JSU Little River Canyon Center: Build your February calendar with hikes, stars, birds and jazz

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JSU Little River Canyon Center Alabama
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Need to build your February activities calendar?

The JSU Little River Canyon Center has a diverse range of programs that include hiking the Pinhoti Trail and Little River Canyon, preparing for a rare solar eclipse, and listening to some jazz.

Here is the February lineup:

Take a Hike: Pinhoti Trail with Anniston Outdoors – Feb. 11

Educator Workshop: NASA Solar Eclipse Workshop – Feb. 17 

NASA Star Party – Feb.17

Take a Hike: Birding Hike – Feb. 18

2017 Hiker Series: Powell Trail – Feb.20

Canyon Concert: Tad of Jazz – Feb. 25

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Take a Hike: Pinhoti Trail with Anniston Outdoors

The JSU Field Schools partner with Anniston Outdoors to offer diverse moderate-level hikes each second Saturday of the month. Throughout the year, we will be hiking different sections of the Pinhoti trail. Contact Keith Hudson by phone at 256-453- 9527 or by email at anniston.outdoor.assn@gmail.com for details.

Date: Second Saturdays each month; February 11, 2017

Where: Locations vary; Pinhoti Trail

Time: 8:00 am CST (may vary depending upon length of hike)

Fee: $5 per person; pre-registration required by contacting Keith Hudson by phone at 256-453-9527 or by email at anniston.outdoor.assn@gmail.com by 3 days prior.

Educator Workshop: NASA Solar Eclipse Workshop

On Aug. 21, 2017, American sky watchers will be treated to a rare and spectacular celestial show — the first total solar eclipse visible from the continental United States in nearly four decades. In preparation for this event, Little River Canyon Center and the NASA Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University is providing a 5-hour workshop for educators. Participants will be trained in NASA resources associated with the solar eclipse. This training will prepare educators to discuss the science behind eclipses and demonstrate key principles through hands-on activities and simulations. Discussion will include classroom modifications. Register at: https://www.etouches.com/227365

Date: Friday, February 17, 2017

Where: Little River Canyon Center

Time: 9:30 am- 3 pm

Fee: Free (registration required at: https://www.etouches.com/227365) Call 256-845- 3548 for more details.

NASA Star Party

Join NASA educator, John Weis, for an evening of star gazing. We will be joined by heliophysicist, Dr. Mitzi Adams, who will be discussing the upcoming August 21 st solar eclipse. There will be opportunities to look at stars through the telescopes and have a great evening of star gazing. (Event is free. May be cancelled in the event of poor weather).

Date: Friday, February 17, 2017

Where: Little River Canyon Center

Time: Starts at 6:30 pm

Fee: Free

Sternotherus minor peltifer JSU Little River Canyon Center: Build your February calendar with hikes, stars, birds and jazz
Striped-necked Musk Turtle (Photo from Outdoor Alabama)

Take a Hike: Birding Hike

Start your Saturday morning off with the birds (and a few fellow birders). JSU professor, Dr. Robert Carter, will be leading this birding hike at the Little River Canyon Center. This hike is for new and experienced birders. This will be a part of the Audubon’s annual Great Backyard Bird Count weekend. Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. Now, more than 160,000 people worldwide join the four-day count each February to create an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds. Things to Bring: Plenty of water, snacks, sturdy shoes (open toe shoes are not recommended), binoculars (if you have them). Please be sure to dress appropriately according to seasonal temperatures/weather.

WEATHER: As with all outdoor events, if it’s raining/stormy or very poor trail conditions, we may have to cancel. If the weather is questionable, please check with the park before leaving home. Please make every effort to arrive early or on time so that you do not hold up the group.

Date: Saturday, February 18, 2017

Where: Meet in the lobby of the Little River Canyon Center

Time: 9 am (CST)

Fee: Free and open to the public

For more details, contact 256-845- 3548.

2017 Hiker Series: Powell Trail

Join the staff from the JSU Field School, DeSoto State Park, and the National Park Service for this exciting hike in our 2017 hiking series. Powell trail is located in the Little River Canyon National Preserve. This dirt trail is 0.75 miles long and is rugged and steep at times. (Level -Difficult). Things to bring: Plenty of water and/or sports drink, snacks/lunch, hiking poles/staff (optional), sturdy shoes (open toe shoes are not recommended). Please be sure to dress appropriately according to seasonal temperatures/weather.

WEATHER: As with all outdoor events, if it’s raining/stormy or very poor trail conditions, we may have to cancel. If the weather is questionable, please check with the park before leaving home. Please make every effort to arrive early or on time so that you do not hold up the group.

Date: Monday, February 20, 2017

Where: Meet in the lobby of the Little River Canyon Center

Time: 1 pm (CST)

Fee: Free and open to the public; for more details contact: 256-845- 3548.

Little River Canyon Center
T.A.D. of Jazz

Canyon Concert: Tad of Jazz

Anniston’s T.A.D. of Jazz is back again for a second wonderful winter show at the Canyon Center. This year’s concert is set for Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 6:00 pm the Little River Canyon Center. T.A.D. of Jazz has become the region’s leader in the contemporary and smooth jazz realm. With a unique mixture of soul, gospel, jazz, and funk roots, the band produces a sound quite different than any other of its kind. Even if you are not a jazz enthusiast, the cuisine is sure to impress! This year’s event will feature a three course seated dinner catered by Tina Whiteside & Regina Henderson. This exclusive event is sure to please and as a bonus is an annual fundraiser for environmental education.

Date: Saturday, February 25, 2017

Time: Gates Open at 5 pm; Music begins at 6 pm (CST)

Fee: Contact 256-782- 8010 for ticket details

Location: Canyon Center (Fort Payne, Alabama)

Sponsored by:

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Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

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