It’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 ReadingWritten with Elizabeth Stuart, Senior Administrative Support, Historic Landmarks Commission
Historic preservation helps tell the present the story of the past. Literally. When we preserve a landmark, we help save the story it holds. I mean, what’s cooler than being able to SEE history?
Historic preservation preserves, conserves and protects buildings, objects, landscapes or other places with historical significance. Since 1973, our Historic Landmarks Commission has preserved more than 360 landmarks in the County! Here are five facts you might not know about historic preservation.
Continue ReadingJust sit right back and you’ll hear a tale,
a tale of a fateful trip.
“Gilligan’s Island” Theme Song
Maybe you can’t afford a trip to a tropical island but there’s an island right here in Mecklenburg County THAT YOU CAN RENT. Color me surprised, too! And you won’t get lost there if you go on a three-hour tour. (That’s a “Gilligan’s Island” reference.) Here’s what you need to know about Copperhead Island before your next event.
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 ReadingWritten with contributions from the Public Information Department
staycation
n. a vacation spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.
I know what you’re thinking. “I’ve avoided travel for a year and I’m ready to GO!” Me too, reader. Me too. BUT if we’re going to be here, let’s make the most of it. I’ll give you a money back guarantee right here, right now if you’ve done everything on this list.*
Continue ReadingSpend a little time learning more about the County and some of the resources in our 21 departments without leaving your home. If you’ve never been on a digital scavenger hunt, here’s how it goes. Follow the clues to track down info about some of the best of what Mecklenburg County has to offer. How many can you figure out without looking at the key? No peeking!
Continue ReadingIf you work for Mecklenburg County, it’s your job to give excellent customer service. And that’s what Park Ranger Doug Brown has been doing for the past 9 months. He was hired by Park and Recreation and says he loves his job.
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.
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