50th Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally
First and Foremost: THANK YOU!
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!
Spring Salamander Migration
As February draws to a close, the first warm spring rains nurture a tiny, threatened ecosystem nestled in the forest floor: vernal pools!
As February draws to a close, the first warm spring rains nurture a tiny, threatened ecosystem nestled in the forest floor: vernal pools! Last week, our intrepid crew of BRDC naturalists had a chance to visit these ecosystems and celebrate on Ali Reilly’s last day as program coordinator at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center.
An adult Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) Photo by Cade Campbell
Vernal pools are seasonal wetlands that fill up in late February, making a home for amphibians that take amphibiousness to the extreme. Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) are migratory salamanders. In the summer, they disappear from the human world by burrowing up to six feet underground in wet burrows. The adults, around eight inches long, hunt earthworms, insects, and even small vertebrates hidden beneath the mud. But when the February rains reach temperatures of 50-60°F, these salamanders emerge from underground and start to move. Every year, they wander to the places they hatched in vernal pools, sometimes journeying miles. The males migrate first, and leave behind nutrient packets called spermatophores that also fertilize the eggs of females. Females arrive later, and lay clusters of around one hundred eggs on waterlogged branches.
Spotted salamander eggs are no ordinary eggs. Some clusters of eggs are milky-white, others are completely transparent aside from black dots (the developing salamander embryos), but all of the eggs share an amazing cohabitant. These eggs work in a symbiotic relationship with the Salamander Algae (Oophila amblystomatis). Salamander algae is mildly toxic to most aquatic wildlife, and produces sugars with photosynthesis. Protected in the gelatinous membrane of salamander eggs, the algae helps the eggs develop safely and quickly. Some of these algal cells may stick with the salamander for life, in pores on their skin even deep underground as adults. In their own unique way, spotted salamanders rank among the world’s few photosynthetic animals!
Spotted Salamander eggs, laid secretively on a rainy night in early March. Photo by Cade Campbell
When the eggs hatch, tiny, four-legged tadpoles emerge; the salamander larvae. These salamanders are greenish-brown, have feathery external gills, and a translucent, paddle-shaped tail; bearing no resemblance to the large, yellow-spotted black adults. They are helpless, and almost any other carnivore in ephemeral wetlands can eat them with ease. It can take years for the larvae to metamorphose in permanent wetlands, and some never do. Vernal pools will dry in a few months. Normally, Southwest Virginia spotted salamanders require about four to five months (February-June) to reach a terrestrial stage. After crawling onto land and changing colors, the salamanders may require a few additional years before they grow large enough to return to the breeding grounds.
But they have to be lucky. Another mole salamander, the Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum), lays eggs in November. Mothers guard the eggs on land, until February rains fill up the ponds. The mother leaves when the ponds are flooded, and her eggs hatch almost as soon as they are submerged. Marbled salamander larvae mature as spotted salamanders develop in the eggs, growing just large enough to hunt the spotted salamander larvae when they hatch. As adults, marbled salamanders are beautiful animals with black-and-white stripes. Males have solid white bands, while females have frosted gray bands. No two marbled salamanders, or spotted salamanders, have the same pattern, and individuals can easily be recognized from each other (especially those with unusual patterns). Mole salamanders can live for several years, and possibly for decades in ideal habitats.
A Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum), leaving a vernal pool in late February. Photo by Cade Campbell
Life is hard for these salamanders, but there is hope. On warm, rainy nights, you can help them! Many migratory salamanders are forced to cross roads at night, from backroads to highways, to travel from summer burrows to the winter breeding grounds in vernal pools. By carefully moving a salamander across the road in the direction it is traveling, you might save the next generation of salamanders. But remember, always make sure to prioritize your own safety when rescuing amphibians, and never attempt to save salamanders in dangerous conditions.
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!
Early Spring Wildflowers on the New River Trail
On Easter Saturday, 23 people joined Blue Ridge Discovery Center’s Explorers Club for our annual wildflower walk on the New River Trail. The 57-mile trail is the state’s “most narrow state park,” and the section between Low Water Bridge near Fries and Fries Junction, where a 12-mile spur trail heads to Galax, is a special spot for early spring wildflowers. Hike leader Carol Broderson briefly discussed the history of botanizing in Virginia and the fate of the “great forest” that covered the Appalachians.
On Easter Saturday, 23 people joined Blue Ridge Discovery Center’s Explorers Club for our annual wildflower walk on the New River Trail. The 57-mile trail is the state’s “most narrow state park,” and the section between Low Water Bridge near Fries and Fries Junction, where a 12-mile spur trail heads to Galax, is a special spot for early spring wildflowers. Hike leader Carol Broderson briefly discussed the history of botanizing in Virginia and the fate of the “great forest” that covered the Appalachians.
Co-leader Snow Ferrenia has made a life career of plants and was formerly in charge of the woodland garden at the New York Botanical Garden. In addition to plant identification, Snow shared the history of many of the invasive plant species that we saw along the roadsides. Some of our younger participants helped in the control effort by gathering garlic mustard to make pesto.
The earliest spring wildflowers, like bloodroot, cutleaf toothwort and bluets, were on the wane, but, from the genus Trillium, we saw whole hillsides of wake robins, in shades from red through pink to white. These purple trilliums are also called “Stinking Benjamin” due to a wet dog odor that attracts insects for pollination. Wild ginger also appeals to insects with its ground-hugging brown blossoms.
Also in the running for most profuse was Dutchmen's breeches, a member of the bleeding heart family. We saw another family member, yellow corydalis. And early saxifrage was living up to its reputation as “rock breaker” on all of the cliff faces.
Golden ragwort and spring beauty lined the trail sides. Spring beauty, Clatonia virginica was named after Virginia’s first internationally famed botanist, John Clayton, who corresponded with Linneaus and Thomas Jefferson.
Colonies of mayapples popped up everywhere. We noted the rule that the mayapple needs two leaves before the white bloom will appear in the middle, but then we found the exception with just one leaf and a bloom. We noted the inconspicuous brown bloom of blue cohosh and discussed its use as a medicinal.
Late spring wildflowers, columbine, fire pink and wild geranium, were beginning their bloom season. High up, serviceberry heralded spring, and in the understory, Carolina silver bell and red bud lit up the woods.
Species Spotlight: Sassafras
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is blooming now in the Blue Ridge.
Sassafras is a member of the Lauraceae family. This family is characterized by having woody stems, simple leaves, and actinomorphic (star-shaped) flowers that are typically bisexual. A a rather small tree, it is commonly found in early successional habitat such as fence lines and field edges all throughout Virginia.
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is blooming now in the Blue Ridge.
Sassafras is a member of the Lauraceae family. This family is characterized by having woody stems, simple leaves, and actinomorphic (star-shaped) flowers that are typically bisexual. A a rather small tree, it is commonly found in early successional habitat such as fence lines and field edges all throughout Virginia. It is one of the first trees to appear in a disturbed habitat, and is commonly found in the understory of mature forests.
Sassafras is easily distinguished by its three different leaf shapes: ovate, mitten-shaped, and three-lobed. The flowers are a delicate yellow with petals of six (common of actinomorphic flowers). Sassafras produces drupes, a berry-like fruit, that is a common part of the diet of the region’s wildlife. Black bear, quail, turkey, rabbits, sapsuckers, yellowthroated warblers, and other songbirds all feast on the produce of the sassafras.
This tree is very aromatic. From the root to the leaves, it has a distinct spicy flavor. The grayish-brown, blocky bark can be scraped just barely to reveal the aroma. Native Americans used this tree for numerous medicinal purposes. The bark was believed to treat fever, diarrhea, rheumatism, measles, and scarlet fever. Infusions of the plant were used to combat coughs, and as a mouthwash for colds. The leaves treated bee stings, wounds, cuts, bruises, and sprained ankles when applied as a poultice. The tree used to be the main ingredient for flavoring root beer, but has since been replaced by artificial flavors.
Sassafras albidum - Sassafras leaves, by Virens (Latin for greening) CC BY 2.0
