Upcoming events merge local history, outdoors

Published 10:13 am Friday, April 21, 2017

This weekend offers several events in the outdoors of Clark County, including lessons about women from frontier days and nature lessons at Lower Howard’s Creek.

Saturday and Sunday are headlined by the Women of the Frontier event at Fort Boonesborough State Park. There will be demonstrations and participation opportunities in frontier skills. In those days, women were called on to do more than maintain the home. They were versed in using flintlock rifles, chopping firewood, casting balls for use in firearms and growing crops.

The public can learn some of these skills and put them to use in friendly competitions.

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The event runs both days at the park along the Kentucky River and the Clark-Madison county line.

On the Clark County side of the river, there will be a pair of events Saturday at Lower Howard’s Creek Nature Preserve. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, there will be a field course about understanding trees and forests. This will be the first in a series of events to understand better how trees work, grow and interact with each other. Participants will get  hands-on, digging roots and dissecting logs.

The cost is $25 per person or $10 for full-time students. For more information, email tom@venerabletrees.com.

At 10 a.m. Saturday, volunteer Bill Crankshaw will lead a three-hour spring hike through Lower Howard’s Creek to look at wildflowers. The hikes are limited to 20 people and dogs are not allowed.

This will likely be the last comfortable spring hike before temperatures and humidity rise.

Hikers should bring water, snacks and sturdy shoes as the hike is rated as moderately strenuous and the trails are not paved.

To reserve a spot on the hike, call 744-4888.

For the non-outdoors people, both the Boonesboro Lioness Club and Winchester Kiwanis Club have auctions this weekend. The Lioness auction, which benefits Hospice East, begins at 6 p.m. today at First Church of God on Colby Road. Hundreds of items, up to a 70-inch television, will be available.

The Kiwanis auction started Thursday night and continues tonight and Saturday morning. The auction will be at Central Baptist Church, but will be broadcast on cable channel 5, WKYN 107.7 FM and online at www.winchesterkiwanis.com. Bids can be placed by calling 737-3841 between 6-10 p.m. Friday and after 10 a.m. Saturday. The auction runs Saturday until all items are sold.

About Fred Petke

Fred Petke is a reporter for The Winchester Sun, the Jessamine Journal and the State Journal. His beats include cops, courts, fire, public records, city and county government and other news. To contact Fred, email fred.petke@bluegrassnewsmedia.com or call 859-759-0051.

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