Expedition on the New

Twelve eager young people and four BRDC staff set out on one of our favorite summer adventures: a four-day, three-night expedition down the New River, camping on its banks by night and paddling on its waters by day. The trip covered around 25 river miles with some Class I and II rapids adding to the excitement.

We snorkeled and swam before the river became churned up from the heavy downpours and then made good use of our time on land searching for insects and amphibians, all of which were found a plenty. A special treat was a nice dunk under a waterfall on the last night. Quite refreshing after paddling in the hot sun…no, we weren’t complaining after the rains, but it did get warm!

And there is nothing like a hot meal after a long day on the water. Breaking bread morning, noon, and night added to the camaraderie and friendship around the stove and the fire. Roasting marshmallows and eating key lime pie and cherry cobbler riverside can’t be beat. Games such as battleship, ninja, and ultimate frisbee kept us competitive and laughing all the while.

We couldn’t have asked for a better crew and surely lifelong friendships and memories were made. At least they were for us! This camp is supported by the 2018 Virginia Wildlife Grant Program through a partnership between the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Wildlife Foundation of Virginia. Thank you for your support in purchasing kayaks and helmets to keep our kids safe and actively exploring, discovering, and sharing the wonders of the Blue Ridge!

The Cabell Foundation Grants BRDC Opportunity to Complete Restoration Goal

We are excited to announce that we have recently been awarded a challenge grant that, when matched by donations within the community, will push us to fully achieving our restoration goal for our future Center! 

In 1957, Mr. Robert G. Cabell, III, and Mrs. Maude Morgan Cabell established the Cabell Foundation to support charitable organizations in Virginia through a collective effort with engaged and active communities. The Cabell Foundation recognizes the value of Blue Ridge Discovery Center’s goal to restore the Historic Konnarock Training School into a discovery center at the base of Virginia’s highest mountain, and has awarded us a $200,000 Challenge Grant to be matched by community donors by June 2020 for a combined total of $400,000. Achieving this $400,000 grant and donation match will complete our restoration fundraising goal of $2,250,000 for the Historic Konnarock Training School. At 90% of our goal, we now need your help to finish the restoration fundraising effort! Bringing this project to life will be a tremendous achievement. It will launch Blue Ridge Discovery Center into a new era of impact and directly change the trajectory of Southwest Virginia and beyond.

This challenge grant and the final piece of our restoration fundraising relies on your contribution! It is time to dig deep and determine how much you can contribute. If it helps for personal budgeting, we welcome monthly, quarterly, or multi-year pledges. To give you perspective, we need 200 people to give $1,000. That is a big challenge for both BRDC and our community. Help us raise the challenge match of $200,000 by making a donation today. Every gift counts! Call us at 276-293-1232 to discuss your pledge.

Your personal contribution can come in the form of a one-time cash donation, a financial pledge over a period of time, and in-kind gifts.

Contact Aaron Floyd (276-293-1232) or Keith Andrews (276-237-3654) if you have any questions about the project or about how to make a contribution.

You may also visit https://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/capital-campaign.

Our future discovery center: a residential education facility, interpretive center, and biological field station in one!

Kicking Off a Summer of Discovery

From festival to forest to field, there is much to discover across the Blue Ridge during the summer. Check out what we have been up to with our friends!

A Weekend of Music and Fun 

On June 15th, we had the opportunity to not only participate in the Wayne Henderson Music Festival, but also to provide the 2019 children’s activities. Despite the past record of rainy days, the sun paid a visit for the day to make the weather even more beautiful for the full day ahead. Throughout the day while getting to listen to the amazing performances, we got to make journals, leaf poundings, buttons, and other crafts. In addition to creating things together, we also got to listen to storytelling and participate in rope trick lessons, courtesy of some of our incredible volunteers. 

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Konnarock Discovery Day Camp: Session I

On June 17th, we kicked off the first session of our Discovery Day Camp based out of Konnarock! Despite the prevailing storms that came throughout the week, we got to participate in activities that focused on every aspect of the nature around us. From collecting and learning about different trees of the area, to having first-hand experiences with native and non-native animals, everyday was a little adventure.

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Galax Discovery Day Camp: Session I

This past week, Blue Ridge Discovery Center had the pleasure of providing Discovery Day Camp for kids in the Galax area! Every day was focused on a different aspect of nature. We explored all things from birding to stream ecology and hydrography! The students learned so much, including what constitutes an owl pellet (pictured). All in all, the week was a success and our campers walked away with a greater appreciation for the physical world around them.

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Discovery Day Camp Photo Album

Birds of a Feather

Birders are passionate about birds. Age plays no factor here. From 9 to 99, they love them all and will sometimes go to great lengths to see them. The campers at BRDC’s Ornithology Camp were tough! It was cold (for June) and the days were long but nary a complaint came from a one of them. They were on a mission to see as many species (mostly new ones) as they could in our time together.

We visited multiple habitats where a diverse number of birds could be seen. It’s that life list. A list of all the species one has seen. Everyone added birds to their list! We managed to hear and view nearly 80 species from hummingbirds to bald eagles. Not only did they observe birds all day each day, but we listened for and saw them at night too. We viewed the Center’s resident screech owl and attempted to hear a Northern saw-whet owl.

This camp was the epitome of all that is BRDC. We explored an array of habitats, discovered new birds, and shared it with the world. As rain entered the forecast and our day, we sought shelter in the cottage at the Center. We connected to eBird as citizen scientists and documented our findings in the Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas. Did I mention that they also observed all birds for breeding activity? Well they did that too! It was not just “I see hummingbirds!”, it was “Oh…they are building a nest!” For every species seen, our ornithology campers also noted any type of breeding behavior, be it nest building, food gathering, or singing.

This was an amazing bunch of passionate, knowledgeable young people. We all learned from one another and shared that information lovingly and cheerfully. Our feathered friends are in good hands.

A big THANK YOU shout out to Allen Boynton, Katie Cordle, and Aaron Floyd for all their help during this very special camp!

Nature Inspires Art as Stryk Inspires Naturalists

“Art is born of the observation and investigation of nature.” Cicero

Art is a key component of Blue Ridge Discovery Center’s approach to discovery. Art provides each of us - regardless of perceived ability - with the opportunity to observe closely, to ask questions, and communicate our findings. In other words, it allows us to explore, discover, and share.

One member of our community, Suzanne Stryk, has devoted a great deal of time to the observation and investigation of nature, communicating her findings through sketches, paintings, and assemblages. During the June session of “Lunch and Learn” at the William King Museum of Art, Stryk demonstrated the process she uses to create nature-inspired assemblages. These 3-dimensional mixed media pieces may describe the life history of a species, plant and animal communities, or how these species interact with their environment.

Assemblage artist Suzanne Stryk displays Back to the Garden during WKMA’s June “Lunch and Learn”

In 2011, Stryk received a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts to document the five ecological regions of Virginia. This allowed Stryk to immerse herself in natural habitats across the state and to create twenty-six assemblages of her findings. Together, these works make up Stryk’s collection, Notes on the State of Virginia, inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s book of the same name published in 1785.

In Back to the Garden (pictured), Stryk uses a topographic map, pencil, plants, bark, and paint and plant stains on paper to communicate the biological community of Burke’s Garden, Virginia’s highest valley, where Blue Ridge Discovery Center leads a birding event each winter.

Watercolor of a metamorphosing tadpole in Stryk’s sketchbook based on field observations

Part of Stryk’s process involves keeping a sketchbook, in which she utilizes ink, watercolor, and even coffee to render observations. This August, Stryk will share her sketchbook techniques with the Blue Ridge Discovery Center community during the Summer Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally. Stryk’s afternoon program on Saturday, August 17th, Nature Art, will teach you how to enhance your observational skills and record your experiences in nature through experimentation with quick sketches as well as more sustained studies. Bring your sketchbook, pencils or pens, and camp stool to take advantage of this opportunity!

To view more of Suzanne Stryk’s work and to learn more about her background and exhibitions, Visit Her Website.

To Join us for the Summer Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally August 16th-18th in Konnarock, VA, Register Online.

Layers (Darner) by Suzanne Stryk, 2015, mixed media on plexiglass and mirror

Vanitas with Audubon’s Cuckoo by Suzanne Stryk, 2016, acrylic on canvas

Field Work Series #11 by Suzanne Stryk, 2008, mixed media on paper

Great Outdoor Provision Co. & Our Story

The team at Great Outdoor Provision Co. set out to tell the story of Blue Ridge Discovery Center. But it's not just about us. This is a story about you, about your kids, about the mountains and forests and streams that we appreciate together. This is a story 10,000 people strong.

Click here to read the full article and to learn more about Great Outdoor Provision Co, which has nine locations across Virginia and North Carolina.

I Spy

Breakfast for humans often starts with a cup of coffee, eggs, and toast. For the birds, however, it starts with a game of I Spy! The 4th and 5th graders of Washington County Schools learned this Wednesday, June 5th, when the Blue Ridge Discovery Center taught a lecture on camouflage. Prey are often easily missed or mistaken for less appetizing forms of energy making hunting a challenge for predators and their families. This was exemplified through a difficult scavenger hunt that even had some of the adults scratching their heads! In the end, students gathered their findings to force conclusions about the shortfalls and triumphs of their hunts. Though there were different teams, they all came to the same conclusion: prey can integrate their appearance with the surrounding environment in a way that masks them from predators’ vision. This use of camouflage acts as a defense mechanism and protects the species at hand from becoming someone else’s breakfast!

On June 11th we traveled back to Washington County to work with 1st - 3rd graders. There we discussed insects, their different body parts, and what differentiates them from other bugs. Later, the students used their knowledge of insects to perform an insect scavenger hunt and make Father’s Day cards!

The Secret Life of Our American Treecreeper

By Cade Campbell

Brown creeper (Certhia Americana)

The brown creeper (Certhia americana) is a bizarre bird. If you’re not looking for them, they are virtually invisible against the craggy bark of large trees. The only member of the Treecreeper family in North America, brown creepers are pretty aberrant when compared to their more typical companion species. Nonetheless, these birds are known for performing a highly sought-after role in mixed-species flocks during the winter. When frigid temperatures push these flocks of wintering birds south, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches band together to forage more efficiently on each tree. Tufted titmice and chickadees share the branches and twigs of large trees, while nuthatches forage downwards along the trunk of the tree. When brown creepers join one of these flocks, they will begin foraging at the base of the tree and spiral upwards. Four or five species of these birds will engage in this behavior, encircling trees in search of tiny insects, cocoons, or seeds hidden in the bark.

The entire livelihood of the brown creeper is dependent on tree bark. When threatened by a predator, a brown creeper will freeze, pressing its grizzled, brown body against a tree trunk to camouflage itself. The brown creeper’s scythe-shaped bill enables them to stab, pluck, and pry invertebrate prey from cracks in bark. The toes, feet, and legs of brown creepers are positioned to allow the birds to adhere themselves to the tree trunk. The long, tawny tail of the bird allows it to stabilize itself while foraging vertically on tree bark. But most importantly, at least to this population, the reproduction of the species also occurs within tree bark. A pair of brown creepers generally constructs a nest in a thick stand of evergreens, such as the spruce forests of Canada and the Northeast. However, the high elevations of Whitetop Mountain and Mount Rogers also host a population of breeding brown creepers. While many Southern birders are familiar with the occurrence of this peculiar little bird during the winter months, few get to observe the remarkable nesting behavior of the species, even though they are nesting in the backyard of America, right in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Eastern Tennessee, and Western North Carolina.

Brown creeper nest behind Blue Ridge Discovery Center.

However, these habitats would not be very unique without the elevation changes of each mountain, as well as the constantly shifting plant and animal communities. As you begin the ascent towards Whitetop along a very steep embankment, there is a noticeable, clinal shift from a riparian, acid cove forest into a drier forest speckled with pines and hemlock. Songs of the hooded warbler and Louisiana waterthrush fade away and are replaced by the jingling of ovenbirds and the raspy whistling of black-throated green warblers. Eventually, one will reach the summit of Whitetop’s spruce-fir forest and high-elevation grasslands, one of the most unique and beautiful ecosystems in the entire world. Brown creepers nest in this habitat, where they build some of the coolest little nests imaginable. A pair will build a thick cup of shredded bark, pine needles, and other soft, fibrous material under a flap of bark peeling from one of these trees. The bark serves as a roof, protecting the young from the harsh wind and rain of the Southern Appalachian “cloud forest” where the temperature, weather, and wind speed is constantly shifting, sometimes quite dramatically. The opening of the nest is inconspicuous and resembles a window or a door in shape, a feature which creates a slight resemblance between the nest and a miniature tree house.

Currently, there is an active brown creeper nest in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area behind Blue Ridge Discovery Center in an almost vertical grove of white pines. However, before I found the actual nest, I was led by a singing individual to a “dummy nest.” Whether the nest was constructed by brown creepers to serve such a purpose, or whether it is a repurposed nest from a previous year or another bird is questionable, but this individual was certainly utilizing its presence. A “dummy nest” is a fake, empty nest built by birds as a decoy to distract or deter potential predators. I have to admit that the “dummy nest” strategy worked on me, even though my intent was quite the opposite of harming any eggs or young I might have found.

Along the Creek

The sun was shining and spirits were high this past week when we had the opportunity to journey into Grayson Highlands State Park with a seventh grade group from Grayson Highlands School. After departing from the school, we hiked down the Cabin Creek Trail from Massey Gap, observing wildlife that we saw along the way.

After reaching the base of the trail, the students conducted a stream survey which involved sampling and studying aquatic macroinvertebrates as well as fish. Even a few salamanders decided to show themselves! With the help of context clues and dichotomous keys, the students were able to not only catch but also identify the species seen.

Before heading back, we took the opportunity to hike to the Cabin Creek Trail Waterfall, which added to the day’s adventures.

2019 Species T-shirts Now Available!

Each year, Blue Ridge Discovery Center designs stylish graphic tees featuring a collection of species that are unique to our region. This year’s collection includes:

• Northern saw-whet owl

• Gray’s lily

• Northern pygmy salamander

• Spruce-fir moss spider

The 2019 Species Shirt Collection is now available in our online shop. Adult and youth options are available. Continue reading for full descriptions!

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The 2019 Species Shirt Collection

The second smallest native owl species, the northern saw-whet owl generally remains deep within the Canadian taiga, but its breeding range extends down through the Appalachian Mountains, where it ends in the Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest. Feeding on insects, small rodents and birds, northern saw-whet owls scoop up their prey with one fatal blow, swooping down to the forest floor with silent wings. Superior eyesight allows them to both hone in on prey as well as avoid predators, which often come in the form of larger owls. These are named for their monotonous whistle; the squeaking sound resembles the raspy creaking of an old crosscut saw being sharpened. Northern saw-whet owls spend the winter in the lowlands, migrating back to northern and clinal subalpine forests in the spring, where they will raise a brood of bizarre, exotic-looking fledglings. Look in thick, coniferous cover and you might catch a glimpse of this rare bird of prey.

Northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus)

The blossoms of Gray’s lily are bright red and they shine like beacons through foggy waves of grass in their characteristic montane habitats during the summer. The Gray’s or Roan lily, Lilium grayi, is a threatened, endemic species first discovered by legendary nineteenth century botanist Asa Gray, who wrote notes on the unusual features of these beautiful flowers, but humbly refrained from immediately attempting to describe the plant. Later, it was discovered to indeed be a new species, and was named in Gray’s honor. A truly unique lily, the Gray’s lily illustrates the beauty associated with biodiversity, and as a result, it is an important testimony of the Blue Ridge’s botanical significance. Now, an introduced fungal pathogen is wreaking havoc on this species, but they may still be found fighting to bloom in the scenic natural grasslands of the mountains.

Gray’s lily (Lilium grayi)

Named Desmognathus organi after herpetologist James Organ who laid a foundation for salamander research in the Mt. Rogers area, this Lilliputian salamander is truly a sight to behold. Pygmy salamanders have a characteristic herringbone pattern which resembles pinecone scales, and a beautiful golden coloration. A terrestrial species of dusky salamander, northern pygmy salamanders forage for small insects atop the leaf litter on cool, moist spring and summer nights. In fact, pygmy salamanders are excellent climbers and have been found foraging several feet above the ground on the bark or vegetation of trees. Unlike most amphibians, they will even lay their eggs outside of the water and the female will fiercely guard her brood from predators and infections. As a testament to their name and size, an adult female coiled around her eggs could fit easily atop a quarter.

Northern pygmy salamander (Desmognathus organi)

Spruce fir moss spiders, Microhexura montivaga, are often affectionately referred to as the “tiny tarantulas of the mountains” because of their resemblance and relation to the giant tarantulas of tropical regions. This species is a critically endangered spider restricted to the rare Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest habitat on a few mountaintops of the Blue Ridge. These spiders are certainly tiny; adults seldom grow larger than one eighth of an inch. These spiders construct thick tubes of silk amongst the rhizomes of hair cap mosses such as Dicranodontium and Polytrichum. Their webs resemble those of the also related trapdoor spiders, and mainly hunt tiny soil microfauna detected crossing above. Few have seen this spider, and it remains one of the more mysterious denizens of southern boreal forests.

Spruce-fir moss spider (Microhexura montivaga); Photo by Marshal Hedin

With your purchase you are supporting Blue Ridge Discovery Center's mission to inspire creativity, discovery, and critical thinking through interest-driven and hands-on activities focused on the Blue Ridge Mountains.

At the Summit

A beautiful week of sunshine and cool weather was spent with the 5th graders from Summit School. They explored the Blue Ridge from the rivers and streams to the peaks of mountains. Fly fishing, hiking, birding, snorkeling, and kayaking; they carried back a taste of the place we call home. Finishing the week along the New River, satiated by “walking tacos”, an eagle flew past. Could there be a better end to our time together than a salutation from their mascot?

The Rain Did NOT Dampen the Weekend

The 45th Annual Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally, held May 10th-12th this year, was a BIG success. The weather always threatens to ruin the weekend and as usual, it was set to be extremely rainy. Alas, the rain came but not in the amounts nor the times to disrupt the Naturalists gathered together for this fantastic event that celebrates the flora and fauna of the Blue Ridge and the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area.

Twenty-nine guided trips went out Saturday and Sunday, all full of enthusiastic attendees. Many focused on birds, wildflowers, salamanders, insects, stream ecology, fly fishing, and edible and medicinal plants while others pursued art and science. Lets not forget the awesome kids programs about salamanders and rocks!

It takes a lot of individuals to make this come together. We couldn’t do it without the love and passion our guides have and share for their fields of expertise. Nor could it happen without all the volunteers and their loving hands providing sustenance for the many participants. It is a pleasure to bring like-minded souls together to Explore, Discover and Share the wonders of the Blue Ridge.

Trout in the Classroom

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is an environmental education program that was started over 20 years ago in which students raise trout from eggs to fry, monitor tank water quality, engage in stream habitat study, and learn to appreciate water resources as a means to foster a conservation ethic. BRDC provides the supplies, education and support for this program to teachers and students from tank set-up to fingerling release.

The program begins in October with tank set-up and the life cycle of our native brook trout. In creating a cold water habitat within a 55 gallon tank, the students learn aquaculture through rigorous water testing and the proper balance of bacteria and nutrients. Through the winter, the eggs that are delivered in November transform from alevin to fry. By spring, they have become fingerling trout. May sends us to the stream for habitat study and the release of those trout.

Release day is a big deal for students as they set free nearly 100 tiny brook trout after watching and caring for them over the span of an entire school year. This program emphasizes the importance of our watershed and our mission to inspire stewardship in our youth. Congratulations to Ms. Tignor’s 7th grade Explorer class for a job well done!

The Beginnings of Our First Nature Trail

Through the ingenuity, brute force, and determination of a group of volunteers led by Luke Benish, the beginnings of our first on-site nature trail have been established! Luke, an Eagle Scout candidate, decided to support Blue Ridge Discovery Center’s mission with a construction project. Together we identified an area of need that could deliver both immediate and long-term impact: a nature trail along Dell’s Branch!

Even before completion, we have sighted a red squirrel nest, a Louisiana waterthrush, trout lilies, mayapples, and trilliums! In the long-term, BRDC will be developing the grounds around the trail to feature natural plant communities of the region . . . imagine a small valley with an extreme abundance of wildflowers!

This winter we worked with Luke on a variety of design concepts that could meet our goal to provide engaging hands-on experiences. After exploring a half-dozen ideas for methods to cross the creek (including a rope swing and a log crossing), we arrived at simple stepping stones as a visually unobtrusive construction that at the same time could feed the imagination of youth and adults alike. With an excess of adjacent rocks on site, this solution was also a very feasible one!

Four big steps have been taken to get this trail underway:

1. The path was laid out and obstacles cleared!

2. A set of stone steps was constructed to provide an entry point for the trail.

3. Large stepping stones were placed across the creek to access the adjacent bank.

4. Non-native invasive plants, including periwinkle, floral rose, and Japanese barberry, were pulled to make way for native plants!

This is an ongoing project that we will be working on for years, so don’t fear, you have not missed out on the construction of the very first nature trail at BRDC! We are going to continue this project during the Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally as a service program, so sign-up and join us as we continue to build out this little nature trail of dreams!

Many thanks to Luke Benish, Cassidy Hawks, Trey Harris, and Roy Brittain for their hard work to make this happen!

The Spruce-Fir Moss Spider: At the Peak of Unique

The high-elevation forests of the Blue Ridge provide habitat for a number of species not found at lower elevations, or anywhere else in the world. Among these unique species is the spruce-fir moss spider.

M. Montivaga photo by Dr. Marshal Hedin, SDSU

At full size, the spruce-fir moss spider (Microhexura montivaga) measures about 1/8”, making it the world’s smallest tarantula-like spider. This rare arachnid only occurs in the high-elevation red spruce-Fraser fir forests of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, with six recognized populations occurring on the mountain peaks of Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina above 5,300 feet. In its peak condition, the spruce-fir ecosystem has a dense canopy and moist understory. The spruce-fir moss spider (SFMS) takes advantage of this quality by living below damp, well-drained moss and liverwort mats on heavily shaded north-facing rock outcroppings.

Limited-edition Spruce-Fir Moss Spider shirt, available at the Spring MRNR.

The tiny spruce-fir moss spider constructs thin-walled tube-shaped webs between moss mats and rock surfaces. No food source has been discovered within these webs, suggesting that the SFMS likely feeds on springtails (collembolans) in the moss.  In June, the SFMS female lays 7-9 eggs in a thin-walled, translucent egg sac. She remains with the egg sac until her spiderlings hatch out in September.

In 1995, the spruce-fir moss spider was federally listed as an endangered species due to widespread loss of the endangered Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) trees, which also only occur in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. This loss is a result of an infestation of the balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae), a wingless insect whose toxic saliva kills Fraser firs. The balsam woolly adelgid was introduced into the United States from Europe around 1900 and is responsible for the loss of 80% of the Fraser firs across the tree’s range, greatly reducing SFMS habitat. When the forest canopy is thinned, the moss mats become exposed to sunlight and dry out. This reduces the amount of habitat available to the SFMS, which requires high and constant humidity within healthy, well-shaded moss.

Blue Ridge Discovery Center is proud to feature the rare and endangered spruce-fir moss spider in our 2019 Species Shirt Collection. These limited-edition shirts will be released at the 45th Annual Spring Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally May 10th-12th. Our 2019 collection also includes three other unique, high-elevation species: Gray’s lily, the northern pygmy salamander, and the northern saw-whet owl.

Happenings with BRDC in the Schools

Each month, BRDC shares elements of the natural history of the region with the students in elementary schools in Grayson and Washington Counties.

The winter’s cold causes the vegetation to die back and expose the rocks, making January, although cold, the perfect time to study geology. With first graders, we share the world of long ago with a close look at fossils and how they are formed. Using clay and shark teeth, the kids create a mold of that tooth showing how the “impression” is made and left behind as a treasure to be discovered later. The fourth graders study the rock cycle and use Play-Doh as the medium in which to create sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rock. This “hands-on” manipulation emphasizes the power of the Earth’s heat and pressure to form and reform our geology.

February brings the snow and the ability to follow tracks. Tracks and signs are always a fun way to learn about the fauna of the region. Learning how to identify an animal from the signs left behind engages our students on a deeper level. Making prints and seeing them in sand leaves an “impression” on the students. They study and try to imitate various methods of animal walking patterns to better understand animal behaviors and actions.

March is for marsupials and marvelous adaptations. The first graders learn about the only North American marsupial, the Virginia opossum. We call it the superhero of mammals due to its immune system and ability to survive the most deadly of toxins. Students develop an appreciation for the niche the opossum fills in its environment and ours.

The study of adaptation is the focus with the fourth grade science classes. Colors and patterns as part of an organism’s adaptation, is studied. Does this organism blend in or stand out? Why? Is it a warning, or for attraction, mimicry, or camouflage? The students explore the answers to these questions by placing certain organisms into their respective category and debate their reasoning. This exercise fosters critical thinking skills and pushes the students to think deeper about why an organism looks like it does.

The cold of winter is slowly leaving and the warmth of spring is bringing new life to the Blue Ridge. We are looking forward to sharing those happenings too!

BRDC’s 2019 Overnight Summer Camps

BRDC’s 2019 Overnight Summer Camps

From the birds of the balds to the rapids of the river, Blue Ridge Discovery Center offers an array of opportunities for youth to engage in the Summer Outside. Read on to learn about our 2019 Summer Camps, including how you can take advantage of our discount offers and claim your child’s spot!

First on the list is Ornithology Camp (ages 9-13), from June 12-15. Each participant will receive a journal and their very own field guide to help them identify up to 100 different species of birds across the region’s top birding hot spots! While honing their birding skills, participants will also play games, meet other young people with similar interests, participate in citizen science projects, learn field ecology, and explore careers in ornithology.

Next is the New River Expedition (ages 11-15), from July 10-13. Did you know that the New River is one of the 5 oldest rivers in the world? Over the course of 4 days, participants will cover 30 miles of this beautiful river, building leadership and naturalist skills while snorkeling, hammocking, fly fishing, sampling water quality, and camping on remote islands!

During Fly Fishing Camp (ages 11-15) from July 23-27, participants will engage in every aspect of fly fishing. Following equipment basics and casting techniques, campers will conduct habitat studies while snorkeling, try their hand at fly tying, learn to read the water, and so much more. This camp is suitable for first time fly fishers as well as experienced anglers.

Rounding out the summer is Wilderness Discovery (ages 11-15), from August 5-9. This is your child's opportunity for full immersion into all things natural history while developing lifelong wilderness skills. Participants will join our expert naturalists and wilderness guides on this hands-on journey of discovery through the highest mountains of the Blue Ridge.

To learn more and to register, click on any of the links above.

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Fishing for a Deal?

• Members save $40 off each camp registration fee, in addition to the offers below. Members also get to enjoy free registration to our monthly community programming, free admittance to our semi-annual Mount Rogers Naturalist Rallies, quarterly newsletters, and more. Click Become a Member to learn more.

• With our Friend Referral, you receive a $50 refund for each family you refer who registers a child for one of our overnight camps! Refer two families and get a $100 refund! You may receive referral refunds up to the full amount of your child's camp registration fee, so invite as many friends as you wish to register for Ornithology Camp, New River Expedition, Fly Fishing Camp, or Wilderness Discovery. Step 1: Register your child for one of the camps listed. Step 2: Invite your friends to register, and have them mention your name during the registration process. Step 3: Receive your refund(s) within 3 business days of referral registration. It's that easy! 

• Have more than one child between 9-15 interested in experiencing our overnight camps? Use discount code CAMPFAM19 to save 5% off each registration fee! This discount applies to siblings for overnight camps only. Siblings do not have to register for the same camp; simply enter the discount code during each registration. 

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“I’ve been attending Blue Ridge Discovery Center summer camps for 3 years. Every time I attend a camp I always come home with fun experiences I’ll remember for years. My favorite summer camp with Blue Ridge Discovery Center is the New River Expedition camp, where we kayak down the river and camp on the river banks. The camps are well organized with incredibly educational lessons that remind me to take a step back, observe, and learn from nature. Blue Ridge Discovery Center reminds me that there is a whole world out there at my fingertips, I just have to go out and connect with it.”

— Savannah, Age 15

Botanical Artist & Illustrator, Lara Call Gastinger, to Speak at Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally

Amid winter’s decaying leaves, forgotten acorns, and the emerging buds of spring, one might also find pens, journals, and watercolors . . . in the capable hands of Lara Call Gastinger, our Featured Speaker for the 45th Annual Spring Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally.

LARA CALL GASTINGER is a botanical artist and illustrator in Charlottesville, Virginia.  She was the chief illustrator for the Flora of Virginia Project after she received her master’s degree from Virginia Tech in Plant Ecology. She has been awarded two gold medals (2018, 2007) at the Royal Horticultural Society garden show in London and her work has been in several ASBA traveling exhibits and the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. Her work can be followed at: www.instagram.com/laragastinger. The subjects of her art come from the natural world and reveal detailed evidence of change, decay, and processes that occur in nature. She strives to make a plant portrait in such a way that it reveals its character and uniqueness. Her focus is on the small details in nature, down to the small venations in leaves, which hopefully inspires others to look deeper and pause a bit longer.

This May, attendees of the Spring Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally will have a chance to meet Lara during her presentation, Documenting Nature as a Botanical Artist. Join Lara as she details her experiences as a botanical artist, illustrator, and documenter of nature. She will talk about her work in the Flora of Virginia, her perpetual journals, and detailed botanical watercolors. After her talk, you will be inspired to look more closely at nature, to be curious, and to start your own journal.

To attend Lara’s presentation at the Spring Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally on May 10, 2019, please register online at: https://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/mrnr

To learn more about Lara’s work, visit her website: https://www.laracallgastinger.com/

Enrichment with Galax Middle School

What a week loaded with lots of fun both inside and out! The students of Galax Middle School played games, made camp, knapped arrowheads, and caught BIG fish.

As part of the enrichment program with Galax City Public Schools, BRDC provides educational hands-on activities focused on the Blue Ridge. Last week we provided cultural heritage exploration as well as outdoor skills to these students. Fly fishing, primitive technology, camping, and highland games were the course offerings for the spring session.

It was a chilly start to the first morning of the fly fishing program, so we focused on equipment and knots, with the students learning those necessary for building leaders and tippet. As an introduction to flies used in fly fishing, Tuesday provided us with warmth and sunshine as we hit the creek looking for aquatic insects . . . aka . . . fish food. After an intro to casting, review, and practice, the fishing began, but to no avail. After a day of no fish fishing, they hit the fly tying table to equip themselves with ammunition. Between the woolly bugger, Griffith’s gnat, and mop fly; something had to catch fish. Friday was the day! The trout hit those woolly buggers and never stopped. We could hardly keep up with the frenzy. It was a stellar fly fishing (and catching) week!

The afternoons provided a multitude of programs. Highland Games introduced the students to some of the cultural heritage of the region. Not only did they participate in Highland-style games, but Appalachian games as well. All week the students competed with one another in the caber toss, sheath toss, haggis hurl, stone put, kiltie dash, and tug-of-war as part of the Scots-Irish highland games. The Appalachian games were mostly indoors and included marbles, jacks, hopscotch, checkers, hoop rolling relays, three-legged races, and jumping rope. The Lions were the winning clan, but each individual was a winner in their own right as they all excelled at something.

Camping is a joy to all kids, big and small. What could be more fun than pitching a tent or chilling in a hammock during the school day? As part of our introductory camping program, the students were introduced to the basic skills and equipment needed to have a safe and enjoyable camping and hiking adventure. The week began with learning where to camp if you find yourself in an unplanned outdoor overnight situation, learning how to build an emergency shelter, and tying knots. It progressed to the ten essentials that one should carry backpacking and hiking, and on to bear safety and water purification. Of course they had to build a fire, cook food, and drink hot chocolate, too . . . it was February!

Cordage “tied” the week together. Primitive technology finished out the week with a multitude of projects that demonstrated the skills needed to provide food and shelter for early peoples of any region. Searching out and finding natural plant materials and resources to make tools and primitive living essentials was the goal of this program. The students made cord from the fibers of plants, pottery from clay, baskets from vines, fire from pine cones, and glue from sap and scat. The highlight was making arrow points from rocks using antlers; definitely a primitive living skill to perfect.

It was a pleasure working with these students and providing them with a new skill or even a new lifelong hobby. Thanks to all the hard work and planning involved for the Galax Middle School staff in pulling this great week of enriching activities together and allowing Blue Ridge Discovery Center to be a part of it. And thanks to Matthews State Forest for the generous use of their facilities and property. It was a fintastic week!

Uncovering the Secrets of Northern Saw-whet Owls

Northern Saw-whet Owl Photo by Dave Brinker

As a charismatic representative of the high elevations within the central Appalachian Mountains, the northern saw-whet owl (NSWO) is a perfect ambassador to highlight the unique ecology of southwest Virginia’s Blue Ridge. In the eastern U. S., this rarely-seen species is primarily found in northern boreal forests, but their range also stretches south along the Appalachian Mountains, including areas of Virginia.  

These small owls weigh less than 6 ounces and are about the size of an American robin. They rely on forested areas and nest in tree cavities, so habitats with abundant standing dead trees are best for breeding. They will nest in a variety of hollow spaces in dead trees, but usually rely on the excavations of woodpeckers. In Virginia they are usually found breeding only at our highest elevations and usually within or near spruce forests.    

During the breeding season, saw-whets are their most conspicuous with regular calling between late-March and mid-June in the southern Appalachians. Their high-pitched too-too-too call is very different than what most people think of when they think of an owl call. The female will incubate 4-7 eggs for about 30 days while the male delivers food to the nest. After the eggs hatch, the female will stay in the nest for about 20 more days feeding and keeping the young warm while the nestlings become more independent. She will then leave the nestlings in the nest by themselves for about 10 more days. The male will continue to deliver food to the nest for the young owls until they fledge the nest. Saw-whets usually eat a variety of small mammals, but their diet can also include small birds. 

Due to its small size and secretive nature, much of this species’ life history remains a mystery in Virginia. Blue Ridge Discovery Center is beginning to uncover the secrets of this owl in our area. Last year, we were able to briefly survey the high country around Whitetop Mountain and Mount Rogers for possible breeding NSWO, and three owls responded to the playback calls. The results from 2018 suggest that NSWO might still be breeding here, but were not conclusive. This year we would like to increase the effort of the survey to be able to confirm that this small species of owl is breeding in the spruce forests of southwest Virginia. We will answer this by using a standardized audio playback protocol for NSWO. Due to the quality of the habitat within the area, it is likely that breeding is occurring. Our project will answer this question by allowing us to survey the likely habitat with repeat visits to the same points throughout the breeding season. This level of effort will result in a clear understanding of NSWO use of the potential breeding habitat. If we are able to document breeding, our next goal is the delineation of breeding territories. This will be crucial for future conservation measures for these owls.

 If you would like to find out more about this research or would like to help support our effort, please visit our project at Experiment.com by following this link:

https://experiment.com/brdc