Oscar Scherer State Park Blog

This February event gets bigger every year and with the addition of the 10K run and a completely re-designed 5K run,  it was bigger than ever.  The new race course was developed by Race Director Gaylon Peters in cooperation with Park management and Jim Julian who certified it for the Manasota Track Club. This is the Friends’ main fund raiser of the year and the net proceeds of $11,662 exceeded all expectations. The continued supporting grant from The Lee Wetherington Foundation through the Sarasota Community Foundation was critical once again in achieving the financial goals of this event.

A summary of the results from the combined runs follows:

Total registered runners 607; estimated one-mile walkers ~100

5K runners 368 (61%)

10K runners 239 (39%)

Female runners 336 (55%)

Male runners 271 (45%)

48 runners from out of state (one each from Ontario, Germany, & Guam)

Oldest runner was 86; Youngest was 4

GAYLON  PETERS  AND  ALL  HIS  VOLUNTEER  HELPERS  DID  ONE  FANTASTIC  JOB  PUTTING  ON  THE  2010 SCRUB JAY  5/10 K   RACE – BE  SURE  TO  CLICK  ON  IT  AND  ENJOY – IT’S  A  TERRIFIC  VIDEO. THANKS   TO   ALL.

BOB SENDREY

Elsa’s Youth And Nature programs will not take place this weekend as we will be having the 7th annual Sarasota Folk Festival that will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 6 & 7, at Oscar Scherer State Park.
Programs will resume on the 13th of March.

Thank You
J.T. Eldreth
Elsa’s Youth and Nature Program Coordinator

http://www.friendsofoscarscherer.com/html/just_for_kids.html

Prepare the trail today,
For children to be tomorrow’s environmental caretakers of our unique natural resource.
Florida State Parks…

The 7th annual Sarasota Folk Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 6 & 7, at Oscar Scherer State Park, 1843 South Tamiami Trail,
(U.S. Highway 41) in Osprey, just south of Sarasota. There will be Eco-friendly vendors, local and statewide musicians, onsite parking, lots to eat,
many fine vendors selling excellent products, family music and fun for kids! On Saturday, the music starts at 11 am, with a dinner break at
5 pm – 6 pm. The Saturday evening concert is 6 pm – 10. On Sunday, the music starts at 11 am, and ends at 4 pm.
     Tickets can be purchase at the gate using cash or local check, or order them at a discount using a credit card by March 1 on
www.sarasotafolkfestival.org. Kids 12 and under are free.
     There will be 30 musical acts performing on three stages. The list of performers and the complete schedule is posted on the festival website. The
festival will include many types of music. While it will be primarily acoustic folk music and singer/songwriter performers, you will also hear
bluegrass, old time, acoustic blues, country, jazz, pop, and Irish. Bring the kids; there will be a Family Stage with some time slots designated
specifically for kids. There is a playground next to the Family Stage. There will be some kids-oriented games, crafts and vendor products.
The workshop area is where you can get some pointers on playing an instrument, singing harmony, writing songs, or other topics of interest.
There will be a jam area this year! Many of our performers will lead various jams throughout the two days. There will be a protest jam, an old time
jam, a Florida folk jam, a harmony jam and many others.
     The Festival will go on rain or shine, as all three stages are covered.

J.T. Eldreth
Elsa’s Youth and Nature Program Coordinator

http://www.friendsofoscarscherer.com/html/just_for_kids.html

Prepare the trail today,
For children to be tomorrow’s environmental caretakers of our unique natural resource.
Florida State Parks…

Elsa’s Fish Printing started of slow on Saturday with a German couple and there two children, they couldn’t believe we would have the class just for them, they were thrilled. About half way through the slide show another couple came in, then another, we had a total of nine for the program. Some great prints left the Nature Center on Saturday along with some very Happy Kampers.

As always Joyce did a GREAT job with the kids !

J.T. Eldreth
Elsa’s Youth and Nature Program Coordinator

http://www.friendsofoscarscherer.com/html/just_for_kids.html

Prepare the trail today,
For children to be tomorrow’s environmental caretakers of our unique natural resource.
Florida State Parks…

On your mark, get set, LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In 2 weeks we have one of our biggest events of the year in our park.

The Scrub Jay 5k – 10k February 20, 2010
Race for the Scherer Delight of it!

Saturday, February 20, 2010             Registration Form Here

TIME: 5K Run @ 7:45 AM
10K Run @ 8:30 AM
1 mile Walk/Hike @ 8:10 AM

The course is mostly hard-packed sand and grass trails through the Park’s rare scrubby flat woods. Lots of shade trees, Finish on paved Legacy trail. Water stations and guides on course; spectacular refreshments; shirts to first 800 registrants; lots of door prizes and participation ribbons for age group finishers.

Pasta In The Park and Silent Auction
Friday Night February 19th, 2010 5:30-8:30PM
Green Salad, Specialty Breads, Pasta with a choice of red sauces
and/or meat sauce on the side, Brownies, Cookies, Water, Gatorade or Tea
$9.95 for Adults, $6.00 for Children under 12, $12.95 night of the event.

J.T. Eldreth
Elsa’s Youth and Nature Program Coordinator

http://www.friendsofoscarscherer.com/html/just_for_kids.html

Prepare the trail today,
For children to be tomorrow’s environmental caretakers of our unique natural resource.
Florida State Parks…

Don’t miss the fresh Strawberries ‘n Ice Cream with the MUSIC IN THE PARK at 2 til 4 pm on Sunday February 14th.  “Tymes Past” Carl &
Betty Ross duo will be bringing the old traditional and gospel music of the 1840’s to 1920’s.

Hello Friends
Thanks to all who have printed those 5 Color youth program flyer’s and posted them in our community!

Saturday as I helped Lynn Grimes with Scrubbys Recycled Paper Making, a wonderfully and unique thing happened!
We have a group from Venice “Village On The Isle” they bring their bus to the park on Saturday afternoons from time to time, in the past they come into the nature center maybe watch a video and if the weather is nice go out and view the lake, but yesterday was different.
They arrived as our Paper Making class was beginning, they came into the screen room to watched as the children started the process, Lynn ask one of the ladies if she would like to help the children shred the paper so it could go in the blender, next several of the group are helping, NEXT they are making paper for themselves !!!!!!
Lynn’s daughter and her friend were helping the group with their project, they were great.
I have been blessed to see many thing at Oscar but this is the BEST.
Cell phone pictures not the best but I’m sure you will get the picture ~

JT

PS
I just want to say thanks to Ed Burns and his wife as they have gone out of there way to always help this group.

J.T. Eldreth
Elsa’s Youth and Nature Program Coordinator

http://www.friendsofoscarscherer.com/html/just_for_kids.html

Prepare the trail today,
For children to be tomorrow’s environmental caretakers of our unique natural resource.
Florida State Parks…

Mother Nature caused the annual All Trails Hike to be postponed.  The combination of rain and chilly temperatures forced hike organizers to rechedule the event to January 30, 2010.