Central KY Wildlife Refuge will host a birding hike on Saturday, May 4th beginning at 9 am. The hike will start with a visit to the bird blind for orientation. Participants will then hike through varied habitat looking for migrating song birds as well as our resident species. The total length of the hike will be about two miles over easy trails. Participants should bring binoculars and dress for the weather.
The Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge will host a Beginning Birdwatchers event on Saturday, March 30th. This event is for anyone who would like to learn the basic skills needed to participate in one of the most popular pastimes in America. The event will start at 10 am in the parking lot. We will start with an orientation in the bird blind. After the orientation we will go for a short walk through varied habitat looking for migrating songbirds as well as our resident birds. This event is suitable for children. Participants should provide their own binoculars and dress for the weather.
The Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge will be hosting our annual Spring Wildflower Walks on April 6th and 20th. Both walks will begin at 10 am and participants should meet near the Martha B. Clay Wildflower Trail on Carpenter Creek Rd. The first walk will be lead by Dr. Anne Lubbers, Professor of Biology at Centre College. The second walk will be lead by Rob Pendygraft, Co-director of Education for CKWR. The trail is level and about a quarter of a mile long, making it suitable for people of all ages. Participants are reminded to wear comfortable shoes and to dress for the weather.
The Central KY Wildlife Refuge is offering an opportunity to escape the inevitable stress that comes with the holiday season. On Saturday, December 22nd the Refuge will host two separate hikes.
The first will start at 10 am and will be the more strenuous of the two. This hike will go up the Ridge Trail and around the Circle Trail. Due to the steepness of the Ridge Trail this will be a moderately strenuous hike.
The second hike will leave the parking lot at 2 pm. Hikers will go up the Blue Trail, down the Brooks Hollow Trail, access the North Rolling Fork via the Roy Ellis Fork Trail, and return on the Woodland Pond Trail.
Both hikes will be approximately two miles in length. Participants should dress for the weather.
Once a year the Central KY Wildlife Refuge is open to visitors after dark for our night walk. This year the walk will be held on August 11th. The exact nature of the walk will depend on the weather. If the skies are clear enough we will go for a short nature walk and then gather in the meadow by the Island Pond. Weather permitting, we will have access to a telescope for viewing celestial objects. We will also watch for the Perseid meteor shower. If the weather is wet or cloudy we will go on a longer nature walk around the ponds and wetlands area looking and listening for nocturnal creatures. Either way this is always one of the highlights of the year.
Participants should dress for the weather and bring a flashlight. We will meet in the parking lot about 8:00 pm.
The first Spring Wildflower Walk will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at 10:00 AM.
Dr. Anne Lubbers will lead participants on an easy hike along the Martha Clay Wildflower Trail. Participants should meet at the gate near the trail at 10:00 am. The length of this walk will be about one quarter of a mile.
The second Spring Wildflower Walk will be held on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 10:00 AM.
Former caretaker Rob Pendygraft will lead participants along the Blue Trail allowing them to view additional species that are not found in other habitats. Participants should meet in the parking lot and wear comfortable walking shoes. The length of this walk will be about one mile.
We will be hosting our annual Bird Walk on Saturday, May 6th beginning at 9:00 a.m.!
Granville Cox, a local ornithologist, will be leading the walk from Woodland Pond to Fork Trail.
For more information and updates, follow up on Facebook at Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge!
Meet in the parking lot, and be sure to dress appropriately for the weather!
Bringing your own binoculars is always a good idea!
Due to the dismal weather forecast, the Last Spring Wildflower Walk scheduled for 4/22/2017 has been cancelled.
We look forward to seeing you at our Annual Bird Walk on Saturday, May 6th!
All are welcome to join us for our Annual Bird Walk on Saturday, May 6th! Granville Cos, a local ornithologist, will be leading the walk by Woodland Pond to Fork Trail!
The plan is to meet in the parking lot and leave from there! Please bring your own binoculars to help ensure the best experience! Be sure to dress appropriately and wearing bug spray is always recommended for spring hikes!
For updates, feel free to check here or follow us on Facebook at Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge!
In two Saturdays, we will have a booth at the Bluegrass Community and Technical College to celebrate Earth Day with the community. If you come by, stop by the booth with any questions you may have! There will be lots of great opportunities and information, and we would love to see some folks stop by.
The event is from 11-3 on Saturday, April 22nd!