Carolyn Couch spent a day last week on a field trip with 12 summer campers at the Duke Lemur Center. As the new manager of Bass Lake Park, she wants to experience each part of the park’s programs and enjoy her new outdoor surroundings.

Couch started work at Bass Lake Park on July 2 after 10 1/2 years at Pullen Park. When she left, she was the assistant manager of the amusements area.

But Couch is looking forward to getting back to her roots at Bass Lake Park – the outdoors. She has a master’s degree in recreation administration with a focus on outdoor recreation.

“Bass Lake gives me the opportunity to get back to my first love – being out in nature,” Couch said. “I look forward to working with people who have the same interests.”

Q: What makes Bass Lake Park different from other parks in our area?

It is a hidden treasure; I had never heard of it until I heard of the job here. Bass Lake Park is right down the road from so many places, but not a lot of people know about it. We have a huge amount of wildlife; there are so many frogs, fish, dragonflies and butterflies.

We have a trail that goes almost all the way around the lake. It isn’t a complete circle yet, but hopefully by next spring, it will be.

Q: How long will it be before the park is complete?

It is close to completion; once the pavement is poured, there will be a drop-off at the shelter area. We are very close to that.

Q: What are your goals for the park?

I would like to see parents and children come out at all times throughout the year to do letterboxing and geocaching.

Q: What is letterboxing?

It’s similar to geocaching (in which people use a navigational device to find hidden objects), but participants carve out their own stamps and hide them. Without GPS coordinates, you can teach kids to follow instructions to reach the hidden item.

Q: What are your other goals?

I would love to see more nature-based programs with education about wildlife. We have a new park naturalist, Steve McElhaney, who has a vast background in both animal-based and plant-based nature education. Kids can learn about nature and also do a craft with each program. We’re working on getting those programs coordinated.

Q: What else can families do at Bass Lake?

It’s a great fishing lake, as you can tell by the name. People can also rent canoes and jon boats from Memorial Day through Labor Day. But I hope they keep our park in mind for year-round recreation.