The
Merry Weather Garden Club met on Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 and traveled
to Cochran Mill Nature Center near Palmetto. The day and its program and tour
were arranged by host Gail Coffee.
The
nature center, located on 50 acres in Chattahoochee Hills, is an education center
built by volunteers. Coffee introduced her friend Jane Mitchell who helped to
start the center that opened in 1994. Adjacent to Cochran Mill State Park, the
nature area offers outreach programs, homeschool days, camps, and hosts special
events. School students do volunteer projects like adopt an animal, and help
with the rehab of wildlife which is a large part of its program. Very popular in
the summer are the programs for kindergarteners through 9th graders.
During the school year the center gives many tours to school classes.
The
garden club thoroughly enjoyed touring and viewing birds of prey, bats and the
large reptile collection. The morning meeting saw the animals at their liveliest
with a very active American alligator, Green Tree Python, mouse eating bull
frog, bats, and venomous snakes.
The
main facility, a log structure, blended perfectly into the woodsy surroundings.
To keep the 501C3 nonprofit going strong volunteers are always thinking of
creative fundraisers like Adopt a Log which built the facility, Adopt a Stream
to maintain the creeks, Adopt an Animal for their many expenses, or Wild Trail Trot
5K run and the Fishing Derby. The bulk of the money supporting the center comes
from donations and sponsors though.
The
garden club enjoyed viewing the log office, gift shop, and animals contained
indoors before following the scenic wooden pier and bridge circling the lake.
The horticulture there features forest plants, lake and water plants, plus a bog
garden. Coffee timed the meeting to see the very interesting wildflower that is
in the orchid family-the lady slipper-that grows wild at Cochran Mill. The pink
delicate flower was growing in the wetter areas along the walking trail and was
stunning to view.
The
highlight of the day was gathering in the pavilion where Bill and Gail Coffee
had arranged quilts on the picnic tables, had piped in bird calls on the sound
system, and provided drinks for the ladies who had brought picnic lunches. The pavilion by the lake made a lovely picnic
site and friends chatted and had a good time and were unconscious of the time
passing.
Hostess
Gail Coffee told several amusing stories and recited a poem, The Watcher, in
tribute for the upcoming Mother’s Day. In
club news, the group was told it was awarded a Standard of Excellence for its yearlong
achievements, plus a certificate from the District Director for increasing our
membership. The garden club will be participating in the May 18th Together
in Meriwether Festival and the ladies will have plants for sale from Tidwell
Nurseries, Thunderwood Farms, and Hamner Tree Farm as we are showcasing those
fine businesses in our county.
The
next garden club meeting will be in June and hosted by Dee Garrett and the
program will be on Pond and Lake Water Management. The ladies hated ending the
congenial day of activities at Cochran Mill, but enjoyed feeding the leftover
crumbs from lunch to the large carp and catfish in the lake as they made their
way back around the lake to their cars.
