Story By Marla Ballard
Children ages 7 – 12 are invited to join the Little River Canyon Center for hands-on adventure learning on Wednesday, May 21. Children will learn about Pollinator Gardens with the JSU Field School team. Parents are welcome to stay for the class, or sign children up and drop them off for the class. Event is from 10:30 a.m. – Noon. Fee: $8 per child. Registration required. Weather permitting the event will take place mostly outside, so dress appropriately. For more details, email fieldschool@jsu.edu or call 256-845-3548.
A Daybreak Flatwater Paddle Trip is planned for Saturday, May 24 on Little River with the DeSoto State Park staff. The guided tour will include information on the river’s water source, flora and fauna, and history of the area around DeSoto Falls. Trip is scheduled for 7a.m. – 10 a.m. Preregistration was scheduled to close May 16, preregister at: https://reserve.alapark.com/register/DSP-Daybreak-Paddle. If registration for May 24 trip is closed, more information on upcoming trips is listed at the registration site.
Paddle trips are approximately four miles and includes kayak, paddle, and personal floatation device. Participants must be able to paddle upstream and back with no current. Fee is $30 for a single kayak rental. Two-person tandem kayaks are available on a limited basis for $50. Weight limits: 300 pounds for singles and 450 for tandems. For those who bring their personal kayak a $10 fee for the guided tour. Ages 8 to Adult should bring clothing to keep dry in the event of rain, headlamp or flashlight, bug spray, water, and snack. Meet at DeSoto Falls Picnic Area – Miller’s Bend Paddle Shack. The Falls are located about seven miles from the main park area. For directions or more information contact: Brittney.Hughes@dcnr.alabama.gov.
Join JSU Field School for BioBlitz 2025 in the Little River National Preserve for a full weekend of activities. On Friday, May 30 at 10 a.m. join a guided hike on Powell Trail; 1 p.m. guided hike on Beaver Pond Trail; 6 p.m. a special presentation will be given by the Executive Director of Alabama Audubon Dr. Scot Duncan; 7:30 p.m. guided night hike to Little River Falls for blacklight moth and bug monitoring. On Saturday, May 31 at 7 a.m. Birding at Canyon Mouth Park presentation; and at 10 a.m. Snorkel Survey at Canyon Mouth Park. For more details and directions call 256-845-3548.
Moon Lake Library will host their monthly movie night on Friday, May 30. This month’s film, “Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius,” is about one of golf’s legendary players, Bobby Jones. He played as an amateur for his entire golfing career, won the Grand Slam in 1930, with victories in all four major tournaments of that period. He went on to found the Augusta National Golf Club and helped design the course where the tournament he co-founded, The Masters, is played each April.
Hank and Susan Van Apeldoorn of Mentone spent years working in the film industry, based in Georgia. They will talk about the making of the movie and their experiences on set, sharing what it is like to work on a movie set, doing the hard work backstage that helps make the magic happen on screen. The movie, made in 2004 is rated PG. Movie begins at 6 p.m.
