Events and Ribbon Cutting for the New Oklawaha Birding Trail

The Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway are pleased to announce their Earth Day celebration of the new Birding Trail on the Oklawaha Greenway. A mini-class in techno-birding, a ribbon cutting ceremony, and a bird walk will all be part of the festivities. The Friends group designed the Birding Trail project to enhance the greenway and the rich bird habitat it preserves. The Trail was recently completed thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Henderson County, support from the City of Hendersonville, Henderson County, and MountainTrue.

The Oklawaha Birding Trail is a series of colorful interpretive signs containing information about birding as well as QR codes that lead to more interesting facts. Topics include what birds you might see, and what habitats they need. In addition, the greenway boasts three eBird hotspots -- areas of high bird activity. The hotspots are located at the south end in Jackson Park, the north end in the Berkeley parking area, and near the red kiosk (from the Patton Park access).

The April 27^th events will be held rain or shine and include:

9:00am - mini-class on eBird and Merlin, which are two free online resources from Cornell University, to help you identify the birds you see and hear. Meet instructor Cathy Ford at the Patton Park gazebo near the skateboard park. (Bring your smart phone and binoculars if you have them)

10:00am - ribbon cutting at the Birding Trail Welcome sign on the greenway (after crossing N. Main St. from Patton Park)

10:15 to 11:00 - walk along the new Birding Trail with Cathy Ford and other volunteers.

“The 3 ½ - mile Oklawaha Greenway connects several large parks, and runs along Mud Creek, which provides a variety of habitats for birds, especially during spring and fall migration,” according to Cathy Ford, avid birder and member of the Friends group. To find the trail on your own, look for the Welcome sign installed on the Patton Park access near N. Main St. From there, check for birds on the wooden birding platform and find another sign near the native plant garden at the red kiosk. From there, visitors can walk north or south on the greenway for more signs to learn about birds; and the forests, meadows, wetlands and creek banks they use year-round.

For more information about the Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway, please visit https://www.friendsofoklawaha.org/