State Naturalist Robert Myers shares array of knowledge during breakfast at the Falls

During a recent delicious breakfast served bright and early at the Cumberland Falls Resort Park, State Naturalist Robert Myers and Director of Interpretation and Engagement Seth Wheat shared their knowledge on different subjects, including waterfalls, birds, animals, the history of the park, and the overall enjoyment of being in the park.

Myers was eager to explain his passion for passing information about Cumberland Falls to anyone willing to listen.

“This program has been around for a long time… We catch people and talk to them because a lot of people don’t know about our program. We stumble upon new people from California, Iowa, and Georgia… they’ve never heard of this place in their life until they stumbled upon it, or I stumbled upon them. That gave us an opportunity to reach more people,” Myers said.

Wheat explained how they came up with the event initially and the success that came with it.

“One of our most important responsibilities is to interact with our guests,” Wheat said. “We thought this would be a great idea… one of our supervisors in the Frankfort office who has worked with us for years, Ron Vanover, encouraged us to come to what is called ‘Breakfast with the State Naturalists’. It was a very informal program. We started at about 8 a.m., introduced ourselves…Robert gave a brief history of the park and the unique things you can find here at the Falls.”

Myers not only discussed the breathtaking waterfall, but also emphasized the enjoyment of the park’s fun trails and the various animals found. He further went into depth about the rich history they want to preserve and keep alive.

Individuals who attended the event developed a deeper appreciation for nature and Cumberland Falls, discovering a unique combination of natural wonders and captivating history.

“To me, it’s a very unique way to combine the things that are great about our natural world or the things that are great about our history, to present that to people in an exciting and engaging way… It’s a way to take that thing that was so much fun growing up and share it with people,” Wheat said.

Wheat explains that although there are no definite plans set in place, they have plans to do another event like this one due to the success and turnout. They also hope to go to other parks. They would like to go to the natural bridge, bring people together on the bridge itself, interact with them, and go up to Pine Mountain with Robert and other staff.

In 2024, they will be celebrating their 100th anniversary, so they hope to have, and are currently planning, a number of events for that.

“We want people to come, whether they are from out of state or in-state. For instate individuals, we want them to come into their own backyard and discover or rediscover this natural environment that has created a moonbow that happens every month. It is in nowhere else in the world except for Africa,” Myers said.

To spread the word, Myers encouraged readers to share the information with their friends, while Wheat directed people to visit their website parks.ky.gov, contact the Falls at (606) 528-4121, and follow their social media accounts for updates on upcoming events and program specials.