Nature Station – Land Between the Lakes

17 May 2022

Woodlands Nature Station Picks Up a “6-Pack”

Nature StationForest Service, Friends of Land Between The Lakes, Kentucky, land between the lakes, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, red wolf, red wolf puppies, Red Wolf Recovery Program, red wolves, Woodlands Nature Station

By John Pollpeter Exciting news for the Woodlands Nature Station as staff welcomed five little squiggly red wolf puppies in the small wolf den on April 26, 2022. There was some suspicion as Ember, the four-year-old mother, started to show signs of pregnancy a few days prior, which can be difficult to tell until parturition. Jasper, the 75-pound, 13-year-old male, also started to show protective behaviors and began delivering food to Ember, which are telltale signs of upcoming pups. Once these changes were noticed, staff whirled into puppy mode, checking the dens twice a day, setting them up with soft…

16 Jul 2018

By LBL_Admin

Building a New Home for Bobcat

Nature Stationbobcat, Kentucky, land between the lakes, tennessee, Woodlands Nature Station

The Friends of Land Between the Lakes has launched a RedBasket.org online fundraising campaign to raise $35,000 for a new enclosure for the bobcat at the Woodlands Nature Station. The website address to donate is https://redbasket.org/1699/back-the-bobcat-barrens. The site will be available for donations through August 16, 2018. Lead Naturalist John Pollpeter says “We hope all of our friends and regular visitors to the Woodlands Nature Station will take this opportunity to support this project with a financial donation. The existing enclosure was built in 1995. A new habitat will offer the bobcat a more natural and enriching space. The plan…

03 Apr 2018

By LBL_Admin

Dusk till Dawn

Elk & Bison Prairie, Environmental Education, Heritage, History, Homeplace, Nature Station, Recreation, Sustainable Recreation, Trails, Uncategorized, Wildlife1850 Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, elk and bison prairie, Kentucky and Tennessee, Land Between The Lake, LBL, mountain biking, National Guard, Nature Station

I looked east and spotted the orange glow piercing through the oaks still leafless from the long winter nights. I turned right from the trailhead and regained my footing as I reached a muddy path. I slipped and contorted in many ways as I tried to maintain my footing. My mind kept racing, “warm thoughts, warm thoughts,” but it did nothing to stop my now uncontrollable shivering. Only a madman could be up in these conditions for my specific agenda. I stumbled in the half-morn light crashing heavily on a twig. The crack pierced the cold morning air and a…

01 Nov 2017

By LBL_Admin

They Grow Up So Fast!

Nature Station, Wildlifebreeding program, endangered red wolf, Kentucky, land between the lakes, LBL, new arrival at Nature Station, puppy, Red Wold male, red wolf, tennessee, wildlife, wolf, Woodlands Nature Station

May 2, 2014 was a big day for the Woodlands Nature Station. Peeking into the wolf den, the dim morning light barely revealed the two squiggly forms covered in reddish brown fur. With flattened ears, closed eyes, and barely a whimper, the light highlighted their vulnerable faces. I picked up the larger of the two pups. She weighed ¾ of a pound, her only distinguishing mark being a long white stripe from her tiny chest to her belly. It was a healthy little red wolf pup! It was the first one born at the Woodlands Nature Station in 20 years. …

21 Jul 2017

By LBL_Admin

Total Solar Eclipse: What to expect on August 21, 2017?

Brandon Spring Group Center, Camping, Community, Customer Service, Environmental Education, Homeplace, Nature Station, Planetarium, Recreation, Solar Eclipsefarm, golden pond, homeplace, Kentucky, land between the lakes, NASA, Nature Station, planetarium, programs, safety, solar eclipse, solar glasses, solar viewing, tennessee, total eclipse, viewing

Where will you be August 21, 2017? The Great American Eclipse will pass through Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area on August 21, 2017. A total solar eclipse is a rare phenomenon and hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected in Western Kentucky, as nearby Hopkinsville is the closest city to the point of greatest totality. What to expect? We are anticipating over 50,000 visitors at Land Between the Lakes. All campsites which can be reserved have been booked and most local lodging is full. Basic and self-service camping are still available. Please get your permits online before you…

23 Jun 2017

By LBL_Admin

Local Students’ Project Helps Osprey Conservation

Birding, Community, Environmental Education, Field Guide, Nature Station, Wildlifecommunity, conservation, Kentucky, land between the lakes, osprey, project based learning, students, tennessee, Trigg County School

Submitted by John Pollpeter, Lead Naturalist at Woodlands Nature Station During the 2016-2017 school year, Trigg County Middle School participated in a teaching method called “Project-based Learning.” Students are given a project or problem, and then incorporate writing, math, science, art, and computer skills attempt to develop a solution. Ms. Brannigan Ethridge’s 8th grade class was given a list of species that need conservation help. Two students, Zach Meador and Hannah Fletcher, were able to take the project even further than they could imagine. The two students, working with the US Forest Service, developed a plan to put up an…

26 Apr 2017

By LBL_Admin

New Bobcat at Woodlands Nature Station

Environmental Education, Nature Station, Wildlifebobcat, Friends of Land Between The Lakes, Kentucky, land between the lakes, Nature Station, tennessee, Walden's Puddle, wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation

The Woodlands Nature Station is happy to announce a new, frisky resident in our bobcat enclosure. The Nature Station is a permanent, educational home to several species of native wildlife who cannot be released into the wild due to injury or imprinting-- being too comfortable around humans. A Bobcat Story The 10-month old bobcat made Nature Station his home on March 20, 2017. He was hit by a car as a young, 8-week old kitten and suffered back leg trauma. Caring individuals took him to Walden's Puddle Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Joelton, TN. Walden's Puddle staff successfully repaired his leg…

16 Mar 2017

By LBL_Admin

Two Land Between the Lakes’ Naturalists Receive Top Awards

Community, Environmental Education, Nature Stationawards, environmental education, interpretation, Kentucky, land between the lakes, naturalists, tennessee

By John Pollpeter, Woodlands Nature Station Last week in Shepherdsville, KY, Aviva Yasgur, and Tim Johnson received top honors at the National Association for Interpretation awards dinner. The National Association for Interpretation (NAI) is the main professional society for interpretive rangers, naturalists, cultural historians, and museum and science educators. Aviva Yasgur received the Outstanding Interpreter of 2017. Aviva has been working as a naturalist and Public Programs Coordinator for the Friends of Land Between the Lakes for seventeen years. Tim Johnson was awarded the Outstanding New Interpreter of 2017 for the Southeast Region. Tim has worked as a frontline naturalist…

13 Sep 2016

By LBL_Admin

Sustainable Recreation Arrives

Camping, Community, Customer Service, Environmental Education, Funding, Homeplace, Maintenance, Nature Station, Planetarium, Recreation, Sustainable Recreation, Trailsbudget, Kentucky, land between the lakes, public, recreation, tennessee

Dear Friends, Over these past four years we have been adjusting and adapting our programs and services in order to balance our budget as it “down sized.” We’re in better shape than other Forest Service units because of our prioritizing strategies we worked on together in our 2012 Budget Reduction Open Houses. Today we want to include you in our part of the region-wide effort to achieve sustainable recreation. Sustainable Recreation = Recreation that Lasts Our regional facilities budget has decreased by more than half and our recreation operations budget has gone down by 12 percent since 2012. We are…

29 Jul 2016

By LBL_Admin

Farewell Bobcat

Customer Service, Environmental Education, Nature Station, Wildlifeambassador, bobcat, education, Kentucky, land between the lakes, Nature Station, species, tennessee, wildlife

The Woodlands Nature Station bid farewell to our bobcat today. The female cat passed away earlier from kidney failure. Such illness is common in older bobcats. Rescued near Memphis, Tennessee, our bobcat arrived as a kitten. She came to Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in 1995. In her 22 years living here, she contributed to the learning and knowledge of almost one million visitors. Bobcats play a vital role in our environment. Weakened due to habitat loss, bobcat populations rebounded thanks to effective conservation practices. We estimate that over 200 bobcats reside on the inland peninsula today. The…

Category: Nature Station