Visitors to the Red River Gorge (RRG) Farmers Market honored Dads and explored the world of birds at the RRG Discovery Zone event held June 20th at Slade.
The Red River Gorge Discovery Zone (RRGDZ) is a traveling pop-up learning experience focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM). Through hands-on activities and live presentations, it introduces students to the natural history and conservation of the Red River Gorge as well as local history.
Thirty-one children and twenty-two adults visited the Zone to undertake bird activities. Judy Dourson and DJ Ledford helped design/suggest activities. Regina Mulcahy, Lynne Stidham, and Jane Hayes manned the Welcome table and offered participants RRGDZ stickers, a schedule of the RRGDZ season, a bird adventure scavenger hunt, and a “color your own” Father’s Day card.
Ovie Hollon taught the explorers about using power tools including a handheld drill and measuring tape to build a suet feeder from a small section of tree branch. He also instructed them on placing and hanging the feeders as well as loading them with suet and gave them advice on which birds they should expect to see at their feeder as well as how to identify them. The children measured and drilled a hole on one end and threaded a string for hanging them. Larger holes for the suet were already predrilled due to safety factors. Finally, a ramekin of suet with the recipe and instructions for making the bird food were provided.
Sandy Hall and Judith Wilson taught the explorers how to build a bird feeder from egg cartons. The children cut and then decorated the egg cartons. Finally, they threaded twine for a hanging loop.
Charlotte Denniston arrived in the Traveling Tales Powell County Library van. She read several bird books to the children. She also shared some singing bird stuffies (local to the Red River Gorge) with the explorers.
Father Frank Brawner taught the explorers about the scientific names of birds, dinosaurs, and animals. The children built a word wheel (words by Father Frank, wheel by Belinda Lynn) to combine the prefixes and suffixes of scientific names. For example, the prefix erythron- and the suffix -ptera were combined to yield the name erythonptera meaning red wing. Father Brawner also showed the young explorers pictures of the named animals. The children then took a quiz and had the chance to win a sticker.
Lillie, Tammy, and Josh Boyd assisted the explorers to load the Merlin app on their phones. The app can take a recorded audio clip of a bird call or a photo of a bird and identify it. The children installed the app and then went to the edge of the Farmers Market and recorded calls and/or took photos. The children then returned to the table and reported the birds they had observed. The Boyd family kept a chart of the birds that were identified. A total of fifteen birds were observed, with the red eyed vireo being the most common (observed by three different children).
Special thanks to Stacy Stidham for transporting the RRGDZ trailer and assisting in the set-up and tear-down of the Discovery Zone tables and displays.
Funded by grants from TC Energy, Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, and Powell County Tourism Commission, and supported by fiscal sponsors Community Partners of Powell County and Powell County Tourism, the all-volunteer effort includes other organizations and team members not listed above. Organizations/individuals who donated or loaned items to assist the Discovery Zone in the 2026 season include Ovie Hollon, Regina Mulcahy, Maria Reed, David Davis, and Josh Davis. Father Al Fritsch, may he rest in peace, formerly of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Appalachia Science in the Public Interest, Society of Jesus, and formerly of Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church (Stanton) and of St. Elizabeth of Hungary (Ravenna), was the inspiration for the Discovery Zone.
Check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/rrgdiscoveryzone/ and our website at rrgdiscoveryzone.com. Join us at our next event on July 25th at Red River Gorge Farmers Market in Slade!
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