It was May 2018 - and the first Virginia springtime for this Kentucky transplant - when I first learned of the Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally. Everything about the weekend-long, place-based conglomeration of nature lovers and field trips in the mountains sparked my spirit. The 7-year-old tadpole, turtle, and snake collector within me was as giddy as any 7-year-old could be at the thought of getting knees deep in salamanders, small mammals, and biological studies in a new wild place.
There was no question that I would pitch a tent at the nearby Grindstone Campground and spend the weekend among these people, regardless of the impending storms.
It was that weekend, the weekend of the 2018 Spring Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally, that I began to learn what it means to be a naturalist. A naturalist isn’t the field technicians with whom I had conducted amphibian, butterfly, and deer surveys in years past. It isn’t the international students with whom I patrolled the beaches of Greece and Costa Rica for the sake of sea turtle conservation. It isn’t the neighbor who has six bird baths or the woman who puts dandelions on her salad or the guy with the camera at the wetland.
Apparently, a naturalist is every one of these people. People who are fascinated by nature and seek to find its treasures, uncover its secrets. Finally I had found a collection of these naturalists rallying together to explore, discover, and share the wonders of a globally spectacular region. A place I would now call home.
So when BRDC Executive Director tasked me with creating a “usual suspects” design for the new limited edition MRNR T-shirt, five representatives of the naturalists that I find so inspiring on a daily basis popped into place.
The child, struck by fascination, immediately shares his findings with the nearest human.
The admirer, butterfly net in hand, witnesses the winged dance across the spring blooms.
The learner, field guide well worn, journals her observations for further understanding.
The birder, binoculars always at the ready, is eager to add a new species to his life list.
And the photographer, whose lens is nearly as substantial as his patience, captures the very essence of the dewing morning within the subject of his image.
These people are the naturalists. These people are the Rally. These people are me.
It is with great emotion that I thank you for being a part of the 46th year of this incredible event. For supporting Blue Ridge Discovery Center as it immerses all of us in a mixture of wonder and science. For sharing the elements of natural history that you find inspiring. Thank you for being you.
- Rachel Caro, BRDC Outreach Coordinator
Rachel Caro joined the team at Blue Ridge Discovery Center as a volunteer two days after the 2018 Spring MRNR. She was later brought on as the organization’s first Outreach Coordinator. Rachel brought Aaron’s “usual suspects” vision to life in the Limited Edition MRNR Usual Suspects T-shirt, now available for pre-order in adult and youth sizes. Rachel also drew the 2019 Species Shirts (limited stock remaining). She lives in Abingdon where she is currently working to transition her lawn to native wildlife habitat.
