Join The Wilderness Center for an adventure in nature with EcoTours!
Join The Wilderness Center for an adventure in nature with our EcoTours!
Spring Ozark Ramble
May 14-24, 2010
Join TWC Executive Director, Gordon Maupin, as he returns to his old Ozark stomping grounds with a biogeocultural ramble through the Ozark highlands of Missouri and Arkansas.
David Tylka, a vertebrate biology professor from St. Louis Community College, will join the trip as the local naturalist. Gordon and Dave worked together to make the itinerary unforgettable.
The trips will begin with a flight to St. Louis and quick travel to Ha Ha Tonka State Park in the Missouri Ozarks. The group then heads south with a stop at La Petite Gemme Prairie, a Missouri Natural Area and native (never plowed) prairie. Then it's down into the Boston Mountain section of the Ozarks.Using Harrison, Arkansas as a base, you will visit the Ozark Underground Laboratory for a combined surface and underground tour to learn how water has shaped the Ozark Mountains from above and below.
The following day we'll visit the Ozark Natural Science Center where various species of wildlife, including Box Turtles, have been radio tagged. There will be time to visit a special waterfall as well.
The next day will include some stops along Buffalo National River, including Lost Valley, a spectacular limestone valley with waterfalls and Ozark wildflowers.
Then the group will head east through scenic highlands to Mountain View, Arkansas to visit the Ozark Folk Center and soak up some cultural history. The group will also visit Blanchard Spring Cavern, one of the most spectacular caves in America ever opened for tourism.
The trip will then swing north again with visits to Grand Gulf, Mammoth Spring and Big Spring on the way to Poplar Bluff. From Poplar Bluff the group will drop off the Ozark highlands for a daylong visit to Mingo National Wildlife Refuge to view a Cypress Tupeleo swamp.
The next day we head north to the St. Francis Mountain. These ancient mountains are a granite intrusion into the mostly limestone Ozarks. There we will see Elephant Rocks and some other natural and geological places of interest. The last day will be a short drive through the Ozarks to return to St. Louis.
If you are interested, contact Gordon at gordon@wildernesscenter.org or 1-877-359-5235. Cost will be about $1,828.75 double occupancy or $2,359.75 for single. To save your spot, send in a deposit of $400 per person. There will be a meeting on March 20 at 1:30 p.m. at TWC
Greater Yellowstone EcoTour
September 15-24, 2010
The Wilderness Center's "flagship" ecotour is on again for next September. This the most popular ecotour the Center has offered over the years.
Working with naturalists from the Teton Science School, the trip begins in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The first few days the trip explores Grand Teton National Park and the Jackson Hole area enjoying the unparalleled scenic beauty of the Grand Tetons and viewing wildlife including elk, moose, mule deer, eagles, bluebirds, and big horn sheep.
Just when you think it can't get better, the group heads north to Yellowstone National Park, the world's first and most famous national park. At Yellowstone, the adventure continues with visits to the best thermal features and viewing the wildlife of the park while staying in the historic Old Faithful Inn.
The trip continues to build as the group heads out the East Entrance to Cody, Wyoming. From Cody the group will travel the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway and the Bear Tooth Highway to enjoy spectacular scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities.
The trip includes: a scenic (not whitewater) float on the Snake River, a visit to the National Museum of Wildlife Art, a visit to the Buffalo Bill Museum, all lodging, many meals, naturalists and transportation in Teton Science School vans (airfare is not included).
The trip is suitable for all ages. The focus is on wildlife viewing and gentle nature walks; there are no strenuous hikes. Cost of the trip is $2,070 for double occupancy. Contact Gordon Maupin at the Center at 1-877-359-5235 or gordon@wildernesscenter.org for more information.
There will be an informational meeting on April 3 at 1:30 p.m. at The Wilderness Center.
About The Wilderness Center
The Wilderness Center is a non-profit nature center thatis dedicated to conservation, the environment and education.
9877 Alabama Ave. S.W.
Wilmot, Ohio 44689
The Wilderness Center
877-359-5235
