OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 16, 2016 – A study of the American woodcock and birds of prey will be the theme of the first spring nature walk of 2016 on the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Reservation scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26.
Limited to 30 participants, including children, the nature walk will be on trails not in overly steep terrain of about half a mile. Participants will look for American woodcock flight displays as the sun sets and perhaps hear some other night animals calling. Representatives from the Clinch River Raptor Center and local falconers will be on hand to show some of their birds of prey.
Participants need to have sturdy shoes and should dress in layers. A reliable flashlight or headlamp is suggested as some of the walk will be at dusk or after sunset. Recommended items include water, binoculars, field guide to birds and bug spray, if needed.
Reservations must be made by noon Thursday, Feb. 25 by contacting Tracy Clem, 865-574-5151, bodinetm@ornl.gov. If inclement weather forces postponement, it will be announced on ORNL’s Information Line at 865-574-9836 at least two hours before the scheduled start. In case of inclement weather, the walk will be held at the same time Saturday, Feb. 27.
Participants should meet at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the south parking lot of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) building located at the corner of Bethel Valley and Pumphouse roads in Oak Ridge.
Upcoming walks include a wildflower walk Sunday afternoon, April 10, an observation of frog calls and bat monitoring Friday night, April 15, a bird nature walk Saturday morning, April 23 and a reptiles and amphibians inventory Sunday afternoon, June 5. Details about these walks will be announced in the near future.
More information about the Feb. 26 walk and the program in general is available by calling Trent Jett, 865-574-9188.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science <http://energy.gov/science/>.
