Everything Nac

    Nacogdoches Naturally will host a day of outdoor exploration at Mission Tejas State Park on Saturday, Feb. 11, where participants can spend the day hiking part of the original El Camino Real trail and touring the replica of a Spanish mission and a restored log home.

    The event will begin at 8 a.m. at Stephen F. Austin State University’s Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. The group will return to Nacogdoches at approximately 4 p.m.

    Located in Houston County, 22 miles northeast of Crockett, Mission Tejas State Park was built in 1934 as a commemorative representation of Mission San Francisco de los Tejas, the first Spanish mission in the province of Texas. Also in the park is the restored Rice Family Log Home, built in 1828 and restored in 1974. The home is one of the oldest structures in the area and served as a stopover for immigrants, adventurers and local residents traveling the Old San Antonio Road across pioneer Texas.

    “The park provides replicas of Texas history in a beautiful piney woods setting,” said Kerry Lemon, event coordinator. “Under the guidance of park staff, we will learn some of the history of pioneer life in this area.

    Cost for the event is $5 per family, with lunch provided by the Nacogdoches Naturally program. Limited SFA van transportation will be available, and participants may travel in their own vehicles. Registration deadline for the event is Thursday, Feb. 9. Space is limited, and early registration is encouraged.

    Nacogdoches Naturally is sponsored by SFA Gardens and funded through a matching grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Activities are designed to cultivate outdoor skills so that families develop a lifelong appreciation of the natural world. All programs are family friendly and appropriate for all ages.

    For information, call (936) 468-5586 or e-mail lemonkb@sfasu.edu.

    The Honorable James A. Baker, III, America’s 61st secretary of state, will be the featured guest at the 2012 installment of the Archie McDonald Speaker Series at Stephen F. Austin State University.

    Baker served as secretary of state and chief of staff to President George H. W. Bush, chief of staff and secretary of the treasury to President Ronald Reagan, and undersecretary of commerce to President Gerald Ford. He also led their combined five presidential elections and in 2006 co-chaired the Iraq Study Group.

    Baker, a resident of Houston, is the author of “The Politics of Diplomacy: Revolution, War & Peace, 1989-1992” and “Work Hard, Study. . .and Keep Out of Politics!” and is a 1991 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He is a senior partner inthe law firm of Baker Botts and honorary chairman of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, and he serves on the board of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

    The speaker series event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 12, in the Grand Ballroom of the Baker Pattillo Student Center on the SFA campus.

    “Secretary Baker is one of the most influential policy makers of the 20th century, and, as such, has strongly impacted American politics and foreign affairs for decades,” Dr. Archie McDonald said. “We are honored he has accepted our invitation to participate in the speaker series.”

    SFA’s speaker series, which debuted in spring 2010, was created to honor and preserve McDonald’s legacy as a distinguished scholar, educator and community commentator. In the tradition of McDonald’s writings and oral presentations, a prominent national figure is hosted annually at SFA to discuss contemporary cultural issues.

    Past participants in the speaker series have included former heavyweight champion boxer and iconic businessman George Foreman and Apollo 12 astronaut and professional artist Alan Bean. The event is sponsored by SFA’s Student Government Association.

    McDonald has taught history at SFA for 48 years and served as director of the East Texas Historical Association and editor of the association’s journal for 37 years. He is a past president of the Texas State Historical Association, past vice chair of the Texas Historical Commission and author/editor of more than 20 books on historical topics. Along with teaching, McDonald currently serves as the SFA university/community liaison and is a weekly commentator on Red River Radio in Shreveport.

    A book signing with Rolonda D. Teal, author of “Natchitoches Parish,” will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at the Stone Fort Museum on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.

    “Natchitoches Parish” honors African Americans and shares previously untold stories of the lives and memories of many in that part of Louisiana, said Carolyn Spears, museum director. Guests are invited to attend and hear Teal describe the development of her book and the process of collecting community history.

    The author’s hope is that “this work will leave a written and visual reference for people who are interested in African American history, the history of Louisiana and the South, as well as American history in general.”

    Teal is the co-founder of Cultural Lore, an anthropological consulting agency, and has worked with numerous cultural groups, nonprofit organizations, and local and government entities in project planning and development, grant writing, and grass-roots organization.

    Soft-cover copies of “Natchitoches Parish” will be available for purchase at the museum store during the book signing.

    Further information may be found online at www.sfasu.edu/stonefort.

    As part of its monthly film series, the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and Friends of the Visual Arts will present “Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens” at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at The Cole Art Center, in downtown Nacogdoches.

    Originally broadcast in 2008 as part of PBS’s award-winning series “American Masters,” the documentary takes an in-depth look at the influential career of iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz, from her earliest artistic efforts to her storied tenure at Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair magazines and beyond.

    It was filmed by Annie’s sister Barbara Leibovitz and includes interviews with Annie as well as with many of the celebrities she has photographed.

    Prior to the film, local photographers Clay Bostian and Randy Coe will discuss their approaches to photography.

    The film is sponsored in part by Bostion (Creative Photography), Coe (Silver Lion Photography), Greg Patterson (G. Patterson Photographic Studio & Gallery), SFA Friends of the Visual Arts and Nacogdoches Junior Forum.

    Admission is free. The Cole At Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, please call (936) 468-1131.