News from Friends of Lower Haw River State Natural Area
February 2020 #2
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Explorer Hike - February 29th at 12:00 Noon
Leap into the New Year on a trail less traveled! Join Ryan Cadwalader of the Friends of Lower Haw on our inaugural Explorer Hike. This hike series will take participants off-trail to Lower Haw River State Natural Area locations rarely visited. Participants should be able to hike uphill on uneven terrain (hiking poles suggested), clamber over fallen trees or rocks in creeks, duck and dance through underbrush, and smile while doing it! If this sounds like an adventure you would enjoy, join us. Please leave your four-legged adventure companions at home. In this hike we will be walking the area south of US 64, towards Roberson Creek Canoe Access. Hike distance will depend on the group's wishes, but may be up to 5 miles round trip and last between 2 - 3 hours. Meet at 12:00 Noon at the Haw River Canoe Access parking lot on 348 River Access Road next to US 64 on the Pittsboro side of the river. No pre-registration required.
Directions to Haw River Canoe Access Parking Lot:
From US 64 near the Haw River, turn onto Foxfire Trace. If you are headed east from Pittsboro, it will be a right turn before crossing the Haw River. If you are headed west from Apex towards Pittsboro, it will be a left turn after crossing the Haw River. After turning onto Foxfire Trace, take an immediate left onto River Access Road and follow it downhill to the parking lot by the river. Haw River Canoe Access is owned by Chatham County Parks & Recreation.
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Whack-Attack Workdays Making Progress!
Friends of Lower Haw held our third Whack-Attack workday on February 15th to remove invasive plant species in the Bynum Mill area of the Lower Haw River State Natural Area. Volunteers tackled Privet, English Ivy, Japanese Wisteria, and Bradford Pear. State Parks biologists supervised our workday. We appreciate the hardy souls who braved chilly temperatures to volunteer. As someone pointed out, the advantage of winter workdays is no ticks or chiggers! Our next workday is tentatively scheduled for April 4th. See more photos of our Whack-Attack workday on our Facebook page. If you are interested in future Whack-Attack workdays, contact lowerhawevents@gmail.com with "Invasives" in the subject line.
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Not Too Late to Sign Up as Spring Bird House Monitors
With spring not as far away as it might seem, it's time for another season of bird box monitoring along the Lower Haw. We still have some of the 15 bird nest boxes ready for volunteers to adopt and monitor throughout the spring and summer. Feel free to volunteer to monitor a single box, or more than one box especially if multiple boxes are nearby. See this map with locations of all the boxes. Adoption is a commitment for the entire breeding season. There are different date ranges for each of the boxes, roughly corresponding with possible breeding seasons for the specific bird species the box is designed to attract. Ideally, volunteers would check their box(es) every two weeks throughout the season to see if there is any activity, then weekly if there is a nest. Use this link to add your name next to the box or boxes that you would like to adopt. For more information or questions, contact lowerhawevents@gmail.com with "Bird Box Monitoring" in the subject line.
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River Clean-Up on March 21st
Friends of Lower Haw will once again have teams participating in Haw River Assembly's annual Haw River Clean-Up-A-Thon on the morning of March 21st. Our teams work in sites along the Lower Haw River State Natural Area. If you would like to volunteer for a Friends of Lower Haw team, please contact lowerhawevents@gmail.com with "Clean-Up" in the subject line to sign up or for more information.
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2020 World Tour Paddling Film Festival - March 7th in Saxapahaw
Haw River Canoe & Kayak Company is hosting the 2020 World Tour Paddling Film Festival, presenting the world's best canoeing, kayaking, whitewater, SUP and kayak fishing films. Haw River Canoe & Kayak is hoping the festival will bring together everyone involved with paddling to include conservation groups, paddling clubs, county and municipal parks & recreation programs, land trusts, river rescue folks, private boaters and outdoor writers. The film festival will be held on March 7th at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw. Doors open at 7:00 pm, films start at 8:00 pm. Tickets available on Eventbrite.
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Haw River Stories at Bynum Storytelling! - March 14th at Bynum Front Porch
March 14th is stories about the Haw River at the Bynum Front Porch Storytelling show. Founders of the Learning Celebration, boardies of the Haw River Assembly, swimmers and tubers, Friends of Lower Haw, Bynum and Saxapahaw residents - all telling river tales! Cynthia Raxter emcees. The Bynum Front Porch's famous storytelling shows are family friendly. There is always a beautiful refreshment table, so bring a goodie to share if you wish. It's free, but they're passing the hat to support the Haw River Assembly and Friends of Lower Haw. Show starts at 6:30 pm at the Bynum General Store in the village of Bynum. Address is 950 Bynum Road, Pittsboro NC.
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We Heart Nature!
Our cover photo is one of the nature art creations in the shape of hearts made by families who attended our Family Nature Art Adventure led by Friends of Lower Haw's educator extraordinaire, Megan Lynch. Thanks to John Bonitz for sharing this photo. See more nature art in the shape of hearts on our Facebook page.
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Follow Us on Instagram and Twitter!
We've expanded our social media presence! In addition to Facebook you can now follow us on Instagram (@lowerhawfriends) and Twitter (@LowerHawFriends). Post your favorite photos of the Lower Haw River State Natural Area on Instagram or send us a Tweet letting us know what you love about this special place.
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2019 Annual Report Now Available!
Friends of Lower Haw 2019 Annual Report is now available online at our website on our Publications page. Read about what we've been doing in 2019! Annual Reports for prior years are also available on our website.
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Watch 60-second Video About the Lower Haw River SNA!
See spectacular scenery in our 60-second video about the Lower Haw River State Natural Area and the Lower Haw Trails Plan. Produced by Destination by Design, it was funded by a grant from Triangle Community Foundations' Support for Places Awareness Program. Want to see more? We also have a 5-minute video with interviews! Watch both videos at www.lowerhaw.org
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