Last updated:  04/27/2008

The Kentucky Society of Natural History will be hosted their Spring 2008  conference at Benham< Kentucky near Big Black Mountain – April 25 -27, 2008.  We to stayed at Benham School House.  The school house was built in 1926 by Wisconsin Steel Corporation (later known as International Harvester) as a high school and elementary school for coal camp children. The last high school class graduated in 1961, but the building continued to be used as an elementary school until 1992.
 Today, the Bed and Breakfast is considered one of the premier tourist stops in the region. Although elegant and comfortable, the B & B has stayed true to its schoolhouse roots. The lockers–painted dark green–still exist. The room numbers each stand for a graduating class. Some of the rooms have the same wood floors on which students once learned their ABCs.

Little Sheppard Trail in Kingdom Come State Park, with an elevation of 2,700 feet, is the crowning jewel in the crest of Pine Mountain. Named after the popular Civil War novel, "The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come," by Kentucky author John Fox Jr., the park preserves 1,283 acres of unspoiled wilderness. Some of the most extraordinary rock formations in the state are featured at this park, including Log Rock, a natural sandstone bridge, and Raven Rock, a giant rock exposure that soars 290 feet into the air at a 45-degree angle!

Thanks to all those folks that attended our spring conference and the staff hopes that every one had a great time.

Make plans now and mark your calendars for our 2008 Fall conference at Natural Bridge State Resort Park – September 26 – 27, 2008.  The link for the registration form will be here when all the details become available.   Stay tuned and make your reservations early.  Natural Bridge is always a popular conference spot.  Sign up early to reserve your spot.

Natural Bridge State Resort Park takes its name from a giant natural sandstone arch that is its star attraction.

Trails & Nature Center: The nine hiking trails range from one-half mile to eight-and-one-half miles. Trail maps are available at the Nature Center, located on the ground floor of the Activities Center. The Nature Center houses exhibits about the park.

See our minutes from our General Meeting and Board Meeting from our Fall 2007  conference. 

Our Tentative Future Conferences:

Pine Mountain Settlement School, Spring 2009 TBA

Pine Mountain at sunsetPine Mountain Settlement School is located in the mountains of Appalachia in Southeastern Kentucky. It was an early source of education for the mountain youth of the area, offering a hands-on approach to education that continues to be a model for today's schools.

The school's programs have evolved to meet the changing needs of the community and region. Today's programs include environmental education and basic educational support for students in local schools. The richness of Pine Mountain Settlement School's campus and its history is a source for multiple other enrichment programs for the local community and beyond.

Reelfoot Lake, Fall 2009 TBA

Somewhere between myth and history lies the answer of the creation of Reelfoot Lake. Area folklore says the lake came to be as a result of an irate Indian medicine man. History credits an earthquake along the New Madrid Fault in 1811 for creating the historic site.
Regardless of the manner of creation the area is one of haunting beauty and home of numerous bird, fish and wildlife species.

Birdwatchers and naturalists can add sighting to their life lists of rare species.

Shawnee State Park. Spring 2010 (last weekend April) TBA

Located in the Appalachian foothills near the banks of the Ohio River, Shawnee State Park is nestled in the 63,000-acre Shawnee State Forest.

Once the hunting grounds of the Shawnee Indians, the region is one of the most picturesque in the state, featuring erosion-carved valleys and wooded hills. The rugged beauty of the area has earned it the nickname "The Little Smokies

Shakertown (Lexington area), Fall 2010

Discover America’s largest restored Shaker community, where a remarkable society once flourished and where today, you can experience a true Kentucky treasure.

This 3,000 acre National Historic Landmark charms guests with distinct Shaker style and the beauty of Lexington’s Bluegrass Region. A stay at the Inn offers peaceful accommodations, gracious dining, exceptional shopping, historical activities and invigorating recreation

Diverse Flora - 440 herbaceous and woody plants, including several rare species, have been identified throughout the village. In the spring, the forest floor is carpeted with bountiful wildflowers, including varieties of trillium, fire pink, blue phlox and bloodroot.

Natural Prairie - Dominated by wildflowers, native grasses and grassland animals, our natural prairie is now a rare plant community type that was once prevalent throughout the state. Pale purple coneflowers, bergamot, sunflowers and black eyed susans provide spectacular blooms during the summer.

Abundant Wildlife - Squirrels, chipmunks, foxes, raccoons, rabbits and groundhogs may be spotted along our trails. Whitetail deer will likely bound away as you approach. Over 125 varieties of birds have been spotted throughout the village.

Limestone Formations - Observe the oldest exposed rock in Kentucky along the Kentucky River palisades. These limestone formations are between 400 and 450 million years old.

Carter Caves, Spring 2011 TBA

The Carter Caves State Park is located in Carter County, Kentucky, United States, along Tygarts Creek. It is formed by Carter Caves, and nearby Cascade Caves, which were added to the park in 1959; the two are joined by Carter Cave Natural Bridge.  On December 16, 1981, 146 acres of the park were designated as nature preserves. Bat Cave and Cascade Caverns State Nature Preserves were dedicated for the protection of the Indiana bat, mountain maple, and Canada yew, all endangered species.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park Fall 2011

Cumberland Falls, sometimes called the Little Niagara, the Niagara of the South, or the Great Falls, is a large waterfall on the Cumberland River in southeastern Kentucky. Spanning the river at the border of McCreary and Whitley counties, the waterfall is the central feature of Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, which itself is surrounded by the Daniel Boone National Forest.

On average the falls, which flow over a resistant sandstone bed, are 68 feet (21 m) high and 125 feet (38 m) wide, with a water flow of 3,600 cubic feet per second (100 m³/s).

Under a full moon on clear nights, an elusive lunar rainbow or moonbow is sometimes formed by the mist emanating from the falls. The site is promoted as the only one in the world to feature this phenomenon, with Victoria Falls at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe having lost its status due to forest cultivation.[citation needed] Actually, almost any waterfall can produce a moonbow under ideal conditions; however, many comparable sites have too much light for this feature to be visible.