Southern Indiana Living JulyAug 2016

foor beneath you and imagine a tropical,
shallow sea that covered the area more
than 30 million years ago. Look closely at
the rock to see ample evidence of the ancient
coral sea foor, which was exposed
by the rushing meltwater of retreating
glaciers during the ice age. Realize you
are standing among the largest examples
of exposed Devonian coral beds and wellpreserved
fossils in the entire world.
Find a fossil in the stone and note
that it is one of more than 600 species of
fossils found at the Falls, which are best
exposed from August through November.
Thirty percent of these marine fossils were
frst identifed here. Perhaps your example
is one of the 212 species of corals that
have been identifed at the Falls.
Picture our elephants’ early ancestors,
the mammoths and mastodons,
thundering past where you now stand.
The frst specimens of the American mastodon
known to science were collected
here in 1739.
Indeed, much history abounds at the
Falls of the Ohio, a national wildlife conservation
area, and it provides plenty for
the 21st century learner to enjoy today.
Interpretive Center ofers new exhibits
A trip to the Falls of the Ohio is enhanced
by a visit to the 16,000 square foot
Interpretive Center, which reopened with
new exhibits at the beginning of 2016. After
a stop in the auditorium to view a short
flm on the history of the Falls, tour the exhibit
gallery, which ofers state-of-the-art
audio, video and interpretive, immersive
features in four themed exhibits: An Ancient
Sea (Devonian fossils); A Changing
Land (Ice Age to Early Peoples); Converging
Cultures (Early Europeans to Lewis
and Clark); and The Falls Today (a look at
the ecosystem).
Up Close with Feathered Friends
The center’s Wildlife Observation
Room’s one-way glass lets you observe a
variety of birds without them observing
you. It’s easy to spend a calming hour
or more listening to bird calls over the
speaker system while watching feathered
friends—such as sparrows, mourning
doves, house fnches, goldfnches, chickadees,
tufted titmouse, cardinals, blue jays,
downy woodpeckers, and red-winged
blackbirds—enjoy a meal at the viewing
area’s many feeders.
Print of the “Bird Checklist” from
the Falls’ website (fallsoftheohio.org) to
help you identify some of the 270 species
of fowl that have been seen in the area—
including an eagle pair that have given
birth to eaglets.
Get Some Fresh Air and Exercise
It’s easy to leave the pressures of the
world behind and quickly retreat into nature
by slipping onto the Woodland Loop
and walking the quarter-mile scenic trail
at the Falls. There also is a 7-mile stretch
for hiking, biking and mobility scootering
(no motorbikes or motorcycles).
Don’t forget to bring along a picnic
lunch to enjoy after you work up an appetite
from exercising and exploring.
Fall for the Falls Hook, Line and Sinker
Bring along a fshing pole to catch
some of the 125 species of fsh that have
glided beneath the waters at the Falls of
the Ohio. According to Mitchell Forde in
an article for the Insider Louisville website,
the rushing waters beneath the lower
unit of McAlpine Dam ofers a “fsh haven”
where catfsh, sauger, walleye, striped
bass, hybrid striped bass, smallmouth
bass, carp and drum are plentiful.
The avid angler said he has enjoyed
many days at the Falls catching fsh after
fsh, excitedly wondering which kind he
will yank out next from the fowing waters.
“That kind of action cannot be found
elsewhere in Louisville, and in very few
other places around the country,” he said.
Please remember your Indiana or
Kentucky fshing license and be aware
that water current deserves serious respect.
“The Falls of the Ohio is a unique,
one-of-a-kind urban oasis that ofers
something for everyone,” said Dani Cummins,
executive director of the Falls of the
Ohio Foundation. “They are the reason
that cities and towns on both sides of the
river came into existence, and today the
park sits in the middle of the residential
areas of more than 1 million people.”
Cummins recommends that visitors
become annual supporting members of
the park so they can enjoy economical access
year round and help sustain and expand
the park’s many oferings. There are
multiple membership opportunities, but
membership at the $100 level provides a
year of access to the park and the Interpretive
Center for fve people, as well as
access by the carload to any other Indiana
State Park. •
The Falls of the Ohio State Park is located at
201 West Riverside Drive, Clarksville, Indiana.
For more information, go to www.fallsoftheohio.org.
Phone: 812.280.9970. Email
park@fallsoftheohio.org.
Upcoming Events
Family Nature Club:
How to Use a Telescope
Sunday, July 10
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Picnic area **
From the Devonian to the Falls
Today: A Walk Through Indiana’s
Deep Time
Guided tour of the exhibit gallery and a walk
on the fossil beds
August 3
6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Family Nature Club:
Exploring the Fossil Beds
Sunday, August 14
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Picnic area **
Falls Fossil Symposium
(for serious fossil collectors)
Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August
21
Registration: $15 in advance
Details: Call 812.280.9970, ext. 403
Digging the Past
Day-long festival with hands-on activities
and learning activities for adults and
children
Saturday, September 10
10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Family Nature Club:
Monarch Butterflies
Sunday, September 11
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Picnic area **
National Public Lands Day
Volunteer project at the Falls and Charlestown
State Park
Saturday, September 24
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m
** A responsible adult must stay with children.
July/Aug 2016 • 17