Announcing
the Brooks Bird Club’s
70th
Annual Foray
Saturday, June 13-
Sunday, June 21,
2009
4-H
MISCELLANEOUS
FORAY
INFORMATION
Headquarters for the 2009 Foray will be 4-H Camp Pioneer located east of Beverly, West Virginia in Randolph County, June 13-21. Randolph County is a mountainous county with Rich Mountain in the west and Cheat Mountain to the east. Elevations exceed 4,000 ft in the mountainous parts. The elevation at Beverly is 1,946 ft, and elevations down the valley to the north are all under 2,000 ft. One finds a remarkable diversity of birdlife and plants in Randolph County because of the diversity of habitats available.
Much of Randolph County is in the Monongahela National Forest. Foray participants may explore Kumbrabow State Forest, the Rich Mt. Civil War Battlefield, the High Falls of the Cheat, Otter Creek Wilderness, and the Swiss village at Helvetia.
Accommodations include a large dining hall and meeting room with adequate space for library and lab and housed in dormitories for the men and women. Plenty of hot and cold running water in the showers and indoor flush toilets make this a comfortable camp. There's plenty of room for camping if desired, and electric, water, and sewage hook-ups available for RVs and camping trailers.
The program will emphasize birds, and you will have opportunities to join in the breeding surveys, bird population studies, and early morning bird walks. There will be fieldwork in plants, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and other natural history studies. A program of lectures and field trips for campers who wish to participate will be part of the daily activities. Foray directors will be Greg Eddy and A. R. "Jay" Buckelew. They will be assisted by others on the Foray committee. You will be asked to help, so come prepared.
Many of the participants at Foray are experienced field naturalist, some professional, others amateurs, but all specialists in their field of nature study. Their informal leadership and their enthusiasm to help people learn should make Foray both enjoyable and educational.
Rules governing Foray are few. We expect you to contribute your share toward making Foray a success. While the club cannot be held responsible for any individual, all precautions will be taken to safeguard each participant, and all attendees will be covered by liability insurance.
Meals will be good and furnished by our camp cooks. There will be early morning snacks. There will be two all day excursions for which bag lunches will be supplied.
Thing to bring to Foray include: soap, rain gear, walking shoes, boots, cameras, binoculars, hangers, flashlights, and notebooks. You will need to bring bedding, including a pillow and sleeping bag and towels. Bring natural history books to loan to the library. Be sure your name is in them.
The SILENT AUCTION will be held again during Foray as a means of raising scholarship money. Donated items to auction are needed and much appreciated. The donor may put a minimum bid on donations if desired.
Don't
forget
to
bring a cup or mug to use while you are in camp in the name of
conservation. We
will have a Mug Contest. Prizes are always memorable.
Transportation to and from camp will be up to each
individual. Camp is located on County Road 24 east of
Foray address: 4-H Camp
Pioneer (MAP)
RR 2,
Telephone: 304 636 3638
Cost includes lodging, meals, morning
snack, fees and insurance. Please fill out the application
form completely and be sure to enclose your check. Include
the membership fee if you are not a member of the BBC. All reservations
are due by May 31 and will be acknowledged. Do not come to Foray
without a reservation. If you have any questions, call or write to:
Greg Eddy, 13 Aster Dr., Triadelphia, WV 26049 -- Phone 304-830-0487 or
304-242-4774.