March 9, 2011
The Museum in the Park at Chief Logan State Park will be the site for participants to gather for the annual Sue Browning Wildflower Hike on Saturday, April 16, at 8:30 a.m., for complimentary coffee and breakfast pastries and registration. The event, sponsored by Chief Logan State Park, the Hemlock Hills Garden Club and the Museum in the Park, is named for a long-time member of the Logan Garden Club who helped establish the hike 28 years ago.
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources personnel and knowledgeable wildflower enthusiasts will guide groups of hikers along a few of the park’s 14 trails to see and photograph native flora and fauna. Each trail features a unique combination of scenery, wildflowers, length of hike and level of difficulty. Chief Logan State Park Superintendent Bruce Collinsworth promises a variety of paths for hikers to choose from, depending upon their experience and endurance level.
In southern West Virginia, weather conditions during the month of April usually bring the largest variety of blooms throughout the different elevations and terrains in the park. Visitors can look forward to seeing thousands of tiny spring beauties growing as ground cover from March to May. There are several varieties of the Trillium genus also in bloom in April and May under prime conditions. The bluebell is one of the most popular wildflowers in the park, and there are fields of blue blooms covering entire hillsides along the Lake Shore, Woodpecker and other trails during April.
Groups of hikers will get organized and leave between 9:15 a.m. and 10 a.m. Hikers will be served a box lunch at the Museum in the Park following the hike. Dr. Rebecca Linger, assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Charleston’s school of pharmacy will give a lunchtime talk on the medicinal and curative properties of Appalachian wildflowers and herbs. Linger’s talk is made possible by a grant from the Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Foundation.
Registration forms are available at the Chief Logan State Park office, Museum in the Park at (304) 792-7229, or call Patsy Tilley of Hemlock Hills Garden Club at (304) 583-2026.
The early registration fee of $10 per adult aged 12 and over, and $6.50 per child aged three to 11 years old must be received by April 9. After that, registration is $15 per adult and $11.50 per child. Fees can be paid by check or money order made payable to Hemlock Hills Garden Club and mailed to Patsy Tilley, 9896 Country Road, Davin, W.Va. 25617. Fees must be received by the garden club by Saturday, April 9, in order to guarantee the complimentary box lunch.
For more information about Museum in the Park and the wildflower hike, contact Elizabeth Williams, site manager for the facility, at (304) 792-7229.
Museum in the Park is a regional cultural center showcasing the best in West Virginia history and the arts. It features changing exhibits and displays of artwork and historical items from the collections of the West Virginia State Museum and the State Archives. One area of the museum is dedicated to local and regional history. It is operated and maintained by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and is located four miles north of Logan on West Virginia Route 10 at Chief Logan State Park. The regular museum operating hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 - 6 p.m.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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