On Friday, February 13th and Saturday the 14th, the Louisville Nature Center hosted our Valentine's hike. The temperature was perfect for the event and despite the rain, couples chose to celebrate their special night here at LNC. Visitors enjoyed the candle lit hiking path and sensory garden, food and drink, and shared laughter and joy around the bonfire. Cornflake, our resident corn snake, and Chocolate, one of our box turtles, enjoyed their meet and greet with our cheerful guests. During this night of muddy tranquility, one couple chose our paths to pop the question. This marks our first couple engaged at one of our Valentine's hikes! We were so excited to share in this beautiful moment and wish the very best to the newly engaged couple!
For people seeking a more vengeful holiday we offered our Valentine's cockroach fundraiser. People donated to feed a cockroach named after their ex to our yellow-bellied slider Francis. Those who donated received a certificate of death and for an additional cost could receive a video of their cockroach being fed to Francis. This fundraiser was a great success, allowing people a silly way to relieve stress during a season that can be very stressful. Throughout this years fundraiser we were able to raise $7,408.05. The money we raised will be used to improve our visitor’s experience, from repairing boardwalks to enhancing the nature play area.