Every fall, nights grow longer and trees transform into bare skeletons. The witching hour brings eerie sounds from unknown creatures. But Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation nature centers are dispelling myths about nocturnal species and things that go bump in the night.
What do you know about the county’s native creatures that roam in the dark? Let’s look at four often-misunderstood species spotted at night.
Continue ReadingFor about 30 years, volunteers have hunted at Mecklenburg County nature preserves to manage the deer population.
It’s not recreation. It’s a science-based stewardship of local wildlife and the environment.
“We’re taking a biological approach to this,” said Christa Rogers, natural resources manager for Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation. “We’re making the deer population healthier and making the vegetation and plant population healthier.”
Continue ReadingIt’s August. Summer camps are over. School hasn’t yet started. The weather outside is still fine, and the family is antsy for outdoor activity to help fill the gap. Enter: Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s Hummingbird Week.
Continue ReadingHere are some words of wisdom: DON’T TOUCH A RACCOON, FOX, BAT OR ANY OTHER WILD ANIMAL. I don’t care if the bat reminds you of a superhero or if the baby raccoon batted its eyes at you.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk rabies. Why? Because somewhere out there, there’s someone who thinks it’s safe to play with these fake friends.
Continue ReadingLet’s all take a moment to slowwwww down. Some of the best places to do that in Mecklenburg County are free. Today, we’re going to focus on our Park and Recreation nature preserves. The County manages more than 7,600 acres of nature preserves, protecting our natural resources. If you’ve never been to one, you’re missing out, but we’re going to give you a little preview.
Continue ReadingGet it? Latta, a lotta?
The real story is not about my bad pun but how many fun activities there are available at Latta Nature Preserve in Huntersville. It’s actually one of my favorite nature preserves in the County. Warning: Siri or Google Maps may try to trick you. When you get there, you want to go through the big gate, not the private drive.
Continue ReadingWildlife. We all play a role in its preservation and protection. And sometimes that means protecting things we may not be really crazy about. Can you think of an animal or insect you’d rather not come across on one of our trails? For me, there are a few. But, there’s one answer we hear a lot: SNAKES!
Snakes, birds, bugs, and plants are just some of the wildlife you’ll come across in one of our nature preserves. Sometimes, that even means you’ll see them on the trails. And it’s all by design! Unlike parks, which focus primarily on recreation, nature preserves help promote natural areas within city limits. This is great for us humans. It means we don’t have to travel outside of our city and towns to have access to nature. But, it also helps to protect our wildlife and the natural biodiversity in the area. And that’s important for a rich, functional ecosystem.
So how do we respect snakes AND stay safe on the trails?
Continue ReadingPhotos by John Mackay
In spring 2019, with just about a week to go before the start of construction of the highly anticipated extension of McAlpine Creek Greenway (Sardis Road to Providence Road), Mecklenburg County staff and a contractor gathered on site for what should have been a final pre-construction walkthrough.
With all the boxes on their to-do list nearly checked off, there was nothing that could have delayed the start of construction – except for some amazing birds.
How could birds lead to the delay of greenway construction?
Well, to fully understand why, we need to go back even further, to the winter of 2018.
Continue ReadingYou probably know that there are a few law enforcement agencies in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area – there’s the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, local town police departments, and of course, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office (that’s our partner).
When you think of these agencies and those who work to keep our community safe, chances are you think of the people who respond to your calls for service and patrol your neighborhoods. But, it’s not just humans who wear a badge – dogs do too!
Continue ReadingWritten with assistance from Kristen Haas, Environmental Educator at Park and Recreation
If the word “snake” is enough to make you shudder, you’re not alone. Snakes are feared by many and no matter how often we try to convince you that they’re not that bad, chances are you’ll still want to keep your distance. But that’s not such a bad thing – respecting wildlife often means keeping it at arm’s length (or further, depending on the creature). It also means being educated about the types of wildlife you are likely to encounter whether you’re out and about or just working in the yard.
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