Please join us for a full day of nature enjoyment in north Mississippi, highlighting some of our most special and lesser-known wetlands. The trip will be jointly led by Robin Whitfield and others from the Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp, and Jason Hoeksema and other members of the Delta Wind Birds team. We will be learning about all facets of natural history encountered, including plants, fungi, birds, and other animals.
In the morning (9-11 am), we’ll tour Lee Tartt Nature Preserve, a 300-acre wetland complex of oxbow lakes, bottomland forest, and vernal pools rich in biodiversity and critical habitat for birds, located in downtown Grenada. We’ll then travel to the Sky Lake area in northern Humphreys County, where we’ll have an outdoor picnic lunch and tour several wonderful sites.
After lunch (1 – 2pm), we’ll first visit the Sky Lake WMA boardwalk and it’s stunning, gigantic, 1000+-year-old Bald Cypress trees. Next we’ll stop by the brand-new DWB Sky Lake Nature Reserve, a forested wetland tract on the shore of Sky Lake (~2:30-3:30 pm). We’ll end the day at Four Winds Refuge, a private wetland complex where Delta Wind Birds have been working with the owners to create habitat for migratory water birds (~4-5:30 pm). Participants can optionally have an outdoor picnic dinner at Four Winds Refuge, and/or stay to enjoy bird photography opportunities in the evening light.
Social distancing and other COVID-19 precautions will be strictly followed during the trip.
Advance registration is required. Registration is free, but we request that each participating household consider a donation to one of our organizations (Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp: link, or Delta Wind Birds: link), at a level consistent with your means.
The trip will begin at the entrance to the Lee Tartt Nature Preserve, located at 320 N Main St. in downtown Grenada, at 9:00 a.m. For directions please visit https://www.friends-of-cs.org/directions or use this link on Google maps.
Please bring your own snacks, food, drink, and reusable dishes, etc. for outdoor picnic lunch and (optionally) dinner. Portable chairs and/or picnic blankets are also recommended, as seating may be limited. For lunch, the group will first caravan from Lee Tartt Nature Preserve to the welcome area of the Sky Lake WMA boardwalk, where we will eat our lunch outdoors, and where restrooms will be available. Note that it takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to drive from Grenada to the Sky Lake WMA boardwalk. Participants can optionally grab take-away food from nearby Square Market or another restaurant in Grenada before driving to the Sky Lake WMA boardwalk, but in that case, you will be on your own driving to the WMA boardwalk (directions: link), and you will want to make sure to arrive at the WMA boardwalk welcome area before 1pm. For the remainder of the trip, we will caravan from Sky Lake WMA boardwalk to other locations around Sky Lake.
Here is some additional information, also sent by e-mail those who signed up by noon on October 1st:
You are welcome to join us for only part of this day-long trip. Come and go as you like.
COVID PRECAUTIONS: During the day, please respect 6-foot distancing from participants who don’t belong to your household. Masks are welcome, but not required when we are outdoors. The trip leaders may wear masks at times during the day, and you are welcome to also. Make sure to wear a mask when entering bathrooms or other indoor locations.
MAPS: We will have some handy maps and handouts to help keep you oriented during the day. Please make sure to get copies of these from one of the trip leaders when you arrive. We will also have a few free stickers.
RESTROOMS: At the Lee Tartt Preserve in Grenada, there are several stores and coffee shops on the Grenada square that have restrooms. If you are driving a long distance to get to Grenada, we suggest planning to arrive a bit early, and using a restroom when you get off the highway, e.g. at a gas station, McDonalds, or a coffee shop on the Grenada Square (make sure to buy some coffee!). These will also be your options around 11:00 a.m. when we are done with our walk at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve. We’ll then drive about 1 hr 20 minutes, and there will be restrooms available at the Sky Lake WMA boardwalk around 12:30-2pm. Restrooms will be available again later in the afternoon at Four Winds Refuge (4pm onwards). Remember to wear a mask when entering indoor restrooms, including at Four Winds Refuge. You are also welcome to use the “outdoor restroom” at any of these sites, if you feel comfortable doing so
FOOTWEAR: You can stay on dry land if you like, the whole day, but we recommend bringing a change of footwear, extra socks, etc., including a pair of rubber boots, in case you want to venture into some muddier areas. There will definitely be optional opportunities to do so.
ROADS: Roads will be paved for our first 2 stops (Lee Tartt Nature Preserve and Sky Lake WMA boardwalk). The last 2 sites (DWB Sky Lake Nature Reserve and Four Winds Refuge) will require driving on bumpy, dusty gravel roads, to get to them. The final site, Four Winds Refuge, can be explored in a variety of ways, once you arrive. Small, low-clearance vehicles will need to be parked at the headquarters building, and then you can explore on foot, or you can get a ride from someone else if you want to go further into the refuge. The owners will have open-air buggies, and will be happy to drive small groups around. We will also have multiple open-bed pickup trucks, and people can ride around in the beds, safari-style.
CANOES/KAYAKS: If you want to bring a canoe or kayak, you are welcome to. There will be a good opportunity to use it at our 3rd stop, the DWB Sky Lake Nature Reserve, where you can enjoy paddling around the south perimeter of Sky Lake. You will be on your own for this paddle, but it is easy to navigate, and we can show you where to go. Don’t forget personal flotation devices.
GROUP SIZE: We are expecting 60 people or more for this trip. As such, we will plan to break into smaller groups at each site. Each group will be led by one or more members of the DWB and FCS teams.
MEALS: See the website linked above for details. Most of us are planning to bring everything we need for outdoor lunch and dinner, including food, beverages, re-usable plates and forks, etc., and a portable chair or picnic blanket.
HABITATS: At the first 3 sites, it will be relatively shady, and we will be exploring different versions of forested wetlands/swamps. We expect to encounter a variety of cool plants, animals, and fungi. Binoculars are recommended for birds, and we will have a few extra pairs of binoculars (ask for a pair from Jason when you arrive). At the fourth site, Four Winds Refuge, the habitat is open, and we will be exploring a network of levees among ponds, former catfish ponds now repurposed for wildlife. Shade will be limited, once you leave the headquarters building, although temperature should be dropping by that time of day. At Four Winds Refuge, we will have a chance to encounter shorebirds, especially larger ones such as Black-necked Stilts, and we are likely to see quite a few wading birds, including various herons, egrets, and ibis, with a chance for Roseate Spoonbills and Wood Storks if we are lucky. If you have a birding scope, you may wish to bring it for use at Four Winds Refuge, but it is not required. We will have some walkie-talkies for staying in touch at Four Winds Refuge.
SUNSCREEN/BUGSPRAY: Sunscreen is recommended at Four Winds Refuge, and you may wish to consider some bug spray around your ankles and shoes to ward off chiggers at the last 2 sites.
If you have questions in advance of the trip, please contact us by email (dwindbirds@gmail.com, or friends.of.cs.org@gmail.com). On the day of the trip, if you get lost or have other trouble, feel free to call or text Jason (662-202-4992) or Robin (662-230-0368).