Fall Programs and Special Events at Little River Regional Park

Here's a listing of the programs and special events hosted by Little River Regional Park & Natural Area from September through December 2015: 

The Little River Regional Park offers a variety of nature programs for all ages. Regularly scheduled programs and special events are listed below. Park staff can also arrange programs on a variety of topics for schools, scouts, or other groups.

Registration is required unless otherwise noted. For more information or to sign-up, call the park office: 919-732-5505.

*Programs made possible by donations from the Little River Trail Runs and the TrailHeads Running Club.

Special Events/Programs

Fall/Winter Nature Walks

Day/Date(s): Monday, September 7^th
                     Friday, October 16^th
                     Friday, November 27^th
                              Friday, January 1^st
Time:            9am – 11:30am
Location:      Meet at the Large Shelter
Fee:              Free; no registration required
Description:  We’ll explore the trails of Little River Park on some informal group walks. These walks led by park staff will be at a pace which allows for picture taking and enjoyment of the natural surroundings. We’ll have a few guide books and binoculars to loan.

Haunted Hike with CLAWS
Day/Date:      Friday, October 30^th
Time:              7:00pm – 10:00pm
Location:        Large Shelter
Fee:                Free; all ages; no registration required
Description:   Ghouls and goblins of all ages are invited to experience the park after dark. Explore the ¼-mile paved trail and discover what tricks and treats await. Wildlife educators from CLAWS will be stationed along the trail with their owls, ravens and hawks. 

Stargazing at Little River

Date/Times:   October, 23^rd, 7:30pm-9:30pm
                       November 6^th, 6pm-8pm
                       December 13^th, 8pm-10pm
Location:        Play Meadow
Fee:                Free; all ages; no registration required
Description:    The fine folks from Morehead Planetarium will bring out the high power telescopes and give us a tour of the night sky. Bring a blanket, camp chairs or your own telescope or binoculars. Be sure to call the park office after 4pm for cloud/cancellation updates: 919-732-5505. 



Suet making.

Edible Ornaments

Day/Date:      Saturday, December 19^th
Time:             1:00pm – 4:00pm
Location:        Large Shelter/Park Office
Fee:               Free*; all ages; no registration required
Description:   It’s peanut butter, pinecone- craft time, folks! Find out what birds are hanging around for the winter and make a few nature-themed ornaments for them to eat.

Christmas Bird Count

Day/Date:      Sunday, December 20^th
Time:              9:00am – 12:00pm
Location:        Park Office
Fee:                Free; ages 6 and up; no registration required
Description:   Come count the birds at Little River. Join staff as we tally the diverse species of birds found around the park for Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count.

Tiny Trekkers (ages 2-4)

Tiny Trekkers is a series of programs designed for young children ages 2 to 4 years old accompanied by an adult. Trekkers learn about nature through stories, activities, crafts and games.

Hummingbirds

Date/Time:     Monday, September 14^th, 10am-11am
Location:        Large Shelter
Fee:                Free*
Min/Max:        4/12
Description:  Trekkers try to keep up with the hummingbirds zipping around the park. Participants will learn how they get their food and fly so fast.

Lizards

Date/Time:     Monday, October 5^th, 10am-11am
Location:        Large Shelter
Fee:                Free*
Min/Max:        4/12
Description:   Trekkers learn about lizards. We will search for anoles, fence lizards, and skinks as we learn about the special ways they protect themselves from predators.



Tree crafts.

 Trees

Date/Time:     Monday, November 2^nd, 10am-11am
Location:        Large Shelter
Fee:                Free*
Min/Max:        4/12
Description:  This month our Trekkers talk trees: some grow tall, some grow wide, but can you guess what they all hide? Stories, crafts and some tree-mendous fun!

 

Discovery Club (ages 5 and Up)

Discovery Club programs are geared toward children ages 5 & up accompanied by an adult. Programs focus on learning about nature and science through hands-on activities and exploration.  



Shark teeth and other marine fossils.

Rocks & Fossils

Day/Date:      Saturday, October 24^th
Time:              2:00pm – 3:30pm
Location:        Large Shelter
Fee:                Free*
Min/Max:        4/12
Description:  We’ll dig into how rocks and fossils are formed and the tools archeologists use. Start your own rock collection and search for fossils from North Carolina.

Map & Compass

Day/Date:      Saturday, November 21^st
Time:              2:00pm – 3:30pm
Location:        Large Shelter
Fee:                Free*
Min/Max:        4/12
Description:  Learn the basics of reading a map and compass. Search around the park for hidden treasure using clues and your new skills.

Species Spotlight: Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)

Eastern Fence Lizard

You may know them as 'wood lizards' or 'swift lizards' but they are more readily known as Eastern Fence Lizards. Quick and agile they are commonly found on fences and open woodlands throughout its range in most of the eastern United States from New York State south to Florida and west to South Dakota. Here at the park they can easily be spotted on the fence around our butterfly garden looking for insects and spiders to nosh on. They can also be seen throughout the parks open woodlands of pines and hardwoods scampering around the ground and around stumps, rocky outcrops, brush piles and up trees. They are strictly diurnal and are often seen basking in the sun until disturbed where they will dart off quickly for cover.

Fence lizards are 4 to 7 inches in length and are generally brown, gray or bronze in color with several wavy crossbands along its body. The bellies are generally white with black flecks scattered about. If you are lucky enough to see the belly of the adult males you will be treated to patches of deep bright iridescent blue, greenish blue or bluish-black markings. The scales are pointed and overlap giving the fence lizard a rough appearance. Compared to other lizards found in the park and the state of North Carolina this rough scaly appearance makes them easily identifiable. When winter comes they can be found hibernating in logs, under rocks, stumps or other sheltered areas. On warmer winter days they will emerge to bask in the sunlight.


Male fence lizards are highly territorial and will fend off competing males (usually by displaying their blue patches through a series of ‘push-ups”) for breeding grounds and feeding locations. Fence lizards use their keen eyesight to spot prey. They will find a favorable perch and then ‘sit and wait’ for their prey to come. Fence lizards can eat their weight in insects and spiders most every day making them a friend to gardeners. These lizards can also become prey themselves to snakes, mammals and larger birds and rely on camouflage and speed to evade such predators. If captured, they can bite, feign death and or have its tail break off potentially giving the lizard a chance to escape. Like all of North Carolinas native lizards they have fractures along their vertebrae that allow the tail to break off. In time a new tail will partially regenerate.

Eastern Fence Lizards are fun little reptiles adding life and personality to Little River Regional Park. If you ever have tried to catch one before you know just how fast these little buggers can be. Eastern Fence Lizards call Little River Regional Park home and I encourage you to come out and visit the park to see if you con spot one at our garden or along one of our trails.