Rob Smith
Park Ranger/Interpreter
Dr. Ray Buchanan
Master Gardener, Master Naturalist
Restore Your Connection with Nature at Inks Lake State Park
It would be fun to plan a trip to Disneyland this year – with all the rides, and Disney characters, and informational centers. But it is so much the same – even when offered in such an exaggerated and glitzy form! What about something really different that promises fun and excitement within a panorama created by cedar and oak woodlands along with lush wildflowers and bordered by pink granite outcroppings and the inviting coolness of blue water in a lake?
According to Richard Louv in "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder", "a growing body of research links our mental, physical, and spiritual health directly to our association with nature."
Think about how refreshing it would be to listen to the natural voices of quail and of other songbirds or to watch deer and wild turkey emerge from the woods. Consider how relaxing it could be to take a canoe trip, slipping around the many curves and inlets of the lake shore. Think how distant your imagination can take you while listening to owls calling back and forth during the night-time Full Moon Hike. Imagine becoming acquainted with things green and brown and red and yellow, with things that perch and sing and fly, with things that are rough and smooth on the outside, and with things that bend and sway and wave in the wind during a Stumpy Hollow Nature Hike.
And think about what excitement there is when a young boy or girl catches a perch while Fishing With the Ranger on Saturday afternoons. What a source of wonderment it is to see a large white pelican plop down in the water or to watch a big blue heron zero in on a fish and thrust its long neck into the water for a catch or to watch the wood ducks slowly paddling their way toward their box nests. You can play volleyball or golf, eat free hot dogs while listening to bluegrass music, and have breakfast on a boat while watching the morning birds eating theirs. Sitting quietly in a chair and watching the clouds pass by is also encouraged, as is napping in the sun!
You can come as you are with the whole family to a safe place where you can again run and play, where you can be comfortable with natural grass and trees and with wild plants of all kinds and where your habitat somehow merges with that of the birds and the butterflies and the moths and the crickets.
While some might say: "no child left inside"; or promote the idea that "life’s better outside"; or try: "more kids in the woods"; it can all happen to make youngsters and adults alike happier and healthier by connecting with nature at Inks Lake State Park. Come on out! It is close by and you don’t have to fly all the way to Florida!!
For complete information about Inks Lake State park, visit their website HERE.
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