A New Theme Begins For Rich's Blogs

River District News And Updates, by Rich Haag – May 8

Today’s blog is a transition. I am passing my current theme – about the natural wonders of the River District – on to fellow-blogger Alice Battle. Her blog, Clean and Clear Catawba, focuses on the river itself, but over our first three months of blogging we found that our interests and topics often overlap. So beginning this week. Alice will cover both our great river and our varied wildlife and wilderness.

My new topic: River District News And Updates

I am shifting my focus to an area that, surprisingly, we left out when we launched the blogs: the River District organization itself. That changes today with my new blog, titled River District Updates. Each week I will write about the people, programs and challenges facing our emerging nonprofit environmental group. I especially want to share ways that you can join us in this important effort to protect our river, our wildlife and the communities nearby.

Whitewater Middle School students prepare soil for their raised-bed garden boxes

Come May 22 and help launch Whitewater Farms

So, here’s my very first blog invitation: The Catawba River District invites you to Whitewater Middle School from 6:30 to 8 p.m. May 22 to see some of our new learning gardens for students and to explain our plans for a community gardening program called Whitewater Farms. We also seek volunteers to help us with the gardens, particularly this summer after school ends.

Some background

River District volunteers and Jeffie and Chris Hardin of Rivendell Farms are working with teachers and students at Whitewater Middle and Whitewater Academy to create and plant raised gardens. Similar projects are under way at Mountain Island Elementary, River Oaks Academy,  Ida Rankin Elementary and Catawba Heights Elementary.

These gardens are part of an ambitious River District effort to boost our students’ learning and interest in science, technology, engineering and math – often called STEM. Educators nationwide find that school gardens help kids learn by doing and, as an important side benefit, introduce them to healthy foods.

We all benefit from locally grown fruits and vegetables, so the River District and its partners, including ReVenture Park, are working to greatly increase our access to fresh produce. Whitewater Farms will play a big role in that effort. You can learn much more at the meeting on May 22 and by visiting catawbariverdistrict.org.

MAY 22 SPECIFICS:  The Farm to School meeting will take place 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, at Whitewater Middle School, 1520 Belmeade Drive in Mecklenburg County (CLICK for directions). Everyone is welcome, regardless of whether you have children in the school.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! We are looking for adults interested in helping develop Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) at Whitewater Farms. We also need volunteers to nurture the schoolyard gardens this summer while school is out of session. To learn more, come to the May 22 event or contact Edna Chirico, executive director of the Catawba River District, at echirico@catawbariverdistrict.org or 704-562-8847.

About Rich Haag – Rich gained his love for the outdoors while roaming the woods and river gorge near his upstate NY home. He has spent many vacations – one lasting eight weeks -  camping with his wife, Karen, and their sons. Rich still roams the woods nearly every day, either walking with Karen at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve or cycling on the Mallard Creek Greenway.

Our 3-Month Birthday: Time To Celebrate And Reflect

Naturally Wonderful, by Rich Haag – May 1, 2012

Today marks a milestone for Catawba River District Blogs. We are officially three months old!

That may not seem special to you, but for the seven contributors to this daily look at living well in the Catawba River District, the last three months have been quite a journey.

For starters, we collectively have:

• Published 93 posts (about 36,000 words).
• Written on topics ranging from the transforming power of the Catawba to fun places for dogs and people to walk with nature.
• Attracted more than 3,000 views by people across America and across the globe!
• Rediscovered our love for sharing ideas that we care deeply about.
• Learned that writing weekly truly becomes a labor of love.
• Learned from each other’s posts. For instance, Barbara Lawrence’s weekly blogs on shopping local have helped me discover several great shops and restaurants in our old and new village centers.
• Learned from our own weekly blogs. I never knew what a Halberdleaf yellow violet was before, but thanks to a recent blog on wildflowers I have spotted my first one just 2 miles from home!

Birthdays – even 3-month birthdays – give us a chance to celebrate and reflect. That’s what our group will do this afternoon, when we gather at one of Mount Holly’s unique businesses - the Cream and Beans coffee shop at 108 S. Main Street. We’ll toast our success with some coffee or latte, maybe indulge in some locally made Tony’s ice cream, and then talk about where we might want to go over the next three months of writing.

Do you have any ideas for us?

Shoot me an email at rhaag@catawbariverdistrict.org, and I will share your comments with the group. Or drop by our table and say hi. We’ll be there from 2 to about 3. I’m sure you’ll recognize us. We’ll be the ones with laptops and note pads. You never know when you get a good idea you want to jot down!

About Rich Haag – Rich gained his love for the outdoors while roaming the woods and river gorge near his upstate NY home. He has spent many vacations – one lasting eight weeks -  camping with his wife, Karen, and their sons. Rich still roams the woods nearly every day, either walking with Karen at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve or cycling on the Mallard Creek Greenway.

Enjoy free nature programs (and a $1 hayride!)

Canoe for free on May 1. Photo from Latta Plantation Nature Preserve Facebook page

Naturally Wonderful, by Rich Haag – April 24, 2012

We have great lakefront nature preserves nearby that offer us many fun and educational programs. This is a great time to visit, before the heat of the summer. Even better, in the next couple of weeks, both parks have several free programs and one nearly free program for all ages. Canoe, play, explore and sit around a campfire for no cost at all. Or take a nighttime hayride and learn about wildlife for just $1 per person!

Here are the details. Programs take place at the park nature centers unless noted otherwise.

  Note about registration – Call the appropriate park office for details on any program you wish to attend. Many free programs require no advance registration. You can pre-register for the hayride to assure that your family has seats or come early and take your luck getting a still available seat.

PROGRAMS AT LATTA PLANTATION NATURE PRESERVE

Latta Plantation Nature Preserve is at 6211 Sample Road on Mountain Island Lake. 704-875-1391. CLICK for a map.

Family canoeing – 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 1, at Latta Plantation Park – Bring your family out to the nature preserve for free canoeing! Canoes are available on a first come-first served basis and can be checked out for 30 minutes at a time. Canoes hold up to four people, with at least one adult per canoe required. Meet at the waterfront area.

Family Nature Explorer Club: Get to know a tree – 3-4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 10 – Bring the family out and explore nature. Trees are important to us all. Come explore the world of trees with park staff during a walk through the woods.

Get Outdoors! Play Festival – 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 12  – Nature makes the best playground! After all, where else can you catch a fish, bake a mud pie, and build an awesome stick fort? Families and kids of all ages will have a blast at this festival that’s all about getting outside, being active, and having fun in nature. Activities will include canoeing, hunting for bugs, building sand castles, making mud art, and much more messy fun. The only limit is your imagination! So, dress for mess and join park staff as they get outdoors and play at Latta!

PROGRAMS AT MCDOWELL NATURE PRESERVE

McDowell Nature Preserve is at 15222 York Road on Lake Wylie. 704-588-5224. CLICK for a map.

Digital photo scavenger hunt – 1-4 p.m. Sunday, April 29 – Stop by the nature center for a scavenger-hunt list filled with fun and adventure for your family. Bring your digital camera, or use a FREE loaner camera, and develop a sense of exploration.

Reptile feeding – 11 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 28 ­– Come to the nature center as park staff talk about the special adaptations that allow our local snakes, turtles and lizards to be such efficient hunters. Staff will feed the box turtle and yellow-bellied slider along with a fence lizard and one of the snakes in the nature center exhibit hall.

Playing with fire / family campfire / nature-at-night hayride – every Friday evening – These two free programs take place every Friday evening from May through September followed by a nighttime hayride for just $1 per person. Come to the McDowell Campground. No registration is required for the free events. You can pre-register for the hayride or come early to the campfire to take advantage of first-come-first-served hayride seating.

• Playing with fire – 6:30-7 p.m. – The ability to create fire has been called one of humanities greatest accomplishments and one that might save your life! Get hands on and discover a variety of ways to start a “matchless” fire and help kick off our family campfire program. 6:30-7 p.m.
• Family campfire – 7-8 p.m. – Enjoy Stories, eat s’mores, and sing songs around a campfire with family and friends. Groups are welcome to attend, come early to get tickets to the Nature at Night Hayride immediately following the Campfire.
• Nature-at-night hayride – $1 per person. 8:15-9:45 p.m. – Bring your family and experience McDowell Nature Preserve at night. Weather permitting we will venture into our Prairie in search of coyote, bobcat, deer, and owls while taking in the sights and sounds of the night. Limited seating available, pre-register (15 spots) or come to the Family Campfire early to take advantage of first-come first-serve seating (min. 10 spots); contact McDowell Nature Center at 704-588- 5224 for more information. 

About Rich Haag -  Rich gained his love for the outdoors while roaming the woods and river gorge near his upstate NY home. He has spent many vacations – one lasting eight weeks -  camping with his wife, Karen, and their sons. Rich still roams the woods nearly every day, either walking with Karen at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve or cycling on the Mallard Creek Greenway.

Thanks, Dave, For Watching Over Our River

David Merryman

Naturally Wonderful – April 19, 2012

Note from Rich Haag - Today's blog about David Merryman, who recently stepped down as Catawba Riverkeeper, is by Christopher Lux, a freelance writer for Catawba RiverViews and a student at Belmont Abbey College.

The CatawbaRiverkeeper Foundation (CRF) is a non-profit environmental organization that advocates for the protection, enhancement, and enjoyment of the Catawba River. Riverkeeper David Merryman stepped down two weeks ago to take a new job in southern Maryland.

Catawba RiverViews recently talked with Merryman about his work as the Catawba Riverkeeper, his future plans and the future of the CatawbaRiverkeeper Foundation.

RiverViews - What brought you to the Catawba River?

David - I was introduced to the Catawba River as a biology student at Gardner-Webb University. I really enjoyed its beauty, and its ability to provide so much to a rapidly growing community. At that time, I realized that our local water supplies were extremely important in order to maintain a high quality of living. Therefore, working to maintain the local water way is the best way to promote and protect your community.

RiverViews - Where are you headed from here?

David - My wife and I are headed to southern Maryland on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. I will continue working as an Environmental Scientist.

RiverViews - What do you rank as your biggest accomplishments as Riverkeeper?

David - Holding Carolina Water Service/Tega Cay Water Service on Lake Wylie accountable for nearly 2 years of illegally discharging partially treated and untreated wastewater into the lake.

RiverViews - What big issues does the next Riverkeeper face?

David - The pressures of rapid growth and development continue to plague the Catawba River basin. This river has provided so much, but it can only be stretched so thin before irreversible damage is done. The next Riverkeeper will also have to continue fighting the efforts by legislators in North and South Carolina to roll back environmental protections. In fact, the next Riverkeeper will have to deal with legislators in both states that think it is okay to completely eliminate the individual liberties of citizens to protect the environment. 

RiverViews - What advice do you have for CRF?

David - Just keep swimming! This work is a constant uphill battle with each victory being only temporary, so remain vigilant and as proactive as possible.

RiverViews - What do you love most about CRF?

David - This organization has weathered storms, droughts and economic downturns and continues to remain steadfast in its mission of protecting the quality and quantity of water in the entire Catawba River basin. I think that is down-right remarkable!

RiverViews - Any parting words?

David - My experiences with CRF, its board, its members and its volunteers have been nothing less than absolute treasures to me. I will always hold a special place in my heart for the Catawba River and CRF. I’m so proud of the work CRF accomplishes year-in and year-out; and I know this would be impossible without the amazing host of CRF volunteers. Even though they face many barriers and find some grief along the way, the Catawba River thanks them for their efforts. And, I thank them very much!

An International Celebration Of Our Beaver!

Naturally Wonderful, by Rich Haag – April 3, 2012

I have just learned that Saturday, April 7, is International Beaver Day. The news arrived with Wildlife Wire, my monthly e-newsletter from the N.C. Wildlife Federation. This is important news for the Catawba River District, where beaver made their bold return just 20 years ago after a 200-year absence.

I had no idea that beavers are so popular that they rate their own day around the world, although I have liked them since I was a kid. I loved that they could build a dam across a stream and hold their breath for 15 minutes. I saw my first live beaver when my own sons were 9 and 11. We took an eight-week camping trip from Charlotte to the Pacific Northwest and back, including several days in Yellowstone National Park.

One morning we hiked an hour into the back country to a lake where, the trail guide promised, we might see beaver! The trail guide did NOT tell us that beaver come out mostly at night. Luckily, the beavers in this lake did not know that, either, because they soon appeared. We delighted in watching the dark-brown humps glide slowly across the small lake.

Beaver dam near Brevard in Pisgah Forest

Beaver quietly return to the Catawba

Little did we know, but about the same time we were watching the beavers out west, their cousins were setting up their first lodges in two centuries along the Catawba River.

Beaver once were plentiful here and across North America. Beaverdam Creek empties into Lake Wylie at Browns Cove, across the Catawba from Belmont. Beaver Dam plantation once stood in northern Mecklenburg County just east of Davidson.

Like North Carolina’s native wood bison, elk and passenger pigeons, beaver were eradicated across much of America by hunting (mostly for beaver pelts) and the destruction of their habitat for farming.

Unlike those other creatures, however, once man stopped trying to kill them off, the beaver came back in a big way. Perhaps 12 million beaver now live in places as diverse as the upper Davidson River in Pisgah National Forest (where I photographed their work last summer), Park Road Park in central Charlotte, downtown Chicago and the riverbanks of New York City!

Beaver trivia

In honor of International Beaver Day I have done some research on the world’s second-largest rodent. I am even more impressed with these fellows now than when I was a kid (and they were beaver kits).

Tree felled by beaver in Reedy Creek Park

• Beavers range across all of the U.S. and Canada and even into parts of Mexico.
• Beavers mate for life, grow to 60 pounds or more and live 20-plus years in the wild.
• Beavers really do live on the trees they chop down along with other stuff. One beaver can take down up to 200 trees a year.
• The expression “Busy as a beaver” really fits. These animals will “work” about 12 hours a day - no, make that night.
• Beavers really do love to build dams. A satellite discovered the world’s biggest beaver dam about 5 years ago in Alberta, Canada. At 2,800 feet, this wooden and mud structure is twice as long as Hoover Dam! 
• Beavers are a big part of American and Canadian lore. Canada's Parliament building in Ottawa has a big stone beaver over the entrance. The New York City seal includes a beaver! Oregon State University's teams are the Beavers. (Not sure what their team cry is. Maybe "Gnaw! Gnaw! Gnaw our way to victory!")
• Beavers are great for birds and fish! While beaver dams can make a mess of farm fields and beaver teeth can girdle and kill trees with great proficiency, researchers now understand that many other kinds of wildlife prosper where beaver are plentiful. Two professors at Appalachian State University have found a distinct jump in the populations of migratory waterfowl in the southern Appalachian mountains where beaver have built dams. Other research has shown that birds as diverse as woodpeckers and great blue heron thrive in the wetlands and grassy stream banks created by beaver activity.
• Similar research in the Pacific Northwest has shown dramatically higher levels of salmon and trout in streams with beavers living nearby.
• The mostly good news for us is that beavers once again thrive along the Catawba River basin. The main negative is that hungry beavers have made a mess of Mecklenburg's Park Road Park and the Colonel Francis Beatty Park. Park staff are working this spring to either control the beaver damage or remove the beavers altogether.

My second beaver sighting - 2 miles from home!

I see visual reminders nearly every day of beaver activity well within the Charlotte city limits – including dozens of gnawed trees at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve and the muddy footprints of busy beavers that live beside the Mallard Creek Greenway near UNC Charlotte.

I even had my second beaver sighting two summers ago just 2 miles from my house. My older son and I were walking a boardwalk near Mallard Creek after a summer deluge and what should we see gliding through the brown floodwaters but two furry humps. Beavers!

This Saturday, on International Beaver Day, I’ll officially celebrate this wonderful revival of a great fellow creature in our midst. Won't you join me?

About Rich Haag -  Rich gained his love for the outdoors while roaming the woods and climbing river gorge near his upstate NY home. He has spent many vacations – one lasting eight weeks -  camping with his wife, Karen, and their sons. Rich still visits the woods nearly every day, either walking with Karen at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve or cycling on the Mallard Creek Greenway.

Paddle And Row Your Way Into Natural Beauty

From Latta Plantation Nature Preserve program brochure

Naturally Wonderful, by Rich Haag – March 27, 2012

I grew up a mile from Lake Ontario and within an hour’s drive of some of the most amazing lakes in on the East Coast – the Finger Lakes of New York. Imagine glacier-formed lakes several hundred feet deep and so clean that you could look down 20 feet and see the bottom. Needless to say, our family grew up on the water.

My earliest memories of boating are on Galway Lake in the Adirondack Mountain foothills. Gasoline-powered boats were prohibited to protect the water. A few wealthy neighbors had massive battery-powered mahogany cruisers and sailboats. We tooled around in a rowboat, with no worries of being swamped by high-powered ski and bass boats. Of course, the water was pristine.

Mecklenburg’s two lakefront nature preserves offer great opportunities for to get out on the waters of our lakes without worrying about polluting them with gasoline. Both Latta Plantation and McDowell nature preserves have canoe and kayak launches that you can use for free, and many programs to help you enjoy the water with others. You can rent canoes at Latta Plantation Nature Preserve.

Canoe rentals

You can rent a canoe at Latta Plantation Park by the hour on weekends and holidays (call the park at 704- 875-1391 for details).

Note about programs

Many programs require registration and have limited space available. To ensure that you can participate, please register by calling 311 or 704.336.7600. All programs require pre-registration unless otherwise noted. For more information, call McDowell Nature Center at 704-588-5224 or Latta Plantation Nature Center at 704- 875-1391. You can also register online at www.parkandrec.com.

Park details

• McDowell Nature Preserve (Lake Wylie) 704-588-5224;  15222 York Road (NC 49), Charlotte, NC 28278 
• Latta Plantation Nature Preserve  (Mountain Island) 704-875-1391, 5226 Sample Road, Huntersville, NC 28078. Visitors with their own canoes and kayaks can launch from either the North Canoe Access directly into Mountain Island Lake or from the Gar Creek Canoe Access into the Gar Creek inlet.

Upcoming programs

• Boats and Bites: Canoeing – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, March 31. Pack yourself a lunch and come out to McDowell Nature Preserve to let a skilled instructor teach you the basics of flat water canoeing. This class will begin with canoe instruction to familiarize you with paddling skills or to give you time to brush up on your skills. Beginners are welcome! After learning tips and tricks for canoeing we will head out on Lake Wylie to find a sunny spot for lunch. Bring your favorite snacks and lunch foods along with plenty of water.  Ages 10 and older - $35/ boat. Program No. 30883
• Family Sunset Kayak Tour – 6:30-8:30 p.m. April 18. Join the McDowell Nature Preserve staff for a relaxing kayak tour. During this class you will learn the basics of flat-water kayaking while watching the sunset over Lake Wylie. You will also learn some of the history of the lake including Buster Boyd Bridge, which connects North Carolina to South Carolina. Children ages 5-9 are required to share a tandem kayak with an adult. Registration required. Ages 5 and older - $15/single, $20/tandem. Program No.  30907 (single); Program No. 30908(tandem)
• Kayaking and Segway Adventure Day – 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 31. Spend the day with Latta Plantation Nature Preserve staff exploring the nature preserve’s trails on all-terrain Segways and enjoying the beauty of Mountain Island Lake by kayak. The adventure starts with the Segway Tour and a catered lunch, followed by the Mountain Island Lake kayak tour in the afternoon. All equipment provided. Meet at Segway Building at Waterfront Parking Lot. Ages 18 and older - $55. Program No. 30732.
• Sunset Paddling and Fishing – 6:30-8:30 p.m. April 14. Enjoy the “magic hours” of fishing and canoeing as the sun sets over Mountain Island Lake. Join the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve staff as they fish the areas not accessible from the shore and enjoy a peaceful paddle on the lake. Bring your own equipment or use park equipment for no additional charge. Some live bait provided. At least one adult required in each boat. Maximum three people per boat. Meet at Waterfront Picnic Area. Ages 12 and older - $15 per boat. Program No. 30741.
• Sunrise Paddling and Fishing – 7-9 a.m. Sunday, April 15. Get up early and enjoy some early morning fishing and canoeing on Mountain Island Lake. Bring your own equipment or use park equipment for no additional charge. Some live bait provided. At least one adult required in each boat. Maximum three people per boat. Meet at Waterfront Picnic Area. Ages 12 and older- $15 per boat. Program No. 30742.

About Rich Haag -  Rich gained his love for the outdoors while roaming the woods and river gorge near his upstate NY home. He has spent many vacations – one lasting eight weeks -  camping with his wife, Karen, and their sons. Rich still roams the woods nearly every day, either walking with Karen at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve or cycling on the Mallard Creek Greenway.

 

A place for walking and reflecting

Naturally Wonderful, by Rich Haag – March 20, 2012

Continuing on the theme I started last week, I am exploring special places to walk in and near the Catawba River District. This week takes me to a place of quiet reflection for more than a century, Belmont Abbey College.

The college campus covers about 700 acres just north of I-85. The central campus and monastery, including the main church and several college buildings, are on the National Register of Historic Places. The two spires of the Abbey Basilica tower above the wooded campus and provide both useful landmarks and a gentle reminder that this is a place of contemplation and study on eternal as well as worldly matters.

Most private colleges in the Carolinas began as outreaches of church denominations, but those ties have slowly loosened. Not at Belmont Abbey College. The monastery’s monks worship daily with students and parishioners in the Basilica. The monks also teach at the college and live on the grounds.

But this is also a college. Monday’s near-summer temperatures brought classes outside to the patio beside St. Leo’s Hall. A young woman sunbathed and studied nearby on the lawn near the Basilica. Over at the athletic fields, the crack-crack-crack of baseball bats echoed across the sports field as the BAC Crusaders men’s baseball team prepared for next Sunday’s home doubleheader against Pfeiffer University. 

There’s even a new building going up – a 12,000-square-foot dining hall. When it opens next fall, the old dining hall next door will be converted into a student union.

Spring is a great time to walk the grounds. Flowering trees are in full bloom this week. The gardens have begun to blossom, too, and the big old oaks lining the sidewalks will soon provide welcome shade against the mid-day sun. 

Visitors are welcome to walk here throughout the day, although students and faculty will appreciate it if you park away from the often crowded parking lots at the main entrance.

You also can stroll the campus before or after upcoming events such as the April 29 student concert, “Salute To Spring” (3 p.m. in the Basilica; free) and the two-weekend run of the student play, “Black Comedy” (8 p.m. April 19-21 and 26-29 in Haid Theatre; $10).

You’ll spot many benches along the edge of wooded areas where you can people and bird watch, soul-search or just rest your feet.  

Grotto of Maria Lourdes

One special place for outdoor reflection is the Grotto of Maria Lourdes, near the monastery. The monks built the grotto in 1891 in thanks to the Virgin Mary after one of the young monks, near death from typhoid fever, miraculously recovered. The Grotto is among several buildings that have gained national historic recognition. 

Another popular place to escape is the Brother Paul Trail, found on the gravel road on the far side of the athletic fields. The nature trail is popular with both student athletes taking a run and people from beyond the campus taking a stroll.

Need a break or a beverage? You can find both at Holy Grounds, the campus restaurant and coffee shop. It’s located beside Haid Hall. 

Want to walk?

Belmont Abbey College is at 100 Belmont Mount Holly Road, near I-85. 

CLICK to learn more about the college and Abbey

• WORSHIP The public is invited to daily worship services at the Abbey Church.
• EVENTS Learn more about upcoming concerts, plays and sporting event.
• HISTORIC DISTRICT Learn more about the college’s historic buildings.

About Rich Haag -  Rich gained his love for the outdoors while roaming the woods and river gorge near his upstate NY home. He has spent many vacations – one lasting eight weeks -  camping with his wife, Karen, and their sons. Rich still roams the woods nearly every day, either walking with Karen at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve or cycling on the Mallard Creek Greenway.

 

Get walking (and hiking)

Mountain Island lake vista (from Latta Plantation Park Facebook photos)

Naturally Wonderful, by Rich Haag - March 13, 2012

It amazes me that one of the most beneficial activities I can do is also one of the most natural – in all senses of the word. Walking is simply a great gift to my body, mind and, hopefully, other loved ones who walk with me on two or four feet.

The web is full of sites devoted to the benefits of hiking and walking. At the Cambridge, Mass., Department of Communty Development, I read that people who walk at a moderate pace (3 mph) for 30 minutes a day can cut their risk of heart disease by up to 40 percent. Other medical benefits range from a stronger immune system and bones to weight control and mood improvement. A 150-pound person burns an extra 132 calories when walking 3 mph for 30 minutes. Whenever I walk for 30 minutes amid great natural beauty, I just feel happier.

A great time to get out and hike

Charlotte's spring temperatures are perfect for moderate exercise. And if you like to see naturally beauty while you hike, head to a local park. As of last Sunday, Mecklenburg County parks are now open until 7:30 each evening. We have some great ones to explore.

Latta Plantation Nature Preserve is nearby on upper Mountain Island Lake. The park's 16 miles of trails will take you along the lake shoreline, through upland and wetland forests and across a restored Piedmont prairie.

You can go on your own or take advantage of the many park hikes where naturalists can help you and your hiking partners learn about the plants and animals that live around us.

How to get there

Latta Plantation Nature Preserve is at 6211 Sample Road, Huntersville. The park is open sunrise-sunset (currently closing time is 7:30 p.m.). The staffed nature center is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. 

Directions: Get a map link. 

Trail map and programs: Download a trail map and learn about upcoming programs.

Facebook: Great photos and more.

Upcoming programs

Guided nature hikes for adults – 9-11 a.m. every 2nd and 4th Tuesday each month. Join park naturalists at the nature center for a fun nature walk. Free. No reservations required.

Full Moon Hike - 8-9:30 p.m. April 6 - Experience the magic of hiking in the nature preserve guided by the light of the full moon. Learn about animals that come out at night and maybe even catch a glimpse of some. Ages 12 and up. $4. No. 30736

To register

Registration is required for most programs. Select one option:

• CLICK on Eparks at www.parkandrec.com and use the course code number
• CALL 311 (704.336.7600) or the number listed.
• COME to the location where the program is offered. 

About Rich Haag -  Rich gained his love for the outdoors while roaming the woods and river gorge near his upstate NY home. He has spent many vacations – one lasting eight weeks -  camping with his wife, Karen, and their sons. Rich still roams the woods nearly every day, either walking with Karen at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve or cycling on the Mallard Creek Greenway.