John James Audubon State Park has trees, of course.
It has trails, too, and pileated woodpeckers and wildflowers and lakes and turtles that sun themselves on logs.
And, now, it has gnomes.
While you won’t see the 10 gnomes—they are very good at hiding—kids and families can search for the colorful little front doors of the gnome homes around the museum grounds, nearby trailheads, picnic shelters and Scenic Lake—and with a smartphone, they can even hear their little sing-song voices.
The Gnomes of Audubon Forest is an initiative launched in mid-May by the Henderson Tourist Commission to encourage families from far and near to let their kids experience and appreciate Audubon State Park in a new way.
“It’s a scavenger hunt throughout Audubon Park,” explained tourism Executive Director Abby Dixon. “…It’s a new way to explore Audubon Park.”
The free self-guided scavenger hunt invites visitors to uncover 10 hidden gnome homes, each marked by a whimsical door. Visitors can scan an adjacent QR code to hear a special voice message from the gnome who lives there.
Searchers are guided by a set of playful clues to each gnome door, which were made by students at Henderson County High School’s Career & Technical Education Unit and School of Fine Arts.
“When there’s an opportunity to collaborate, I think we should, especially when it comes to students,” Dixon said. She called CTE Assistant Principal J.T. Payne earlier this year to ask whether CTE students could build the 10 doors; he agreed at once.
“Then he kicked it over to SOFA, where the students painted each door to match each gnome’s personality,” Dixon said. “They did a phenomenal job. It’s more than just a scavenger hunt; it’s an art installation.”
After finding and photographing all 10 gnome doors, those who have been successful in their search can return to the Audubon Museum & Nature Center gift shop to claim a special prize—a set of collector cards for each gnome.
The gnomes have names such as Audie Bon, Acorn Twiddletoes, Twiggy Birchwood and Maple Moss. One of the collector cards explains why the gnomes themselves are never spotted:
“Beneath the roots and behind the trees
“Audubon gnomes hide with ease.
“They’ve hidden well in secret places
“But with your skill, you’ve found their spaces.”
“John James Audubon State Park invites families, nature enthusiasts and the curious to partake in the Gnomes of Audubon Forest scavenger hunt,” David Miller, park manager at Audubon State Park, said in a statement.
“I am so very excited to share this experience with our visitors,” Miller said. “This will be an amazing way for those of all ages to engage with nature in a playful and memorable way. I encourage visitors to take their time, enjoy the journey and share their experiences with others.”
“This is for both local and visiting kids” and their families, tourism’s Dixon said. “Our primary audience is visitors. But it’s so important that our locals believe in Henderson as a destination (for visitors), and that starts at an early age.”
“We want kids to grow up and appreciate Audubon Park for the magical place that it is,” she said.
A free companion book, “Audie Bon & the Gnomes of Audubon Forest,” captures the nature of each gnome and what he or she asks people to do to protect nature itself, such as to pick up litter and appreciate how trees help clean the air we breathe.
The Henderson County Public Library sponsored the books, splitting their cost with tourism.
The book, which is in limited supply at the Audubon State Park Museum and at The Depot at 101 N. Water St, concludes:
“Take only memories; leave nothing behind
“Stay on the path; be gentle and kind.
“Don’t feed the animals; let them be free
“Appreciate trees, flowers and bees!”
The full-color illustrated book and other materials were created in-house at tourism, with considerable help from the online graphic design platform Canva and other online tools.
“Elie took a lot of leadership over this project,” Dixon said, referring to tourism’s Marketing Director Ellie Kellen, who coincidentally is the daughter of former Audubon State Park manager Mark Kellen; he is now director of park operations statewide.
The Gnomes of Audubon Forest experience is free and open to the public during park hours.
Visit www.hendersonky.org/gnomes for details and the clues to find each of the gnome home doors.
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Tips:
- The ground can be uneven, so wear suitable shoes.
- Cell service at Audubon isn’t robust, so be patient while accessing gnome’s voice messages via the QR codes.
- If walking the entire way, allow an hour or more.
