Has winter got you down? Perhaps a weekend of nature programming at Chief Logan State Park this weekend (January 17-19) will warm you up.
A star-watching program, a winter birding adventure, two monarch-butterfly workshops, and a discussion of newly introduced elk herds round out the weekend full of events held in one of the state's more temperate mountain valleys.
It's an ideal time to explore the park, according to park naturalist Lauren Cole, who grew up nearby and knows well the area and its cultural and natural history.
"It's a good time to discover the winter in this region of West Virginia while looking toward spring and all it offers," Cole said of the weekend.
The following schedule of events should keep park guests occupied for the full weekend, though participants are also encouraged to explore on their own.
Friday, January 17
7:30 p.m. Star Light! Star Bright! Join park staff and other guests around a campfire for hot cocoa and moon pies and an opportunity to peer through the park's powerful telescope.
Saturday, January 18
10 a.m. Wings of Winter! Birding program meets in the lobby
2 p.m. History of Elk program in Unit A
4 p.m. Chief Logan State Park: Welcome to the Coalfields! Unit A
4-5:30 p.m. VIPP Program Information with Candy Payne
6 p.m. Winter Dinner in the Whispering Ridge Dining Hall
7:30 p.m. Monarch Butterfly Pollinator Conservation: Ecosystem Genisis with Sue Olcott in Unit A
Sunday, January 19
9 a.m. Plan and Plant a Monarch Way-Station with Sue Olcott
10 a.m. Spring Forward: A Primer for Spring Wildflowers at Unit A
11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Wild Sunday—Origami Butterflies in the Hallway
All events are free and open to the public except the Saturday evening dinner and butterfly pollination program, for which there will be a $20 charge.
For more information, call 304-855-6100 or visit chiefloganstatepark.com.
