News from Friends of Lower Haw River State Natural Area
May 2022 #2
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Whack Attack Rescheduled to May 21st at 9:30 AM
We rescheduled our invasive plant removal workday with State Parks biologists to Saturday, May 21st from 9:30 am to 12:00 noon in the Bynum Mill area. Invasive plant workdays typically involve identifying and removing non-native plants using clippers, pruners, saws, and other non-motorized hand tools. Learn about invasive plants and removal techniques. Bring your own loppers or hand pruners, work gloves, insect repellent, and water. Long pants, long sleeve shirt, and closed toe shoes are recommended.
Pre-registration is required for workdays. Use this online form to pre-register and additional information will be provided about this workday. For questions contact Megan Lynch. We are also planning a Whack Attack workday on June 18th.
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Birding on May 21st from 9:30 to 11:00 AM with Ranger McMurray
Ready to see what’s hanging around the Haw River? Join Ranger McMurray on the historic Bynum Bridge for an hour or two exploring the areas around the bridge. We will try to locate what birds are in the area and discuss bird identification and songs. Anyone is welcome, from beginner to expert, from young to old. Dress for the weather, bring binoculars and anything else you may need. A spotting scope will be available for those birds that perch long enough! Meet on the historic pedestrian bridge at Bynum. Parking available in the small parking lot next to the bridge and in the larger parking lot located off Bynum Church Road, downhill from the bridge in the Lower Haw River State Natural Area. Find site at this link. Event is free and open to the public. No pre-registration required. For further information contact Ranger McMurray at steve.mcmurray@ncparks.gov
Photos of Belted Kingfisher and Indigo Bunting by Dr. Kevin Ricker.
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Help Keep the Lower Haw Beautiful!
We are recruiting trash can volunteers for the remainder of 2022 to help keep the Lower Haw beautiful. We need volunteers to empty the trash cans each week at Bynum Mill (upper and lower parking lots) and at US 64 (Apex side on river left). Friends of Lower Haw installed and empty trash cans at popular access sites to reduce the amount of litter from recreational users. Volunteers sign up on a monthly basis for the location of their choice. Sign up using this link. Thank you to those who have already signed up!
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Wildlife in Spring
Dr. Kevin Ricker enjoys spending time doing nature photography in the Lower Haw River State Natural Area. Here are some wildlife he spotted recently.
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Happy 100th Birthday Bynum Bridge!
Bynum will be celebrating the 100th birthday of the historic Bynum Bridge on June 4th. Festivities will be held at the BUMC Community Center and the north end of the bridge. Please note: this is a Bynum-centric event for the Bynum community in order to limit traffic.
The Bynum bridge over the Haw River was built by the NC State Highway Commission in 1922 to replace a covered wooden bridge. The "new" concrete bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in 1999. Pedestrians still get to enjoy the bridge.
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This Smells Tasty!
This issue's cover photo of a squirrel snacking at the Haw River is by Dr. Kevin Ricker. Eastern Gray Squirrels have an excellent sense of smell. This one seems to be sniffing nature's buffet. See more of Dr. Kev's nature photos @chathampediatricdentistry
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Enjoying Nature Through a Lens
Nature photographers share their wonderful photos taken in the Lower Haw River State Natural Area. To see more nature photos in past issues of our newsletter, check out the Publications page on our website. You can also find nature photos on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Follow Us on Facebook & Instagram!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@lowerhawfriends). Check out our photos that inspire and inform!
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Connect with Nature Through iNaturalist!
Post your observations from the Lower Haw River State Natural Area on iNaturalist, a popular nature app for sharing biodiversity observations online. Record your observations, get help identifying plants and animals, and network with a community of scientists and naturalists. Anyone with a smartphone or computer can use iNaturalist to share observations. Check out how to get started here.
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2021 Annual Report Available!
Friends of Lower Haw's Annual Report for 2021 is now available on our website. Annual Reports for 2020 and prior years are also available online at our website on our Publications page.
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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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