The first-ever remote version of the Mt. Rogers Naturalist Rally has concluded, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. During this 10-day Backyard Edition, we invited participants to “explore, discover, and share the wonders of the place they call home.” And explore, they did!
iNaturalist by the Numbers
From May 1st-10th, 373 participants from 16 states engaged in the MRNR Backyard Edition through iNaturalist observations, expert guide webinars, and youth activities. Within the Mt. Rogers Naturalist Rally: Backyard Edition iNaturalist project, 118 observers submitted an impressive 5,096 observations of 1,204 species!
Here’s the break-down of observations:
661 species of plants
193 species of insects
126 species of birds
80 species of fungi
26 species of mammals
23 species of arachnids
22 species of amphibians
19 species of reptiles
14 species of ray-finned fishes
and 22 species not listed in the above categories
Some favorite sightings included red fox pups by Carrie Holt, a ruby-throated hummingbird nest in an unusual location by Allen Boynton, an early hairstreak by Bruce Grimes, and a Canada goose atop a nest by Dennis Ross.
Species Shirt Winners
All those who contributed to the iNaturalist project were automatically entered to win a BRDC Species Shirt each day from May 2nd - 8th. Congratulations to our daily winners!
May 2nd: Carolyn Unger
May 3rd: Nicole Freeman
May 4th: John Unger
May 5th: Shawn Kurtzman
May 6th: Shelley Gelbert
May 7th: Theresa Burriss
May 8th: Tamara Lowry
Raffle Winners
Those who purchased raffle tickets were also in the running for a whole host of great prizes thanks to our generous sponsors. Congratulations to our raffle prize winners!
May 2nd: Jacqueline Sloop - Journal & Prismacolor Pencils; Leonard Lowe - Guide to the Bats of Virginia; Amelia Williams - VDGIF Collector’s Buck Knife in Wooden Box
May 3rd: Kim Maison - VDGIF Vintage Trout Patch Hat & Tee; Rebecca Currin - Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Virginia; Joan Kark - Guide to the Snakes & Lizards of Virginia
May 4th: Adrianna Nelson - Guide to the Turtles of Virginia; Stephanie Kelly - Birding for Beginners; Rebecca Gibbons - VDGIF Vintage Waterfowl Patch Hat & Tee
May 5th: Beverly Stepp - Native Seed Packets & Bulbs; Karen Gilmer - VDGIF Vintage Elk Patch Hat & Tee; Susan Brown - Green Cove Collective Camp Socks & Sticker
May 6th: Heather Bunch - Guide to the Salamanders of Virginia & VDGIF Tee; Matt Andrews - Green Cove Collective Run Strong Socks & Sticker; Karen Gilmer - Lessons of a Lakota
May 7th: Nathan Ferguson - Green Cove Collective Trail Crusher Socks & Sticker; Susan Lowry - Green Cove Collective Camp Socks & Boot Jack Soy Candle; Leonard Lowe - VDGIF Collector’s Buck Knife in Sheath
May 8th: Melanie Williams - Green Cove Collective Run Strong Socks & Salve; Mac McCord - Green Cove Collective Trail Crusher Socks & Journals; Vicki Pruitt - Species Specific Birdhouse by Lonesome Dove Woodcraft
Grand Prize Winners: Kevin Divins - Vortex Diamondback HD 8x42 Binoculars; Betty Edmonson - Guided Fly Fishing Trip with Matt Reilly Fly Fishing
Learning to Fly
On the evening of Friday, May 8th, participants gathered via webinar to hear from acclaimed Virginia-based writer Barbara Kingsolver as she read from her forthcoming poetry book, How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons). It is possible, during this featured presentation of the MRNR, that we learned to fly or to sheer sheep. But what’s more likely is that viewers came away with ten thousand inspirations for appreciating the natural world, which is never as simple as we may think.
Field Trips from the Sofa
To wrap up the 46th annual Mt. Rogers Naturalist Rally, the weekend of May 9th & 10th was jam-packed with webinars hosted by some of our favorite guides. The beauty of this format was the ability to communicate a lot of great information through a variety of visuals, including VABBA website navigation, drawing demonstrations, and deeper investigation of species you might not see during a single field trip in person.
If you missed any of these webinars and want to learn more about Observations Through Art with Suzanne Stryk, the Life History of the Carolina Wren with Dr. Steven Hopp, Insects with Shawn Kurtzman, the VA Breeding Bird Atlas with Ashley Peele, Edible Wild Plants from Backyard to Backwoods with Ben Casteel, or Pollinators and Native Plants with Nancy Adamson, you can still catch the recorded webinars on the Blue Ridge Discovery Center Facebook Videos page. Note: Salamanders with Dr. Kevin Hamed is no longer available for viewing. Catch his program next time!
Next Up
Interested in joining us for the next Mt. Rogers Naturalist Rally? The Summer MRNR is currently scheduled for August 14-16, 2020. Mark your calendar and keep an eye out for event updates as we near August. And until then, feel free to share your nature observations to our social media pages!
