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Newsletter>
The Millstone
October 1, 2009
Nature Center Updates
Summer Camp was a great success this year! We enjoyed 9
weeks of Junior Naturalist Day Camp, 3 weeks of Pre-K Camp and
1 exciting week of Adventure Camp for the pre-teens. We enjoyed
visits from The Georgia Forestry Commission, Smokey the Bear,
the local fire department, a South African adventures storyteller
and so many more. We hope to have all of the information
necessary for registration for Summer Camp 2010 by February.
We enjoyed our annual Snake Day festival in August and
welcomed over 300 visitors to the Nature Center to enjoy
herpetological lectures, amazing reptile exhibits, arts and crafts,
face painting, a moon bounce, canoe rides and much more. Our
next festival is the much anticipated Halloween Hayride and
Family Festival. This festival will be held on October 24th from 5-
9PM. Don’t forget to dress up for the costume contest parade
down the boardwalk!
If you have never been on a haunted canoe
ride than this is the festival for you! Check out our
website for more details or give us a call. Better
yet, why don’t you just stop by for a visit?
Over the next few months we will be
implementing a new website so keep checking
back for it’s unveiling. It will include an online
version of The Millstone that you can download at
your convenience. We will still send out an
electronic version as well for those of you signed
up for that. If you are interested in signing up to
receive The Millstone by e-mail instead of snail
mail then please send us an e-mail and let us
know!
From The Director:
Here it is newsletter time again and time to reflect on CMNC since the last newsletter. If you
read previous articles you will see a common theme that I write about, our volunteers.
The tough economic times have hit us just like everyone else. What is different with us,
though, is that we have increased programming/offerings to the public without increasing the
number of staff. This has allowed us to control expenses and therefore our liability. What hasn’t
changed, however, is our dependence on and appreciation of our volunteers.
One of our long-time volunteers, Diane Sweat, allowed us to offer a third week of Camp
Cricket this summer by volunteering to teach it. Would YOU volunteer to teach Pre-K kids for a
week?? Luckily they were wonderful children and therefore had a great time. That speaks volumes
about the kids AND Diane.
Monthly Saturday programming geared toward families is gaining more popularity. Each of
these classes is being taught by volunteers. Topics such as birding, Indigo Snakes and bats are three
of the twelve offerings enjoyed by the community.
Welcome to four new members to our Board of Directors: Mark Accetturo, Dennis Brannon,
Lorraine Sanchez-Hayes and Greg Greer. All four are very enthusiastic about what they can
contribute to the continued success of CMNC. Mark’s company, Reynolds, Inc., has already held a
golf tournament with CMNC being the benefactor. Thanks to everyone who contributes to CMNC in
their own way. We all give in one way or another and I sincerely appreciate your gift.
Halloween Hayride:
With the fall season right around the corner we have started planning the Nature Center’s
Halloween Hayride and Family Fall Festival. The Hayride is probably everybody’s favorite event
around here! When else do you get to dress up, go on haunted canoe rides and judge some of the
coolest costumes around while calling it work? Cochran Mill Nature Center has been hosting this
event for 17 years and it just keeps getting better!
Picture you and your family pulling up to the Nature Center entrance on October 24th. After
parking, getting out of the car and straightening all of the costumes you have worked so hard to pull
together you jump onto the wagon to enjoy the hayride down to the lodge. As you come around
the bend you hear ooo’s and ahh’s and little squeals of delight. The adults have just noticed all of
the lights decorating the lodge and along the boardwalk. It’s beautiful! The kids have been eyeing
the dark figure paddling the canoe in a pond all lit up with candles. The hayride pulls up to the lodge
entrance and you all hop off. Where to go first? Inside the lodge you have the opportunity to meet
creepy critters sure to make your night just a little spookier. In the basement you will find an
assortment of haunted arts and crafts and across the boardwalk is the Haunted Pavilion. Of course
you can’t cross the boardwalk without the possibility of running into the haunted canoes! With
spooky games in the back field and a huge bonfire well, the fun never ends. And don’t forget to
enter your family or kids into the costume contest, enjoy a creepy dinner together straight out of
our bathtub grill and indulge your sweet tooth at our Fundraising for Critters sweets table.
Meet the Bats:
A few months ago I was contacted by Vicky Smith of A-Z Animals with an unusual
predicament and an intriguing proposition. Vicky is a wildlife educator that had recently
relocated to Peachtree City from Alabama. She explained to me that she is commonly known as
“The Bat Lady” and I was soon to find out why. Educating people (primarily children) about bats
is her specialty. She is permitted by the state of Alabama to possess her native insectivorous bats
as well as a small group of Egyptian fruit bats. Prior to moving to GA she contacted the GA
Department of Natural Resources regarding obtaining the proper permits to house and possess
her small collection of education assistants (bats!). Due to the way that Georgia’s wildlife laws
are written, the state was able to grant her permits for her native non-releasable bats, but would
not allow her to bring her Egyptian fruit bats into Georgia. They suggested to her that if she
could find an educational institution such as a nature center or zoo that would agree to house
the bats and meet the necessary criteria for the permits, that they would be happy to grant the
permission to bring the bats to Georgia. Upon learning of her predicament I was somewhat
interested in talking with her about possible solutions to her problem. After much dialog with
Vicky and with GA DNR, as well as the United States Department of Agriculture, an agreement
was reached and CMNC became the new home for Vicky’s little fruit bat colony. They have been
on exhibit here for a few months now and are proving to be a hit with the visitors, adults and
kids alike.
So….let’s meet the stars:
We have 4 females in our colony and their names are Pammie, Phaedra, Cleo and Isis.
They are Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) which are native to sub-Saharan Africa and
throughout the Middle East, as far east as Pakistan and Northern India. They are actually one of
the smaller “megabats” with a body length of 6-8 inches and a wingspan of 2 feet. (One species
of “megabat” can have a body length of 16 inches with a 5 foot wingspan!). They are the only
“megabat” that utilizes echo location. They can become sexually mature at the age of 9 months
and usually bear a single offspring each year.
We are happy to have been able to help Vicky with her dilemma and for the opportunity
to share these fascinating creatures with our visitors and students. If you haven’t already, make
an effort to come out and see these interesting new additions to the CMNC family of animal
ambassadors.
New and Renewed Members:
Richard & Yasmin Taylor
Angela Hutchins
Brook Hutchins
Charlie & Jane Mitchell
Louie & Norma Deaton
Terri Henley
Fernando & Rachel Bartolomei
Jim Williams
Paul & Jan DiPlacido
Dave & Wendy Hansey
Tom & Christina Blum
Randy & Sheryl Blanchard
Carlos & Abril Montano
Reginald & Cherita Kempson
Kessy Watson-Artis
Dave & Brenda Toone
Manuel & Sarah Lopez
Glen & Sandra Thompson
Melanie Cawood
Joyce Kruse
Hassan Amini
Mindy Nicholas
Kathryn Hall
Kristin & Noel Mayeske
Derrick Mathews
ADDR Consulting
Ed & Heavenly Montgomery
Kitty Vogt
New and Renewed Members of CMNC
Michal Brayton
Billy, Amanda & Jack Brady
Jim & Diane Dawson
Ed & Laura Weikle
William & Dorothy Byrd
David & Judy Robinson
Ralph & Fay Wofford
Avis & Rodney Ryan
Chuck and Memy Miller
Frank & Vicki Schwarz
Ron & Susan Determann
Jerry & Marie Wansley
Kathleen Casses
Jeffrey & Lila Rhyne
Paula & Clay Yeatman
Lorraine Hayes
Susan & Thomas Tillander
Mitchell & Kimberly Benjamin
Chris Germany
Greg & Donna Greer
Ralph Anthony Cole
Alasdair & Denise Best
Louis & Linda Alsworth-Elvey
Barry & Kristin Wolfe
Brannon CPA
Andre and Katina Campbell
Our Donors:
Douglas & Kelly Gardner
Ken & Kevynn Lapierre
Advantage Fire
Fortified Fence Group
ARCO National Construction Company
Coweta Community Foundation
Reynolds, Inc.
Ray and Betty Hannah
Richard & Nancy Arnoldy
Schwab Charitable Fund
Ed Uihlein Family Foundation
Fulton County
Larry Thomas
Steve and Marie Nygren
Giving Back to the Community:
Thanks to the following businesses that have been extremely generous to CMNC. If you
are looking for a veterinarian or tree service, please consider these folks:
Dr. Justin Verner of Sweetwater Creek Animal Hospital in Douglas County has been an
invaluable help to CMNC. Please consider him as your veterinarian if you are on the south side
of town. His number is 678-838-7387.
Dr. Brad Wilson of Veterinary Clinic West in Marietta has assisted us with injured
animals for years. If you are on the north side of town, please consider giving Dr. Brad your
business. His number is 770-424-5484.
K & E Tree and Stump Service went above and beyond to remove and trim trees for us.
They were professional and left the site in tip top condition. Consider hiring them for your tree
needs. Contact Michael Knox at 770-403-2560.
Giving Back to the Community….
If you have never been on a haunted canoe
ride than this is the festival for you! Check out our
website for more details or give us a call. Better
yet, why don’t you just stop by for a visit?
Over the next few months we will be
implementing a new website so keep checking
back for it’s unveiling. It will include an online
version of The Millstone that you can download at
your convenience. We will still send out an
electronic version as well for those of you signed
up for that. If you are interested in signing up to
receive The Millstone by e-mail instead of snail
mail then please send us an e-mail and let us
know!
Cochran Mill Nature Center 6300 Cochran Mill Road Palmetto, GA 30268 Phone (770)306-0914
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