July 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 love the outdoors and plan to make a career out of environmental science. I'm not positive as to my major as of this moment, but conservation is high on my list.
We inherited a pristine planet. It is my hope that we leave our planet clean, healthy and rich with resources for future generations. Please consider voting for politicians that are environmentally conscious.

I plan to utilize technology, social media and photography in hopes to inspire and motivate others to get outdoors, to enjoy and treasure the many diverse resources this state has to offer. It is a concern to me that people my age seem less interested in being outdoors and enjoying nature. Sure we have many involved in team sports, and that is great, but what about our state parks?

We are becoming a society that is heavily influenced by social media. Most everyone today is involved in some form of social media be it for personal or business purposes. My thought is engage others on this social platform for the benefit of our natural resources and our state parks. It is also a way for me to share my love of nature with others. So I hope you enjoy my photoblog on Howell Woods. I plan to start other photoblogs featuring different NC State Parks in the near future.
 
If you've been to my photoblog before, welcome back.  If this is your first time visiting my photoblog, thanks for stopping by and please follow me on facebook for updates.  Below there's the link to my facebook.

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Photoblog-By-James-Howell-Woods/233829593470397


To learn more about Howell Woods, please see my previous posts for info, photos, and videos.

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 visit the Howell Woods website, 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

All photos were taken by and are copyright property of James and Wade Giddens
_________________________

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS!!!

Calling all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders!

Sign up for the Howell Woods Summer Camp 2014 today!

Other upcoming events below, for full list and additional details, please visit the Howell Woods website

 Buggin’ Out with NC Insects

July 12th
9am-11am $15.00
We’ll break out the magnifying glass in this class to take a closer look at some of the things we commonly find crawling around in NC. Bring a hat, as we’ll be taking this class outdoors to find some live specimens!

Beekeeping at a Glance
July 19th
10am-12pm $15.00
This class will give a quick introduction to beginner beekeepers. In class, we will cover anatomy, social behaviors, and activities of bees. We will then go outside to identify bee-loving plants and take a look at our hives here on the property. This class has limited space, so register early! Ages 10+

What’s the deal with Weeds?
August 9th
10am-12pm $10.00
What is a weed? Students will learn common weed identification and discuss mechanical and chemical control.

To register for an event contact Jordan Astoske jtastoske@johnstoncc.edu (919) 938-0115

To see an entire list of programs please click the newsletter link on our Homepage.

July 2014

I am posting 2 videos from the Howell Woods kayaking trip on June 7th. 

This was my first attempt at taking video while kayaking. It's not the best quality but it will definitely give you an idea of what the trip was like.

I plan to make improvements for the next video of kayaking. Enjoy.

Kayaking the Neuse is great fun and a wonderful experience. I highly recommend this trip to anyone that loves being on the water and enjoying nature. We kayaked 12 miles along the Neuse river. It was very scenic, beautiful weather. It's a long trip, six hours but we stopped for breaks and lunch along the way. Jordan and Brittany were excellent guides. THANK YOU GUYS!!!

 A few words of advice: Wear some old shoes because you're going to get muddy getting onto the bank or in case your kayak turns over. No biggie if it does. Also bring some sunscreen and insect repellent as well. The bugs weren't a problem when we went.

One sad thing is there is a lot of litter in parts of the river. Please enjoy the river but take your trash with you when you leave. Consider joining the river keepers association of NC. Their link is below.

www.neuseriver.org/riverkeepers/upperneuseriverkeeper.html

Reptiles and amphibians are featured for the month of July. The live museum at Howell Woods contains several of these animals as does the land surrounding and beyond the learning center. Many have hiding places, and you must know where to look in order to find them.

"The atmosphere, the earth, the water and the water cycle - those things are good gifts. The ecosystems, the ecosphere, those are good gifts. We have to regard them as gifts because we couldn't make them. We have to regard them as good gifts because we couldn't live without them." 
-Wendell Berry