Volunteer Weekend (In Lieu of Summer MRNR)

Dear Rally goers,

We are very disappointed to announce that we have decided to cancel the Summer Naturalist Rally in order to focus our capacity on the construction of the Center. With the center completion date set for the Spring of 2022, we are planning a Grand Opening event during the 48th annual Spring Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally!

We have planned a volunteer weekend in place of the Rally, August 20-22. If you are interested, we have a variety of projects including trail building, bridge building, boardwalk construction, painting and staining, and habitat development. The BRDC staff will be working all weekend, and we will be providing a group dinner on Saturday night to support the efforts. If you are interested in assisting, please email info@blueridgediscoverycenter.org or give us a call at 276-388-3155.

Again, we apologize for this change in plans and we are already missing our usual MRNR group, but we are looking forward to having the Rally in grand fashion in 2022!

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you soon!

New River Expedition

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, amphibians, and reptiles. A special treat was a nice dunk under a waterfall. Quite refreshing after paddling in the hot sun.

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 riverside can’t be beat. Games such as battleship and ninja kept us competitive and laughing. We couldn’t have asked for a better crew and surely lifelong friendships and memories were made.

Spring Rally Wrap Up!

The Kribbs family and friends at Elk Garden.

Once again we were unable to hold our traditional Spring Naturalist Rally, but that didn’t stop BRDC from getting people outside, engaged with nature, discovering, exploring, and sharing in the Mt Rogers National Recreation Area! We invited everyone to attend our first ever Scavenger Hunt!

From May 1st through May 9th, Rally participants came by Blue Ridge Discovery Center to pick up scavenger hunt packets. Within each packet, there were hints and clues to various destinations within the MRNRA. Once they figured out where to go…off they went to find amazing flora and fauna. When they completed the scavenger hunt, they had to find a hidden geocache with a secret phrase to report back to BRDC staff. When the participants returned to the Center to share their findings, they were rewarded with a raffle ticket and the chance to win great prizes.

Blue Ridge Discovery Center supports citizen science and thus created another iNaturalist Project where participants could share their findings with the world. Those who submitted observations during the Rally were entered into an additional daily drawing for our staff designed species t-shirts!

Over 85 people (and nearly 30 kids) participated in the Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally Scavenger Hunt! We all had a great time getting out and sharing what we found. We made new friends and shared new places. The weather even cooperated (for the most part)!

MRNR Rally Sticker

We so appreciate all the generous donations received for our raffle. Thank you to Matt Reilly (Guided Fly Fishing Trip), Vortex (Diamondback binoculars), Joe Flowers (knife designer), Green Cove Collective (many great outdoor gear gifts), Virginia Master Naturalists - Holston Rivers Chapter (great naturalist gear and books), Ernst Seed Company, and the American Chestnut Foundation (Chestnut tree saplings).

Even though our customary guides were not available to take us into the field, they shared knowledge and information in written form and we thank them for their time and efforts creating educational pieces for our scavenger hunt packets. Thank you to Allen Boynton, Tom Blevins, Cade Campbell, Steven Hopp, Shawn Kurtzman, Aaron Floyd, Arthur Merschat, Nancy Adamson, and John Kell.

We hope to see everyone IN PERSON for the Mt Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally scheduled for August 20-22, 2021.

Cover photo credit to Heather Bunch

Spring Naturalist Rally Begins this WEEKEND!

Its not too late to get in on the fun! This Saturday, May 1st begins the Mt Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally: Scavenger Hunt Edition.

The Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally: “Scavenger Hunt” Edition is a self-guided, hands-on exploration of the biodiversity within a 7.5 mile radius of the Blue Ridge Discovery Center and within the MRNRA suitable for all ages. Participants will be provided clues to locate and explore unique and special locations, complete challenges, detours, and roadblocks, earn chances to win great prizes, and share findings!

From May 1st through the 9th, you may participate as many days as you like, start anytime you like, and travel at your own pace and convenience. You will:

• Utilize a map and clues

• Complete challenges.

• Contribute to citizen science

• Earn chances to win great prizes

• and, Learn about the natural history of the Mt Rogers area

If you can’t get over this way for the event, raffle tickets are available for purchase to support the Rally with daily chances to win great prizes including a guided fly fishing trip with Matt Reilly, a weekend getaway for two in coastal SC, Vortex binoculars, a MagicScope, loaded naturalist pack, local swag, and more!

Summer Camp Scholarship Opportunity

Do you have a child that loves nature? One that really wants a deeper connection with nature and the wonders of the Blue Ridge? Well, we have a camp for them! If you reside in Smyth County, your child may be eligible for a great week of fun outside with our team of guides.

Through the generous support of the Smyth County Community Foundation, Blue Ridge Discovery Center is offering full scholarships for our overnight summer camps! This Foundation supports select initiatives that promote health and wellness within our community. What could be healthier than spending time outside engaged in nature? Check out our summer line-up and apply today!

Get ready to explore, discover, and share with BRDC at one of our unique overnight camps. Youth ages 11-17 welcome at all overnight camps!

Available camps:

• Ornithology Camp - April 23-25 and September 17-19, 2021

  From our basecamp, we will explore the region's top birding hotspots including the New River, Rural Retreat Lake, Whitetop Mountain, Fairwood Valley, Blue Ridge Parkway, and more! During the adventure, we will identify between 80-100 different species of birds!

• Primitive Skills - July 14-17, 2021
  From primitive fire building to tool making and wild harvesting, this camp offers a multidisciplinary approach to wilderness activities including hands-on crafts, natural history, ethnobotany, camping, wilderness adventure, and plain old fun!

• Wilderness Expedition - July 26-30, 2021

  Learn new backcountry skills including meal preparation, orienteering, and fire building! On the trail, you’ll observe and document the wildlife we encounter along the way, including unique birds, trees, plants, insects, mushrooms, salamanders, and many others. Join our expert naturalists and wilderness guides on this journey of discovery through the highest mountains of the Blue Ridge.

BRDC will provide all camp gear, meals, materials, and supplies for all camps. Personal gear, sleeping bag, and toiletries are required by participants.

Get Yours Now!

The 47th Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally is coming up on May 1st-9th, and per the world's continued health crisis, BRDC has created a fun, engaging, and self-guided rally scavenger-hunt!

But there’s more! We still have the Raffle drawings and a newly designed MRNR T-Shirt!

Guided fly fishing with Matt Reilly

DAILY RAFFLE PRIZES

Enter early and often for your chance to snag a Guided Fly Fishing trip with Matt Reilly, Weekend GetAway for Two in coastal SC, Vortex Binoculars, MagicScope, Loaded Naturalist Pack, local swag, and more! Winners will be announced daily via live-stream video at 12:00 pm May 2-8. Grand prize winner(s) will be drawn Sunday, May 9th at 5:00 pm. All winners will be contacted using the email address provided during registration. 

1 Ticket for $5; 5 Tickets for $20; 20 Tickets for $40

Isle of Palms Getaway for 2

LIMITED EDITION MRNR T-SHIRT

Part of the joy of a special event is being reminded of it whenever you wear the event T-shirt! Now you can preorder our limited edition "Scavenger Hunt" MRNR T-shirt to be sure you get the sizes you want, while supporting the Mt. Rogers Naturalist Rallies! Delivery on or around May 1st*

*When ordered by April 1st. Delivery date dependent upon status of shipping industry.

Get Outside Hike at New River Trail - Gambetta

Join BRDC guides for a hike along the New River Trail! This hike will depart from the Gambetta parking area and travel towards Fries. Families welcome. Activities include a scavenger hunt and the chance to earn a BRDC patch!

Blue Ridge Discovery Center’s Get Outside Program connects families of Grayson and Carroll Counties and the City of Galax to nature through hands-on, active, outdoor natural history activities. The components of this program include observational hiking, outdoor activity, and natural history education. Participants will get outside with their families to explore, discover, and share their experiences during a short hike in local areas.

Budding Botanist Program

Let your Budding Botanist explore nature in a program designed specifically for preschool aged children. They will spend time exploring Della’s Branch Nature Trail with Blue Ridge Discovery Center guides and participate in sensory nature activities. Adult accompaniment is required for this program. Masks will be required for all attendees. There will be two identical sessions of this program. Limit 15 participants per event.

Ages: 3-5

Dates: Saturday, March 20th, 10:00 AM–11:30 AM - OR - Saturday, April 17th, 10:00 AM-11:30 AM

Location: Blue Ridge Discovery Center, 6402 Whitetop Rd, Troutdale, VA 24378

Cost: FREE! Registration preferred

2021 Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally: "Scavenger Hunt" Edition

Grab your ticket to the “Scavenger Hunt” Edition of the 2021 Mt Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally! This is the 47th year of the Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally and we have reinvented it this year to allow for exploration and discovery within the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area (MRNRA). Our amazing Rally guides have assisted us with the development of this “Scavenger Hunt” chock full of challenges and natural history information. Although there will be no large gathering or group meal, you will have the same opportunity to learn about the amazing Mount Rogers area.

The Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally: “Scavenger Hunt” Edition is a self-guided, hands-on exploration of the biodiversity within a 7.5 mile radius of the Blue Ridge Discovery Center and within the MRNRA suitable for all ages. Participants will be provided clues to locate and explore unique and special locations, complete challenges, detours, and roadblocks, earn chances to win great prizes, and share findings!

From May 1st through the 9th, you may participate as many days as you like, start anytime you like, and travel at your own pace and convenience. You will:

• Utilize a map and clues

• Complete challenges.

• Contribute to citizen science

• Earn chances to win great prizes

• and, Learn about the natural history of the Mt Rogers area

We even developed a special “Scavenger Hunt“ edition Rally t-shirt!

As always, raffle tickets are available for purchase to support the Rally with daily chances to win great prizes including a guided fly fishing trip with Matt Reilly, a weekend getaway for two in coastal SC, Vortex binoculars, a MagicScope, loaded naturalist pack, local swag, and more!

Share a full week of exploration and discovery in the Mt Rogers area on our Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally “Scavenger Hunt”!

BLUE RIDGE DISCOVERY CENTER RECEIVES GRANT FROM VIRGINIA OUTDOORS FOUNDATION

Blue Ridge Discovery Center (BRDC) is pleased to announce it has received $25,000 from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s Get Outdoors (GO) Fund. These funds will support the Accessible Interpretive Trail to increase equitable access to safe open space at the Center.

The trail will be approximately 0.65 miles long and meander through various habitats and native plant communities, including a riparian corridor, a restored wetland, wildflower meadows, a rain garden, through a northern hardwood cove forest, and return to our education facility. With different portions of the trail composed of compacted decomposed granite, sidewalk, and boardwalk, this trail will allow visitors to fully engage with and explore the natural resources surrounding them.

We plan to create a universal design for the Accessible Interpretive Trail to provide equal opportunity not only for persons with disabilities but a variety of situations such as a parent pushing a stroller, a child on crutches, or a person with arthritic knees. The goal of this project is to ensure that all people have the opportunity to access and enjoy the outdoors at BRDC while also protecting natural resources and maintaining the biological integrity of the property. 

Much thanks to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and their staff for support on this project!

The Early Bird Catches the Worm

A sure sign that the winter will come to an end and spring will begin; the American robin (Turdus migratorius). It is one of the first birds we see return from their wintering spots. Although not all robins leave for the winter, we don’t see them as often as they roost in trees rather than hop around in your yard. Once they arrive, you are likely to see them in large numbers running around your yard in search of earthworms.

American robin (Turdus migratorius)

Most everyone knows the robin, a truly cosmopolitan bird. They are found in just about every habitat and are so common that it is used as a size reference to other species. Robin red-breast is a term I heard growing up. A fitting name as the bird boasts a russet, red-orange breast. The head is dark with a distinguishing white eye-ring and its back is a varying gray-brown depending on age and sex. It is a rather large, plump songbird and the largest member of the thrush family. The robin's rich song is among the earliest heard at dawn in spring and summer, often beginning just before first light. Its song is often described as cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up. Hear it here.

As most also know, they dine on earthworms. But, they eat a wide variety of other invertebrates and fruit. Sixty percent of their diet is fruit and berries with earthworms and invertebrates at 40%. Generally, once spring arrives, they spend mornings searching the ground for earthworms and transition during the heat of the day to fruits and other insects.

Searching for worms while on the lookout for predators.

Robins can produce up to three broods a season. They have a relatively high mortality rate and the entire population turns over about every 6 years. However, some robins have been known to live up to 14 years. (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Robin/overview).

This early bird has arrived in Southwest Virginia and searching your fields and lawns for worms. Soon, if not already, they will be waking you with their cheery pre-dawn song. Spring is just around the corner!

Get Outside along the Henley Hollow Trail

Blue Ridge Discovery Center’s Get Outside Program connects families to nature through hands-on, active, outdoor natural history activities. This program includes observational hiking, an outdoor activity, and natural history education. Participants will get outside with their families to explore, discover, and share their experiences during a short hike along Henley Hollow Trail on Hwy 21 towards Speedwell.

This Saturday’s (February 27th), hike begins at 2:00 pm. Activities include a scavenger hunt and the chance to earn a BRDC patch. This program is FREE, but registration is required. (Includes all instruction, materials, and supplies.) Space is limited. Participants are responsible for face masks and reusable water bottles. Email lisa@blueridgediscoverycenter.org to be notified of future event dates or questions.

Supported by Twin County Community Foundation grant.

Searching for Ducks

BRDC staff ventured into the field on Monday, February 15th in search of wintering/migrating ducks and waterfowl. We had a very successful day, with a total of 15 waterfowl species identified and 531 individuals counted. We spent the day hopping between bodies of water (Rural Retreat Lake, Claytor Lake, New River, and small regional farm ponds), and got to see a diverse array of specimens, even if they were, more often than not, hundreds of yards away. All individuals seen were submitted to eBird.

Pictured above are canvasbacks, which only migrate through the Southern Blue Ridge in the later winter/early spring. Behind them you can see hooded mergansers.

Species documented-

1. mallard

2. canadian geese

3. northern flicker

4. killdeer

5. bluejay

6. belted kingfisher

7. bald eagle

8. song sparrow

9. eastern bluebird

10. dark-eyed junco

11. great blue heron

12. american crow

13. common merganser

14. hooded merganser

15. red-bellied woodpecker

16. horned lark

17. rock pigeon

18. red-tailed hawk

19. northern mockingbird

20. northern cardinal

21. mourning dove

22. canvasback

23. ruddy duck

24. gadwall

25. ring-necked duck

26. bufflehead

27. carolina wren

28. american kestrel

29. american wigeon

30. pileated woodpecker

31. white-winged scoter

32. long-tailed duck

33. common goldeneye

34. downy woodpecker

35. ring-billed gull

36. eastern phoebe

37. golden-crowned kinglet

38. pied-billed grebe

39. common loon

40. common raven

The common loon is another species of waterfowl that can be spotted around the Southern Blue Ridge in the later winter/early spring during their migration north.

Late winter and early spring are excellent times for a birder to stop by ponds, lakes, or rivers in hopes of seeing some beautiful waterfowl. Many species have either been overwintering in the Southern Blue Ridge, or will be migrating through to northern breeding grounds. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience and study these often elusive or rare species!

Snipe Hunting

Have you been the recipient of a snipe hunt? A practical joke in existence since the mid 1800’s where naivety is not your friend. The unsuspecting individual is sent out…at night no less…armed with a bag or pillowcase to catch an imaginary creature called a snipe. Left alone in the night, the target of the practical joke realizes they have been duped. Only its not imaginary!

It seems many new to birding are familiar with the case of the “imaginary” snipe. When we introduced some new birders to an area where the Wilson’s snipe would likely be found, they exclaimed that they didn’t think there was such a thing as a snipe. Well there is! And a beautiful, elusive bird it is.

The Wilson’s snipe is a stocky shorebird with a very long straight bill, about the size of a robin. It is very cryptically patterned with brown and buffy colored stripes along the back and a brown streaked and spotted chest. It is perfectly camouflaged in its habitat of muddy pond edges or damp fields with thick vegetation. Unless they move or you get right up close to them as they flush up and away, you’d likely never see them and even when they do, it is quick and then they seem to disappear into the grass.

They forage by probing their long bills into the soft ground searching for earthworms and other invertebrates moving up and down slowly like a sewing machine. The bill is flexible allowing them to slurp up small prey without removing their bill from the soil. The location of the eyes are set far back so it can see well behind them when their head is down to avoid potential predators.

Wilson’s snipe build their nest on the ground with the female only tending the nest and nestlings. A cool fact however is that once fledged, the parents split up, the female departs with the youngest while the male departs with the oldest with no further contact.

So, don’t let anyone fool you about “snipe hunting”. You really can go out and find them!

2021 Great Backyard Bird Count

Hang out on the porch or peer out the windows of the cottage as we participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count! Staff will be at the BRDC Cottage Saturday, February 13th from 10-2 to participate in documenting the birds found at the Center, and submitting these data on eBird.

Anyone can participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from the beginning bird watcher to the expert. Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share.

Stop in and share 15 minutes of your time in this worldwide citizen-science project with us. Or bring a sack lunch and hang out longer. We want to explore, discover, and share our backyard with you! Please come equipped with a face covering.

Get Outside on the New River Trail

Blue Ridge Discovery Center’s Get Outside Program connects families to nature through hands-on, active, outdoor natural history activities. This program includes observational hiking, an outdoor activity, and natural history education. Participants will get outside with their families to explore, discover, and share their experiences during a short hike along New River Trail in Galax, Va.

This Saturdays (February 13th), hike begins at 2:00 pm. Activities include a scavenger hunt and the chance to earn a BRDC patch. This program is FREE, but registration is required. (Includes all instruction, materials, and supplies.) Space is limited. Participants are responsible for face masks and reusable water bottles. Email lisa@blueridgediscoverycenter.org to be notified of future event dates or questions.

Supported by Twin County Community Foundation grant.

Conglomerates and Dropstones

The Lower Mount Rogers Formation is an excellent introduction to rock types. It is diverse with both igneous and sedimentary rocks. The stretch of road between Troutdale and Konnarock, VA (Rt. 603) is a great way to see these formations and rock types, especially during winter months when the vegetation has died down (including poison ivy) and the rock is better exposed.

The lowest part of the formation is called conglomerate. Conglomerate is a clastic sedimentary rock made up of rounded clasts (fragments of rock broken off other rocks by physical weathering). The spaces between the clasts are generally filled with sand and clay particles and bound together by a cement that is usually composed of calcite or quartz. A fine example of this can be found along Fairwood Rd (Rt. 603) in Grayson County, Troutdale, VA. Different types of rocks found in the Lower Mount Rogers Formation are represented in the cobbles in the exposed outcrops along the road. The rock types include rhyolite, granite, milky quartz, sandstone, and greenstone. This formation dates approximately 760 million years old.

Conglomerate

Gneiss is a foliated metamorphic rock identified by bands of varying mineral composition. It is a high-grade metamorphic rock in which mineral grains recrystallized under intense heat and pressure (thus metamorphic rock). This alteration increased the size of the mineral grains and segregated them into bands. Gneiss can form in several different ways. Most commonly, it begins with shale, a sedimentary rock transforming into slate, then phyllite, then schist, and finally into gneiss.

Cranberry Gneiss is a billion years old; the oldest rock of the Appalachian Mountains. In most of the Mount Rogers area, it is predominantly a metamorphosed granite, giving it a metamorphic layering that is representative of the building of the Appalachians during the Paleozoic. The Mount Rogers area is remarkable in that most of the rocks here have escaped the effects of the Paleozoic metamorphism, so the cranberry pieces preserve much of their original texture. If you see feldspar in a sedimentary rock like this conglomerate, it usually means that the source of the sediment is not far from its site of deposition. This is because the feldspar breaks down quickly once exposed to air and moved in water.

The Middle to Upper part of the Konnarock Formation rests above the Mount Rogers Formation and is overlain by the Unicoi Formation. Its age is unknown, but due to the placement with other formations, it is estimated to be between 570 and 760 million years old. Normally the Blue Ridge is extensively metamorphosed, destroying almost all of the sedimentary layering, but a well-preserved outcrop is visible along Rt. 603. This outcrop is indicative of a historic lake and grants us a rare window into the sedimentary history of the Blue Ridge.

Sedimentary layering

The maroon bands are made of mud. In order to be so fine, the water must have been very calm suggesting a lake. The grayish-green bands are composed of more quartz and indicate a current that is slowing down. This is consistent with the idea of a lake with streams feeding sediment into the lake.

Dropstones indicate slow, still water such as a lake

As you continue along Rt. 603 (now Laurel Valley Rd) just before the stop sign at Rt. 600 (Whitetop Rd), the Konnarock Formation there is similar to the last location but with large rounded stones that are isolated, not a part of a turbidity current like the first location. It is excellent evidence of glaciers in Virginia (not the recent ice age of the Pleistocene). Glaciers would have come down from the highlands and broken off into icebergs. At some point, the icebergs melted and the stones dropped down to the lake bottom. Evidence suggested that they were not transported by water currents but “dropped” in vertically through the water column. These are called dropstones. Dropstones are isolated fragments of rock found within finer-grained water-deposited sedimentary rocks. They range in size from small pebbles to boulders. Some of the dropstones appear to be pieces of Cranberry Gneiss!

If you would like to learn more about the geology of the Mount Rogers area, Radford University has a great online field trip accessible to the public. It is dated, but fortunately, the rocks don’t move. Check it out to learn more about the geologic significance of the Blue Ridge.

2021 Summer Camp Registrations Now Open!

Registrations for the 2021 Summer Programs & Overnight Adventures are now open.

Youth ages 6-17 will benefit from Blue Ridge Discover Center’s unique approach to summertime experiences. Our lineup of outdoor programs and adventures is suitable for introducing the most novice naturalist to nature and promoting natural curiosity and self-discovery in meaningful, fun-filled learning activities.

• Science in Nature Day Camps

• Ornithology Weekend

• New River Expedition

• Primitive Skills New!

• Wilderness Expedition

• Fly Fishing Adventures

BRDC is committed to your family's safety. All Blue Ridge Discovery Center programs will follow up-to-date recommended health and safety guidelines that are in effect at the time of the program.

Get Outside This Weekend!

Blue Ridge Discovery Center’s Get Outside Program connects families to nature through hands-on, active, outdoor natural history activities. This program includes observational hiking, an outdoor activity, and natural history education. Participants will get outside with their families to explore, discover, and share their experiences during a short hike along Beaver Dam Creek Walking Trail in Hillsville, Va.

This Saturdays (January 30th), hike begins at 2:00 pm. Activities include a scavenger hunt and the chance to earn a BRDC patch. This program is FREE, but registration is required. (Includes all instruction, materials, and supplies.) Space is limited. Participants are responsible for face masks and reusable water bottles. Email lisa@blueridgediscoverycenter.org to be notified of future event dates or questions.

Supported by Twin County Community Foundation grant.

Schoolhouse Walkthrough & Update

The schoolhouse took another step towards completion last week with the addition of our gorgeous stained glass window. Sitting at the forefront of attention in the back wall of the chapel, this beautifully created window depicts the southeastern view from Whitetop Mountain and features rhododendron blooms, trilliums, red spruce trees, and our beloved Blue Ridge Mountains. The piece was brought to life by Marilynn Peacock of The Glass Peacock in Abingdon, Va, and was inspired by the original stained glass windows of the chapel.

We broadcasted a live walkthrough of the schoolhouse, complete with Aaron’s commentary on its progress, last week via Facebook and Instagram. We have downloaded that video to YouTube, which can be viewed here- https://youtu.be/ilXfybXodME , or seen below.

The schoolhouse is now entering phase 2 of construction. The exterior of the building has been polished up with refreshed poplar siding, refurbished windows, and a new roof. On the interior, the foundation has been strengthened and the walls have been demoed. Walking through the building you can imagine children running from the dining room to the front porch to watch the birds fly over our rain garden. You can picture the chapel full of eager learners listening to a wildlife rehabilitator talk about some of his ambassador animals. You can practically hear the giggling coming from the dormitory rooms on the second floor as school groups bond over their excitement for the natural world.

We can’t wait for this space to be bustling with visitors eager for their next adventure.