Special Poetry Reading by Barbara Kingsolver for BRDC
Acclaimed writer and trained biologist Barbara Kingsolver settled into the Blue Ridge Discovery Center cottage to read from her forthcoming poetry book, How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons), for a remote, online audience of Naturalist Rally participants. This intimate setting and Kingsolver's gentle nature provides an inspiring window for anyone that takes a moment to listen.
We have the opportunity to share with you the live poetry reading by acclaimed writer and trained biologist Barbara Kingsolver. Barbara has generously offered a personalized, signed copy of the limited edition How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons) with each $100 donation to Blue Ridge Discovery Center. Make a Contribution Now
On Friday night, in place of our traditional featured speaker, Kingsolver settled into the Blue Ridge Discovery Center cottage to read from her forthcoming poetry book for a remote, online audience of Naturalist Rally participants. This featured presentation of the Mt. Rogers Naturalist Rally offered viewers an inspiring perspective of the natural world - a world that is not separate from us, but which includes us. And if we are part of it, shouldn’t we know a bit more about it?
How can we see the wonders of nature, the interconnectedness of organisms through a biologist’s eyes? How can we know that the unusual, white ghost pipes popping up from the forest floor aren’t mushrooms or that the brainless mussel has such an intelligent reproductive strategy? How can we be hopeful and let that hope fuel a stronger future?
There’s just one easy step: read Barbara Kingsolver’s new book of poems. How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons) is due to be released September 22, 2020.
Galax Middle Visits Grandfather Mountain
On May 6th, students from Galax Middle School took a trip up 5,946’ to the top of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. There they had the opportunity to learn about the various flora and fauna that inhabit the mountains’ 16 distinct ecosystems.
On May 6th, students from Galax Middle School took a trip up 5,946’ to the top of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. There they had the opportunity to learn about the various flora and fauna that inhabit the mountains’ 16 distinct ecosystems.
The students took a tour through the Nature Museum and learned about the natural history of the mountain, then had the opportunity to conduct their own field research with education specialist and naturalist, Amy Renfranz. Renfranz helped the students each set up their own 10x10 meter plot where they observed soil quality, species diversity and practiced their naturalist skills.
During their trip to the mountain, the students discovered many different kinds of plants and animals; including pinkshell azalea, bear corn, and red-backed and gray cheeked salamanders! The students finished their trip to Grandfather Mountain by visiting the resident bald eagles and bears.
(June 2015) The Forest Unseen: A Year's Watch in Nature, by David George Haskell
Biologist David George Haskell uses a one-square-meter patch of old-growth Tennessee forest as a window onto the entire natural world. Visiting it almost daily for one year to trace nature's path through the seasons, he brings the forest and its inhabitants to vivid life. Beginning with simple observations--a salamander scuttling across the leaf litter, the first blossom of spring wildflowers--Haskell spins a brilliant web of biology, ecology, and poetry, explaining the science binding together ecosystems that have cycled for thousands--sometimes millions--of years.
June's BRDC Book Club Selection is The Forest Unseen:
"Written with remarkable grace and empathy, The Forest Unseen is a grand tour of nature in all its profundity. Biologist David George Haskell uses a one-square-meter patch of old-growth Tennessee forest as a window onto the entire natural world. Visiting it almost daily for one year to trace nature's path through the seasons, he brings the forest and its inhabitants to vivid life. Beginning with simple observations--a salamander scuttling across the leaf litter, the first blossom of spring wildflowers--Haskell spins a brilliant web of biology, ecology, and poetry, explaining the science binding together ecosystems that have cycled for thousands--sometimes millions--of years."
(April 2014) 1. Hollows, Peepers, and Highlanders - An Appalachian Mountain Ecology, George Constantz
"In this revised and expanded edition of Hollows, Peepers, and Highlanders, author George Constantz, a biologist and naturalist, writes about the beauty and nature of the Appalachian landscape. While the information is scientific in nature, Constantz's accessible descriptions of the adaptation of various organisms to their environment enable the reader to enjoy learning about the Appalachian ecosystem."
"In this revised and expanded edition of Hollows, Peepers, and Highlanders, author George Constantz, a biologist and naturalist, writes about the beauty and nature of the Appalachian landscape. While the information is scientific in nature, Constantz's accessible descriptions of the adaptation of various organisms to their environment enable the reader to enjoy learning about the Appalachian ecosystem. The book is divided into three sections: "Stage and Theater," "The Players," and "Seasonal Act." Each section sets the scene and describes the events occurring in nature. "Stage and Theatre" is comprised of chapters that describe the origins of the Appalachia region. "The Players" is an interesting and in-depth look into the ecology of animals, such as the mating rituals of different species, and the evolutionary explanation for the adaptation of Appalachian wildlife. The last section, "Seasonal Act," makes note of the changes in Appalachian weather each season and its effect on the inhabitants."