McCloud programs on Aug. 17 will focus on rocks and stars

McCloud programs on Aug. 17 will focus on rocks and stars

NORTH SALEM -- McCloud Nature Park will host a program about Indiana rocks, minerals and fossils at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17.

The naturalists will teach the public about sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks, the rock cycle and common uses of minerals in everyday items.

The free program, beginning in the Nature Center, is designed for all ages, and will last approximately 90 minutes. The program will also include an opportunity to search the Big Walnut Creek for different kinds of rocks.

Later Saturday night, expert stargazers from the Indiana Astronomical Society will join Hendricks County Parks and Recreation naturalists for a free monthly astronomy program at McCloud.

The group will meet in the Nature Center at 8:15 p.m. for a sky seminar which will provide emphasis on actual observing, helping beginners find their way around the night sky by learning how a telescope works, and how to recognize constellations, planets, galaxies and nebulae of all kinds that may be seen that evening.

Following the seminar, there will be an outdoor viewing session through a limited number of binoculars and telescopes provided. Stargazing is dependent upon clear skies, but the introductory sky seminar will take place rain or shine.

Operated by Hendricks County Parks and Recreation, McCloud Nature Park is located five minutes south of North Salem at 8518 N. Hughes Rd.

Admission is free and the park is open from dawn to dusk daily. Nature Center hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m.

For more information on McCloud Nature Park and park programs persons may call the Hendricks County Parks and Recreation main office at 317-718-6188 or visit the website at www.hendrickscountyparks.org.