Kevin Hamed honored with 2017 Outstanding Faculty Award!
Our newest board member, Dr. Kevin Hamed, professor of Biology at VHCC, was recently announced as the recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
Our newest board member, Dr. Kevin Hamed, professor of Biology at VHCC, was recently announced as the recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
There is no one more skilled at inspiring students or more deserving of the highest honor for faculty in the state’s colleges and universities! Congratulations Kevin!
Check out the article recent article in the Bristol Paper.
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!
Explorers Adventure Day Camp I
BRDC's first week of Explorers Adventure Day Camp offered a variety of opportunities for kids to investigate mud and weeds, ponds, woodlands, creeks and river- five days of nature exploration and wonder.
BRDC's first week of Explorers Adventure Day Camp offered a variety of opportunities for kids to investigate mud and weeds, ponds, woodlands, creeks and river- five days of nature exploration and wonder.
The week began with a walk to the New River’s edge for birding. The campers were encouraged to listen for songs and calls before using sight and binoculars, and were rewarded with Baltimore Orioles, Indigo Buntings, Rough-winged Swallows, Eastern Kingbirds, Song Sparrows, and a huge family of Canada Geese with many goslings.
An orienteering program gave the campers a quick study of compass skills. as the kids constructed large scale models of compasses on the ground to emphasize north, east, south and west. Later in the week, the campers expanded on this lesson with a compass directed walk in the woods where they discovered a 24 year old box turtle, and hunted for salamanders.
The kids learned Tenkara, the traditional Japanese method of fly-fishing, ideal for mountain streams and similar to the simple cane pole. Campers were given instructions on how to cast, then headed to a nearby pond. Using artificial flies, the kids were all given a chance to fish, and all were successful in bringing in at least two blue-gills each. Groups rotated between fishing and an insect/butterfly hunt in the fields around the pond. White-spotted Skipper, Great-spangled Fritillary, Sulfers, and Pearl Crescent were some of their discoveries.
A chilly morning didn't stop the campers from getting into the Saddle Creek to look for aquatic invertebrates. The critters were keyed out in field guides, and listed in the campers' journals. Stone flies, caddis flies, mayflies, and damsel flies were identified along with our usual catch of crayfish.
Mid-week, the campers learned knots and lashing skills and put them into practice by constructing a version of Leonardo Da Vinci’s self supporting bridge out of sweet birch trunks and branches.
The campers studied different species of mushrooms, hiked to a rock shelter cave, constructed and tested creek rafts, explored owl pellets, learned about the art of fire-building, practiced primitive skills such as flint knapping with a deer antler and basket making, conducted hands-on experiments in geology, learned to identify wildflowers, and explored the creek fresh water snorkeling.
Recognizing the huge interest in salamanders, the campers rounded out the week with a salamander hunt. Aaron Floyd, BRDC’s executive director, joined in the hunt and helped the kids identify their catch, which included Blue Ridge Two Lined, Black Bellied, and Dusky salamanders.
Special thanks to Lisa Benish, Heidi Breedlove, Carol Broderson, Rick Cavey, Ken Crouse, Roald and Ellie Kirby, Fred Newcomb, Joe Flowers, Scott Jackson-Ricketts and all of the BRDC staff and volunteers who helped to make our first week of camp a great success!
Chasing Tigers in the Blue Ridge
In the Central Virginia Blue Ridge exists a phenomenal ecosystem, one that was probably shaped by raging braided mountain streams during the last iceage. It contains many disjunct species. In fact, over 90 species that are well outside their typical range have been documented here. It’s an odd mix of coastal plain, Appalachian and northern plants and animals. While several rare and endangered species exist here, today we focused on a well known Blue Ridge phenomenon: Salamanders.
The Blue Ridge harbors so many treasures.
In the Central Virginia Blue Ridge exists a phenomenal ecosystem, one that was probably shaped by raging braided mountain streams during the last iceage. It contains many disjunct species. In fact, over 90 species that are well outside their typical range have been documented here. It’s an odd mix of coastal plain, Appalachian and northern plants and animals. While several rare and endangered species exist here, today we focused on a well known Blue Ridge phenomenon: Salamanders.
The Rivanna Chapter of Master Naturalists hosted its annual salamander hike to this part of the Blue Ridge. With a strong group of nearly 30 people, we headed to the George Washington National Forest and into the heart of the 30,000 acre wildlife management area known as Big Levels. While we expected to see several species, the one that had our hearts was the State Endangered Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum). It has been documented at this site but rarely has it been seen.
We found a single Tiger salamander, along with two other species of the same genus, the Marbled and the Spotted. The tiger was just under 7 inches long, and thus a small one. They are typically anywhere between 7 and 14 inches in length! For all involved this was a very special day; a once in a lifetime experience. Thank you John Holden for leading the walk! Excellent, as usual.
For more information about the Tiger Salamander:
Other noteworthy plants and animals
observed on the walk:
- Hooded merganser
- Ring-necked duck
- Pine Warbler
- Marbled salamander
- Spotted salamander
- Northern redback salamander
- Northern dusky salamander
- Redbellied snake
- Cricket frog
- Red eft
- Fox scat
- Coyote scat
- Bear scat
- Citronella ants
- Trailing arbutus (tightly closed flower buds)
- Spotted wintergreen
- Eastern teaberry (in full fruit)
D. Floyd
Plethodon complex salamander
Yesterday, March 12, I photographed a salamander in the yard. After I did an initial search for an ID, I sent the photos to Bill Dunson. He forwarded them to a couple of experts and recommended that I send the pics to the president of the Virginia Herpetological Society, which I did.
Yesterday, March 12, I photographed a salamander in the yard. After I did an initial search for an ID, I sent the photos to Bill Dunson. He forwarded them to a couple of experts and recommended that I send the pics to the president of the Virginia Herpetological Society, which I did.
Slimy salamanders (Plethodon) are lungless and do not have an aquatic larval stage. They live under logs and wander leaf litter in wooded areas, feeding on insects and other small invertebrates. Their skin is covered with a gummy substance that is difficult to wash off if you get it on your fingers.
Here are the pics.
