Sunday, February 9, 2014

February 2014


Welcome to my photoblog on: 
Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center


My name is James. I am a senior at South Johnston High School in Benson, NC.
I am a huge outdoor enthusiast. Nothing like being out in nature to me. I am
considering a career in ecology or environmental research but not 100% certain at this
point. My family and I have been visiting Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center
in Four Oaks, NC for many years.  Last year I was lucky enough to become a volunteer
at Howell Woods. Although I do not get to volunteer as often as I would like
due to my school schedule, I am grateful whenever I can. I spend my time there helping
where ever needed and learning as much as possible.

So what is Howell Woods?
The Rudolph Howell & Son Environmental Learning Center, or Howell Woods,  is a unique 2,800-acre natural resource designed to provide excellent recreational and educational experiences while fostering environmental stewardship. It is a great place to explore, hike, bicycle, bird watch, hunt,  fish, camp, picnic or come to see the exhibits, museum, and visit the birds of prey, just to name a few. Howell Woods also offers classes and rents out conference rooms for corporate meetings.

As a project for school and to help bring awareness about Howell Woods I decided to start a monthly photoblog. Over the months ahead I plan to add info and share photos on the many different aspects of Howell Woods. Both my father and I take photos for this blog. This is my first attempt writing a blog so I want to keep this simple and pretty straight forward. I hope to make improvements in future blogs as I learn more. I plan to eventually add videos as well. Thank you for stopping by. Feel free to ask questions, make comments and suggestions.

If you've never been to Howell Woods I hope this blog will peak your interest enough that you will visit. It is a treasure located in Johnston County and one of my favorite places.

 

To learn more about Howell Woods click on the link below.

http://www.johnstoncc.edu/howellwoods/


Jordan Astoske
Director of Howell Woods
jtastoske@johnstoncc.edu
(919) 938-0115 ext. 221 


"Have a great day, spend it outdoors!"
James
* * * Upcoming Event * * *
HOWELL WOODSTOCK 2014
 April 5th, 2014
Starting at 1:00p.m.
Please visit link below for the schedule of events

Howell Woodstock


See below for the February blog and photos.

______________________________________________________________________

February 2014

For the month of February I'd like to focus on the Howell Woods Facilities and Activities.
To see a full list of the many things to do at Howell Woods, please visit the website, or better still, plan a visit to see for yourself. You will be glad you did.


________________________________________________________________________


The Learning Center and Classrooms

The Learning Center is the perfect setting to host your retreat, meeting, conference, or workshop. Located at the entrance to Howell Woods, you can enjoy the many educational animal exhibits and access the natural resource reference library that contains more than 200 books.





________________________________________________________________________


Live Museum of Reptiles and Amphibians

The Live Museum of Reptiles and Amphibians temporarily houses many amphibians and reptiles. They are well cared for and observed for a short while, then most are released back to a safe place in the wild. When I get time to volunteer at Howell Woods I always enjoy feeding the animals. They all have their own personalities and different feeding habits. They are fun to observe.





_______________________________________________________________________

Wildlife exhibits and displays are also on view.



______________________________________________________________________

Garden and Natural Area

The garden and natural areas around the welcome center are home to a wide variety of native plants and herbs.  There are many opportunities to learn about gardening and indigenous species of plants.  There also also several small water pools and a few native water plants that are an attraction for frogs and other amphibians are also found there.  I spent time with Stephen, operations technician, cleaning out the garden beds and he's a wealth of knowledge about the native plants. A more in depth post will follow about the plant life at Howell Woods.





______________________________________________________________________


Birdwatching

A variety of feeders are located on the property for all sorts of different species of birds native to North Carolina to visit.  I like to sit in the shade sometimes just to watch the birds and squirrels feeding. In the summer, the place is abuzz with large numbers of Hummingbirds. I will make a post later just for the hummingbirds, so be sure to check back with this blog to see some really good photos of them.




Birds of Prey Exhibits

In case you missed my January post, please take a look when you have time. The birds of prey exhibits alone are worth a trip to Howell Woods.



_______________________________________________________________________


Camping

Cabin or Tent Camping is by reservation only. See the website or call the office for reservations and fees.  I spent my last birthday camping here and it's a great way to fully enjoy all Howell Woods has to offer.  We went hiking, biking, fishing, and the cabin amenities are more like home than camping.  I am posting a few photos from my camping trip here and I will feature camping in more detail in a future post.









____________________________________________________________________


Hunting/Fishing

See the website or call the office for regulations and fees.






________________________________________________________________________


Hiking and Biking Trails

Hikers and Mountain Bikers can take advantage of over 25 miles of unpaved roads and trails at Howell Woods.  Located around the Learning Center itself is a network of 24 separate trails called the Howell Woods Habitat Diversity Trail System.  I will go back to highlight some of these areas in future posts.  We like hiking often just to see the changes over the course of a season or a week. You never know what discoveries you might make.




______________________________________________________________________


Forestry

The upkeep of forestry is very important and vital for maintaining a healthy forest.  I took part in a controlled burn with Director Jordan and Operations Technician Stephen last year.



 _______________________________________________________________________


Below is a partial list of things to do at Howell Woods.


  Programs, Activities, Workshops, and Clinics include:
  • Backpacking/Hiking
  • Horseback Riding
  • Biking
  • Hunting Opportunities
  • Fishing
  • No-trace Camping
  • Birdwatching
  • Canoeing
  • Map/ Compass & GPS
  • Plant/Tree ID
  • Birds of Prey
  • Night Safari
  • Backyard Wildlife
  • Mammals
  • Reptiles/Amphibians
  • Natural Landscaping
  • Bird Banding
  • Habitats
  • Songbird ID
  • Wildlife Ecology
  • Water Quality
  • Recycling
  • Ponds/Creeks/Rivers
  • Bird Feeding
  • Seasonal Wildlife
  • Project WILD
  • CATCH Workshops
  • Project Learning Tree
  • Partners in Flight Bird ID Workshop
  • POW/WOW Wetland Workshop
In later posts, I will examine some of these more specifically.

For a full list of facilities and services offered, please visit the Howell Woods website or call the office directly. (919) 938-0115

http://www.johnstoncc.edu/howellwoods/





Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)