Children in the Demopolis area will have an opportunity to learn through an outdoor experience at the eighth annual Feathers, Fins, Furs youth event at Foscue Creek Park and Soggy Bottom in Linden on July 25 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Park Ranger and event coordinator Anne Cross said the event was created for children to spend time with the outdoors and their families.
“As park rangers we go into a lot of schools and we meet with kids,” Cross said. “We see that a lot of kids don’t really have the opportunity to get out amongst the outdoors. More often they are behind T.V.’s and Xbox’s. They kind of just don’t know what getting your hands dirty is like. “This is certainly not an event where the parents can drop them off and leave either.”
Demopolis native and event volunteer Brandon Smith said the children will be enlightened on how much the outdoors has to offer.
“We’ll show them how many things they can get involved in around the area and close to home,” Smith said. “A lot of people around here say there isn’t anything to do, but there is a lot to do if you just get out there and figure out how to do it.”
This is the first year it will be a one-day event instead of two.
“What we tried to do was cram the best of the best and most popular things we got feedback on into one day,” Cross said.
The event will kickoff at Foscue Creek Park at after the registration deadline at 7:30 a.m.
The first station will be a presentation on raptor birds before groups are sent to different attractions. Families will be able to kayak, watch Smith work with hunting dogs and view a reptile exhibit.
Participants will be transported to Soggy Bottom at 11:30 a.m. and start moving through the stations at the farm at 12:30 p.m. Events will consist of brim fishing, shooting skeet with shotguns, rifle targets with .22’s and archery targets. There will also be a canon net demonstration.
Feathers, Fins, Furs will wrap up with a fish fry and prizes. Every child in attendance will receive a goody bag with a T-shirt, duck call, turkey call, stickers, and hunting and fishing magazines.
The event costs $35 per child and $20 per Adult. Registration is open to children ages 8-17.
Registration will be cut off after 100 people have registered. Every child must have a parent or guardian present to participate. For more information visit the event’s Facebook page at Feathers, Fins, Fur – F3.