MRNR BRDC, Admin MRNR BRDC, Admin

Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally

Although the weather kept some away, the 43rd annual Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally drew a large crowd of enthusiastic participants during the second weekend in May.  Field trips on Saturday included several new opportunities such as Caving, Intro to Birding and Ecology of Grassy Balds, while many of the tried and true trips from the past also remained popular.  With the rain giving way to cloudy skies and even a little bit of sunshine, conditions were wet but good for the hearty naturalist who didn’t mind a little mud.

Although the weather kept some away, the 43rd annual Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally drew a large crowd of enthusiastic participants during the second weekend in May.  The Rally was held in memory of Wallace Coffey, Rally co-founder, and Claude Greever, long-time Rally supporter and guide.

For the 2nd year in a row, BRDC partnered with the Independence Farmers Market www.independencefarmersmarket.org to provide high quality and locally sourced ingredients for the Farm--to-Table meal, which featured slow smoked, local, pasture-raised pork, plenty of local veggies, home-made breads, and a garden salad to die for. Home-made desserts finished off the meal. With all profits from the dinner returning to the community center, those in attendance made for a successful fundraiser. 

As rain poured outside, keynote speaker George Constantz, author of Hollows, Peepers, and Highlanders: An Appalachian Mountain Ecology, spoke to a packed house at the Konnarock Community Center after the Friday night dinner.

Field trips on Saturday included several new opportunities such as Caving, Intro to Birding and Ecology of Grassy Balds, while many of the tried and true trips from the past also remained popular.  With the rain giving way to cloudy skies and even a little bit of sunshine, conditions were wet but good for the hearty naturalist who didn’t mind a little mud.

Special thanks to all of the volunteers and committee members who worked to make the event a success! The wonderful support of our volunteer guides was greatly appreciated as they lead 26 different field trips during the weekend as well as two kids programs.  The Rally was held in memory of Wallace Coffey, Rally co-founder, and Claude Greever, long-time Rally supporter and guide.

All in all, the 43rd annual Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally was an inspiring addition to the long tradition of this exploration and discovery event within the Blue Ridge. 
 

Read More
MRNR BRDC, Admin MRNR BRDC, Admin

Mt Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally May 12-14!

Three days of exploration & discovery for all ages!  

Bring your family and celebrate Mother's Day in the most beautiful place on Earth.  There is something for the entire family to enjoy with an expert speaker Friday Night, trips Saturday and Sunday, and nighttime programs at the campground. Topics include salamanders, wildflowers, geology, birding, cultural history, mammals, medicinal plants, natural history and much, much more! 

Three days of exploration & discovery for all ages!  

Bring your family and celebrate Mother's Day in the most beautiful place on Earth.  There is something for the entire family to enjoy with an expert speaker Friday Night, trips Saturday and Sunday, and nighttime programs at the campground. Topics include salamanders, wildflowers, geology, birding, cultural history, mammals, medicinal plants, natural history and much, much more! 


Featured Speaker: George Constantz

George Constantz, biologist and naturalist who writes about the beauty and nature of the Appalachian landscape, will be our featured speaker Friday evening at 7:00PM.

Born in Washington, D.C. in 1947, George spent six years of his childhood in Barranquilla, Colombia, among the iguanas of the Magdalena River's floodplain, and in Chihuahua, Mexico, where he chased roadrunners through the desert. Since receiving a B.A. in biology from University of Missouri-St. Louis and a Ph.D. in zoology from Arizona State University, George has worked as a park naturalist, a teacher of biology and environmental science, a fish ecologist, researcher, and writer. 

His book, Hollows, Peepers, and Highlanders: An Appalachian Mountain Ecology, "exposes the natural conflicts that underlie the beauty and mystery of Appalachian life. The heart of the book explores the quirky, even bizarre, adaptations of selected Appalachian plants and animals -- violence among fireflies, sexual parasitism within frog choruses, and deception by flowers."


Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally T-shirt (Forest Green Heather) $18.00

Buy Online and pickup at the Rally!

Available in unisex sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL.

Heather T-shirt is 52/48 combed and ring-spun cotton/polyester 

Your support keeps the Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally going strong!

 


Read More
MRNR BRDC, Admin MRNR BRDC, Admin

Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally Featured Speaker

FRIDAY, MAY 12TH THROUGH SUNDAY, MAY 14TH, 2017

Three days of exploration & discovery for all ages!  Bring your family and celebrate Mother's Day in the most beautiful place on Earth.  There is something for the entire family to enjoy with field trips Saturday and Sunday, an expert speaker Friday Night and nighttime programs at the campground. Topics include salamanders, wildflowers, geology, birding, fishing, cultural history, mammals, medicinal plants, general natural history and much, much more! 

Save the date!

May 12th-14th, 2017

Three days of exploration & discovery for all ages!  Bring your family and celebrate Mother's Day in the most beautiful place on Earth.  There is something for the entire family to enjoy with field trips Saturday and Sunday, an expert speaker Friday Night and nighttime programs at the campground. Topics include salamanders, wildflowers, geology, birding, fishing, cultural history, mammals, medicinal plants, general natural history and much, much more! 

 

FEATURED SPEAKER

51eUFKyToAL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

George Constantz, biologist and naturalist, who writes about the beauty and nature of the Appalachian landscape, will be our featured speaker Friday evening at 7:00PM.

Born in Washington, D.C. in 1947, George spent six years of his childhood in Barranquilla, Colombia, among the iguanas of the Magdalena River's floodplain, and in Chihuahua, Mexico, where he chased roadrunners through the desert. Since receiving a B.A. in biology from University of Missouri-St. Louis and a Ph.D. in zoology from Arizona State University, George has worked as a park naturalist, a teacher of biology and environmental science, a fish ecologist, researcher, and writer. 

His book, Hollows, Peepers, and Highlanders: An Appalachian Mountain Ecology, "exposes the natural conflicts that underlie the beauty and mystery of Appalachian life. The heart of the book explores the quirky, even bizarre, adaptations of selected Appalachian plants and animals -- violence among fireflies, sexual parasitism within frog choruses, and deception by flowers."

For more information visit blueridgediscoverycenter.org/mrnr

Read More