We have many exciting events coming up in February that we cannot wait!
First, on February 4th we have our annual Burke's Garden Birding Trip! Burke's Garden is a rare valley bowl with a floor that rests at 3,000' while the encircling ridge rises to around 4,000'. It is located in Tazewell County, VA, where the Appalachian Trail skirts its southern rim. The 8.5 mile long and 4-mile wide valley is often referred to as "God's Thumbprint" for its distinctive shape. The bowl is a beautiful pastoral landscape during the summer but in the winter it is equally impressive. During February it plays host to the rare wintering birds from the far north including the golden eagle and rough-legged hawk. We will coordinate travel to the valley with registered participants. Once in the valley, we will slowly work our way around in a large loop by vehicle, searching for birds along the way. With a little luck, we will have the opportunity to put scopes on multiple raptors on the tree lines or soaring about the farm fields. It also houses the regionally uncommon red-headed woodpecker. This trip will take place from 9:00am-4:00pm, so get ready for a full day of unique sights!
Also coming up in February, we have our first ever Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally. While we have had an annual Spring rally for many years, we hope to continue that event throughout all of the seasons. This rally will take place on Friday, February 17th - Saturday, February 18th. This event will focus on highlighting the beautiful flora and fauna of the winter months. It will begin on Friday at 4:00pm and dinner will be served at 5:00pm. Following dinner, Dr. Doug Miller will be giving a presentation called "Sandy Snow; An Unusual Hurricane Winter Wonderland". A nighttime naturalist expedition will follow Dr. Miller's presentation. Saturday will include many naturalist programs including a waterfowl prowl, a geology road trip, a weather balloon launch, and much more! We also are allowing people to reserve rooms in our Schoolhouse if they would like to stay on our campus during the rally. If you are interested in purchasing rally tickets, reserving a room/bed, or learning more about the programs that we will be hosting at the rally, then check out our Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally page on our website!
