Your information source for exciting programs, events and activities throughout the state. Please feel free to forward this issue to a friend and Share The Wonder.

With gas prices soaring, folks are taking advantage of the great vacation value the Alabama State Parks offer. A new discount coupon campaign is kicking off this week to help vacationers combat those high prices. "Many families will be looking to take one last trip before school starts, and visiting an Alabama State Park is an economical destination," said spokesperson Kim Nix.

The coupons are available only on the State Parks Web site and are worth savings up to 20 percent on State Parks lodging Sundays through Thursdays. To take advantage of the additional savings, obtain the coupons by visiting www.alapark.com. Download and print the coupons and take them to the park you want to visit. Coupons expire August 28, 2008.

State Parks campgrounds are also offering "Double Discount Days" for all senior citizens (age 62 and up) and people with physical disabilities. Usually, these groups receive a 15 percent discount off basic camping rates. This discount will be doubled to 30 percent from August 3 to September 30, 2008, on Sunday through Thursday stays with the exception of August 31. No coupon is needed.

The Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries has a new records and recognition program for white-tailed deer killed in Alabama, the Records of Alabama's White-tailed Deer. This new program allows Alabama's deer hunters to compare deer taken in their region to other areas of Alabama, as well as other states in the Southeast. It also showcases the quality animals produced by management efforts and strategies within Alabama.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announces that the final framework for the 2008 dove season has been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This year the north and south zones in Alabama will hunt under a 70-day season with a 15-a-day bag limit. This change represents an increase in the bag limit for the south zone and an increase of the number of hunting days for the north zone.

DeSoto State Park has teamed with the Jacksonville State University Field School and Little River Canyon National Preserve Staff to bring you a series of interpretive programs, hikes and workshops intended to educate the public about all things nature. See the listing of programs offered at: http://www.alapark.com/DeSotoResort/Events/