6/16/2011
CHARLESTON, W.Va. –West Virginia Day weekend at Kanawha State Forest near Charleston blends celebration of the state’s birthday and Father’s Day with educational nature crafts and a Community Band Concert. Kanawha State Forest is a 9,300-acre outdoor multi-use area noted among naturalists for its diverse wildflower and bird populations. It is a popular respite for Kanawha county and state residents and visitors to the mountain state. Naturalist Sara Miller invites anyone looking for something to do outside this weekend to visit the forest.
For more information about Kanawha State Forest activities, camping and picnic shelter rentals, call 304-558-3500 or visit
www.kanawhastateforest.com.
Kanawha State Forest activities the weekend of June 18 - 20
West Virginia State Dad - Craft
Join the Naturalist and prepare for Father’s Day (and West Virginia Day) with a West Virginia craft! Learn about the state tree, flower, mammal, bird, and reptile while making a gift for Dad on
Saturday, June 18.
Meet at Shelter #2 across from the lake at 1 p.m. or a second craft time at 5 p.m. The activity will last about one hour and children 12 years and younger should bring a parent or guardian to attend. There is no fee for the craft.
Make a Snake! - Craft
Learn about the W.Va. State Reptile as well as other W.Va. snake species with Naturalist Sara Miller on
Sunday, June 19. Create a snake like the state reptile or choose one of W.Va.’s other popular species. Craft time is at Shelter #2 across from the lake
and there are two times to participate: 1 p.m. or 5 p.m. The activities are open to children of all ages (youth 12 and under should be accompanied by an adult.)
Sunday, June 19
W.Va. Birthday Celebration and Band Concert
The Kanawha Valley Community Band directed by Robert Leighty will perform on Sunday, June 19, at the forest. Birthday cake and cold drinks will be provided. There is no cost to attend the concert that begins 3 p.m. at the swimming pool area. There is plenty of parking and attendees may want to bring a lawn chair for seating.
The Mountain State’s Symbols
West Virginia symbols used as part of the educational content during Kanawha State Forest craft activities on West Virginia Day weekend include:
West Virginia State Animal
The Black Bear, or Ursus americanus, is actually deeply tinted with brown. The black bear roams freely throughout 36 states and Canada, while its West Virginia habitat primarily is in the eastern mountain region of the state. One or two cubs, rarely three, are born at a time, weighing about eight ounces each. The adult reaches an average maximum weight of 250 pounds. Selected in 1954-55 and adopted by the legislature as the official state animal on March 23, 1973.
West Virginia State Bird
The cardinal, or Cardinalis cardinalis, became West Virginia’s official bird in 1949 by the legislature authorizing a vote by pupils of public schools and civic organizations. The male cardinal is a rich scarlet color with a mask and shading of black, while the young and females are a less brilliant color. The cardinal measures approximately eight inches long and is found from New York to the Gulf of Mexico and as far west as Oklahoma.
West Virginia State Butterfly
The Monarch Butterfly was designated West Virginia’s official state butterfly on March 1, 1995, by the legislature. The orange and black insect dines on milkweed as a caterpillar, sips nectar from flowers as a butterfly and, at summer’s end, migrates south to Mexico. The butterflies you see in the spring are the great grandchildren of the ones that lived in Mexico during the winter.
West Virginia State Tree
The Sugar Maple, Acer saccarum, became West Virginia’s official tree by a resolution of the 1949 Legislature. Its wood is excellent for furniture, and it produces maple syrup. A single tree is 70-120 feet high and produces two to three pounds of sap sugar. It has a five lobed leaf and a small wing-shaped seed pod and, in the fall, the leaves turn brilliant colors.
West Virginia State Flower
The Rhododendron maximum, or “big laurel,” is the state flower of West Virginia. It was adopted by the Legislature on January 23, 1903, following a recommendation by the governor and a vote by the pupils of public schools. It is a shrub of the heath family and may be recognized by its large, dark evergreen leaves and delicate pale pink or white bloom, with either red or yellow flecks.
West Virginia State Reptile
West Virginia designated the timber rattlesnake (
Crotalus horridus ) as the official state reptile in 2008. A story written by Chuck Waggy, biologist in the
Summer/Fall 2009 issue of West Virginia Wildlife, provides wonderful information about the state reptile.
[Mountain State Symbol information was extracted from
www.wvtravel4kids.com and the West Virginia Wildlife Magazine archives on
www.wvdnr.gov.]
Contact Information
Kanawha State Forest
304-558-3500
kanawahsf@wv.gov