Loblolly event set for Saturday

As the sun sets Saturday, Loblolly Marsh Nature Preserve host to a program exhibiting how nature transitions during dusk.
Twilight Adventure, a program presented by Limberlost State Historic Site, begins at 7 p.m. with a hike through the marsh.
“Light’s fading, dark’s coming on. Daytime animals are settling … nighttime animals are just starting to wake up, starting to stir,” said naturalist and program specialist Curt Burnette. “In a way, Twilight Adventure is to focus on this transition time.”
It’s a time to explore the fall wildflowers that are “almost at their peak” and be on the lookout for insects and animals, such as praying mantis, owls, deer and rabbits. Visitors will also be given the opportunity to listen to their surroundings through “bionic” ears — a sensitive microphone that picks up far away sounds. Burnette hopes the mechanism will allow guests to hear owl calls, as well as possible coyote sounds.
“We’ll stop here and there and let people hear things off in the distance,” said Burnette. “You never know what’s going to happen.”
When it gets dark, visitors will gather at the Loblolly Pavilion to enjoy activities such as watching a wildlife presentation, using a pair of night vision binoculars to see as nighttime animals do and trying their hand at identifying what’s inside a trio of mystery boxes. A campfire will also be lit for a marshmallow roast.
It’s a learning experience for all ages, said Burnette, who will help lead the tours that teach about a time in nature when most people are in their homes winding down from work or school.
“We tend to, when it gets dark, go home … so we don’t really get to see what’s going on as nature is transitioning from day to night,” said Burnette. “It’s an opportunity to get out and see what it’s like.”
With lessons about everything from Goldenrods and sunflowers to moths and owls, it’s a chance to experience something new in its own habitat, not on a television program or Internet post.
“The best way to learn about nature is to experience it,” said Burnette. “You’ve got to be out there to appreciate it 100 percent. It’s a chance to come out and learn while you’re out in the real thing, not sitting in front of the screen.”