think about mistletoe until Christmas, when we buy a sprig to hang in a doorway so anyone who walks beneath gets a holiday kiss. But Ralph Thompson thinks about it all year.

Berea College biology professor Thompson has searched for mistletoe in all 120 Kentucky counties.
He's found it growing in 119. It has eluded him in Grant County. "I've looked for it. I'm sure it's there," Thompson said. "I just have never found it." "The further north you go, the less there is, because it freezes out in cold temperatures," Thompson said.

Mistletoe is a parasitic shrub that draws water and minerals from a tree, forms cankers and plugs up the water channels, causing dieback. "It can kill a tree," he said. "That's why I don't feel bad about people collecting it." Trained as a botanist, he has studied mistletoe distribution and its host trees for 15 years. Going county to county in Kentucky, Thompson collects specimens from each tree where he finds it. Each sprig and the twig on which it grows are mounted on paper, labeled and added to the Berea College Herbarium. Thompson's findings have been published in the Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science and will be included in an atlas of the flora of Kentucky being compiled by Julian Campbell, conservation scientist with The Nature Conservancy.

Thompson reaches the high-growing mistletoe by using a 40-foot fiberglass extension pole, but many people in rural areas often take a shotgun and shoot it out of trees. Mistletoe grows on ridge tops and open areas, most abundantly on black walnut, black cherry, American elm and black gum trees. It's spread by birds who eat the seeds, leave droppings on other trees or carry seeds stuck to their feet.

In three surveys, Thompson found 5,500 mistletoe-infested trees in Madison County, 3,500 in Rockcastle County and 1,740 in Garrard. The plant is easy to spot, even in downtown Lexington. Those bundles of tiny green leaves way up in the tops of old trees? That's mistletoe.

Several species of mistletoe grow in the United States, including American mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum), which can be found in Kentucky, Texas, through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, over to New Jersey and down through the Southeast. The white berries on the plant are poisonous.

Thompson's interest in mistletoe sprang from his mentor at Middle Tennessee State University, biology professor emeritus Tom Hemmerly, who did mistletoe research in Tennessee.

"In the winter there's not much to do, botanically," Thompson said. "So this is something I could do: travel the roads in my vehicle, collect mistletoe."

Rooted in mythology, revived by Victorians
The lore of mistletoe goes back to Celtic and Norse mythology. Celts believed mistletoe was a sacred plant that had healing powers and could ward off evil spirits, said Ralph Thompson, mistletoe expert at Berea College.

In Norse mythology, mistletoe is rooted in the myth of Balder, the god of the summer sun. Balder dreamed he was going to die. His mother, Frigga, became distraught when she heard this and asked the air, fire, water and all the plants and animals to spare her son. But Loki, the god of evil, found one plant Frigga had overlooked - mistletoe - because it grew neither in the ground nor underground. He made a poison arrow of mistletoe and tricked Balder's blind brother into shooting Balder. For three days the earth grew dark. It rained constantly. Frigga cried tears that turned into white berries on the mistletoe plant. When she kissed her dead son, her kiss reversed the mistletoe's poison, and he came back to life. She declared that anyone who walked under a tree where mistletoe grew should receive a kiss. Thus mistletoe became a symbol of love.

As Christianity spread in Europe, Celtic and Norse practices were condemned as pagan rituals, and banned. Not until Victorian times did kissing under the mistletoe gain acceptance again, and mistletoe became a symbol of romance and good luck.

For additional information about this article, CLICK THIS LINK.

The Beautiful Fall Season is Here!

Ron_Vanover — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:09:12 -0700

Tomorrow marks the beginning of “FALL.” So, tomorrow may be that special morning where you rise early to welcome in the new season. These colder nights, bursting with warm, sunny days make for splendid colors. I guess in scientific terms you could say it is the first day of the autumnal equinox.

One of my favorite fall quotes is, "Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower." This particular quote, by Albert Camus, is a reminder of the reflections upon the many things in my life and the many wonderful and scenic places that this great Commonwealth has to offer to so many people. I look at the splendid beauty of our fall season as a means of "Mother Nature's" way of making something that is dying or going into dormancy look absolutely beautiful.

And, every leaf will be its own flower. Why? Perhaps it's the beauty of splendid colors wrapped together like many prisms turning to make different reflections. Or, perhaps it's football season with the "Boys of Fall." Or, maybe it's a myriad of many things.

During the past week or so with my travels throughout the Commonwealth, I am seeing glimpses of fall with colors from sweetgum, sumac, dogwood, sourwood, persimmon, and even poison ivy. It makes for some interesting reds and purplish colors that are admirable. In many areas you can still see blankets of coreopsis, ironweed, joypye weed, and goldenrod wildflowers. And, if you travel in the early morning the fields will be covered with spider webs that make for a special “glistening” when the sun hits it just right.

For those that are not aware, Kentucky's ColorFall Program is in its 27th year. It is indeed a great resource for those interested in fall colors in the Commonwealth. To access, open the COLORFALL ICON on the home page of the Tourism Website. The program starts today and runs through October 31.

In closing, "If winter is slumber and spring is birth, and summer is life, then autumn rounds out to be reflection. It's a time of year when the leaves are down and the harvest is in and the perennials are gone. Mother Earth just closed up the drapes on another year and it's time to reflect on what's come before." By Mitchell Burges

I invite you to visit our Kentucky State Parks this fall and enjoy the splendid colors of “Mother Nature” and the many special events that are planned at some of our beautiful parks. Go make some memories that will last for a lifetime! Create that special moment.

For additional information on park events, visit HERE.

Safe travels.

Facts about Bats

Ron_Vanover — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:42:22 -0700

Big Brown Bat
There is no doubt that bats are one of the most misunderstood animals in the world. There are also many superstitions about them as many people associate them as being evil. In fact, most people rank their fear of bats to that of snakes.

In contrast, because they consume large amounts of insects, they are one of the most beneficial mammals.

Here are some educational facts about bats.

Rafinesque's Big-eared Bat

* Bats are not blind; they have relatively good eyesight.
* Most bats use a developed echolocation system (sonar) to navigate and capture insects.
* Bats emit high pitch sounds which bounce off objects to the ear flap area called a tragus.
* Bats can fly within the width of a hair to you and never touch you.
* Bats are mammals (they give live birth) and produce milk for their babies.
* They comprise about 1/4 of all mammal species.
* There are over 900 species of bats.
* 42 bats species are native to the United States; 15 are native to Kentucky.
* The largest bat in Kentucky is called the Hoary Bat.
* Baby bats are called pups.
* Most catch insects on the fly with the use of the back tail, called a uropatagium.
* All Eastern Bats feed on insects; about 70% worldwide feed on insects.
* One Little Brown Bat can consume over 1,500 mosquitoes in one night.
* China highly regards the bat and uses it as a symbol of happiness and good luck.
* There actually is a bat called the Vampire Bat.
* Most eastern bats hibernate in caves, mine shafts, and trees in the winter.
* Kentucky has three Federal Endangered Bats: Indiana, Gray, and Virginia Big-eared Bats
* Carter Caves State Resort Park has one of largest Indiana Bat hibernacula colonies in the U.S.
* Indiana Bats can be found with as many as 300 per square foot, during hibernation.
* Most bats exhibit "homing" instincts, the ability to make it back to their home after being displaced.

Eastern Rat Bat

All of our bats in the Eastern United States are under attack with a disease called WHITE NOSE SYNDROME. Many species, including the Tri-colored Pipistrelle, have been declining rapidly. For additional information about WNS, visit Bat Conservation International. Or. watch the Battle for the Bats video below.

For educational materials for your classroom, visit HERE.

NOTE: Photo compliments of Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and John MacGregor, Fish and Wildlife Biologist.