The following are a few outdoor related events you might be interested in participating in this weekend:
Waterfalls Link with Love: Gorges State Park will offer a special Valentine’s Day weekend walk and talk, “
Waterfalls Link with Love,” at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday Feb. 13 and at 2 p.m. Sunday Feb. 14.
Find out why so many people are attracted to waterfalls and learn the scientific explanations as to how a positive mood is affected by negative ions. The program begins at Upper Bearwallow Falls trailhead, at picnic area No. 2, off N.C. 281 south in Sapphire. The walk is a mile long with a stopover at the Upper Bearwallow Falls observation platform. Bring suitable clothing and footwear for cold and wet conditions. For more information, please call the park office at 828-966-9099.
Great Backyard Bird Count: The 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, a nationwide effort to count all species of birds, will happen this Friday through Monday. The count is open to anyone in any location.
Sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, the GBBC is an effort to identify and count millions of birds across North America and beyond. Data gathered will help scientists spot bird-population trends, while the event also helps to increase public awareness of birds' needs for places to safely feed and rest.
HOW TO JOIN THE COUNT
The only tools you'll need are a pair of binoculars or a good set of eyes, and the Internet. Just follow these three steps:
1. Count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. Submit a separate checklist for each new day.
2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time. Print out your regional bird checklist before you start for an idea of the kinds of birds you're likely to see.
3. Enter results through the GBBC Web page,
www.birdsource.org/gbbc/, through the deadline of March 1.
For more information, please
click here.
Prescribed Fire Awareness Week: Many ecosystems require a periodic fire for maintenance to increase productivity, for good health, and to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
From 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday, at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, wildlife biologist/forester Dean Simon will lead the “Fire on the Mountain” program to discuss
prescribed fires. The program is for ages 18 and older. It's free, but registration is required. For directions to Saturday’s program, visit
www.ncwildlife.org. To register, call 828-877-4423.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more. 
From December 14 through January 5, tens of thousands of volunteers take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission - often before dawn. For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season.
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