Inside: Friends THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FRIENDS OF MCCONNELL SPRINGS Volume 23 Issue 2 Summer 2017 Dear Friends, Birding Festival Founders’ Day - A Don’t Miss It Event on May 20! (continued on page 4) Spring time is our season for the 23 rd Found- ers’ Day celebration of Lexington’s McConnell Springs. This year it will be held on Saturday May 20, 2017. Two hundred forty one years ago Lexington and the Bluegrass area was a savanna wooded/grassland a “wonderland” to pioneer- ing settlers who migrated west seeking freedom and the chance to become property owners. You can experience the life of 1775 for yourself by visiting Founders’ Day at McConnell Springs. We celebrate this day because, according to history, William McConnell and a group of explorers were camping in the area when word came about the battle of Lexington and the start of the Revolu- tionary War. In honor of that victory, the explor- ers decided to name our community Lexington in 1779 when the town was founded. The Founders’ Day event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be music; entertain- ment; guided tours of the park; colonial crafts such as blacksmithing, woodworking, quilt mak- ing, weaving, colonial knitting exhibit, colonial tools, Indian artifacts and children’s activities; and a special encampment re-enactment of pio- neers. This is a family event, so bring a picnic lunch and spend the day at this FREE event held at the Spring’s. This is a rain or shine event; sunscreen, rain gear and insect repellent may be needed. Visitors taking guided tours are encouraged to wear hiking shoes. McConnell Springs is located on Rebmann Lane off Old Frankfort Pike via Mc- Connell Spring Drive across from the Fire Train- ing Center.
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Inside:
FriendsT H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E F R I E N D S O F M C C O N N E L L S P R I N G S
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Volume 23 Issue 2Summer 2017
Dear Friends, Birding Festival
Founders’ Day - A Don’t Miss It Event on May 20!
(continued on page 4)
Spring time is our season for the 23rd Found-ers’ Day celebration of Lexington’s McConnell Springs. This year it will be held on Saturday May 20, 2017. Two hundred forty one years ago Lexington and the Bluegrass area was a savanna wooded/grassland a “wonderland” to pioneer-ing settlers who migrated west seeking freedom and the chance to become property owners. You can experience the life of 1775 for yourself by visiting Founders’ Day at McConnell Springs. We celebrate this day because, according to history, William McConnell and a group of explorers were camping in the area when word came about the battle of Lexington and the start of the Revolu-tionary War. In honor of that victory, the explor-ers decided to name our community Lexington in 1779 when the town was founded. The Founders’ Day event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be music; entertain-ment; guided tours of the park; colonial crafts such as blacksmithing, woodworking, quilt mak-ing, weaving, colonial knitting exhibit, colonial tools, Indian artifacts and children’s activities; and a special encampment re-enactment of pio-neers. This is a family event, so bring a picnic lunch and spend the day at this FREE event held at the Spring’s. This is a rain or shine event; sunscreen, rain gear and insect repellent may be needed. Visitors taking guided tours are encouraged to wear hiking shoes. McConnell Springs is located on Rebmann Lane off Old Frankfort Pike via Mc-Connell Spring Drive across from the Fire Train-ing Center.
Dear Friends...
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Friends ofCharlie Boland, Chair
BOARD OF DIRECTORSExecutive CommitteeIsabel Yates, Chair EmeritusCharlie Boland, ChairJim Rebmann, Vice ChairRichard A. Mathy, TreasurerBecci Ray, Secretary
Standing CommitteesSteven Rogers, EducationRichard A. Mathy, FundraisingB. J. Webb, NominatingReneé Williams, Promotions & Newsletter EditorMichael Galavotti, Site DevelopmentJamie Millard, Webpage
ADVISORY COMMITTEEHelen C. AlexanderBill AllenTucker BallingerMrs. Norwood Cowgill Jr.Lou DeLucaThomas P. DupreeLillian B. GentryBo HenryBarbara Hulette Tim KellyFreda KlotterJames KlotterSusan LanchoGloria MartinJennifer MattinglyPam MillerRoy W. Mundy IICarolyn Murray-WooleyJacqueline NoonanGreg PadgettSusan RidenourCharles W. Stewart
Another Successful Barrel Tasting...Thank you!
Did you know that Lexington-Fayette County is the 61st
largest city in the United States? We
treasure the closeness of our urban and rural areas here, and the unique feel that brings. I have heard many say that our city feels like an “overgrown small town”. Yet how many of you would have guessed that out of our entire nation, Lexington would be the 61st largest city? As I think about the larger cities 1 – 60 on that list, I wonder if even one can point to the specific geographic spot of their founding almost 250 years ago? And if they could, how many of them have been fortunate enough to rescue and preserve that special historical place for future generations? Yet, that is ex-actly what we have in McConnell Springs Park – the site of the original encamp-ment from which our city grew. I believe having that piece of our history intact makes our city an even more special place. Also of note at this time of year are the events of April 19, 1775 - the battles of Lexington and Concord, MA.
When William McConnell’s encampment received the news of these battles in the days afterward, they chose to name their future settlement Lexington to commemo-rate the event. We are fortunate as a city to know the details of our beginnings – the place where it all started, and how we got our name. That is one reason we hold an annual cel-ebration called “Founders Day” at the park. Founders Day is an opportunity to look back, retrace our steps, and revisit the customs and lifestyle of our ancestors from over 200 years ago. It is a great oppor-tunity to educate family and friends while enjoying the beautiful park and the legacy it provides to our community. We hope you will join us for Founders’ Day on Saturday, May 20 at the park to celebrate our shared history and heritage! OK, friends, the history lesson is over. In addition to Founders’ Day, there are many other events scheduled at the park and you will find information on these else-where in the newsletter. Thanks so much for your continued support, and please come and see us at McConnell Springs soon!
The 10th Annual Wine Bar-rel Tasting for the Springs is history and we are happy to report another successful year! Since the net profits of the event covers 20% of the Friends’ yearly expenses, we are overjoyed! We would like to thank the winery owners and their staffs for their sup-port in making this event a reality. As a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the event many wineries went all out. There were special foods and cheeses, a brunch, live music, and raffles to name a few. We would also like to thank over 50 Friends’ volunteers who were rewarded this year with a beautiful spring day. Lastly, a thank you to all the partici-pants, many of who return year after year coming from Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee as well as other parts of Kentucky! We hope everyone had a great time touring the wineries and we look forward to seeing you again next year on the last Saturday of March.
Annette Mathy, Chair
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Come Join Us at the Springs...
Founders’ Day Schedule of Events
May6 - Beginners - Digital Photography – 1 pm - Intro to digital photography covering shutter speed, ISO, aperture, and effects. Call 225-4073 to register.
10 - Story Walk – 11 a.m. – A Story Walk combines the fun of a good book and a nature walk all into one great activity. Children ages 0-5 years old; but everyone is welcome.
13 & 14 - Bluegrass Birding Festival
20 - Founders’ Day – 10 am - 4 pm 27 - Weekend Workout – 10 am – An opportunity for every-one to help clean the park and maintain the trails.
28 - Story Walk - 2 pm – A Story Walk
June3 - Beginners Digital Photography - 1 pm Call 225-4073 to register.
10 - Wood Carving “Spoons” - 10 am. Cost is $10 per participant, must preregister for this program.
11 - Explore the Springs - 2 pm – An opportunity to meet our education animals Peanut, Leroy, and the Boys up close and have a guided hike through the park. This 1 hour program will be suitable for all ages and the walk will be stroller friendly. 13 - History to Chew On
14 - Story Walk - 11 am
17 - Junior Naturalist - 10 am – “Secrets rocks can tell” Join the park staff as we explore rocks, fossils, and the karst topography that covers Lexington. K-5th. Call 225-4073 to register.
24 - Weekend Workout – 10 am
25 - Story Walk – 2 pm
Main Stage 10:00 Bagpipe & Drum Corps / Kentucky Frontier Folk parade / Opening
10:30 Folk Songs of Early Kentucky – Robert Tincher
11:30 Moira Levant – Traditional Irish Fiddler
Noon Pioneer's Perspective: Historical Context/Land/ Environment Roundtable - Jon Hagee / Gerry Barker / Tom Landefeld / Tom Sproat
1:00 Si Bheag, Si Mhor – Celtic Ballads & Love Songs - Jonathan Hagee – Colonial Balladeer - Moira Levant – Traditional Irish Fiddler
2:00 Liam's Fancy – Early American & British Isles Folk Music
3:00 Winchester Dulcimer Group – Strings of Friendship
Amphitheater & Concurrent Programs11:00 – 3:00 Winchester Dulcimer Group – Strings of Friendship Tent - by pond
Noon – 3:00 Moira Levant - Roving Fiddler
10:30 – 4:00 Various Frontier Life demonstrations (cabin & meadow)
An Irish Homecoming: Sharing Our Uncommon Culture, Music & Heritage In honor of our namesake and deeply rooted Scots-Irish / Appalachian heritage, please join us for a con-ference on the Irish/Celtic culture on April 29, 2017. It will be an all-day event, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the park.
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The event is free and open to everyone who loves ice cream. The Friends of McConnell Springs are hosting this event to thank all our “Friends” for
supporting us throughout the year. McConnell Springs’ Ice Cream Social will be held
August 20, 1-3 p.m.
A special thanks goes to Baskin Robbins on Tates Creek Road for supplying the ice cream and Re-public Bank on Harrodsburg Road for providing the toppings. Besides the ice cream there will also be fun activities for all ages. Donations are
welcome, but not necessary.
Mark Your Calendars for YUM! Ice Cream Social Set for August 20
June 13 Ken Brooks - Olmstead Brothers Parks and Garden Designers in Lisa and Lexington
July 11 Gary Brown - Tuskegee Airmen in WWII
August 8 Stephen McBride - African American Freedom Seekers
September 12 Jamie Day - Barlows Plantarium
October 10 Terry Foody - 1833 Cholera Epidemic in Lexington
A History To Chew On Series Lineup Like No OtherAs you can see below we have another exciting program for our 2017 season. Last year we had record attendance for our series of talks and I would like to thank all those that attended. This year I think our talks will be even more exciting than 2016. We look forward to the fans that continue to support our History to Chew On and those new ones that want to join our talks this year.
In 2017, we will take you on a history tour of the parks in Kentucky to the Civil War at Camp Nelson, the Tuskegee airmen flyers that protected the bombers over Europe, the building of Barstow planetarium in Lexington and finally the Cholera epidemic in Lexington in 1833. Thank you all for your support. If you have a Kentucky history topic you would like covered in future programs please contact Peter at one of the talks.
Peter Andrew, Chair
Notes from the Naturalist...
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by Steven Rogers
The perfect gift idea!Are you looking for a unique way to celebrate a special occasion? Consider giving a present that will last – an engraved paver in the Garden Spring at McConnell Springs. When you give someone this unique present, you also help McConnell Springs, because $85 of each $100 paver is a tax-deductible donation to The Friends of McConnell Springs. Help support educational programming at McConnell Springs with the purchase of an 8-inch by 8-inch brick paver. The permanently inscribed paver will be placed in the central plaza of the McConnell Springs Visitors’ Center. Clip this form and return it with $100 payment to: Friends of McConnell Springs, P.O. Box 12196, Lexington, KY 40581-2196. Yes, I want to support McConnell Springs by purchasing a paver. I have enclosed $100.Name:_____________________________________________________Address:___________________________________________________City, State:_________________________________________________Phone:____________________________________________________E-mail:____________________________________________________
Complete boxes with message to be inscribed on paver. Please print carefully, with one letter per box. Each box presents one character.
McConnell Springs serves Lexington as one of its Natural Area Parks and is home to many plants and animals that are native to the Bluegrass
Region. As an educational tool for the commu-nity we strive to protect and preserve the natural features of the park. One area in particular that is popular with guests is the Storm Water Qual-ity Wetland Pond. The pond itself is a manmade feature that helps to clean storm water runoff before it can make its way into the Springs but the system is designed in a way that requires almost no maintenance from man. This area of the park is home to many plants and animals that
have adapted to surviving in an environment that stays wet year around. Many aquatic turtles call the pond home and you can easily spot them on a warm day basking on our floating wetland islands. Though you might not see them as often as the turtles, a large number of small fish live in the pond as well and are an important part of the food web of the wetland habitat. Be sure to look for plants like Swamp Milkweed, Cardinal Flower, Rose Mallow, and Indigo Bush which all grow in or around our pond. The pond is a key feature at McConnell Springs and provides park guests with a great wildlife viewing opportunity.
Late this spring on May 13 & 14, McConnell Springs will be host to the Bluegrass Birding Festival. This event is an annual celebration of birds that will have guided bird-ing walks, vendors, exhibitors, live birds of prey demon-strations, speakers, arts and crafts, food and drink trucks and more. Even if you are not an avid birder, this event will have lots to do for everyone and is great for fami-lies. This is a rain or shine event and is free to attend. For more information about the Birding Festival and any other programs at McConnell Springs please visit www.mcconnellsprings.org or www.lexingtonky.gov/parks.
Don’t Miss Bluegrass Birding Festival Held at McConnell Springs
Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. PostagePAID
Lexington, KyPermit No. 224The Friends of McConnell Springs
P.O. Box 12196Lexington, KY 40581-2196
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Our mission The Friends of McConnell Springs, an independent not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, works in a partnership with the Lexing-ton-Fayette Urban County Government Division of Parks and Recreation, dedi-cated to the restoration and preservation of McConnell Springs as:• a national historic site, recognized as the pioneer
encampment in the naming of Lexington, Ken-tucky;
• an environmental and educational resource; and
• a passive recreational park.
Friends Information
The Friends of McConnell Springs is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. Your tax-deductible donation supports the preservation of McConnell Springs and educational programs at the site. Can we count on your support in being a Friend? If so, please mail this form to the address below.
Complete the form above and mail it with your membership donation to: The Friends of McConnell SpringsP.O. Box 12196 Lexington, KY 40581-2196
Trailblazer ($1,000) Founder ($500+)Preservationist ($250+) No matter what membership level you give, your generosity is greatly appreciated! Thank you for your sup-port!
Check this box to make my donation to The Friends of McConnell Springs Endowed Fund #0527 at the BGCF.
FRIENDS is published by the Friends of McConnell SpringsEditor: Reneé WilliamsContributors: Peter Andrew, Charlie Boland, Jon Hagee, Steven Rogers, Sherrell Brown, Dick Mathy, Jim Rebmann, Renee’ Williams
McConnell Springs is a natural and historic site at416 Rebmann Lane in Lexington, Ky. The park has two miles of trails that wander around the sinking springs, vegetation, stone fences and vestiges of historic build-ings. McConnell Springs boasts more than 130 species of plants and numerous species of urban wildlife that reside at or visit the park. The unique geologic, natural and historic features are protected, providing environ-mental, cultural and historical education opportunities for the residents of Fayette County and elsewhere.
To learn more about McConnell Springs, call 859.225.4073 or visit www.mcconnellsprings.org.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/McConnellSprgsFacebook: Be our FRIEND: - https://www.facebook.com/McConnell-Springs-293733489824/
