Have an adventure in Grenada this Spring Break!
FREE 20 minute guided tours of Chakchiuma Swamp at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve
The ART HEIST is a new escape room designed by OutsideIN Mississippi and is coming to Grenada as a fundraiser for Lee Tartt Nature Preserve. This just might be the perfect valentine adventure…though we do recommend a double date. Solving this crime will not be easy! Put together a team of 2 - 6 players and jump into the story of a stolen Davinci painting. Solve puzzles, find hidden clues and crack codes to discover where the stolen painting has been hidden. It’s up to you and your team to find it before the police!
Ages 15+ are recommended. 2 hour limit. $100 per team.
Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp presents
A community + artist collaboration celebrating nature and imagination
Saturday, November 2, 2024 4pm - 8pm
Lee Tartt Nature Preserve Grenada, MS
Purchase Tickets at the gate or friends-of-cs.org
$10 admission 5 & under FREE
This project utilizes art and play to amplify the wonders of nature and a sense of community.
VISION:
This creative placemaking project invites people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate native Mississippi wildlife and the imagination!
The Enchanted Forest Event opens to the public during twilight hours on November 2, 2024. The trails feature fantastic beasts and other magical elements created by a collaboration of artists and community members during workshops conducted in the summer and fall of 2024. Colored lighting and creative activities add to the fun along the trails at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve.
The Main Event space invites people to gather and interact with a big fire pit, themed selfies stations, mysterious natural ephemera and the Green Dragon Apothecary
Nature at Night
August 16, 2024
7:30 - 9:30
Join us for a FREE Family-Friendly evening of night time adventures at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve
Event Includes:
Mist Netting for Bats
Backlighting for Bugs
Stalking for Spiders
Bring: Chair, flashlight, water bottle, bug spray
The event will be led by Becky Rosamond and Amber Floyd of the Mississippi Bat Working Group & spider biologists, Gail Stratton and Pat Miller
Contact:
friends.of.cs.org@gmail.com
An Inner Child Healing workshop with hosts Bella Royal, Kelli Harris, Tanisha Bankston, Lyonia Bankston
includes: cold herbal tea, interactive workshops, and panel discussions
hosted by Living Legacy Wellness Company
August 11, 2024 from 3pm - 5pm
at the event Area on the east side of Lee Tartt Nature Preserve
320 North Main St. Grenada, MS 38901
Spring Wings
celebrating all things with wings
May 4, 2024 from 10am - 2pm
LEE TARTT NATURE PRESERVE
Grenada Historic District
Spring is for the birds, bees and butterflies! Join us as we celebrate the return of migrating songbirds, emerging butterflies and caterpillars with their host plants.
FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL AGES
ACTIVITIES
Experience real raptors with Magnolia Wildlife Rehabilitation
Paddle in kayaks & canoes through Chakchiuma Swamp with naturalist guides
Walk with local naturalists on short guided hikes focused - plants, birds, butterflies, plant medicine, swamp ecology, native plants
Create a giant nest, go on a scavenger hunt, make an origami butterfly and more!
Learn about needle felting with hands on demonstrations by artist, Maggie Harrison
Meet artists and musicians inspired by nature
Walk the Storybook Trail “Cypress Knees & Tupelo Trees” by Cathy Melvin
SHOP
Swamp Swag - t-shirts, trucker hats, tumblers and more
Native Plants / Camp Creek Natives
Paintings featuring plants & birds / Robin Whitfield Studio
Nature Activity Kits / OutsideIN MS
Fresh snacks & Charcuterie - Making it Pop Food Cart
Swamp Songs / an album about Chakchiuma Swamp by Sally Vee
Herbal Teas / Living Legacy Wellness Center / Bella Royal
GUIDED NATURE EXPERIENCES
Walks and paddles from 10 - 1:30 / Sign up at event
What to expect:
20 minutes at a slow pace for paying attention and asking questions
No special shoes or gear required
All Activities are for all ages and experience levels
Come for an autumn stroll in the bottmlands of Chakchiuma Swamp expecting the unexpected!
You are sure to encounter nature themed art making, live animals, hands on activities, acoustic music and a few surprises from the Enchanted Forest.
TRAILHEAD:
LTNP Merchandise Table, Mask Making with natural pigments, live music & firepit
Weenie roasting and S’More kits available!
TRAIL
10am – 12 pm
Self Guided
Artists and naturalists will be stationed along the trail offering interpretive activities
12pm – 2pm
Guided or Self Guided Tours
Golf Cart tours available
COLLABORATORS:
Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp
Grenada Garden Club
Cub Scout Pack #4018
Sally Vee / Swamp Songs Musician
Alana Mosely / Musician
Shirley Hamilton / Artist
Magnolia Wildlife Conservation & Rehabilitation
Teresa Stafford / Dragons of the Forest
MILE MARKER 7
MILE MARKER 1
MILE MARKER 4
A FREE program for all ages sponsored by Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp. No registration required.
Night time in a swamp is full of life including Bats, spiders and moths. Join us for a family friendly evening of night time adventures at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve as we explore creatures of the night in Chakchiuma Swamp.
This Mississippi Bat Working Group will be on site with mist nets designed to catch bats to be identified, weighed and released. The evening features stories and cool facts about bats as we wait for the bats to fly.
The evening also includes guided walks in search of spiders and insects with experts Gail Stratton and Pat Miller. There will also be sheets lit up with UV lights to attract moths and other insects. All this accompanied by the magical sounds of night time in a swamp.
Chair, headlamp / flashlight, water bottle (cold water will be provided!), close toed shoes are recommended.
NOTE: There are no restroom facilities on location.
Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp is teaming up with the Mississippi Forestry Commission for a TREE GIVE AWAY!
Alex Ballard, Urban Forester and Grenada native, has selected a grouping of species that work well together to provide both beauty for your yard and, shelter / food for wildlife. He will be present to hand out trees and answer questions.
JULY 29 from 7 - 11
Alex and the trees will be at our booth at the Grenada Farmers Market on Grenada’s downtown Square
Enjoy a Saturday morning focused on mushrooms in the forests at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve with mushroom expert Dr. Jason Hoeksema. Learn more about the mysterious world of fungi found in the bottomland hardwood forests of Chakchiuma Swamp with guided foraging experience, an interpretive talk on fungus ecology and mushroom identification focused on edibles with Q & A.
Jason is the mycology professor at the University of Mississippi with a special interest in mycorrhizal fungi. He is the founder of Delta Windbirds as well as a knowledgeable ornithologist and his camp stove culinary skills are not to be missed!
Want to join in on the fun? Guests are encouraged to set up your own camp stove if you have one and a frying pan to sauté alongside our demo, and taste your own forage.
Itinerary
10:00 introduction to mushroom ecology and foraging
10:30 forage in small groups
12:00 organize harvest with mushroom identification talk
12:45 mushroom feast & potluck
Be Prepared:
Bring a basket to collect your treasures.
Bring a sack lunch or potluck items, portable chair or blanket, water bottle, bug spray (be prepared for ticks) and or Thermacell and comfortable closed toe shoes.
Some plates & cutlery will be provided, but feel free to bring along your reusable plates & utensils for sampling.
Cold iced water coolers will be on site. Please bring a water bottle.
Registration is required, $20.00 per person. Class is limited to 40 persons.
Swamp Discovery Camp
Find your place in nature!
LEE TARTT NATURE PRESERVE in downtown Grenada, MS
Tuesday through Friday
June 6, 7, 8 & 9
8:30am - 12:30 pm
Camp Details
Age group 9 - 12*
Cost - $100 / scholarships available on request
Maximum of 15 students
Must attend all 4 days
Healthy snacks, cold water and materials provided
Paddling in canoes is part of the curriculum
Students should be prepared for outdoor activities: small backpack or bag, water bottle, long pants (leggings are fine), short sleeved shirt, bring light weight long sleeved shirt, closed toed shoes, socks, hat, insect repellent
no exceptions will be made for age. unless child is turning 9 within 3 month of camp (sept 2023)
Camp Description
Each day students will examine, explore and consider nature’s stories through a single natural material with different teachers. Fun and fascinating connections will be created through science activities, nature games, creative projects, primitive skills and hands-on wildlife opportunities!
Day 1 / WOOD - find and make walking stick, beaver dam hike, Name that Tree
Day 2 / WATER - make a fishing pole and fish, examine aquatic life in minnow traps, fish printing
Day 3 / WOOD - fire fuel hike, build a fire competition, Woodpecker vs Chisel
Day 4 / WATER - canoe in Chakchiuma Swamp, catch tadpoles and frogs, mini boat building
This camp is a service of Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp
connecting people not nature with creativity, curiosity and conservation activities
Sponsored by
GARDEN CLUBS OF MISSISSIPPI
Grenada Garden Club,
Cherokee Rose Garden Club
Magnolia Garden Club
Where: Lee Tartt Nature Preserve
When: Saturday, April 29 from 10 - 2
Neotropical songbirds and wading birds are arriving to raise families and monarch and other butterflies are emerging to feast on native plants. Learn more and celebrate at Spring Wings!
Paddle in canoes or kayaks on a Guided Tours
Explore on Guided Walks with bird and butterfly naturalists
Shop for native plants with Camp Creek Native Plants from New Albany
Meet live raptors with Mississippi Wildlife Rehabilitation,
Paint with foraged flower petals and color a butterfly mask
Weave branches into a human sized bird nest
Celebrate caterpillars during a Storytime Walk
Go on a Scavenger Hunt in search of 30 images of native “Things with Wings”
Learn about plant medicine from our local foraging expert Ryan Albritton
Purchase Lee Tartt Nature Preserve and Chakchiuma Swamp swag - t-shirts, stickers, tumblers
This event is sponsored by Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp with no fees for entry or activities.
Summer Discovery Camp Find your place in the natural world!
Age group 9 - 12
Cost - $100
Maximum of 15 students
Must attend all 3 days
Healthy snacks, cold water and all materials provided
Students should be prepared for outdoor activities: small backpack or bag, water bottle, long pants (leggings are fine), short sleeved shirt, bring light weight long sleeved shirt, closed toed shoes, socks, hat, insect repellent
Camp Details
Each day students will examine, explore and consider nature’s stories and making connections starting with a single natural material through science activities, nature games, creative projects, primitive skills and hands-on wildlife opportunities!
Camp Framework Example::
Students will rotate through 3 different focus groups with inspiring teachers and activities each day
DAY 1 / WATER- frog, warbler, wood duck, dragonfly, newt, beaver
DAY 2 / GRASS - vireo, grasshopper, king snake, turkey, golden orb weaver
DAY 3 / MUD - crayfish, dirt dauber, swallow, raccoon, turtle, gar
Activities may include:
Creativity - natural pigments & tools, nest building, clay sculpture, printmaking
Primitive Skills - fire, cordage, shelter
Science - water quality testing, biodiversity inventory, Tree ID
Wildlife - live animals, animal signs & tracking, animal architecture, snakes, insects,
Games - Sharing Nature book, scavenger hunt, swamp quilt
MEETING AGENDA
10:00 Welcome & 2022 - Year In Review
10:45 Farewell to outgoing board members
11:15 Lunch
11:45 Mission/ Vision Review / Bylaws (Orientation)
12:15 2023 - 2024 Calendar
12:45 Financial Report / Executive Report
1:00 Committee Breakout
1:45 Committee Reports - Conservation & Education
2:00 Vote on items : UTV purchase, Name Change, Executive Director
The Search for Eugene’s Gold
Grenada, Mississippi…in 1913, Eugene Bishop disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving all his worldly wealth to his nephew, who died before finding out he was the heir. Now a new generation has discovered some clues which will help to unearth the fortune.
Solve the puzzles by traveling around 1913 Grenada, opening the locks, and finding the secret hiding place of Eugene’s long-lost gold.
Learn more about the birds of Grenada county and contribute to science!
Join a wide range of nature and bird enthusiasts as we participate in this century old community science activity. Lee Tartt Nature Preserve is positioned within the Grenada County count circle. We will listen and watch birds win different habitats within the preserve throughout the day. Walking the trails is not necessary but is part of the fun for many participants.
We will have a lunch meet up with other birding groups at Grenada Lake Dam and look for waterfowl and shore birds with scopes.
The event is come and go. Please call or text to find our location at any point in the day.
Dress in layers. Bring a chair, binoculars, hat and snacks.
Contact Robin at 662-230-0368 or friends.of.cs.org@gmail.com
listening to sparrows in the meadow
birding along the north slough
spotting scope on Grenada Lake
shore birds through the spotting scope
COME TO LEE TARTT NATURE PRESERVE FOR TROLL AND DRAGON MIGRATION SEASON!
Purchase tickets at the gate or from the ticket link on the homepage
We are gathering a magical group of artists, local businesses, volunteers, sponsors & wildlife organizations for an enchanted day of creative fun at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve in the Grenada Downtown District.
Expect to be charmed by fantastic creations inspired by nature. Let your imagination run wild!
________________________________
Professional artists have imagined and are creating a fantastic experience for all ages that will dazzle in both daylight and darkness. Glimpses of migrating swamp dragons and river trolls, Ents, dryads, musical spiders, and other mysterious enchantments await!
Visit the Green Dragon Apothocary for hand made sweets, smore and weeneie roasting kits to warm up over at the big firepit and the costume making activity area to create a mask or head piece from natural materials. Guests will park on the downtown Grenada Square and ride in on wagon. Wild Again In Mississippi Resue & Rehab will have hands on activities featuring native mammals.
We are gathering a magical group of artists, local businesses, volunteers, sponsors & wildlife organizations for an enchanted day of creative fun at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve in the Grenada Downtown District.
Expect to be charmed by fantastic creations inspired by nature. Let your imagination run wild!
________________________________
Professional artists have imagined and are creating a fantastic experience for all ages that will dazzle in both daylight and darkness. Glimpses of migrating swamp dragons and river trolls, Ents, dryads, musical spiders, and other mysterious enchantments await!
Visit the Green Dragon Apothocary for hand made sweets, smore and weeneie roasting kits to warm up over at the big firepit and the costume making activity area to create a mask or head piece from natural materials. Guests will park on the downtown Grenada Square and ride in on wagon. Freedom Ranch Wildlife Center show and tell live native animals and Wild Again In Mississippi Resue & Rehab will have hands on activities featuing native mammals.
Thanks to our sponsors:
This project is supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
We are looking for curious & creative people of all ages to join the Enchanted Forest creative team. Come ready to play with natural materials & learn from our professional artists!
Be a part of the transformation! Come with friends, family or just bring yourself.
Activities may include:
sculpting big faces on tree trunks with mud and embellishing them with forest findings
creating miniature campsites for our 8 inch migrating trolls
weaving HUGE spider webs
creating mysterious conical dwelling with vines and saplings
carving jack o lanterns and cardboard boxes into magical creatures
creating creatures to fly beneath the branches - owls, bats, dragonflies, moths, dragons
assisting with lighting engineering & installation
We are looking for curious & creative people of all ages to join the Enchanted Forest creative team. Come ready to play with natural materials & learn from our professional artists!
Be a part of the transformation! Come with friends, family or just bring yourself.
Activities may include:
sculpting big faces on tree trunks with mud and embellishing them with forest findings
creating miniature campsites for our 8 inch migrating trolls
weaving HUGE spider webs
creating mysterious conical dwelling with vines and saplings
carving jack o lanterns and cardboard boxes into magical creatures
creating creatures to fly beneath the branches - owls, bats, dragonflies, moths, dragons
assisting with lighting engineering & installation
join us at the Jubilee and sign up for a tour from 9 - 3
Summer Discovery Camp
Find your place in the natural world!
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
June 14, 15 & 16
8:30 - 12:30
Camp Details
Age group 9 - 12
Cost - $90
Maximum of 15 students
Must attend all 3 days
Healthy snacks, cold water and materials provided
Students should be prepared for outdoor activities: small backpack or bag, water bottle, long pants (leggings are fine), short sleeved shirt, bring light weight long sleeved shirt, closed toed shoes, socks, hat, insect repellent
Camp Description
Each day students will examine, explore and consider nature’s stories through a single natural material through connections
Science activities, nature games, creative projects, primitive skills and hands-on wildlife opportunities!
Russula the swamp troll in the chanterelles
An event for all ages.
Free Admission including all activities.
Activities:
Meet real owls, hawks and kites and Watch them Fly with Mississippi Wildlife Rehab
Paddle in kayaks & canoes through Chakchiuma Swamp with naturalist guides
Walk with local naturalists who can ID birds, bees and butterflies and the plants they depend on
Shop for Native Plants with Camp Creek Natives and art with Robin Whitfield Studio
We are gathering a magical group of artists, local businesses, volunteers, sponsors & wildlife organizations for 2 enchanting days of Halloween fun at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve in the Grenada Downtown District.
Expect to be charmed by fantastic creations inspired by nature!
$5 per person
Events include horse & buggy ride to the gate, swamp dragons, trolls and other magical creatures of all sizes, lighted trails, costumes, Green Dragon Apothecary & Sweet Shop, bonfire, live animal presentations, creative activities & more!
Thanks for your support!! This event is a fundraiser for trail work at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve. $5000 is needed for materials and labor for the construction of 2 boardwalks
If you would like to be a Sponsor or to make a tax free donation to the Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp, please visit our DONATE page for more information on Sponsorship Levels.
Especially crafted for our little dragons, but all ages welcome!
horse & buggy ride to the gate, swamp dragons, trolls and other magical creatures of all sizes, Green Dragon Apothecary & Sweet Shop, bonfire, live animal presentations, creative activities & more!
Please come in costume!!
1:30 - 3:30. Bewitching Birds Presentation
Meet live Vultures, Horned Owl, & Fish Crow and learn more about them with Freedom Ranch Wildlife Center
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3:30 - 8:00. Enchanted Trails
Dragon’s Lair Trail - labyrinth, tree spirits, dragons,
Green Dragon Trail - Bat Lady, Potion Pot, Swamp Dragon Nursery
3:00 - 6:00. Live or Dye Potion Pot Tie dye a scarf with black walnuts
3:00 - 8:30 Swamp Dragon Nursery with Wild Again in Mississippi Rescue. Help our dragon. keepers find all the baby dragons
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3:00 - 7:30 Green Dragon Apothecary & Sweet Shop
Home made sweets, weenie roasting kits, smore kits, lanterns, t shirts, event posters, Sam Clark Dragons & Trolls
5:00 - 8:30. Firepit
join our fire master over the flames to warm your hands, roast a weenie or find some good conversation
NOTE: TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT GATE
Thanks for your support!! This event is a fundraiser for trail work at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve. $5000 is needed for materials and labor for the construction of 2 boardwalks
If you would like to be a Sponsor or to make a tax free donation to the Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp, please visit our DONATE page for more information on Sponsorship Levels.
Friday, October 29th must be 21 yrs+
Green Dragon Apothecary & a pop-up snackbar under the stars!
Ticket includes finger foods, bourbon & wine tasting, swamp dragon inspired cocktail, bonfire, live slide guitar music with Wendy Jean Garrison, horse & buggy ride and enchanted trails.
Please park on the square, and jump aboard our horse drawn buggy to the event. First pick up will be 5:30 pm.
Thanks for your support!! This event is a fundraiser for trail work at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve. $5000 is needed for materials and labor for the construction of 2 boardwalks
If you would like to be a Sponsor or to make a tax free donation to the Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp, please visit our DONATE page for more information on Sponsorship Levels.
Head to Lee Tartt Nature Preserve for an evening with the Mississippi Bat Working Group. They will be set up with mist nets, echolocation receptors and lots of info about Mississippi Bats. Other night creatures like flying squirrels, moths, beetles, fireflies, owls and frogs will also be explored.
Who Killed Major Hollbrook?
Who Killed Major Hollbrook?
Who Killed Major Hollbrook?
Mushroom Foraging & Identification Workshop
