June has been filled with hiking activities - first we hiked the rejuvenated Blue Warbler Trail with Jess Cary, who is creating topographical maps of all the trails at the site. I saw a new-to-me overlook - it still makes me wonder that this is our county, and people would travel hours, if not days, to see such a site. We noted the need for some safety signs - it is a sharp drop. I also noted, silently, the beautiful and very large patch of wild blackberries at the top of the trail, thinking to return in a month for a good harvest. My five-year old son stood still staring wonderingly around him and shouted, "Mama, all of this - it's all blackberries!" I grinned ruefully as everyone in our group mentally noted the blackberries - "Well, we have more than enough at our house, I guess," I said.
(Tuckered out and taking a nap at the
Mary E. Fritsch Nature Center after a
two-hour hike - on my back!)
On the solstice we hosted the Rockcastle County Natural Wonder Series (look for them on Facebook) Kick-Off. Each month the group (which wants the public to join!) hosts a hike and informational workshops at beautiful and interesting natural places in Rockcastle County. We took a hike, learning about wild edible and the diversity of the Appalachian Cover Forest. Representatives from Kentucky Native Plants, Heartwood, and other programs were educating folks about the ways to enjoy and preserve our local ecology.