Jurassic Park comes to Henry County

OAKLAND MILLS - Velociraptors and triceratopses ran loose in Oakland Mills Park as fearless dinosaur hunters were sent out to return the extinct species back to their proper times.

The Henry County Conservation Department hosted Jurassic County Park on Oct. 17 and sent local children and community members back in time to learn about creatures from the Mesozoic Era. Nearly 400 people came out, a record for the event, to search for escaped dinosaurs and hike through the park in the dark. The annual fall-themed event takes on a new theme each year. Last year was focused on zombies.

As part of the hike, young dinosaur enthusiasts lined up by the entrance of the Conservation Center and entered the park in groups of 15. Before starting the hike, the hunters read up on the escaped dinosaurs at several stations and collected stamps in a passport booklet. At the final station leading to the hike, participants were given a list of dinosaurs to find, along with a small flashlight to help them navigate the treacherous terrain.

Stepping into the wooded area with the Jurassic Park theme song playing in the background, excited children walked slowly and meticulously through the park, eyes peeled for dinosaurs (which were pictures and descriptions posted on signs and attached to trees). Upon completion of the hike, every child was given an egg with a small dinosaur inside.

Cari Nicely, the county naturalist, explained that the hike is one of the more popular events the department hosts each year but that attendance can often be dependent on weather.

'It's a beautiful night, it's a perfect night to be at the park, to be here. My goal with these [events] is to get people to the park,” Nicely said.

'We could not have asked for a more perfect day. No wind, not cold, it's a perfect fall day,” Nicely added, crediting the good conditions for the large turnout.

In deciding this year's theme, county naturalist noted that she recognizes that dinosaurs can be a debated topic among people of different beliefs but hopes children and their parents have fun and learn not only about dinosaurs, but also gain a perspective on geological time.

'Dinosaurs are controversial. It's a controversial topic depending on who believes in what … as they're going backward [through time], I hope they're reading the signs and going backward from extinction … and get an idea of what a ‘long time ago' really means. It's fun too, going through the woods and hunting for those dinosaurs, I think the kids and the adults get a kick out of it.”

Danika Cox, the assistant naturalist who designed the hike, said she just hopes kids walk away having learned 'just one thing.”

'It's something that they enjoy plus they are outside We wanted to get them here, get them outside, hang out with the family. It's a great event.”

BreAnne Gnann, a local teacher, has attended the hike every year for the last six years with her daughter Bryah.

BreAnne noted that her favorite part of the hike is 'learning new things,” and appreciates that there's a new theme each year.

Following completion of the hike, Bryah noted that she had the most fun 'finding the t-rex in the woods.”

'She knew more than we did, she loves dinosaurs,” BreAnne said.

Like Bryah, eight-year-old Scotty Redgate is a dinosaur lover. He and his mother have been attending the event for three years after learning about it through Scotty's Cub Scout group. While the scout doesn't have a favorite dinosaur, he's particularly skilled at finding lost ones. His sharp attention helps him find dinos that several others in his group miss during their hike.

Scotty's mother, Erica, said she feels it's important to get kids out in nature for 'exercise, fresh air,” and to 'get them away from their tablets and screens.”

'He's probably learned more than I have [during the hike],” Erica noted with a laugh.

'We like the programs that the nature center have, they've got a lot of great outdoors stuff,” she added.

Those who missed out on becoming time travelers at Jurassic County Park do not need to worry too much. Nicely revealed that next year's theme will be 'Out of This World,” and that children and parents will get an opportunity to become space travelers.