Goin' Fishin'

The weather cooperated for a short afternoon fishing trip to a local pond. As part of this month's enrichment programs at Galax Middle School, BRDC guides instructed the kids on fly fishing. They began the course with aquatic insects and their life cycles, and progressed to parts of the rod, reel, and fly line, knots and finally casting. 

Friday afternoon, the kids climbed on the bus and headed out to catch a fish on the fly. After a quick snack, we hiked to a local pond that holds some bluegill and bass. Once at the property, we put the rods together, attached our reels, and strung them up with the fly line and leader. After several practice casts to regain our rhythm from the Tuesday lesson, we attached poppers, woolly buggers, and mop flies (the most successful fly). Spreading out to avoid hooking one another, we commenced to fishing!

Everyone saw fish and several had opportunities at catches with three fish landed for the day. We had a great time and are very appreciative of the good weather and the generosity of the private landowner that allowed us the privilege of GOIN' FISHIN'

A Week of Exploration, Messy Adventures, Engineering & Creativity!

Cassidy gives us the scoop on Galax Middle School's Enrichment Week

Both staff and volunteers were on-the-go last week for Enrichment Week at Galax Middle School. Enrichment week gives students a break from the everyday routine and allows them to gain experience outside of the classroom. BRDC provided students with three different programs to choose from including Pioneering, Crafting with Nature, and Exploration and Discovery.

Students in the Pioneering class learned how to construct a trebuchet like those used in medieval times to hurl objects during battle. Each student assembled their own miniature trebuchet and took it home at the end of the week. With the help of local carpenters Don Call and Don Pridgen, students learned about the different wood types used to construct the trebuchet and experimented with the hardness and weight of the different woods. After the trebuchets were assembled students then tested their machines out and experimented with different weights to make their objects project farther when thrown. 

Galax Middle School students experimented with the densities of different species of wood by sawing and nailing for the Pioneering Class.

At the end of the week, students took a field trip to Matthews State Forest to see a life-size trebuchet in action!

Students in the Exploration and Discovery class learned about a different natural history subject everyday. Students jumped in the creek Monday to find aquatic insects by using a seine in Clearfork Creek in Matthews State Forest. Each student found their own specimen and wrote details about the specimen in their nature journals, then identified the specimen using a guidebook. 

On Tuesday, students learned about tracks, scat, and animal signs. Students used guidebooks to learn the differences of feline and canine tracks then hiked in search wildlife signs. Students found evidence of a woodpecker searching for insects on a tree, saw dog tracks on the trail, and observed animal scat left by a red fox.

On Wednesday, students learned about trees commonly found in Matthews State Forest. At the beginning of the day students were given hints about different tree species such as acorn caps, leaves, and twigs and were tasked with finding the species in their guidebook. After completing the activity students explored the woods to complete a tree scavenger hunt! 

Students adventured to New River Trail State Park on Thursday where they learned about the geology of the Blue Ridge from USGS scientist Arthur Merschat. 

To end the week of Exploration and Discovery students searched for birds at Matthews State Forest.

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During the Crafting with Nature program, volunteers Pam Evans and Amelia Hulth helped students channel their inner artist as they hiked through Matthews State Forest to gain inspiration and tools for creating masterpieces!

On Monday, students drew natural objects they found while hiking along the trail and then used tempera paint to color the objects and observe the different textures and patterns left by the plants.

For Tuesday's activity, students hiked and discovered a praying mantis egg casing and katydid eggs. They practiced sketching images that had similar hues (landscapes, trees, dead flowers) then used those sketches as the rough draft for water color paintings, using water colors they made by grinding different sedimentary rocks into a paste and adding water.

On Wednesday, students learned about the different methods of working with clay. They experimented with pinch pots, coil building, and slab construction.

“I believe these kids really gained a new appreciation of nature through art. I am pleased to have been a part of it.”

— Pam Evans

Thursday started off with a hike where students learned the differences between Virginia creeper, Japanese honeysuckle, oriental bittersweet, and poison ivy. Students used invasive plants to create ornamental wreaths. Along the way they found usnea moss that had fallen to the ground from the rain the day before. The day ended with using a leather press and making leather bracelets.

On Friday, students made collages from magazines and ended the day creating more pottery, requested by the students. 

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After both the Exploration and Discovery and Crafting with Nature sessions, students wrote in their journal about the events of the day. Journaling allows students to think deeper about what they have learned. Taking a few moments to reflect on the day's activities helps them retain the information they were given and express themselves through writing or drawing.

This week was a lot of fun for both students and instructors! I was lucky to be able to join every class for at least one day. Some days I taught the lesson and other days I took pictures and made crafts with the students. It's very rewarding to see the kids engaged and excited to learn about the various subjects.

The thought that kept occurring to me throughout the week was how awesome the volunteers are for the Blue Ridge Discovery Center! Each volunteer provided their own expertise and skills that were crucial to the programs. Thank you to all of our volunteers for helping us provide students with a great experience where they can explore, imagine, and learn in a fun environment. We could not do it without you. 

Galax Enrichment Pond Exploration

Galax Middle School students explored a nearby pond last Friday, as part of BRDC's Galax Enrichment program.  The students had a great time building salamander traps and searching for frogs- they discovered spring peepers and eastern newts.  

Galax Middle School Visits Matthews Museum

Galax Middle School students went on a field trip to the Mathews Museum Friday, March 11th, as part of the Galax Enrichment program. The kids were given a scavenger hunt list that challenged them to explore all the amazing exhibits.

The museum has two floors packed with history: tools, stuffed animals, native American artifacts, oddities of nature, uniforms, costumes, mock ups of an old dentist office, an old country store, and much more. 

Tony Burcham, director of the museum, is a history buff, eager to show off the thousands of interesting exhibits within the museum and offer detailed background information. He captured the students' attention and curiosity.

After the visit, the students were given a chance to wander behind the museum and Galax Library to search for signs of Spring. 

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.

They learned flint-knapping with chert and obsidian; basketmaking with willow branches and oriental bittersweet, survival shelter building; making cordage with dog bane, milkweed and deer sinew; making glue from white pine resin, charcoal and dried grass; tanning with an elk hide; lashing with inner bark; hafting a spear; and building a fire with flint and steel. 

The students enjoyed Flint-knapping the most, where they attempted to shape blanks of chert into arrowheads. Using deer antler, sandstone and leather, they chipped each piece down to size.

In groups they built survivor shelters including a lean-to, a wiki-up and a wedge-shaped lean-to. During the construction two of the groups got creative with the invasive oriental bittersweet, one building a swing and the other a hammock from the vines.

In a semi-circle the kids patiently processed Dog Bane (Also called Indian Hemp). They conducted a "silly rap off" while their hands went to work. They started by quartering the stem, removing the core and cleaning off the outer bark to reveal the strong fibers. They then hand twisted the fine strands into cordage to be used for basketmaking.

​At the end of the week they learned fire building, collecting dry grass, tinder, kindling and pitch wood. After building a tiny "nest" of grass they placed a small piece of pocket lint in the middle and lit it with sparks from the flint and steel striker.

By the end of the course they had learned about the physical qualities of basic materials and how to go from found, raw materials to finished product.

Build-A-Beast

The Bearded Tinkerers are hard at work preparing the first iteration of "The Beast" for the kids at Galax Enrichment week. Hopefully it will be up and walking on all four legs by the beginning of next week...

Lee Pounding Out the Legs

Don Testing the Gears

Scott Drilling Holes

Students explore the life of birds through BRDC's Avian Adventures

Galax Middle School Enrichment Week (June 15-19)

Avian Adventures

On Monday afternoon William Roberts (board member of Blue Ridge Discovery Center and Scott Jackson-Ricketts (program director of BRDC) introduced the art of birding to Mark Robinson’s biology enrichment class. After sharing names and a getting-to-know-one-another session, we began by holding up bird flash cards to determine what birds, if any, the students recognized. We followed with handing out bird field guides and giving the students a chance to familiarize themselves with how to use the guides. From there we showed Cornell’s All About Birds website, where we listened to a variety of bird songs and calls. The kids were given a chance to choose what bird they would like to hear and view videos of. We also introduced the ‘I Wonder’ board, upon which the students could attach any questions they might have relating to birds.

In preparation for going outside, we reviewed how to use binoculars, including the importance of adjustments specific to the user. Mr. Robinson suggested we head down below the school to a shady area surrounding a grave yard. And so, we launched our field identifications that would comprise much of the rest of our week.

Tuesday, William, Brenda Bonk (president of BRDC), and Scott joined Mr. Robinson and his class at the Matthews State Forest. We set up a field station, brought out the binoculars and field guides, and after handing out clipboards with data collection sheets, we chose a trail and started listening to and looking for birds. Our first bird of the day was an indigo bunting, of which every person got great views. We listened to a red-eyed vireo who remained hidden, got close looks at the tufted titmouse, and learned the song of the towhee as well as watching it sing.

Back at our field station we wrote down our notes, what birds we saw and/or heard and where. For a mid-afternoon break, we opened up the bird parts box and brought out wings, skulls and feet of a variety of avian critters.  The students were able to compare great horned owl skulls and wings with its much smaller cousin, the Eastern screech owl. We examined turkey, great blue heron and Northern flicker parts, which brought up discussions on niche, habitat, and adaptation. For instance, the kids showed great interest in how birds specialize in food acquisition, paying close attention to the difference between the heron’s bill and feet and those features of the owl.

We spent the remainder of our allotted time taking to another trail, but this time each kid chose a bird for themselves to find. We had three hits: blue jay, Northern cardinal and a crow.

Wednesday, we met in the MSF Headquarters parking lot to start birding in a different habitat. Here we found Northern mockingbird, Northern flicker, European starling and red-winged blackbirds. We hiked to our field station, spent some time on writing down our data, and then took a trail to the open field surrounding the fire tower. Along the trail we picked up a scarlet tanager who was so cooperative that everyone was able to focus through their binoculars on him as he sang away. Exclamations from the students were appropriately, “Wow, that’s beautiful, so pretty”, etc. We heard and then found a Carolina wren, several blue jays, and crows; and after returning to base camp, listened to both an ovenbird and a wood thrush.

Changing pace, Brenda and I shared the wonders of owl pellets, spreading out charts, toothpicks, tweezers, magnifying glasses and tightly wrapped pellets. Each student was given two pellets to dissect, while we explained what exactly is a pellet and what to expect. Surprisingly, not one of the kids had ever encountered an owl pellet before, so they found this exercise especially interesting. One student had 5 small mammal skulls in his first pellet, a record in our experience.

We also made time to go over the wonder board and encouraged the students to ask more questions.

On Thursday, under Mr. Robinson’s sound suggestion, we met at the other end of the MSF, off of White Pine Road, and set up our field station in the shade on the forest road. Just down the road from there, a bridge crosses over a small creek running through a sycamore stand and offering us another contrasting habitat. The kids were somewhat distracted by the creek, where they discovered a baby turtle, an enormous crayfish, and a few small ticks. The surprise bird for that hike was a hooded warbler, who also gave everyone a chance to get good looks. It sang the entire time we were down there.

Returning to our field station and water chest, we were entertained by several red-bellied woodpeckers, most likely a family of very active juveniles. We took a break, with Brenda attaching bird cards to each student’s back. Then each student was instructed to ask questions such as, am I blue, am I a small bird, is my bill long or short, and so on, which the other students answered. Eventually the birds were identified.

For our last walk of the week, we headed down off the forest road and onto a foot path which Brenda was familiar with. Mostly winding through the woods and changing elevation, this meandering path offered up our only chance at a pileated woodpecker. It called and honked, coming closer, but never close enough to see. For consolation, we pulled out the field guides to show each other what that bird looked like.

Friday, we met outside behind the high school, set up our tent and tables, and commenced building bird houses and feeders that William and I had previously kitted out. It took all hands on deck to supervise this project, which required the use of power screwdrivers, screws, nails and paint. Eventually every student had either a feeder or a wren house.

For the third time, the kids were shown the flash cards…and amazingly…most of them now knew the names of most of the common birds. We then played the same game from yesterday, with similar success. As another step in committing their birding experience to memory, we had each student draw a bird of their choice, and all managed to accomplish that task.

The grand finale combined the sharing of National Geographic’s Birds of Paradise book, full of dazzling photos of these incredible tropical birds, and our wonder board questions. For instance, one of the questions was why male birds are colorful while females by contrast are drab. This gave rise to how could the birds of paradise get away with such outlandish and bright displays. The answer, to some degree, is that those particular species in their habitats are relatively free from predatory pressures, thus allowing the males to be selected by the females creating subsequent generations of increased attractiveness. I think the kids got it, though one of the boys could not get over why the males spent so much time and effort trying to gain the attention of such drab mates.

We tallied 25 species which is not bad during hot afternoons at this time of year.