Park personnel hope e-mail allows better hike date plans

Therese Cummiskey and Ron Meyers are teaming up to offer a new spin on the moonlight walks at Jefferson County Park this season.

?It seems more often than not that when we plan a stargazing activity here at the park, we find that Mother Nature has other plans,? said Meyers, the campground host and moonlight walk leader. ?If its not raining, its snowing or cloudy.?

So, in an effort to have more successful hikes, Meyers and naturalist Cummiskey have put together a plan they hope will allow them to hold the events on the clearest nights.

?We?re putting together an e-mail list, and when we are looking to have a moonlight hike, we?ll send out an e-mail and give people the week we want to have it,? explained Meyers. ?Then as the week gets closer, we?ll have a better idea of what the weather is going to do, and we?ll pick out the best day of that week.?

Meyers said participants may only get a day or two notice of the exact night of the hike, ?but we?ll have more success at having star-gazing nights when you can actually see the stars.?

Anyone interested in receiving the moonlight walk information by e-mail should e-mail therese@jeffersoncountyconservation.com or call 472-4421 to be placed on the special list.

For the complete article, see the Friday, Oct. 15, 2010, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.