The National Park Service will host a live owl program, trail walk and campfire at the Chattahoochee River Environmental Education Center in Johns Creek on Saturday, Nov. 14.
The Autumn Owl Prowl & Campfire runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the center, located at 8615 Barnwell Road inside the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA). Reservations are required.
The evening begins on the center's lodge upper deck, where Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC) naturalists will present a live owl program, according to a Patch calendar listing posted by Jerry Hightower, who listed a National Park Service email as the reservation contact. Attendees will learn about the owls that inhabit the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and their nocturnal habits. After the presentation, visitors can take photographs with the birds.
The program then moves outdoors for a short walk along the Three Forks Loop Trail to the river, followed by time around a campfire. Attendees are welcome to bring their own marshmallows to roast. The center provides roasting forks.
The trail walk is rated easy. Organizers recommend dressing in layers, wearing comfortable shoes for forest trails and bringing water and snacks. Parking is limited, and carpooling is encouraged.
CNC, a Roswell-based nonprofit and environmental education partner of the National Park Service, celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year. The organization operates across 127 acres of forests, wetlands, native gardens, wildlife habitats and trails along the Chattahoochee River, according to CNC, which unveiled refreshed branding during its anniversary celebration. CNC naturalists regularly partner with the Park Service on public programming at sites across the recreation area.
The education center on Barnwell Road sits within the CRNRA, a network of 15 park units spanning 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River across nine metro Atlanta cities, including Johns Creek, according to the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy (CNPC). The conservancy is the recreation area's official nonprofit partner.
To reserve a spot, visit the CNPC events page or email [email protected]. A park pass is required for all CRNRA visitors, according to the conservancy. Daily passes cost $5, annual passes run $40 and senior annual passes are $20.
