50th Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally

First and foremost: THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who came out this past weekend to celebrate 50 years of the Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally! Now you too are a part of the amazing history of this event! If you didn’t get a chance to hear Lisa share some of that history, take a look below….

Konnarock Training School and Medical Cottage from a distance.

Things have changed a bit since the rally started back in 1975. Initially a wildflower walk put on by the Wilderness Road Garden Club and the MR Planning District Commission, attendance was pretty low for the first two years. To try and spark some more interest, a bird walk and salamander walk were added in 1977. Wallace Coffey designed the format, secured the speakers and field trip leaders, worked with the forest service, and chaired the MRNR committee for the first five years.

After determining that May was the best time of year, and getting permission from the Forest Service to use the “Spike Camp” (aka Schoolhouse), the naturalist rally we know today was born! In 1984, the rally moved from the schoolhouse to the Konnarock Community Center after the floor collapsed in the chapel. Field trips still met around the schoolhouse building though. In 2012, Carrie Sparks and the Friends of Mt. Rogers passed the torch to BRDC. And in 2022, the rally returned to the fully-restored schoolhouse!

Dr. Steven Hopp and his group went up to Whitetop Mountain to look for raptors and other birds, exploring the different habitats and soaking in some lovely views.

So many people donated their time and energy to make sure everything went smoothly this weekend. And we want to extend a HUGE thank you to all of them! We couldn’t do it without you. The goal of the rallies has always been to foster a sense of community, and every year that community grows a little bit. Twenty seven guides shared their knowledge and passion with us by leading programs both day and night that covered a wide range of topics- edible plants, insects, small mammals, geology, nature journaling, salamanders, astronomy and more! We had a bluegrass jam on Friday night and the amazing Dr. Kevin Hamed gave a wonderful presentation on the salamanders of the MRNRA, Saturday night.

Making sure 160+ participants have something to do is no easy feat! Twelve volunteers (and BRDC staff) ran the kitchen, parked cars, helped people pick programs, and cleaned up. And so many donors provided raffle prizes or food.

Carrie Sparks stepped in and led an edible plant walk around BRDC’s campus at the last minute. It was great to have her back, and very fitting considering her history with the rally!

By purchasing raffle tickets, you helped raise over $1,000 for camp scholarships! Thank you so much for supporting the local community and getting these kids an immersive, unique, outdoor experience.

Some of our many raffle prizes, generously donated.

And while staff didn’t get a chance to experience the adult programs, we know that the kids had a blast on Saturday at kids programming- We had our largest turnout yet! They drew in nature journals, played ecology games like raptors and rabbits, got in the stream, made our own fish to catch, and roasted some marshmallows for s’mores!

Recent Sightings of the Blue Ridge

Recent Sightings of the Blue Ridge

By Cade Campbell - Pre-MRNR, Spring 2024

West Virginia White nectaring on Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubera) along Della’s Branch. Photo by Cade Campbell.

As anticipation builds for the 50th Spring Mt. Rogers Naturalist Rally, there are some species reappearing on the landscape to add to the excitement. During our programs for local schools over the past few weeks, the full force of spring has shared some special moments and special residents that call our Virginia mountains home.

The federally-threatened West Virginia White (Pieris virginiensis) butterflies are abundant in the forests behind the Schoolhouse searching for toothwort plants to lay their eggs. They’re easily recognized as the only solid-white butterfly found in the state of Virginia, and the dwindling species is endemic to the Appalachian Mountains. Look for them in sun-dappled areas of cove forest with lots of spring ephemeral wildflowers. The invasive-exotic garlic mustard is lethal to these butterflies but smell like their caterpillars’ favorite foods, other plants in the cabbage family. Our habitats around Whitetop Mountain composed of intact native plant communities are essential for the butterfly’s survival.

A Margined Madtom (Noturus insignis) captured accidentally during an aquatic macroinvertebrates program with Fries School. Photo by Cade Campbell.

Underwater, life is also thriving. Fish are entering the breeding season, moving from deep pools into the shallow waters where they’re easily visible. One of the more unusual fish we’ve been noticing recently with stream ecology programs is the tiny, mildly-venomous catfish known as the Margined Madtom (Noturus insignis). They’re only found in rushing water full of smooth stones with crevices and crayfish burrows. To protect themselves from the wide gape of larger fish, particularly trout, they’re armed with painful, needle-like pectoral barbs. When handled, they can leave a sharp, swollen pinprick, the aquatic equivalent of a bee sting. Margined madtoms are easily distinguished from other native catfish by eel-like, black-fringed fins and a silver, scaleless body, seldom growing more than six inches in length.

The large Dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylis) nymph, an excellent leaf mimic.

Dragonflies are also emerging. Nymphs are large and ready to climb onto land, shedding hollow exuviae and drying into fast and bloodthirsty aerial predators. The largest native dragonfly, the Dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylis), is one of the most charismatic. An impressive hunter that mainly captures other dragonflies, they can take down prey as large as a hummingbird. The aquatic nymphs are very different. The palm-sized juveniles are leaf-mimics, and hide flattened in clusters of sycamore and boxelder roots in larger streams where they eat other aquatic macroinvertebrates. Large, spider-like Allegheny River Cruisers (Macromia alleghaniensis) are also preparing to emerge. Both a Dragonhunter and River Cruiser nymph from this spring are pinned in the library collections. In the colder, smaller and more inhospitable waters of Della’s Branch, the delicate, golden-striped Southern Pygmy Clubtail (Lanthus vernalis) is emerging camouflaged against shimmering riffles as the creek flows through dense rhododendron thickets.

The mother Eastern Black Bear (Ursus americanus) beckoning her last cub to escape into the woods, just before the entire family vanished back into the hillside forests of Fairwood Valley.

Black bears are back! We observed a healthy family of bears in Fairwood Valley last week. The mother successfully raised three cubs last year we observed several times throughout the year, and they will remain a nomadic family unit this year. Early mornings and evenings are the best time to see bears foraging, but it is an unusual treat. Unlike other, more populous areas in the Southern Appalachians, the bears found in the Mt. Rogers region are rarely habituated, or accustomed to humans. Most are still very reclusive and fearful of humans, and it’s a unique privilege to see one of these truly wild bears. Since they utilize ancient strategies to find food, instead of raiding dumpsters, coolers, and picnic baskets, black bear signs are abundant. Right now, many black bears survive the surprisingly lean spring season by flipping rocks in streams to hunt salamanders, similar to herpetological adventures at the rally. However, unlike the humans attending our programs, bears are allowed to eat the salamanders.

Be aware of your surroundings, and you may get the chance to see some amazing creatures! The Spring Rally is a wonderful time to explore, with a host of experts to help you identify and understand some of Virginia’s strangest and most biodiverse communities of wildlife on a rejuvenated spring landscape. If you have not yet registered for the rally, you can do so below. The big weekend is almost here, and we hope to see you on the mountain.

Countdown to the Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally 50th Anniversary!

We are looking forward to our Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally here at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center, but this year is particularly special. It is the 50th Anniversary of the Spring Naturalist Rally; a weekend that has enriched the highlands of Southwest Virginia for decades, long before it has thrived and grown since its convergence with the Blue Ridge Discovery Center. 

Great White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

Today marks the one-month countdown until our exciting weekend of exploring, discovering, and sharing the wonders of our wild and comforting corner of the Blue Ridge. Be sure to PRE-ORDER our limited edition MRNR t-shirts. Each shirt features some of the mountain-dwelling species that draw nature enthusiasts to the region year after year, including the Magnolia Warbler, Great White Trillium, and the Blue Ridge Dusky Salamander. The last day to ensure you’ll have a shirt is this Friday, April 12th. 

THE RALLY will have a variety of field trips including classics like birding, wildflowers, geology, and the iconic Mount Rogers Hike, as well as some newer favorite topics including a tour of the American Chestnut Foundation’s farm, a caving expedition, wildlife rehabilitation, and a weather balloon launch! Check out the registration page for a full list of our programs. Join us Friday night for dinner, music and evening programs. Saturday brings various hikes and kids programs throughout the day with breakfast, lunch and dinner by reservation only. Then our featured speaker, Kevin Hamed, will be discussing native salamanders, what makes them special, and some of their unique conservation stories. Stick around for more nighttime activities as well as Sunday morning hikes. It’s a full weekend of fun for the whole family!

The Lichen Light Show of Mt. Rogers

A Cold, Dreary Paradise

On a cold, February morning, there’s often a layer of snow or rime ice coating everything above ground at the foot of Whitetop Mountain. Unlike the liveliness of a vivid, birdsong-inundated forest of spring, summer, or fall, a cloudy February morning is dreary, cold, and almost every living creature is hidden. But as soon as snow turns to rain, a beautiful phenomenon strikes the sleeping forest.

Lipstick Powderhorn (Cladonia macilenta), a colorful lichen often found at the base of trees or growing on bare soil. Photo by Cade Campbell

Tree trunks begin to “glow.” They don’t produce actual light, but every color of the rainbow emerges suddenly in the stark mid-winter. Instead, millions of feeding organisms start to respirate. Lichens.

The best survivors take a keen eye to notice. Lichens have an almost undefeated mastery of surviving harsh conditions for visible life. This unique branch of fungi occurs in every habitat worldwide. Certain lichens thrive in Antarctic deserts on exposed rocks, and some relish hot, humid tropical rainforests. Some endure hurricanes and saltwater storm surges, while others flourish growing on toxic waste and plastic protruding from landfills. A few lichens have even survived growing outside the International Space Situation, far from the blue planet where they originated. Even where mature lichens are unable to grow, their spores often try. Lichens cover the ground, the trees, our homes, and even float through the air we breathe. They are everywhere, and the greater Mt. Rogers ecosystem provides the perfect conditions for lichens.

The Mt. Rogers area is cloaked in a temperate rainforest, and at lower elevations, Appalachian rich cove forest habitats are perpetually protected and filled with atmospheric moisture. Lichen diversity abounds, and winter allows them to thrive. In freezing temperatures, lichens undergo dormancy. They become completely inactive, merging with the dead, gray appearance of winter woods. They survive ice, snow, and blistering winds. Trees are felled, and rocks erode, but lichens dance across the chaos of a changing landscape from spore to adulthood, over and over again. 

Tree Lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria), a giant lichen from Whitetop Mountain known for the dinner-plate-sized rosettes it forms. Lungwort requires clean, humid air to survive, and will often struggle or die if transported to areas with heavy air pollution. Photo by Cade Campbell

But lichens can’t stay dormant forever. In the summer, a dense canopy of deciduous leaves and competition from mosses, predation by invertebrates, and the constant threat of decomposing requires a healthy organism. If lichens were only a fungus, survival in the summer would be easy. Most species have photosynthetic symbionts; some kind of algae, cyanobacteria, or a relative that is encased inside, capturing supplemental energy. Simply put, long before lichens, “a fungus and an algae took a ‘lichen’ to each other” and the rest was history. Photosynthesis needs sunlight, and a summer canopy can keep most of it blocked high above the tree trunks, rocks, and soil below. The best chance for these happy couples to gather a maximum quantity of sunlight, with the moisture to process it, is on an overcast, wet, and cool winter day. 

In a collective show, thousands of shades of greenish-blue from a dull, dusty blue-gray to bright turquoise, accompanied by dark viridian greens, golden-yellows, and even scarlet reds, adorn tree trunks and branches. Once you train your eye to this change, it’s easy to notice on any overcast day if lichens are metabolizing. 

Most importantly, lichens have no vascular tissue like most familiar plants; no tricky veins, leaves, or stems to make things complicated. Wildflowers, ferns, and trees are not photosynthesizing in winter, and even if they were, the process happens at a much larger and complex scale. Lichens only have single-celled cyanobacteria or algae on many occasions, which can produce oxygen a lot more efficiently. Together, unrelated mosses and lichens have been found to produce more oxygen, and sequester more carbon dioxide, than the trees they grow on!

Poplar Sunburst Lichen (Xanthomendoza hasseana), a very small and inconspicuous lichen, but enormous compared to many almost-microscopic relatives. Photo by Cade Campbell

As the days to centuries wear on, old trees accumulate sheets of colorful lichen. Around 600 species of lichens occur in the state of Virginia, and many rely on tree bark to provide a perch and accumulated food. Although they thrive on dead or dying trees, lichens are not parasitic, and may grow equally well on a perfectly healthy forest tree. Lichens do not exist independently from trees, even though they are independent survivors (independent, as they work together). Tracing the line of interdependence from lichens, to trees that host them, to the squirrels that planted them, and beyond, the entire ecosystem sprawls out through the window of just one tiny, slimy superorganism that clings to the harshest and most unforgiving environments. 

These are just a few of the reasons lichens (and their cohabitants, mosses) are special to Mt. Rogers, the surrounding highlands, and the world beyond.

It's Fall Rally Time!

The Mount Rogers Fall Naturalist Rally is almost here and we are excited to share some of the programs! Friday starts with a great dinner featuring locally sourced ingredients, so be sure to sign up for that before October 9th on our website. Following dinner, our a keynote speaker, OLIVIA ANDREWS, PH.D. STUDENT, VIRGINIA TECH ENTOMOLOGY DEPARTMENT talks about classical biological control and the work that has done to implement this approach for the hemlock woolly adelgid, while also giving an overview of the work that is currently being done…in particular here in the Blue Ridge mountains. Following our speaker, we will be hosting a nighttime Owl Prowl and Star Gazing. There will be a separate children’s program during the guest speaker presentation for all kids 6 and up!

At 7:00am Saturday, registration continues and breakfast is served with field trips and programs beginning at 8:00am sharp! These morning programs include arachnids with Cade, Migrant birds with Allen, Habitats of BRDC with Ali, Nature Journaling with Rosa and Ellie plus more! After the morning programs, lunch will be served in the dining hall followed by the afternoon programs starting at 1:00pm. These programs include Beginning Birding with BRDC, Old Kelly Orchard Tour with Tom, Black Bear Ecology with Carl, Phenology and Trees with Mark, and several more. Throughout Saturday we will also be featuring a variety of kids programs such as a nature walks, nature crafts, stream play, storytelling and birding.

Do you need lodging for this event? We have you covered! We are renting out rooms and beds in our Schoolhouse for rally goers that want to stay on campus.

If you are interested in reading more about our guides, purchasing rally or meal tickets, click here!

The Summer Rally has Come and Gone...

Our campus and the landscapes surrounding BRDC were buzzing with enthusiastic naturalists this past weekend as we hosted the third rally of 2023, the Mount Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally! BRDC was excited to share programs on topics that included mushrooms, birds, dendrology, watercolor, summer wildflowers, edible/medicinal plants, freshwater snorkeling, salamanders, astrophotography, beaver ecology, land snails, butterflies, ferns, geology, and raptors. On Friday night, Dr. William Hopkins of Virginia Tech gave an excellent presentation on the Eastern hellbender, or “old lasagna-sides,” if you will, and the current status and research he’s conducting on their populations.

Dr. William Hopkins sharing his presentation, “THE RACE TO SAVE APPALACHIA’S GIANT SALAMANDER, THE EASTERN HELLBENDER”.

Ben Casteel leading his edible/medicinal plant walk.

Our youth participants also got to have their own adventures with our Naturalist Educators, Olivia and Brendan. The group focused on nature journaling, stream ecology, tracks and signs, campfire building, insect study, and of course, they had to test out the fire escape slide in the schoolhouse.

BRDC has been tagging monarchs caught on our campus. This one was tagged with the help of the kids at the rally!

Lots of big smiles during all the youth programming activities!

We had over 100 rally participants share meals together in the dining hall, follow their curiosities in the library, and some stayed on the second and third floors to fully immerse themselves in the rally experience. This was the first Summer Rally that we were able to host in the fully restored schoolhouse, and it was really special to see the campus being explored while in full bloom!

Rally participants exploring the diverse underwater world of a Blue Ridge mountain stream.

Participants of the astrophotography program, led by Jay Martin, had beautiful clear skies above Whitetop Mountain.

As always, none of this would have been possible without the knowledge and commitment of our guides and speaker. We also certainly could not have had a successful rally without the help of our volunteers, many of which were local college students from Emory & Henry College and East Tennessee State University.

With another successful rally in the books, we look forward to our upcoming Fall Rally, scheduled for October 13-15th. Make sure to join and help round out our first full year of seasonal rallies! Stay tuned!

Mount Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally this August!

Mark your calendars, the Mount Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally is August 18-20, 2023! At Blue Ridge Discovery Center, our mission is to inspire curiosity, discovery, and stewardship through the wonders of the Blue Ridge and the Rally exemplifies that.

The Mount Rogers Naturalist Rallies cultivate an environment where exploring and discovering the outdoors is exhilarating and lively. During this event, a wide variety of expert guides will lead participants through various naturalist hikes and presentations that inspire us to explore the Blue Ridge and the wonders of the natural world.

There is something for the entire family with field trips Saturday and Sunday, an expert speaker Friday Night, and nighttime programs. Topics include salamanders, wildflowers, geology, birding, snorkeling, cultural history, mammals, medicinal plants, general natural history and much much more! 

Interested in joining us for meals? We will be offering Friday Dinner, Saturday Breakfast, Saturday Lunch, Saturday Dinner, and Sunday Breakfast for those interested in purchasing. These meals will be available for PRE-ORDER ONLY and will not be purchased at the door, so get your meal tickets before they sell out!

Interested in lodging on our campus? Don’t worry, we have some options for you! Rooms and beds in our Schoolhouse are available for rally goers that want to stay on campus. Our Schoolhouse bedrooms are species themed to further display the fascinating flora and fauna that the Blue Ridge has to offer. We also have primitive campsites that are available for reservation.

If you are interested in reading more about our guides or purchasing rally or meal tickets, check our website for updates

Spring MRNR this Weekend!

Check out this American Goldfinch feeding its young!

First, a Spring MRNR poem:

'Twas the week of the rally, when all through the Blue Ridge,
Every creature was stirring, even a Goldfinch;
The Schoolhouse was prepared by the staff with care,
In hopes that the Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally would soon be there.

Karen Powers leading her annual Small Mammals of Mount Rogers program.

Spring Beauties are a popular wildflower to see this time of year in the Blue Ridge. Keep your eye out for them if you are on a wildflower hike!

Happy rally week everyone! We are so excited to share the programs that will be at our Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally. Friday evening will feature our Keynote speaker Dr. Marcella Kelly with a presentation titled “THE VIRGINIA APPALACHIAN CARNIVORE PROJECT: ECOLOGICAL FINDINGS FROM 10 YEARS OF RESEARCH ON BEARS, BOBCATS, AND COYOTES”. Following her presentation, BRDC staff will lead night programs such as Salamander Meander, Owl Prowl, and Star Gazing. The fun continues on Saturday with a morning packed full of programs. These programs are an All-Day Hike to Mount Rogers, MRATC Hike focused on Wildflowers, Stream Ecology, Beginner Birding, Mammals of Mount Rogers, Nature Photography, Fairwood Valley Cultural History, a Salamander Hike, Weather Survival in the Wilderness of the Southern Appalachians, and a Geology walk. Saturday afternoon also has a large variety of programs on topics such as High Elevation Spring Wildflowers, Edible/Medicinal Plants, Mushrooms, Bird Ecology, Caving, Camera Trapping, Butterflies of Southwest VA, Land Snails, Basics of Fly Fishing, Nature Drawing, and a service project with BRDC. The programs continue into Saturday night where BRDC staff will be leading another Salamander Meander and Star Gazing. Sunday morning will be the last session of programs featuring Wandering for Warblers & Other Neotropical Migrants, a Wildflower Walk, and the NABA Spring Butterfly Count.

Naturalist Educators Brendan Murphy and Olivia Jackson leading a stream ecology program.

We will also be leading kids programs on Friday evening and all day Saturday. Friday evening will include Campfire Building along with an Intro to Astronomy (which will be weather permitting). Saturday morning kids programs will include a nature walk, building your own binoculars, and nature crafts. Saturday afternoon will consist of stream ecology and Wild Wonders in your Backyard with Darin Handy. All other programs besides the Wild Wonders program will be lead by NRDC Naturalist Educators.

Nale Sisters & Friends

Saturday night will feature our raffle and a porch jam. Our raffle items include, but aren’t limited to, a Guided Fly Fishing Trip with Matt Reilly, a Signed copy of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, American Chestnut merchandise, a Hand turned bowl by Tom Graham, and a Custom lampshade by Michael Floyd. Our Porch jam will feature the Nale Sisters & Friends!

Haven’t signed up for the rally yet? Don’t worry, there is still time! Check out our rally page and get your tickets today.

See you at the rally!

It's Almost Spring Rally Time!

The Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally is almost here and we are so excited to share some of the programs! Friday starts with a great dinner featuring locally sourced ingredients, so be sure to sign up for that before May 10th on our website. Following dinner, our a keynote speaker, Dr. Marcella Kelly will give a talk about Virginia bears, coyotes, and bobcats. After this program, we will be hosting nighttime Salamander Meanders, Owl Prowls, and Star Gazing. During this time we will also lead a kids program on Campfire Building and Astronomy.

At 7:00am on Saturday, registration and breakfast begins and our first field trips and programs set out at 8:00am. These morning programs will consist of Mt Rogers hike led by Phil Shelton (full day), Stream Ecology with Maddie Cogar, Intro into birding with Cade Campbell, a Hike led by Mt. Rogers Appalachian Trail Club from Whitetop to Elk Garden with Carol Broderson and Sharon Trumbley that will focus on spring wildflowers, Small mammals with Karen Powers, American Chestnut hike with Darrell Blankenship and Ciera Wilbur, Nature Photography with Jay Martin, Fairwood History with Tom Blevins, Salamanders with Dr. Kevin Hamed, and Weather Survival with Dr. Doug Miller. Following the morning programs, we will be serving lunch at our Schoolhouse. After lunch, our programs set out at 1:00pm. These programs will consist of Bird Ecology with Dr. Steven Hopp, Edible Plants with ben Cattle, High Elevation Spring Wildflowers with Jordon Blevins, Mushrooms with Lee Diggs, Snail Research with Cade Campbell, Caving with Jason Lachniet and Steve Ahn, Butterflies with Bruce Grimes, and a service project at BRDC. Looking for shorter programs to attend? We will also be having one hour walk-n-talk sessions throughout the day as well. These sessions include a Schoolhouse History Tour, Campus Habitats and Native Plants of BRDC, Nature Awareness and Mindfulness, Be Bear Aware, and Wild Wonders in your Backyard Darin Handy. After our Saturday programs, we will have another locally sourced, homemade, hot meal waiting at our Schoolhouse along with our annual Spring Raffle. The fun doesn’t stop there, we will also be hosting nighttime programs as well including a Salamander Meander and Star Gazing. Throughout Saturday we will also be featuring a variety of kids programs such as a Nature Walk, Building your own binoculars, nature crafts, stream ecology, and Wild Wonders in your Backyard with Darin Handy.

Sunday will begin the same way as Saturday, with registration and breakfast starting at 7:00am. The morning expeditions will begin at 8:00am. These expeditions include Wandering for Warblers and other Various Neotropical Migrants with Allen Boynton, Spring Wildflowers with Nancy Adamson, and the NABA Spring Butterfly count led by BRDC Staff.

Are you worried about lodging for this event? Don’t worry, we have some options for you! We are renting out rooms and beds in our Schoolhouse for rally goers that want to stay on campus. Not interested in sleeping in the building? We also have primitive campsites on our campus that are available for reservation as well!

If you are interested in reading more about our guides, purchasing rally, raffle, or meal tickets, or pre-ordering our Limited Edition Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally T-shirt, click here!

Winter Rally Re-Cap

Geology Road Trip with Arthur Merschat

We were delighted to host the first ever Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally last weekend! It has been one of our objectives to host a fall, winter, and summer rally. The winter rally focused on the flora, fauna, weather, and terrain that is unique to the cold, winter months! 80 eager individuals experienced stimulating outdoor activities and great food. Our programs included winter astronomy, the Oral History of Konnarock, a weather balloon launch, a geology road trip, waterfowl prowl, wildlife tracks & signs, winter tree identification, the challenges of measuring snow, ecology & management of high elevation communities and clay bowl making with Grim Pottery.

Geology Road Trip with Arthur Merschat

Fluorescent Lichen found on a Night Hike led by Cade Campbell following the winter astronomy program.

We would like to say thank you to our keynote speaker and guide, Dr. Doug Miller, for his extraordinary presentation, “Sandy Snow: An Unusual Hurricane Winter Wonderland”. We would also like to thank our incredible guides that really helped make our first Winter Rally a success. Thank you to Allen Boynton, Cade Campbell, Jeremy Stout, Dr. Ed Davis, Mark Archibald, Arthur Merschat, Jordon Blevins, and Debbie Yates.

Kids programs were lead by Program Coordinator Ali Reilly and Naturalist Educator Olivia Jackson. Fries School brought 18 students to explore the Blue Ridge through programs such as intro to birding, geology, tracks & signs, snow science, and winter ecology.

Finally, a special shoutout to our spectacular volunteers, the BRDC Board! Their help truly allowed the rally to run smoothly and efficiently.

We can’t wait to see everyone back on our campus for our Spring Rally coming May 12-14! Stay tuned for more updates!

Upcoming Events at BRDC!

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!

Fall Rally Re-Cap!

Arachnid Guide Cade Campbell & his marbled orb-weaver

We were so excited to host the first ever Mount Rogers Fall Naturalist Rally this October! In the past couple of years we have been fortunate enough to host the Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally, and we were so happy to now start a new fall annual rally as well. This rally specifically focused on the flora and fauna that is unique to the fall! 68 enthusiastic individuals participated in this rally where we experienced lots of beautiful weather and stimulating outdoor activities. Our programs for this rally included salamander hikes, nature photography, a mushroom hike, stream ecology, an all-day Mount Rogers hike, bird watching, bird acoustics, arachnids, nocturnal nature, an owl prowl, a campus tour, the natural history of the white-tailed deer, and flint knapping.

Bird Watching at Elk Garden with Guide Allen Boynton

Guide Doug Meyer teaching Leah Wilson how to flint knap

We would like to say thank you to our keynote speaker, Michael St. Germain, for an amazing talk about the Bats of Appalachia. We would also like to say thank you to our incredible guides that really helped make our first ever fall rally a success. Thank you to Neil Fredericksen, Phil Shelton, Allen Boynton, Joshua Ward, Maddie Cogar, Lee Diggs, Steven Hopp, Cade Campbell, Linda Hylander, Doug Meyer, and Kevin Hamed. 

Salamander Photography at the Salamander Hike. Photo credits to Joshua Ward.

We were also able to lead kids programs during this rally as well! These programs were led by BRDC staff Landscaper and Naturalist Educator Ali Reilly. The childrens programs included nature journaling, fall bingo, and stream ecology.

BRDC Naturalist Educator Ali Reilly leading Fall Bingo. Photo credits to Eva Walls.

We are also so thankful for our generous donors that supplied our raffle table. Thank you to Wolf Hills Coffee (Gift Card), White Birch Food & Juice (Gift Card), Sister’s Cafe (Appalachian Puzzle), Mike Pender (Chickadee Box), Mountain Sports Limited (Naturalist Hats), Marion Outdoors (Great Naturalist Gear), Charlotte Phillips (Two Homemade Pumpkin Rolls), Brian Livingston (Signed Book), Barbara Kingsolver (Signed Books), Bohicket Apothecaries (Candles, Wax Melts, and Soap), Flora of Virginia (App download), and Adventure Damascus & Sundog Outfitter (2 Rentals & 2 Shuttles). 

Emory & Henry Volunteers and our BRDC Staff.

We would also like to give a special shoutout to our amazing volunteers from Emory & Henry! Their help was so appreciated, especially by our Head of Hospitality Charlotte Phillips.

We cannot wait to see everyone back on our campus for our Winter Rally coming in February! Stay tuned for more updates to come!

Rooms for a Naturalist

In 2016 we began a strategic planning process that covered all facets of the organization. The most significant conclusion to come out of that was the acknowledgment that we needed longer periods of engagement with program participants than our 1-2 hour programs. This pointed us to an atypical Discovery Center model: a residential facility! Our vision steered toward “a night in the museum” or “a giant naturalist cabin” … a support structure to launch explorations and discoveries throughout one of the great wilderness regions in the East.

We are so very excited to see that vision come to fruition, with the offering of 16 beautifully restored rooms with the ability to sleep 68 individuals in the historic 1924 Konnarock Training School. The rooms are set up with their own dedicated bathroom, except for the two ends which have Jack & Jill bathrooms. The second floor is all twin XL bunk beds while the third floor is set up with king and queen suites with one room being an entire studio apartment.

This new core asset for Blue Ridge Discovery opens the door to a variety of engagement opportunities, like the dawn warbler chorus, a night of wood frog calls, or after dinner astronomy, but most importantly it provides a house for peer to peer dialog where we can share our observations and ideas. It is a place for rest, sustenance, reflection, research, and sharing, all critical components for fostering curiosity and stewardship.

We have chosen to open this facility for the 48th Annual Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally, an event that was originally founded at the Historic Schoolhouse and one that will soar with the return to a residential support structure. On May 6-8 we will host a variety of educators, professionals, naturalists, and artists all co-mingling for an entire weekend of explorations focused on Virginia’s highest mountains. We have opened the rooms up for reservation to our members and rally participants and have already booked up except one six person room and a few beds. To learn more please check out our room reservation page: https://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/overnight-accommodations

As part of our interpretative mission, each residential room is going to be themed in a particular subject: salamanders, raptors, geology, butterflies, mammals, etc… and we are offering naming rights for these rooms. For instance, one of these rooms has been named the “Golden Eagle Room” in honor of Chester and Ann Robertson, featuring Raptors of the Blue Ridge! This will provide the opportunity for participants to further engage with artwork, collections, and books associated with each subject. If you are interested in sponsoring one of these bedrooms, please reach out to Linda Hylander, chair of our Capital Campaign Committee, at info@blueridgediscoverycenter.org.

Drawing From Nature with Suzanne Stryk

The Blue Ridge Discovery Center is excited to announce that the talented artist and author, Suzanne Stryk will be leading a “Drawing From Nature” session at the 48th Annual Spring Naturalist Rally, with a book signing to follow! 

Suzanne calls Southwest Virginia home, and includes many creatures and found objects from the Blue Ridge Mountains in her conceptual works. Her artwork can best be described in her own words as “a dialogue—as in life itself—between the overwhelming tangle of life and the crisp, if fragmentary, vision emerging from it.” 

We are delighted that she will be sharing her wealth of knowledge as a naturalist and an artist with Rally attendees. Her session will provide opportunities for participants to enhance their observational skills and record experiences in the natural world. Part of Stryk’s creative process is to record observations in sketchbooks and collect natural materials; then, back at her studio in Bristol, she will create assemblages about each unique place. In the session, Stryk will demonstrate how to make quick sketches as well as more sustained studies. Participants are encouraged to bring their own sketchbooks and pencils or pens. 

Suzanne’s book The Middle of Somewhere: An Artist Explores the Nature of Virginia will be available to purchase after the program! In the book, Stryk proclaims that “everywhere is the middle of somewhere for some living being,” and explores various outdoor sacred spaces encountering many Appalachian creatures in their habitats. She has a knack for weaving in historical anecdotes and personal memories while relating her encounters with all of these “beings” in their “somewheres.” You won’t want to pass up the opportunity to pick up one of these breathtaking books. (purchase proceeds go to the Blue Ridge Discovery Center).

Register For the Rally Here: https://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/mrnrspring

48th Annual MRNR Keynote Speaker

May 6th - 8th will mark the 48th annual Mt. Rogers Naturalist Rally, and BRDC is thrilled to announce that our keynote speaker will be wetland ecologist, wetland biologist, and author, Thomas Biebighauser. Well known for his international travels to help design and construct wetlands, Tom has positioned himself as one of the leading experts in the implementation of naturally-appearing wetlands and specializes in creating habitats that cater to endangered or threatened species. Since 1979, he has restored over 2,700 wetlands and streams in Canada, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, and 26 States. He retired in 2013 after working 34 years for the US Forest Service as a Wildlife Biologist, where he initiated wetland and stream restoration programs across the United States. Now, Tom’s passion for wetlands still carries him across the country (and world) for restoration projects, wetland construction workshops, and various other teaching opportunities. Tom has served as an instructor for the British Columbia Wildlife Federation Wetlands Institute for 17 years, teaches a graduate-level Wetland Design for Engineers course at the University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, and has also taught classes for the British Colombia Institute of Technology. Tom has also written four books about wetland restoration and has received 44 awards for his outstanding contributions. Tom’s keynote address will discuss the practice of wetland restoration and the importance of reestablishing these vital habitats for people and wildlife, alike.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Biebighauser.

BRDC Vernal Pond Restoration Workshop- May 7-8th

Not only will Tom be presenting his keynote, but he will also be one of the joint leaders of a two-day Vernal Pond Restoration Workshop hosted at BRDC on May 7th and 8th. The other instructor will be Michael Hayslett, principal of Virginia Vernal Pools, LLC, who has spent his career studying and raising awareness for the conservation of vernal pools in Virginia. This workshop will teach participants how to design and restore wetlands that provide habitat for threatened and endangered species, amphibians, reptiles, and a diversity of birds. Attendees will discover how to select locations for building wetlands, test soil texture, determine groundwater elevation, choose appropriate construction techniques, work with heavy equipment operators, control erosion and non-native plants, and establish native plants. BRDC is so excited to host these two great minds during this special event. If you want more information on this opportunity or want to register visit this link- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1phX8u90Zm0_8J8iNAWYXJLp5Eod8c0lE/edit.

For more information on Tom Biebighauser and his wetland restoration practices, check out his website- https://www.wetlandrestorationandtraining.com/

The Rally is back!

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We are very excited to announce the return of the Naturalist Rally!! After a two year remote hiatus the 48th Annual Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally is back in full force May 6-8! But more exciting than that, two years of construction and a $2.5 million restoration of the historic 1925 Schoolhouse has opened the door for us to bring the Rally back to its very origins for the first time in more than thirty-five years! The Rally is returning to the “Spike Camp” where it was founded in 1975. This historic moment will also mark the first official Blue Ridge Discovery Center program at our Center!

The immaculately restored 17,240sf building is an incredible resource for the Naturalist Rally. A building solely dedicated to exploring, discovering, and sharing the wonders of the Blue Ridge it will continue an education legacy that spans back nearly 100 years. The structure provides a dining hall, a chapel for lectures, an exploration classroom, a natural history library/museum, and residential rooms that can sleep more than 70 rally participants and guides! Reserve a bed or a room now! This “giant naturalist cabin” is a support structure for launching all of the classic Rally field trips that you have come to love: Salamanders with Dr. Hamed, Geology with USGS Geologist Arthur Merchshat, Birding with Ashley Peele, and Dr. Hopp, and many others!

Beyond the schoolhouse, Blue Ridge Discovery Center has acquired strategic neighboring properties and we have begun onsite habitat restoration, giving us a campus with access to a large creek, a smaller salamander scale branch, wetlands, a frog pond, meadows, and a variety of woodland trails! We are so excited to share and explore with you all what the campus has to offer our Rally community!

Join us for a full weekend of celebratory activities May 6-8! Checkout the special edition t-shirt for this year’s rally and purchase Rally Tickets and Raffle Tickets here.

The rally will be held at Blue Ridge Discovery Center, 6402 Whitetop Rd, Troutdale, VA 24378. For more information please visit www.blueridgediscoverycenter.org/mrnrspring
or call BRDC at (276) 388-3155

Volunteer Weekend (In Lieu of Summer MRNR)

Dear Rally goers,

We are very disappointed to announce that we have decided to cancel the Summer Naturalist Rally in order to focus our capacity on the construction of the Center. With the center completion date set for the Spring of 2022, we are planning a Grand Opening event during the 48th annual Spring Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally!

We have planned a volunteer weekend in place of the Rally, August 20-22. If you are interested, we have a variety of projects including trail building, bridge building, boardwalk construction, painting and staining, and habitat development. The BRDC staff will be working all weekend, and we will be providing a group dinner on Saturday night to support the efforts. If you are interested in assisting, please email info@blueridgediscoverycenter.org or give us a call at 276-388-3155.

Again, we apologize for this change in plans and we are already missing our usual MRNR group, but we are looking forward to having the Rally in grand fashion in 2022!

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Get Yours Now!

The 47th Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally is coming up on May 1st-9th, and per the world's continued health crisis, BRDC has created a fun, engaging, and self-guided rally scavenger-hunt!

But there’s more! We still have the Raffle drawings and a newly designed MRNR T-Shirt!

Guided fly fishing with Matt Reilly

DAILY RAFFLE PRIZES

Enter early and often for your chance to snag a Guided Fly Fishing trip with Matt Reilly, Weekend GetAway for Two in coastal SC, Vortex Binoculars, MagicScope, Loaded Naturalist Pack, local swag, and more! Winners will be announced daily via live-stream video at 12:00 pm May 2-8. Grand prize winner(s) will be drawn Sunday, May 9th at 5:00 pm. All winners will be contacted using the email address provided during registration. 

1 Ticket for $5; 5 Tickets for $20; 20 Tickets for $40

Isle of Palms Getaway for 2

LIMITED EDITION MRNR T-SHIRT

Part of the joy of a special event is being reminded of it whenever you wear the event T-shirt! Now you can preorder our limited edition "Scavenger Hunt" MRNR T-shirt to be sure you get the sizes you want, while supporting the Mt. Rogers Naturalist Rallies! Delivery on or around May 1st*

*When ordered by April 1st. Delivery date dependent upon status of shipping industry.

2021 Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally: "Scavenger Hunt" Edition

Grab your ticket to the “Scavenger Hunt” Edition of the 2021 Mt Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally! This is the 47th year of the Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally and we have reinvented it this year to allow for exploration and discovery within the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area (MRNRA). Our amazing Rally guides have assisted us with the development of this “Scavenger Hunt” chock full of challenges and natural history information. Although there will be no large gathering or group meal, you will have the same opportunity to learn about the amazing Mount Rogers area.

The Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally: “Scavenger Hunt” Edition is a self-guided, hands-on exploration of the biodiversity within a 7.5 mile radius of the Blue Ridge Discovery Center and within the MRNRA suitable for all ages. Participants will be provided clues to locate and explore unique and special locations, complete challenges, detours, and roadblocks, earn chances to win great prizes, and share findings!

From May 1st through the 9th, you may participate as many days as you like, start anytime you like, and travel at your own pace and convenience. You will:

• Utilize a map and clues

• Complete challenges.

• Contribute to citizen science

• Earn chances to win great prizes

• and, Learn about the natural history of the Mt Rogers area

We even developed a special “Scavenger Hunt“ edition Rally t-shirt!

As always, raffle tickets are available for purchase to support the Rally with daily chances to win great prizes including a guided fly fishing trip with Matt Reilly, a weekend getaway for two in coastal SC, Vortex binoculars, a MagicScope, loaded naturalist pack, local swag, and more!

Share a full week of exploration and discovery in the Mt Rogers area on our Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally “Scavenger Hunt”!

Remote Rally Going Strong

Another stellar day on the iNaturalist Project! The leaderboard shows 97 observers with over 2,800 observations and 840 species…WOW! This is so awesome! The May 5th BRDC species t-shirt winner was ‘themadcollector13’ (Shawn). Congratulations and keep the observations coming!

Our highlight observation today is the gray-foot lancetooth snail photographed and posted by Carrie Holt. Here is what naturalist Cade Campbell has to say about it:

Photo by Carrie Holt

“Hello, fellow naturalists! As I was looking through some of the observations on the MRNR Backyard Naturalist Rally project, I noticed Carrie Holt's (@csholt) observation of a gray-foot lancetooth (Haplotrema concavum) from Saltville, Virginia. This awesome snail is widespread throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains, and lives under leaf litter. They have pale, gray-white shells which give them an almost bleached, skeletal appearance. The shell itself spirals similarly to the horns of a bighorn sheep, or a garden hose. But aside from its unique appearance, Haplotrema concavum has plenty more tricks up its "sleeve." Or should I say, "shell."

Photo by Cade Campbell

The gray-foot lancetooth is predominantly nocturnal, waking up from under the deciduous forest floor to roam across the ground or up the trunks of ambient trees. Not in search of vegetables, but instead, other snails. H. concavum is famous for hunting other snail species with a fascinating methodology. Creeping up beside an oblivious snail, such as a whitelip (Neohelix sp.) or globe snail (Mesodon sp.), they will use their sharp, calcareous radula (ring of "snail teeth" hidden inside their mouth) to "drill" inside the shell of their prey (Pearce & Gaertner, 1996). Once the shell has been penetrated, they engage in a slow-motion attack on the snails; similar to wolves taking down an elk or deer. This has earned them a fitting nickname; the "wolves of the snail world" (Dourson, 2013).

Photo by Cade Campbell

Despite this crazy, bloodthirsty life history, Haplotrema snails are relatively common and very easy to identify. The species name "concavum" comes from the snail's wide umbilicus. The umbilicus is the "hole" or "bellybutton" (or lack of one) on the underside of the snail's shell. Since the gray-foot lancetooth appears to be "coiled up" like a rope, the umbilicus is very wide and open. Also, the snail has a pale gray body to match the shell's appearance. Two other carnivorous snails are native to the Southern Appalachians, but both of these are bright blue, and one is endemic to the Smokies. The other, Vitrizonites latissimus, is endemic to the Southern Blue Ridge and has a fascinating natural history of its own. Cheers and Happy Adventuring, CADE CAMPBELL

Vitrizonites latissimus by Cade Campbell

You can see @csholt 's observation here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44838312.

It’s not too late to join the fun and our iNaturalist project. Visit our website to purchase rally tickets and raffle tickets for great giveaways and prizes. The weekend is fast approaching and we still have lots in store for you!