walk and read

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I will be leading a Walk and Read Club activity at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge, Friday, July 30 at 7 p.m.

The Walk and Read Club is organized by the Knox County Public Library, Knox County Health Department, Knox County Parks & Rec and Knox County Mayor's Office. The club encourages two great habits at the same time: exercise and literacy! The Goal: walk 150 minutes a week (that's just 30 minutes 5 days a week) for 6 weeks. To make the time go faster and build your brain, listen to a book or podcast as you walk. Ijams Nature Center will be partnering with the group for this outing.

As we enjoy the remains of the day, we'll be looking for birds and talking fondly of books about birds, so it's a very birdie sort of soiree down a gated country road.

Species that you generally see and/or hear along this road are indigo bunting, yellow-breasted chat, field sparrow, eastern bluebird and tree swallow, but even spotting a bald eagle is possible. I'll also talk about some of my favorite books about birds including Chris Cokinos' "Hope is the Thing with Feathers," recently reprinted in paperback.

For more info on this Walk and Read event or to register go to: www.knoxlib.org

Bring comfortable shoes, water and a pair of binoculars, if you have them.

Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge is a 360-acre Knox County park about 8.5 miles east of Knoxville. The refuge, on former farmland, includes the Kelly Bend peninsula along the French Broad River. Habitats include wooded hills, an intermittent stream, and several fields being restored to native warm-season grasses. A paved road extends over a mile into the property creating a prime birding route.

DIRECTIONS:

From Downtown Knoxville, take I-40 East to Exit #402, Midway Rd. Turn right on to Midway Road (toward Three Rivers Golf Course) and follow the signs. Seven Islands is 3.6 miles from I-40.

This will be fun. Thanks for asking Mary Pom.

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