Interview with Evie and Luke Thornton

Landmark Park was an influential place in my childhood, so a few weekends ago I decided to find out what Landmark Park means to other kids.  I brought Evie (8) and Luke (6) Thornton to the park to have a picnic lunch and interviewed them about what they thought about Landmark Park. 

First, I took them on the nature trail, something they had never been on before.  We stopped and read all of the signs on the nature trail. Once Luke found out that Indians used to live in the Wiregrass Area, he began pointing out things that he thought the Indians might have made.  There was a fallen tree that he said the Indians “might have chopped down” and a hollowed out tree where he said the Indians used “to hide important stuff.”  

Here is a little bit of the conversation we had while eating lunch:

Anna Holman: “Luke, what was your favorite thing about the nature trail”

Luke Thornton: “The beavers and the turtle, and one more thing… the orange snake.  I can spell orange, it’s easy to spell: O G O A N G… orange snake.  Hey, Anna Banana, you hear that bird?”

AH: “Yeah, I hear it.”

LT: “I bet it’s an eagle.  I also liked seeing the spiders and the birds.”

AH: “Anything else you liked about the nature trail?”

LT: “ I liked that stuff and that big tree and that tree where we went under and that’s all.  And I liked that turtle that was waving to me.  That’s all I like.  I didn’t like the green butterfly, I liked it, but I didn’t like it… kind of, but not really.”

AH: “Evie what did you like about the nature trail?”

Evie Thornton: “The pretty water…I think if there were bike trails like the nature trail, I would come out here all the time.  Well, as long as they weren’t longer than three miles.”

AH: “Luke would you like it if you could ride your bike on a trail like the one we just went on?”

LT: “I would… Luke Thornton would! Scratch (write) that down.”

I then took Evie and Luke to the farm to look at the animals and the Waddell House.  They loved the mules, Skunk and Possum, but the pigs were sleeping when we came to their pen, so Evie and Luke decided that the pigs should be re-named Lazy and Snore-y.  I quickly found out that growing up at the park exposed me to things unfamiliar to the average child.  For example, we came to the outhouse between the pig pen and the chicken coup, and they asked what it was.  Evie thought it was a shed and Luke thought it was a rooster house.  When I told them what it really was, they were shocked that people used to have to go outside their houses to go to the bathroom.

After the farm we then went to the church, school, general store, drug store and the planetarium. 

At the end of our visit, they decided that they liked the animals, Possum, Skunk and Elbert (the goat) in particular, the best.  Evie said, “I would want to live out here.  It’s very peaceful.”  That night I babysat for Evie and Luke and we went outside to look at the stars.  They were very proud that they were able to identify almost all of the constellations shown in the planetarium show earlier in the day.

If you would like for your kids to have a great day like Evie and Luke did, come visit us!  Landmark Park is located on Highway 431 North in Dothan, Alabama.  The Park is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sundays noon - 6 p.m.  For more information, visit Landmark Park's website at www.landmarkpark.com or call our office at 334-794-3452.

The Night Sky

The night sky has always been something that fascinated me. At a young age, I was able to find major constellations because my parents would point them out to my sister and me. Astronomy has always had a major impact in my life, whether it be looking into the sky to find constellations during a campout or looking for Santa's sleigh, my sister Caroline and I have always found ourselves stargazing.

Some of my favorite memories are ones where we would lay under the stars until we fell asleep. I can remember sleeping under the stars in my backyard, at the beach and at Landmark Park. As my sister and I got older, we continued to be intrigued by astronomy and constantly found ourselves looking towards the stars searching for those familiar constellations. Some of our sorority sisters, who happened to be at our house during a meteor shower, thought Caroline and I were crazy when we grabbed quilts and walked out to the middle of the road, laid down and enjoyed one of nature's greatest shows.

Caroline and I were raised to appreciate the wonder and beauty of nature, astronomy included, but like many other things in life, that beauty is something we take for granted every now and then. People tend to find beauty in things they don't see very often, so in the case of something like the stars, the true beauty is sometimes overlooked. The stars are something we almost always see when we go outside at night. Even on nights when we can't see them, we know they will return.

I never appreciated the beauty of the night sky until I visited Cinque Terre in Italy during my study abroad. Never in my life have a seen so many stars. My dad has always talked about how beautiful the stars are in the desert, and I always thought that was odd because they are the same stars that I see from my backyard. It was not until my trip to the Cinque Terre that I began to fully understand what he meant.

When you're in a place where there is nothing to take away from the beauty of the stars, they truly sparkle. We were in the mountains, so there were no street lights, no lights from houses, no smog. The air was so clear we could see more stars than any of us had ever seen in the states. Looking up at the stars in a place like that made me feel so small. Time seemed to stop, and I began to realize not only how lucky I was to be seeing the stars in such a beautiful state, but how I tend to take their beauty for granted sometimes.

If you are out here stargazing during an event such as astronomy night, you don't have things such as light to take away fromt the stars like you would if you were in your backyard, that's the great thing about Landmark Park. I might be a little partial, but aside from the Cinque Terre, I think Landmark Park is the best place for stargazing around.

For more information about the night sky and stargazing, visit our planetarium or come out to one of our Astronomy nights! Planetarium shows are Saturdays at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Admission is free for park members and $2 for nonmembers. Astronomy nights for 2012 are held in February and offer the viewing of several stars, constellations and planets through telescopes and binoculars, as well as regular planetarium shows in the digitarium. Our Astronomy nights are February 17th and 24th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with admission $3 for members, $4 for scouts and their leaders in uniform and $5 for nonmembers.

Meet Our New Intern

Bonjour!

My name is Anna and I am the new intern here at Landmark Park, so I thought I would introduce myself before I jump into the task of blogging. I am a Dothan native, but I have not lived in Dothan full time since high school, so I am excited to be back in my hometown. I have a Bachelor's degree in History from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, but I also attended Troy University in Troy, Alabama and The Abbey Program in Pontlevoy, Centre, France prior to transferring to Southern Miss. I love history, reading, being outdoors, painting and traveling. I also have a special place in my heart for Landmark Park.

Landmark Park is part of many childhood memories and life lessons. I grew up at the park and consider it my second home.

At three months old, I visited Landmark Park for the first time:

My first birthday party was at Landmark Park:

Landmark Park inspired me to explore and appreciate nature:

Landmark Park has always been a prominent part of my life, helping to mold me into the person I am today, all while teaching me lessons. Lessons such as:

-Homemade ice-cream is the best kind of ice-cream there is, especially on a hot summer day

-despite their size and general slow nature, cows can run really, really fast

-tents are over-rated- the best way to sleep outside is under the stars

-camp isn't fun unless you get dirty

-running through a freshly cut cotton field can result in some painful injuries

-the best way to learn about nature is to be out in it

-and most importantly, how lucky Dothan residents are to have a place where they can experience an adventure and learn about our local history all in one place.

I consider Landmark Park to be my second home. At one point in time, I considered it my home away from home. After traveling a lot I realized that aside from my family and friends, I missed my bed and Landmark Park. I credit Landmark Park with helping me find my career path. Granted, I do have some pretty awesome parents who introduced me to Landmark Park in the first place, but my parents were not solely responsible for the programs the park offered, the things that drew me to the park, or the things that keep me wanting to come back. That credit belongs to those who have kept the park running after all these years -the staff members, the volunteers, the board members, and even the visitors. Landmark Park introduced me to Historical Preservation and Environmental Education, two things I would have never known were career options without the park. I am lucky in that my experience with Landmark Park stems from the fact that I have had not one, but two members of my family work at Landmark Park (aside from myself.) Both of my parents worked at Landmark Park, and my Dad still works out here today as Executive Director. I have not only been able to watch the park grow over the years, but grow from a behind the scenes perspective.

When Landmark Park acquired Shelly General Store, I went with my Dad to move the building. I was about 6 years old and for some reason I didn't fully understand what was happening. I remember following my Dad around, doing exactly what he did. We walked around the building looking under it, we kicked some things to make sure they wouldn't fall off and then the men with the truck drove off, taking the store with them. I remember screaming "Dad, those men are stealing your house!" and how bizarre it looked seeing a whole building driving down the road. I remember going to the original Martin Drug Store to help pack up boxes to move to the new building. I have watched the park grow and improve right before my very eyes, and it makes me feel proud, because this place is my second home.

Throughout my internship here at the park, I will be updating this blog to keep readers informed on not only what is going on at Landmark Park, but also what it is like to be an intern here. I hope to give some insight into the behind the scenes world that the average park guest doesn't see. I hope you enjoy!

Bisous

-A

Tales from A Volunteer

Landmark Park welcomes volunteer Kate Kirkland as a guest blogger to share some of her experiences.

Hi! My name is Kate Kirkland and I am a volunteer at Landmark Park. I have been volunteering since 2004.

One of the first tasks I was given when I started volunteering was to help demonstrate washing clothes the old fashioned way. In the 1890s, women would build a fire and bring water almost to a boil. Then, the clothes would go into the massive cast iron kettle with lye soap. To get all the stains out of the clothes, I would move the clothes to a wooden stump and start to beat them with a stick, the same stick that was used to stir the pot. One gentlemen commented that I must have been mad at my brother that day because I was beating the clothes so hard! If the stains did not come out, I would put them back in the hot water. In my opinion, washing with lye soap was hard because it felt so greasy to me.

After the washing demonstration and a few other volunteering experiences, I feel like I have found my calling. I enjoy playing my violin with the Landmark Dulcimer club. They so graciously allow me to play with them, even though I am not a concert violinist by any stretch of the imagination. The dulcimer club has a Jam Session every first Saturday of every month at 1 p.m. in the Interpretive Center Classroom. I try to go as much as I can! The session is for both inexperienced and experienced dulcimer players (or in my case, violin players). The dulcimer is a stringed American folk instrument and the club performs during some of the special events at Landmark Park, including Spring Farm Day, Victorian Christmas and Wiregrass Heritage Festival.

To join the volunteer experience at Landmark Park, call 334-794-3452. Not only does the park depend on volunteers, you may just learn something new while you're there!

Notes From Our Guest Book

A guest book sits in the Interpretive Center at Landmark Park, just waiting to hear what visitors have to say about the Park. Here are some of our favorites from 2010, so far. On your next visit, make sure to sign in and let us know what you think about the park.

Kata R., Bogota, Columbia: Me Encanto!

Kristin S., Baltimore, Maryland: I came all the way from B-More just to see Dothan

Carol B., Cottonwood: Wonderful place, interesting for visitors

Kathleen M., New Orleans, LA: Very Nice

Amariah W., Portland, OR: I've loved this place since I was very small

Bob H., White Cloud, MI: Neat

Steve O., CA: Loved It!

Jim A., Enterprise: Very cool place for young children

Amanda C., Enterprise: Very nice way to spend an afternoon

Matt P, Eufaula: Very nice for babies

Sophia L., Dothan: It's nice. This is the first time I've been here and I enjoyed the walk

Stephen P., Auburn: I loved it. This was the best place ever

Sarah K., Germany: Great, wonderful place

Angela P., Sicily: Awesome!

The Batista family, Puerto Rico: We love it. Cool!

Don D., MI: Excellent facilities and personal tour of the farm area!

Jessica D., Geneva: Will be back again and again

Krissy P., Germany: The Parrish family loves Landmark Park

Jon H., (no location given): Been gone 10 years and still love this park.

Slamka family, Racine, WI: Clean and comfortable walk

Karla A., Quebec City, Canada: Beautiful escape from the city. Thank you.

Rachel A., Mililani, Hawaii: Thanks! Aloha!

We would love to hear from you!

Q&A With Membership Coordinator Janis Lepley

ABOVE: Membership Coordinator Janis Lepley presents 2000th Landmark Park member Buster Padgett with his membership packet.

Summer, once again, is upon us. Kids are out of school and looking for something to do. Why not join Landmark Park and take advantage of our special programs to keep kids entertained and engaged in learning.

Landmark Park recently signed up 2000th active member, Buster Padgett. To commemorate this occasion, we have a chance to hear from Janis Lepley, membership coordinator at Landmark Park.

LMP: Janis, tell us a little about your background. How long have you worked at Landmark Park?

JL: I was born and raised in Franklin, TN. I have lived in Dothan for 20 years. My family joined Landmark Park in 1990, several years before I started working for the Park. We grew to love it immediately. My family attended Special Events, camps, workshops, Music by Moonlight, etc. Both of my children worked part-time for the Park while in high school and college. I have worked for the Park a total of 10 years. I was hired as Office Manager in 1995. I left for a few years and was rehired as Membership Coordinator in 2006.

LMP: How has the park changed over the years?

In the 10 years I have been associated with the Park, I have seen numerous changes such as the addition of The Martin Drug Store, The Stokes Activity Barn and the Barnyard Playground. We also have more and ‘bigger’ special events. We also just recently acquired a new Digital Planetarium. Exciting changes are always happening at Landmark Park.

LMP: Tell us about the membership programs offered at Landmark Park. Are there different levels?

JL: We have 8 different levels of memberships for individuals/families. These are as follows: Individual, Senior Couple, Family, Historical, Heritage, Heirloom, Legacy and President’s Circle. The Park of course has members at each level. The most frequently purchased level is the Family level. Your basic membership includes free daily admission, free admission to the Planetarium, free admission to almost all special events, a subscription to our quarterly newsletter "The Lark," and advance notice and discounts on special programs. As the level increases, so do the benefits.

LMP: How can a corporation or business support the membership program?

JL: Landmark Park also offers several levels of Corporate membership. The business may choose to pay for the level of their choice or exchange a membership for goods or services from the business.

LMP: How important are members to the survival of Landmark Park?

JL: Landmark Park is very dependent on memberships. Membership support generates a constant cash flow throughout the year. We have members that visit the Park every week or month and are able to take part in a lot that we have to offer. We also have some members that are not even able to visit us anymore but they remain supportive by renewing their membership yearly. We are so appreciative of our members!

LMP: What are some of the favorite events and activities at Landmark Park?

JL: My personal favorites are Spring Farm Day, Wiregrass Heritage Festival and Victorian Christmas. The general public obviously enjoy these too since we usually have a large crowd attend these events. We offer many other special events and a great number of workshops throughout the year. Since I am a birder and love the outdoors I have enjoyed attending Bird and Tree ID workshops. There is always something fun, interesting and educational going on at the Park.

LMP: How can people join Landmark Park?

JL: There are several ways to join. Potential members can join with a cash, check, debit or credit card while visiting the Park. They may also go on our website at www.landmarkpark.com, print out and complete the membership application and mail it in with payment or join using PayPal. They may also call me and give me the information over the phone or I will be happy to mail out a packet of Park information. Included in that packet is a membership return envelope.

LMP: Thanks, Janis, for talking with us about Memberships! Anything you would like to add?

JL: A yearly membership to Landmark Park also makes a great gift! Families can use this gift all year.

All About Birds

I tend to think of January as unofficial bird month at Landmark Park. Three Saturdays, January 16, 23 and 30, we will offer workshops on various topics having to do with our feathered friends.

When I was growing up, my father's yard was an eden fora variety of songbirds--finches, cardinals, chickadees, an occasional woodpecker and even the somewhat elusive Indigo bunting. Thanks to his hummingbird feeders, anyone who came through the yard was sure to hear the buzz of the hummingbirds' tiny wings overhead as they filled up on sugar water. When I moved away from home, one of the first things to make an appearance outside my apartment was a bird feeder. Every morning, I would sit with my coffee and binoculars and wait for my customers. I never attracted anything too exotic, living right in the busiest part of Mobile, but I loved watching the quirky behaviors of these creatures of flight.

On January 16, Dr. Gary Manfready will host "Gardening for Birds," offering tips on how to attract birds to your gardens. On January 23, Fred Bassett will give a workshop on Hummingbirds and then on January 30, Manfready will be back to teach us all about Bluebirds. Registration is required for these workshops and admission is free with your paid gate admission. Workshops begin at 10 a.m. in the Interpretive Center Auditorium, and a drawing for a door prize will be held at each workshop. Call 334-794-3452 to register.

Come join the flock of birders at Landmark Park and learn something new about our natural world.