Avian Adventures, Blue Ridge Birders, Community Programs, Event, SWVA
Annabelle Muriano
Help Scientists by Collecting Data with the ...

For four days each February, birdwatchers of every skill level can participate in a global event for the love and wellbeing of birds.

Help Scientists by Collecting Data with the Great Backyard Bird Count
School Programs
Lisa Benish
Science In Nature Program: Session II

Join us October 14th through November 18th (one day per week) for Session II

Science In Nature Program: Session II
Naturalist Gift Guide
BRDC, Admin
A Naturalist's Book List

With all of the wonderful apps available, it is still a good idea to have a shelf of guides to call on.  We love paging through them while planning our next exploration, exploring their beautiful illustrations, and carrying our favorites with us for quick reference.

A Naturalist's Book List
Galax Enrichment Program
BRDC, Admin
Galax Enrichment Week - Primitive Technology

BRDC recently hosted a Primitive Technology course as part of Galax Middle School Enrichment Week. The students were engaged with a variety of hands-on activities that connected them to skills used by early American Indians and materials found in their backyards.

Galax Enrichment Week - Primitive Technology
Book Club
Anonymous
(July 2014) 4. The Sixth Extinction: An ...

"Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs."

(July 2014) 4. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, Elizabeth Kolbert

"white snakeroot"

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Butterflies at Big Meadows

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On Saturday, August 21, the Rivanna chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists hosted a butterfly walk. The outing was organized by John Holden and the hike leader was butterfly extraordinaire, Linda Marchman.
The group of 15+ walked along a gravel road on the west end of the meadows, giving us access to the meadow wildflowers and butterflies on both sides. Some species, notably the red admiral, were enjoying the minerals in the road. Thistle and white snakeroot were in full bloom, and dense patches of these plants provided the most variety.
We quickly exhausted the two hours allotted for this walk. The plan was to take the gravel drive to the woods, pass through a fern meadow forest, and take a meandering route through the heart of the Big Meadow to return to the parking lot. The butterflies had other plans for us!
A few hungry and thirsty die-hards did stick around to complete the hike. Two additional species were spotted, the common wood nymph and the gray comma (a really cool find!).

If you are interested in learning more about the habitats at Big Meadows, visit the links below. Big meadows has the greatest variety of rare plants in the Shenandoah National Park. In fact, it is host to the only existing Northern Blue Ridge Mafic Fen plant community.

The following is a list of butterflies observed today (a total of 22 species):

Spread-wing Skippers
Horace's duskywing, Erynnis horatius
Wild indigo duskywing, Erynnis baptisiae
Silver spotted skipper, Epargyreus clarus
Common checkered-skipper, Pyrgus communis

Grass Skippers
Sachem skipper, Atalopedes campestris

Swallowtails
Eastern tiger swallowtail, Papilio glaucus
Black swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes
Spicebush Swallowtail, Papilio troilus


Whites
Cabbage white, Pieris rapae


Sulphers
Orange sulphur, Colias eurytheme
Clouded sulphur, Colias philodice


Brush-footed longwings
Variegated fritillary, Euptoieta claudia
Great Spangled fritillary, Speyeria cybele
Meadow frittillary, Boloria bellona


Brush-footed Milkweed Butterflies
Monarch, Danaus plexippus

True Brushfoots
Pearl crescent, Phyciodes tharos
Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta
American lady, Vanessa virginiensis
Painted lady, Vanessa cardui
Gray Comma, Polygonia progne
Common buckeye, Junonia coenia

Satyrs and Wood-Nymphs
Common wood nymph, Cercyonis pegala


All photographs by Devin Floyd, unless otherwise noted.

Sources:
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/
http://wisconsinbutterflies.org/butterfly



Big Meadows Links:

Comprehensive report on vegetation in the Northern Mafic Fen:
http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchCommunityUid=ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.738585

Department of Conservation and Recreation's habitat description:
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/ncP11l.shtml