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October 28, 2021 | AppenMedia.com | An Appen Media Group Publication | Ser ving the community since 1976
Friday Night Hikes resume at Dunwoody Nature Center BY ADAM DARBY adam@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody Nature Center began their annual Friday Night Hike event earlier this month. The nighttime event started on Oct. 8 and will close out the month’s final weekend on Oct. 29 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Private hikes were held during the weekends in between. Guests can register online for the one-hour event with each hiking slot lasting 20 to 30 minutes. Attendees can expect a fun and informative hike through the center’s woods led by educators teaching information about nocturnal animals. Families and hikers of all ages are welcome to join and are recommended to bring a flashlight of their own to fully enjoy the hike. “Many people do not have the opportunity to walk around in the woods at night, and it can be a really great growing experience for kids and adults alike,” said Darcy Johnson, the center’s Environmental Education Manager. “Participants always seem to leave this program happy. This event attracts our widest variety of audience…There truly is something for everyone here.” Since Fall 2012, Friday Night Hike has become a popular event within the community. Before the pandemic, Johnson noticed crowds reaching upwards of 150 people. For everyone’s health and safety, crowds are currently kept to around 60 to 75 guests. The 22-acre forest offers hikers the opportunity to experience an especially diverse ecosystem with networks of older trees and undisturbed soil. “Dunwoody Nature Center is a haven
Friday Night Hikes have returned to the Dunwoody Nature Center throughout the month of October.
for these animals, and although we don’t often see them in the day, they make themselves known as soon as the sun goes down,” Johnson said. “So many people are completely unaware of what lives right in their backyards, and I love
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the opportunity to make people aware. It goes right back to our mission of inspiring a love of nature and a desire to protect and preserve it.” The center has been a community favorite since its creation in 1992. The event’s program itself is one of the few that remains unchanged since its original inception. For everyone’s safety, masks and social distancing are required for participating hikers. “This is one of my favorite programs that we offer because of the wonder it inspires. I love the look of awe on a child’s face when they hear an owl for the first time, or the shock from the adults when they realize we have resident bats that are flying just feet above their heads,” Johnson said.
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Admission is $5 for nonmembers with members given the option of entering for free with the promo code, “NIGHTHIKE21”. Space is limited and guests are encouraged to purchase tickets for each member in their party. Tickets can be purchased through the center’s website. For more information, call 770-394-3322 or visit www.dunwoodynature.org. The Dunwoody Nature Center is located on 5343 Roberts Drive.