If you’re a student or adult looking for something to do outdoors before summer is over and school starts back, an educator-naturalist invites you to join him for a morning nature walk this week at New River Birding & Nature Center.

Bill Hilton Jr., the center’s consulting director, will be on hand at 7 to 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6 for a look at wildflowers, birds and other wildlife that occur in late summer in the Wolf Creek watershed. Hilton, named one of America’s “50 Best Brains in Science” by Discover magazine, has been overseeing early efforts to establish the center as a preeminent outdoor learning facility for southern West Virginia. The center is an integral part of the multi-faceted Wolf Creek Park “Live, Learn, Work, and Play” community between Fayetteville and Oak Hill.

Hilton said the morning walk — open to the public without charge — will provide the last opportunity to see birds that breed at the center but will be migrating south to Central and South America by the end of the month.

“As always,” Hilton said, “we’ll have our Wolf Creek checklists handy as we try to add to our ever-growing inventory of animals and plants that occur on the 1,000-acre tract. Such lists are very important so we know how many and what kinds of flora and fauna are present and at what time of year. This knowledge, in turn, helps us make final decisions on where nature trails should go and where anticipated nature center buildings should be placed.”

According to Hilton, the Wolf Creek property has just become part of the new West Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas, which is a statewide survey to upgrade information about which bird species breed in all 55 Mountain State counties.

Following the leisurely two-hour nature walk, participants will get a snack and then continue work on extending the center’s nature trail system — a project started this winter by adult and student volunteers.

“Folks should bring binoculars and field guides for the nature walk,” Hilton said, “and then plan to spend some time using our equipment to cut trails, prune shrubbery, and restore the banks of a stream that feeds Wolf Creek. For folks who can work all day we’ll provide a free lunch at noon and continue our efforts until about 3:30 p.m. Even if you can’t stay to work for part or all day you’re still welcome to attend the field trip.”

Anyone interested in participating in Thursday’s nature walk or work day activities should contact Dave Pollard at 304-574-4258. Loaner binoculars will be available if you don’t have a pair. Wolf Creek Park is on W.Va. Highway 16 near the intersection with U.S. Rte. 19, just north of Oak Hill. Participants should meet at the park’s bridge entrance at 6:45 a.m. for the field trip.



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Hilton is executive director of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History in York, S.C. The center’s mission is “to conserve plants, animals, habitats, and other natural components of the Piedmont Region of the eastern United States through observation, scientific study and education for students of all ages.”

For more, visit www.hiltonpond.org or www.rubythroat.org (Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project).