Big Cypress Tree State Park Activities July 16-17
SATURDAY, JULY 16TH
6:30 a.m. – Bird Hike – Meet at Visitor Center: Get an introduction to backyard birding with seasonal interpreter Taylor. This hike will be of easy difficulty and focus on the sound identification of common birds. Meet at the visitor center. Bug spray and water encouraged. Optional items include walking sticks, field guides, and binoculars.
9 a.m. – Pack Preparation & Land Navigation: Meet at Outdoor Classroom – Paid Program $10
– Have you ever wanted to explore the great outdoors, but found yourself intimidated by the challenges of finding your way and being prepared for the adventure? Join Ranger JC to learn the essential skills of land navigation and creating a well-equipped pack. This program costs $10 and requires registration, limit of 10 visitors. Visit https://tnstateparks.com/parks/big-cypress-tree and click on upcoming events to register today.
10 a.m. – Feature Bird of Prey – Meet at Picnic Shelter: For the month of July, the park will be featuring a different bird of prey each weekend. Which one will it be this weekend? Swing by the picnic shelter and meet them.
5:30 p.m. – Pelt Station – Meet at Outdoor Classroom: Seasonal interpreter Taylor will be set up in the outdoor classroom next to the visitor center showing off some of the pelts and skulls of mammals that can be found at Big Cypress Tree State Park.
7:30 p.m. – Owl Prowl – Meet at Visitor Center: Join the team at the park for an owl prowl down the boardwalk. Visitors will hike down to the boardwalk to listen to the sounds of the night and see if they can hear or spot an owl. Registration required for this event. Visit https://tnstateparks.com/parks/big-cypress-tree and click on upcoming events to register today.
SUNDAY, JULY 17TH
7:30 a.m. – Bird Watching & Coffee – Meet at Visitor Center: Stop by the visitor center for a cup of coffee before heading over to the outdoor classroom to watch the birds visiting the newly set-up feeders. Bug spray and water are encouraged. Optional items include field guides and binoculars.
10 a.m. – Plant Identification & Preservation Workshop – Meet at Visitor Center – Paid Program $10: Join Manager Beasley for a fun, educational workshop with the goal of teaching basic plant identification and preservation of plant specimens using a plant press. During this workshop guests will learn how to identify plants using field guides and dichotomous keys, as well as prepare plants to be pressed like in an herbarium. This program will be of easy difficulty with less than a mile of hiking and some classroom time for identification and plant pressing. This is a paid program costing $10 per person. All materials will be provided. Participants must register beforehand, and the class size is limited to 10. Visit http://tnstateparks.com/parks/big-cypress-tree and click on upcoming events to register today.
10:30 a.m. – 10 Essentials for Hiking – Meet at Outdoor Classroom: What are the 10 essential items to keep in your pack when you go hiking? Join seasonal interpreter Taylor to find out.
2 p.m. – Feature Bird of Prey – Meet at Picnic Shelter: For the month of July, the team will be featuring a different bird of prey each weekend. Which one will it be this weekend? Swing by the picnic shelter and meet them.
3:30 p.m. – Plant Hike – Meet at Outdoor Classroom: Get an introduction to common plants with seasonal interpreter Taylor. This hike will be of easy difficulty and focus on the identification of common flowers and trees. Meet at the outdoor classroom next to the visitor center. Bug spray and water are encouraged. Optional items include walking sticks and field guides.
4 p.m. – Leaves, Leaves, Leaves – Meet at Outdoor Classroom: Meet seasonal interpreter Taylor at the outdoor classroom to create a leaf identification book. They’ll be using leaves from the trees around the park to create leaf rubbings in a small book to use for beginner identification. All supplies needed for this activity provided.
