John James Audubon State Park

By: Jessica Goolsby

This is where I come from…

• In my local community there are many historical sites and buildings. I chose to focus on one that I have been to several times with school and on my own. That is John James Audubon State Park. There are many things to do there like…

Learn about Nature

Paddle Boating

FishingCast away your cares at Audubon! The fishermen in your family can cast for largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish from the banks of the 28-acre lake.

Golfing

Fore! On the nine-hole golf course you can enjoy beautiful scenery as well as a challenging game. A pro shop with rental clubs, riding carts, and pull carts, caters to the golfer’s every need. Open year round, weather permitting.

Visit the MuseumThe Nature Center comprises three areas: a wildlife Observation Room; the Discovery Center with hands-on exhibits; and the Learning Center, where the park naturalist and art educator conduct environmental and art programs. And a giant bird’s nest is the centerpiece of the Discovery Center, with hands-on exhibits and educational programs.

Camping

HikingWhether you're out for a leisurely stroll or really want to work up a sweat, you're sure to find the 6.5 miles of trails at Audubon State Park to your liking. Trails wind through the nature preserve with variations in difficulty and length, including 2.7 miles of back-country hiking.

• The trails also provide an opportunity to observe over 20 species of warblers that visit Audubon every springtime. The Eagle Glen Pet Trail is a one-mile trail where dogs on leashes are allowed with their owners

Where is it located?

Fishing

• In Henderson, Kentucky on Hwy 41N, right below the Ohio River.

Who is John James Audubon?Early YearsAudubon was born in 1785 in Haiti. He was the illegitimate son of Jean Audubon, a French merchant. His mother died when he was little and his father was imprisoned. Later after his father remarried he formally adopted him and named him Jean-Jacques Fougere Audubon. When he turned 18, in 1803, he boarded a ship to the United States. He there changed his name to John James Audubon.

ImmigrationHis father illegally obtained Audubon a passport so that he would avoid having to got o the Napoleonic Wars. When get got to New York he caught the Yellow Fever. Since he was sick he stayed in a Quaker house where the women nursed him back to health and taught him English. He traveled to a farm near Philadelphia where he purchased it with funds from his fathers sugar plantation. There hunting, fishing, and drawing occupied his every moment. During this time he found his wife Lucy whom he married in 1808.

Later in Life

Best Known For

• Birds of America a book of 435 images and portraits of every known bird in the United States. It took about 18 years to find all of the birds for the book.

Some of his works

Roseate Spoonbill

Peregrine Falcon

Washington Sea Eagle

Local Statues - OspreyThese statues of birds are not produced by Audubon, but they are a production of his paining. They are located around Henderson County.

Local Statues - Pelican

Local Statues - Turkey

Local Statues - Audubon

Resources

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_James_Audubon

• http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/audubon_john_james.html

• http://www.audubon.org/nas/jja.html• http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/au/• The Boy Who Drew Birds: A story of John

James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies