The Lichen Light Show of Mt. Rogers
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.
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 explore, discover and share!
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!
Mount Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally this August!
Mark your calendars, the Mount Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally is coming up on August 18-20, 2023!
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
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!
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!
Upcoming Events at BRDC!
We have many exciting events coming up in February that we cannot wait!
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!
Upcoming Christmas Bird Counts!
Christmas Bird Counts are vastly approaching!
Pictured: Red-breasted Nuthatch
Christmas bird counts have been a tradition since the early 1900s when an ornithologist suggested that bird hunters count birds rather than hunt them. This bird count has now happened every year since in a multitude of different locations. The Christmas Bird Count, organized by the Audubon Society, is a North American citizen science survey that runs from December 14th through January 5th each year. Information gathered during these counts helps us to better understand the health and status of bird populations. This type of stewardship is something that represents one of our pillars at BRDC and we are so excited to be able to participate in two Christmas Bird Counts this year.
The New River Christmas Bird Count will be the first bird count that BRDC participates in this year. Each year, Blue Ridge Discovery Center heads up to the New River CBC, centered around Sparta, NC. All ages and skill levels are welcome to participate! This event is free to all and we’ll make a full day of it. This will take place on Saturday, December 17th from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
Pictured: Song Sparrow
The Mount Rogers Christmas Bird Count will be the second bird count that BRDC participates in this year. This bird count will be led by local bird expert Allen Boynton. His knowledge of birds is truly remarkable and we are so glad that he will be guiding the Mount Rogers CBC. This will take place on Sunday, December 18th from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
Interested in joining us for a Christmas Bird Count? Please contact Keely Doyle at kdoyle@blueridgediscoverycenter.org or (276) 388-3155.
Pictured: Northern Cardinal
The Blue Ridge: A Geological Autobiography
If the Blue Ridge could write its own long and complex history, surely it would chisel the words in stone. Fortunately, it did just that. And fortunately, we have a translator in our midst. During our January 2019 Geology Expedition, USGS Geologist Arthur Merschat unraveled the story of the geologic events that left Virginia’s oldest basement rocks exposed for us to access and admire.
If the Blue Ridge could write its own long and complex history, surely it would chisel the words in stone. Fortunately, it did just that. And fortunately, we have a translator in our midst. During our January 2019 Geology Expedition, USGS Geologist Dr. Arthur Merschat unraveled the story of the geologic events that left Virginia’s oldest basement rocks exposed for us to access and admire.
The Blue Ridge Mountains as we see them today are a result of several major geologic events. Initially, tectonic plates drifting together over time caused continental collisions during the Grenville orogeny and produced the supercontinent Rodinia around 1 billion years ago. Around 750 million years ago, Rodinia began to break up and caused a series of lava flows and volcanic eruptions. The final breakup resulted in the pulling apart of the continent and the formation of oceans, and for a time, Virginia existed as a tropical marine environment located south of the equator. Evidence of this can be seen in the fluvial to marine sedimentary rocks of the Chilhowie Group along Whitetop Rd. However, during the Alleghenian orogeny 300 million years ago, Africa collided with us to form the supercontinent Pangea. This event thrust billion-year-old basement rocks and 750 million-year-old volcanic rocks of Mount Rogers above the layered rocks of the Valley & Ridge. It is these ancient, metamorphosed rocks that we encountered on our trip.
Matrix-supported diamictite with hammer for scale.
The trip began with a visit to a road cut of 750 Ma diamictite (pictured) within the Konnarock Formation. This sedimentary rock consists of clasts (pieces of rock or minerals that range from pebbles to cobbles and boulders) supported by a matrix of sand and clay and tells us that this area was once a glacial environment.
Our next stop within the Konnarock Formation provided an opportunity to spot dropstones. During glacial melt, granite stones that had been carried in the ice dropped into the soft sediment (rhythmite and laminite) of the lake beds.
Next, we ventured north on Whitetop Rd. to view elements of the Unicoi Formation within the Chilhowie Group, where a 540 Ma basalt flow is easily visible within a road cut on Iron Mountain. From north to south it is possible to see the basalt flow with conglomerate, arkose, and shale below, and quartzite above. During metamorphism, vesicles - former gas bubbles within the volcanic rock (basalt) - were filled with other minerals such as potassium feldspar and calcite. These filled vesicles are referred to as amygdules (pictured).
In this chunk of basalt with potassium feldspar amgydules, Dr. Arthur Merschat tests for calcite using hydrochloric acid.
Black slate in the Hampton Formation.
Our next stop was the Hampton Formation at Skulls Gap on Whitetop Rd. Here, an underwater landslide occurred while the black shale (formed in an anoxic environment) and sandstones were deposited, which were later metamorphosed into slate and quartzite (pictured).
Heading across Whitetop Mountain and along the Stone Mountain Fault, several stops allowed us to view rocks within the Mount Rogers volcanic center, including flow-banded lava, arkose, and volcanic breccia, as well as greenstone featuring phenocrysts of plagioclase (large, conspicuous crystals of plagioclase feldspar), and more amygdules, this time filled by epidote and quartz. Next, we encountered the Buzzard Rock member, the lowest and oldest rhyolite in the Mount Rogers volcanic center at over 755 million years old.
Geologist Dr. Arthur Merschat describes the greenstone at Elk Garden.
Phenocrysts of plagioclase embedded in greenstone.
Potassium feldspar and plagioclase phenocrysts in the Buzzard Rock rhyolite.
Once we crossed over the Catface Fault into the Pond Mountain volcanic center, we encountered mylonite, a fine-grained fault rock containing muscovite which had been lineated due to shearing and flattening.
Mylonite with lineated muscovite along the Catface Fault.
Farther up the road, we glimpsed a peek at the 1.1 billion-year-old basement rocks within the Stone Mountain thrust sheet. These coarse, whitish-gray and pink granite rocks contain minerals that were crystalized deep in the earth’s crust before the formation of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Our final stop at a road cut afforded us a wide view of the large clasts of rhyolite, granite, and arkose that comprise this boulder conglomerate. Beautiful!
Participants admiring a road cut of boulder conglomerate.
The Geology Expedition was a full-day adventure of traveling through and unraveling millions of years of the Blue Ridge’s history. And although we only encountered a fraction of what there is to see, we ultimately acquired a deeper understanding of the geologic events that created this montane region*, the very foundation of our Center.
*If you are interested in learning more about the natural history of this unique region, join us for the Spring Mt. Rogers Naturalist Rally May 10-12, 2019.
Members FREE, Non-members $10
Trip Photo Gallery
Summer Naturalist Rally Celebrates the Ecology of the Blue Ridge
Spectacular weather helped make the 2nd annual Mount Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally a wonderful success. The summer gathering is a great addition to the very successful Mount Rogers Naturalist Spring Rally, held for the last 43 years, giving naturalists an opportunity to observe species that change along with the seasons.
Spectacular weather helped make the 2nd annual Mount Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally a wonderful success. The summer gathering is a great addition to the very successful Mount Rogers Naturalist Spring Rally, held for the last 43 years, giving naturalists an opportunity to observe species that change along with the seasons.
The event kicked off with a farm-to-table dinner at the Konnarock Community Center. By partnering with the Independence Farmers Market independencefarmersmarket.org, locally sourced ingredients were the foundation for the meal that staff and volunteers prepared and served.
After dinner, Anne Berry Somers inspired the group as the featured speaker, conveying her personal passion for box turtles. With 10 years of the 100-year Box Turtle Connection project under her belt, she oversees 32 project leaders collecting data on box turtles across North Carolina. This successful citizen science program is a model to be emulated for similar natural history investigations across the Blue Ridge.
Field trips on Saturday included a collaborative hike on Pond Mountain with the Blue Ridge Conservancy, several seasonal options such as butterflies of southwest Virginia, mushrooms, and snorkeling as well as Rally favorites such as edible and medicinal plants, birding and glaciers in the Blue Ridge. With clouds giving way to mostly sunny skies and pleasant temperatures, conditions were perfect for enjoying the bountiful natural history that summer has to offer in the Blue Ridge.
Jane Floyd and Ellie Kirby offered an arts and crafts program for the kids, using elements of nature. Kids drawing and painting a stream scene including our local trout, and scavenged the nearby woods for native plants to press. In the afternoon, BRDC Intern Amber Olson led the kids in exploring the nearby woods and stream to see what they could discover.
Saturday's clearing weather provided one of the most spectacular night skies you can imagine, perfect for the astronomy and astro-photography programs.
Sunday morning brought fly fishing class and a wildflower walk along the Whispering Waters Nature Trail.
Special thanks to all of the volunteers and committee members who worked hard to make the event a success! The wonderful support of our volunteer guides was greatly appreciated as they lead 19 different field trips during the weekend as well as two kids programs.
With the support and the participation from the public, the 2nd annual Mount Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally was a testament to our hopes of continuing to grow this celebration of the ecology of the Blue Ridge.
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!
1st Annual Mount Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally
After many years of thinking about a summer season rally, this August we achieved our goal. Gathering at the Konnarock Community Center for a potluck dinner and meet and greet, many new faces joined the familiar for a weekend preview of programs and hikes spanning from Friday night through Sunday morning.
After many years of thinking about a summer season rally, this August we achieved our goal. Gathering at the Konnarock Community Center for a potluck dinner and meet and greet, many new faces joined the familiar for a weekend preview of programs and hikes spanning from Friday night through Sunday morning. With over 60 participants for Friday's dinner, the potluck approach pleased everyone. Without a speaker presentation, we all had time to visit before heading to Grindstone Campground for the evening moth identification program.
Though rain fell intermittently, we were able to dash back and forth between the lit moth sheet and our tent cover for serious keying of our catch. From the very young to the almost elderly, everyone focused on the effort to ID even down to the species level.
Saturday morning, following tradition, all gathered at the community center to line up for the day’s program offerings. A simple breakfast was available, including good strong coffee. Field trip sign-ups continued right up to 8am when the trips dispersed. Birding, a hike sponsored by the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club, fly fishing, medicinal plants, insect investigations, and glaciers in the Blue Ridge highlighted our morning walks. For kids, the world of spiders was explored.
Returning for lunch, hikers regained their strength for the afternoon hikes. Afternoon choices included snorkeling, a mushroom walk, a wildflower walk, a salamander hunt, tree identification, butterflies and flint knapping. The kids program involved small bio-surveys with microscopes.
The mushroom walk was a major hit, with samples brought back to the community center for identification. For over an hour, many gathered around the tables displaying a huge variety of fungal forms, as a species list grew.
Rain was an issue, but mostly after the day's activities came to a close. Back at Grindstone, campers shared an evening meal, potluck style once again, and revisited the day’s activities. Because of the rain, our hopeful star watch program was cancelled, but a salamander foray was well suited to the weather. Some intrepid hikers were treated to a rarely observed courtship behavior of the Yonahlossee salamander along the gravel road to Whitetop.
Sunday dawned behind of veil of clouds and rain, yet an ornithology walk was offered and attended. It is often said, weather is not an issue, just correct clothing. This exemplifies the spirit of a naturalist, a person whose curiosity trumps comfort while exploring the richness of our Southwest Virginia highlands.
Special thanks to the planning committee, guides and volunteers who pitched in to create such a great event!
Blue Ridge Expeditions: Mt. Rogers Hike
Saturday was the perfect day for a hike, with a Carolina blue sky, a few puffy clouds and a slight breeze. Ten participants met at Massie Gap for a guided hike to the summit of Mt. Rogers, led by Dr. Phil Shelton and Roald Kirby, program director for Blue Ridge Expeditions. The group was treated to an amazing breadth of knowledge about Mt. Rogers by both Roald and Dr. Shelton.
Saturday was the perfect day for a hike, with a Carolina blue sky, a few puffy clouds and a slight breeze. Ten participants met at Massie Gap for a guided hike to the summit of Mt. Rogers, led by Dr. Phil Shelton and Roald Kirby, program director for Blue Ridge Expeditions. The group was treated to an amazing breadth of knowledge about Mt. Rogers by both Roald and Dr. Shelton. Stops were made frequently to observe such species as Spruce and Fir trees, Mountain Ash with its beautiful red berries, and the following birds:
Turkey Vulture
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
American Robin
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue Jay
Common Raven
American Crow
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
[Possible] Sharp-shinned Hawk
We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Shelton for taking the time to share in our passion for the Blue Ridge mountains.
Please visit blueridgediscoverycenter.org for information on other upcoming Blue Ridge Expedition events.