2011 in Review

By Tavia Cathcart, Executive Director

With your continued support, we’ve had a wonderful and fruitful year at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve! We’ve had over 28,000 visitors this year. With our tiny and hard working staff, we are proud to report that we’ve been able to –

• Offer school field trips and summer camps to over 23 different schools in Jefferson and Oldham counties, including Title I schools.
• Add our new 2-acre Woodland Garden featuring native wildflowers, ferns, trees and shrubs. This beautiful garden is growing, and we are grateful to the Oldham County & Jefferson County Master Gardeners for their volunteer hours! We also added a new 1,800 square foot water line for this garden, and this also brings water to our fire pit.
• Host fun and family-oriented large events and educational weekend programs! Our popular Open House Saturdays are offered March through September, and we’ve provided family entertainment for thousands of visitors at NatureFest, Pet Day, Halloween Harvest Party, and the Nature of Christmas in Goshen events!
• Paint and improve our 205-year old Mahan Manor, which presides over the scenic and rolling hills of this favorite destination. Note that we are now taking reservations for guided tours and are now offering weddings!
• Provide recreational fields to all of our local schools, including county-wide OCYSA and the YMCA!
• Begin restoring 12-acres of native grasslands and wildflowers, with the intent of attracting native grassland birds. (With support from the Louisville Audubon Society, National Audubon Society, and Toyota.)
• Beautify and maintain 8.5 miles of wooded trails and 170-acres for our wildlife and your enjoyment.
• Offer year-round party and meeting facilities, as well as camping!
• Add two new ponds (under construction) to beautify the grounds, add homes for wildlife, and provide a wetland area for birds.
• Work with Eagle Scouts on their wonderful projects such as the second baseball dugout, the new firewood shed at the fire pit, new benches, and picnic tables.

As a non-profit organization (we are not a city park), we are unique in that we do not charge admission for you to enjoy our grounds or facilities, and in exchange, we ask that you consider making a donation to help us continue to support this community! When you become a FRIEND of Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, you’ll receive benefits and a static cling to proudly place in your car window.

Please consider becoming a FRIEND of Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve! You'll help us and help yourself because your gift is 100% tax-deductible. Send a check, or make a gift by clicking the Donate button on this page.

 

Buy Children’s Books and Help the Nature Preserve!

The nature preserve is partnering with award-winning children’s book publisher Barefoot Books, which produces beautifully illustrated and culturally diverse books that are inexpensively priced. These make fantastic gifts and many are nature-themed. To see them yourself, visit one of our Open House Saturdays and any of our events, and say hi to author and educator, Joseph Yurt, and his squirrel, Ari.

To view books and to purchase:

• Visit the nature preserve’s Open House Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and visit the Children’s Nature Guides booth.
• Browse online at http://joseph-yurt.barefootbooks.com/

Click the “Support This Event” button to make sure a portion of the proceeds benefit the nature preserve.