8/3/2011
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Say good-bye to summer and hello to fall during the annual
Margaret Denison Fall Nature Walks at
Kanawha State Forest Sept.10, 2011.
“Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the swimming pool area with walks beginning at 9 a.m.,” according to Kevin Dials, assistant superintendent. End-of-summer walks focus on a variety of nature topics and identifications, including wildflower, fungi, birds, pond and aquatic life, trees and photography.
“There’s an auto tour also planned for attendees with limited ability to walk trail distances,” said Dials. “The road edges and parking areas in the forest yield a huge number of interesting flowers and other vegetation as well as birds. Drive and stops are a way to enjoy and learn about nature.”
The fall walks are sponsored by the Kanawha State Forest Foundation and are assisted by the Mary Ingles Trailblazers, the Division of Natural Resources, the Handlan Chapter of the Brooks Bird Club and Master Naturalists. There is a fee of $5 for adults and $2 for children to participate. The fee covers drinks, door prizes and leaders. Barbeque sandwiches are available for purchase. All proceeds go to the forest foundation to support forest activities.
About Margaret L. Dension
Margaret Denison taught science and botany in Kanawha County schools for a number of years and was well known in the forest community. From the beginning of the Spring Walk, she was one of the most knowledgeable and dependable leaders. Davis Creek was her favorite trail and she always had a large following. She did not concentrate on botanical terminology but rather on the flora including ferns, grasses and sedges. These were identified by their common names and origins and further elaborated with delightful folklore. Margaret was a Life Member of the Kanawha State Forest Foundation and a generous monetary donor to Forest projects.
Margaret spent countless hours in the 1960s identifying and cataloging the flora of Kanawha State Forest in collaboration with Superintendent Osbra Eye. They compiled the booklet, “Flowering Plants of Kanawha State Forest,” published in 1967.
In 1975, she received an award from the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources for the listing of 710 flowering plants, 42 ferns and their allies, and 138 grasses and sedges in the Forest. Margaret suffered a debilitating stroke in 2002 and moved to Arizona to be near her family. Sadly, she died on January 2, 2003. As a tribute to Margaret, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the Forest and the Foundation, the Fall Nature Walks were renamed in 2003 in her honor.
"Flora of Kanawha State Forest: Wildflowers, Trees, Shrubs, Ferns and Grasses” has been reprinted, with permission of the Denison and Eye families, and are available for sale at the Kanawha State Forest office.
Contact Information
Kevin Dials, Asst. Supt, Kanawha State Forest
304 558 3500
kanawhasf@wv.gov