Summer is quickly coming to a close, and with autumn brimming on the horizon, students and local families will be searching for more outdoor activities to occupy the cooler fall afternoons.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve and Nature Center off of North College Street will be hosting its second annual Fall Family Fun Day to usher in the harvest season.
Jennifer Lolley, the preserve outreach administrator, said the event will be hosted with no admission cost and is intended to publicize the preserve.
“Last year we had about 500 people," Lolley said. "It’s just a great way to get people out here to have a good time and celebrate fall. It’s also to increase awareness about the preserve and what we do out here. A lot of people just don’t realize what all is out here.”
Fall Family Fun Day will be a great day to introduce the preserve to college students who have never visited, according to Ann Bergman, public relations specialist and one of the event organizers with the City of Auburn Parks and Recreation.
“It’s just great because it’s going to reach all ages," Bergman said. "We’re going to have things like face painting, but we’re also going to have Fake Snake Hikes, which will be cool even for older college kids. It’s a great day to visit if you’ve never been to the preserve before.”
The Fall Family Fun Day will look to entertain both students and local families with music, crafts and nature hikes. All activities will be family-friendly and fall-themed, including hay bale decorating and storytelling by the Auburn Public Library System. Several food trucks will be on hand to quench thirsts and fill hungry stomachs after a day of exploring one of Auburn’s natural parks.
The preserve, located about four miles north of Toomer’s Corner, is a 120-acre tract of land home to dozens of ponds and lakes, butterfly and vegetable gardens, a nature playground for kids, a waterfall and over six miles of nature and wildflower trails. Experienced staff naturalists will be leading discovery hikes which will feature plant and wildlife fun facts throughout the Family Fun Day.
The preserve isn’t just for kids and parents, according to Lolley.
“It’s a great place for college students to hike and hang their hammocks,” Lolley said.
Soraya Gun is a sophomore in animal sciences and Kreher Preserve volunteer.
“I wanted to get some experience with more exotic animals," Gun said. "I thought it would be a great opportunity to start off with something exotic, but small. I just learned to love it.”
Along with several other responsibilities, Gun teaches informational presentations on the wildlife in the preserve.
The preserve is also looking for student volunteers.
“I’m pre-vet, so I have a lot of really hard classes," said Gun. "It just requires a lot of studying. I get to take a break, go outside, play with the animals and meet new people (when at the Preserve). It calms me down a lot. When I have to come back and study, I feel a lot better.”
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