2023 BRDC Awards

Blue Ridge Discovery Center and staff have won several awards this year. These awards truly encompass how much the individuals of our non-profit are embodying our mission of inspiring curiosity, discovery, and stewardship through the wonders of the Blue Ridge.

Lisa Benish, our Executive Director, was awarded a 2022 Community Conservation and Service award by the New River Wildlife and Conservation Club (NRWCC). Through her dedication to BRDC and our community, Lisa provided after school programs, residential programs, day camps, and community naturalist events to a community in need of environmental education. These programs will continue to help students and community members explore the wonders of the Blue Ridge for years to come. Check out this link to read more about Lisa’s award!

Ali Reilly, BRDC Program Coordinator, also received an award this year. Ali was awarded Young Alumna of the Year by the Emory & Henry Alumni Association for her leadership in restoring the wetland at BRDC. This wetland now allows many species to thrive in an environment where they can be studied. Not only did Ali lead this project, she has also led and continues to lead many educational programs focusing on the wetland ecosystem. Check out this link to read more about Ali’s award!

Blue Ridge Discovery Center as an organization also received an award. We were given the Hope Award from Emory & Henry College’s Appalachian Center for Civic Life. This award recognizes the work that organizations do for their community. We are truly honored to be presented with this award, and hope to continue to provide environmental outdoor education opportunities for our community and beyond! Check out this link to read more about it!

Stay tuned to see what’s in store for us next!

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! 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!

Dr. Marcella Kelly to Speak at Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally

Dr. Marcella Kelly is the Associate Department Head For Graduate Affairs & Graduate Program Director for the Virginia Tech Department of Fish & Wildlife Conservation. Her research focuses primarily on carnivore population ecology, management, and conservation using emerging and evolving techniques such as camera trapping combined with advances in population modeling to estimate population sizes and densities for elusive, hard-to-track, carnivores; non-invasive genetic sampling and molecular scatology to determine carnivore abundance, growth rates, genetic diversity, and gene flow across fragmented landscapes; Global Positioning System (GPS) collaring combined with landscape modeling to investigate carnivore habitat selection and fine scale movement across multi-use landscapes; and finally conservation physiology of captive black bears to better understand hibernation/torpor ecology and its potential link to human-wildlife conflict.

This May, attendees of the Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally will have a chance to meet Marcella during her presentation, THE VIRGINIA APPALACHIAN CARNIVORE PROJECT: ECOLOGICAL FINDINGS FROM 10 YEARS OF RESEARCH ON BEARS, BOBCATS, AND COYOTES. The Virginia Appalachian Carnivore Project (VACS) began 2011, primarily in response to a perception of increased coyote populations and potential impacts of coyotes on white-tailed deer in the region. Due to initial findings, the VACS project was expanded in 2016 to include bobcats and bears. Come find out what we have learned about these 3 carnivores and whose eating bambi.

To attend Marcella’s presentation at the Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally on May 12, 2023, please register online!

2023 BRDC Summer Camps

BRDC Overnight Summer Camp registrations are still open! Camps we are offering this year are Wilderness Expedition, Discovery camp and two sessions of our New River Expedition. These camps are perfect for any young naturalist who enjoys learning about nature through outdoor adventures. Click on the links below to learn a little more about each camp. These camps are filling up quickly, so sign up to secure your spot today!

New River Expedition (11-17)

Wilderness Expedition (11-17)

Discovery Camp (11-14)

Winter Rally Re-Cap

Geology Road Trip with Arthur Merschat

We were delighted to host the first ever Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally last weekend! It has been one of our objectives to host a fall, winter, and summer rally. The winter rally focused on the flora, fauna, weather, and terrain that is unique to the cold, winter months! 80 eager individuals experienced stimulating outdoor activities and great food. Our programs included winter astronomy, the Oral History of Konnarock, a weather balloon launch, a geology road trip, waterfowl prowl, wildlife tracks & signs, winter tree identification, the challenges of measuring snow, ecology & management of high elevation communities and clay bowl making with Grim Pottery.

Geology Road Trip with Arthur Merschat

Fluorescent Lichen found on a Night Hike led by Cade Campbell following the winter astronomy program.

We would like to say thank you to our keynote speaker and guide, Dr. Doug Miller, for his extraordinary presentation, “Sandy Snow: An Unusual Hurricane Winter Wonderland”. We would also like to thank our incredible guides that really helped make our first Winter Rally a success. Thank you to Allen Boynton, Cade Campbell, Jeremy Stout, Dr. Ed Davis, Mark Archibald, Arthur Merschat, Jordon Blevins, and Debbie Yates.

Kids programs were lead by Program Coordinator Ali Reilly and Naturalist Educator Olivia Jackson. Fries School brought 18 students to explore the Blue Ridge through programs such as intro to birding, geology, tracks & signs, snow science, and winter ecology.

Finally, a special shoutout to our spectacular volunteers, the BRDC Board! Their help truly allowed the rally to run smoothly and efficiently.

We can’t wait to see everyone back on our campus for our Spring Rally coming May 12-14! Stay tuned for more updates!

BRDC takes on Burkes Garden!

Red-headed Woodpecker

This past Saturday, BRDC staff and friends set off on an expedition to see the superb bird species of Burke’s Garden in Tazewell, VA. Burke's Garden is a rare valley bowl with a floor that rests at 3,000' while the encircling ridge rises to around 4,000'. It is located in Tazewell County, VA, where the Appalachian Trail skirts its southern rim. The 8.5 mile long and 4-mile wide valley is often referred to as "God's Thumbprint" for its distinctive shape.

Eastern Screech Owl

American Kestrel

Golden Eagle

Belted Kingfisher

The bowl is a beautiful pastoral landscape during the summer but in the winter it is equally impressive. During February it plays host to the rare wintering birds from the far north including the Golden Eagle and Rough-legged Hawk. Once in the valley, we slowly worked our way around the bowl in a large loop by vehicle, searching for birds along the way. During this expedition, we were able to see 35 different bird species. Species observed were: Eastern Meadowlark, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Common Raven, American Crow, Blue Jay, Eastern Phoebe, American Kestrel, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Screech-Owl, Rough-legged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Golden Eagle, Black Vulture, Great Blue Heron, Wilson’s Snipe, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, American Black Duck, and Mallard. Seeing the Golden Eagles, the Red-headed Woodpecker, and the vast amount of Red-tailed hawks, 36, truly made this years trip special. This is one of our annual trips, so if you are interested in seeing any of these magnificent birds, we will continue to host this amazing expedition for the years to come.

Wilson’s Snipe

2023 Summer Camp Sign Ups are Still Open

Youth ages 6-17 will benefit from Blue Ridge Discover Center’s unique approach to summertime experiences. Our summer programs and adventures introduces the most novice naturalist to nature and promotes natural curiosity and self-discovery in meaningful, fun-filled activities. We have something for everyone -- kayaking and backpacking, fly fishing, survival skills, science experiments, and much more!

Summer camps include overnight camps: New River Expedition, Wilderness Expedition, Discovery Camp; and Nature Day Camps.

Nature Day camp, ages 6-10 is held at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center campus. Camp activities include catching bugs & butterflies, collecting and pressing plants and flowers, snorkeling in the creek, observing wildlife, citizen science projects, and art through journaling! This camp is offered June 26-30 and July 10-14.

New River Expedition, an overnight kayaking-adventure camp for children ages 11-17. is offered July 5-8 and July 19-22. Activities include kayaking the New River, building campfires (learn traditional fire building techniques), Bald Eagle nest search, island exploration, hammocking, geology, swimming, snorkeling, fly fishing, games, and night-time explorations!

Wilderness Expedition, a 5 day, 4 night camp for ages 11-17 is an introduction backpacking skills in the wilderness areas of Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Date is July 24-28. Activities include day hikes, backpacking (1 night outside of base camp), birding, astronomy, owl prowl, mountain ecology, orienteering and journaling.

Discovery Camp is an adventure-packed, 4-day/3-night experience catering to ages 11-17 with an interest in everything nature. Campers explore the many natural wonders of the Blue Ridge through outdoor recreational activities including fly fishing, kayaking, hiking and exploration. Explore Virginia's highest peaks to mountain streams on this overnight camp from August 2-5.

Sign up for a camp today. Direct links below:

• New River Expedition

• Wilderness Expedition

• Discovery Camp

• Nature Day Camp

Upcoming Events at BRDC!

We have many exciting events coming up in February that we cannot wait!

First, on February 4th we have our annual Burke's Garden Birding Trip! Burke's Garden is a rare valley bowl with a floor that rests at 3,000' while the encircling ridge rises to around 4,000'. It is located in Tazewell County, VA, where the Appalachian Trail skirts its southern rim. The 8.5 mile long and 4-mile wide valley is often referred to as "God's Thumbprint" for its distinctive shape. The bowl is a beautiful pastoral landscape during the summer but in the winter it is equally impressive. During February it plays host to the rare wintering birds from the far north including the golden eagle and rough-legged hawk. We will coordinate travel to the valley with registered participants. Once in the valley, we will slowly work our way around in a large loop by vehicle, searching for birds along the way. With a little luck, we will have the opportunity to put scopes on multiple raptors on the tree lines or soaring about the farm fields. It also houses the regionally uncommon red-headed woodpecker. This trip will take place from 9:00am-4:00pm, so get ready for a full day of unique sights!

Also coming up in February, we have our first ever Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally. While we have had an annual Spring rally for many years, we hope to continue that event throughout all of the seasons. This rally will take place on Friday, February 17th - Saturday, February 18th. This event will focus on highlighting the beautiful flora and fauna of the winter months. It will begin on Friday at 4:00pm and dinner will be served at 5:00pm. Following dinner, Dr. Doug Miller will be giving a presentation called "Sandy Snow; An Unusual Hurricane Winter Wonderland". A nighttime naturalist expedition will follow Dr. Miller's presentation. Saturday will include many naturalist programs including a waterfowl prowl, a geology road trip, a weather balloon launch, and much more! We also are allowing people to reserve rooms in our Schoolhouse if they would like to stay on our campus during the rally. If you are interested in purchasing rally tickets, reserving a room/bed, or learning more about the programs that we will be hosting at the rally, then check out our Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally page on our website!

It's Fern-ally Time to Explore Winter Flora!

Through the cold months of winter, seeing the shades green through nature is a driving force in keeping us sane until springtime. One of these main agents in providing a variation in color would be ferns. Ferns are vascular plants that reproduce via spores rather than seeds. These spores can travel vast distances before they land in their new habitat, creating a wide range of dispersal. While not all ferns can survive the cold winters, there are a few still left near our campus that can withstand the colder temperatures. Our two most spotted ferns at BRDC are the Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) and the Evergreen Wood fern (Dryopteris intermedia)).

Evergreen Wood Fern

Evergreen Wood Ferns are apart of the family Dryopteridaceae which encompasses all wood ferns. In this family, evergreen wood ferns possess a unique feature of having a hairy stipe and rachis. The stipe is referring to the main stem section that occurs between the roots and the start of the leaf tissue. The rachis is the section of the stem that is has leaf tissue. As the name suggests, evergreen wood ferns got their name from their ability to retain their pinnules or ‘leaves’ all winter. These pinnules have a bright green color to them.

Christmas Fern

Christmas Ferns are also apart of the family Dryopteridaceae. They are also evergreen, which is why they are named after Christmas. Unlike the evergreen wood ferns, Christmas ferns do not have a hairy stipe or rachis. Instead, they have a scaly stipe. Their pinnules are a dark green with a satin finish. This dark color tends to hide in the mist of more brightly colored flora during the warmer months of the year, but during the winter time it stands out against decayed plant matter. While most ferns have spores all over the underneath of their fronds, Christmas ferns only have spores on the underneath of their top pinnules.

Spotting the difference between these two ferns might be obvious now, but in the field fern identification is a struggle to most beginners. If you ever find yourself in need to fern identification help, the iNaturalist app will become your best friend. This all encompassing nature identification app uses photos of flora and fauna to identify species. This app is a great tool for citizen science, so even if you aren’t specifically interested in ferns, you can use this platform for many other naturalist inquiries.

I know that during the colder months of the year people tend to stay inside, but finding winter ferns in your area is just one of the many reasons to get outside this winter.

Sign up for 2023 Summer Camp today!

We are excited to announce that registrations for the 2023 Summer Programs and Overnight Adventures are now OPEN to the public!

BRDC offers a unique variety of summertime experiences suitable for youth ages 6-17 (please see individual Camp webpages for details). We feel confident that we have something for everyone -- kayaking and backpacking, fly fishing, survival skills, science experiments, and everything in between! We welcome novice and experienced naturalists who are interested in old-fashioned fun, learning about nature, and developing a sense of connection to this beautiful place that we call home. See the list of camps that will be offered next summer below. Please follow this link if you would like to be taken directly to the Summer Camps overview webpage, where you will be able to select the camp you’re interested in and Sign-Up. If you would like some additional information for each camp, check out each of their pages:

• New River Expedition

• Wilderness Expedition

• Discovery Camp

• Nature Day Camp

Mt. Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally coming this February!

We are excited to announce the our first Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally to be held February 17-18th! This Rally will not only celebrate the ecosystems and natural history of the Blue Ridge but more specifically, focus on the flora and fauna that make the Winter such a beautiful time in the Blue Ridge mountains! Guided programs include, but aren’t limited to: bark identification, snow science, geology, and more!

People of all ages are more than welcome to help celebrate this change in season with us. Click on this link to join us for a wonderful weekend Winter Rally weekend!

Upcoming Christmas Bird Counts!

Pictured: Red-breasted Nuthatch

Christmas bird counts have been a tradition since the early 1900s when an ornithologist suggested that bird hunters count birds rather than hunt them. This bird count has now happened every year since in a multitude of different locations. The Christmas Bird Count, organized by the Audubon Society, is a North American citizen science survey that runs from December 14th through January 5th each year. Information gathered during these counts helps us to better understand the health and status of bird populations. This type of stewardship is something that represents one of our pillars at BRDC and we are so excited to be able to participate in two Christmas Bird Counts this year.

The New River Christmas Bird Count will be the first bird count that BRDC participates in this year. Each year, Blue Ridge Discovery Center heads up to the New River CBC, centered around Sparta, NC. All ages and skill levels are welcome to participate! This event is free to all and we’ll make a full day of it. This will take place on Saturday, December 17th from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

Pictured: Song Sparrow

The Mount Rogers Christmas Bird Count will be the second bird count that BRDC participates in this year. This bird count will be led by local bird expert Allen Boynton. His knowledge of birds is truly remarkable and we are so glad that he will be guiding the Mount Rogers CBC. This will take place on Sunday, December 18th from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

Interested in joining us for a Christmas Bird Count? Please contact Keely Doyle at kdoyle@blueridgediscoverycenter.org or (276) 388-3155.

Pictured: Northern Cardinal

Nature's Little Elf Workshop is Almost Here!

It’s crafts and cocoa galore at our Nature’s Little Elf Workshop! After picking an elf name, children will have the opportunity to get hands-on with a variety of seasonal crafts. All programs will be led by BRDC staff, board members, and hand-picked volunteers. Elf costumes welcome! Activities will take place both indoors and out, so please dress warmly. Hot cocoa, cookies, a toasty fire, and marshmallows will be provided.

This is for children ages 3-15 from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm on Saturday, December 10, 2022. This event will be inside and outside of our Schoolhouse. The address is 6402 Whitetop Road Troutdale, VA 24378.

If you’re interested in attending this annual Holiday event, please register with the link below!

Birding Adventures

We have got birds on the brain at BRDC and have enjoyed every second of it! Recently, we have gotten the chance to not only do birding programs with the majority of our school groups, but we also took a staff trip to go see the waterfowl at the Well Fields in Saltville, VA. 

White-breasted Nuthatch

With our school birding programs, we like to start with a brief overview of how to use binoculars, and then we go straight into bird watching. Here at the center we have a plethora of birds still flying around our feeders. The most common feeder birds here are the White-breasted Nuthatch, the Tufted Titmouse, the Red-bellied Woodpecker, and the Carolina Chickadee. With these birds still very active, the students are able to watch them at our center and then be able to identify the birds in their own backyards. 

Gadwalls and Widgeons

On our staff trip, the waterfowl that we were able to see were Canadian geese, American Widgeons, Mallards, Gadwalls, and a Great Egret. Not only did we get to see the amazing waterfowl that currently reside in the ponds, but we also were able to see many terrestrial winter birds as well. These types of trips are perfect for our staff development along with allowing us to practice one of our BRDC pillars, stewardship, by reporting all of our observations on eBird. This app is a great source to use when identifying and documenting bird species. 

Great Egret at the Well Fields in Saltville, VA

We are so glad that we get to participate in the birding activities this chilly Fall/Winter and cannot wait to continue more staff and student bird programs!

The Twin County Community Foundation Sponsors Residential Education at BRDC

The Twin County Community Foundation (TCCF) continues to support Blue Ridge Discovery Center through grants to get students outside engaged in nature. These grants allow students to be fully immersed in the beauties and wonders of the outdoors through residential education programs at BRDC. Our programs engage students in nature in fully immersive outdoor activities.

This residential education program grant provided groups of students from Carroll County and Grayson County with experiential learning experiences that build lifelong skills and a passion for the outdoors. We provide overnight accommodations during the program and nutritious hot meals.

In 2021, the students participated in nature journaling, salamander surveys, seed experiments, macroinvertebrate studies, decomposition, phenology, dendrology, and highland games.

Thank you, Twin County Community Foundation, for your continued support! 

Fall Rally Re-Cap!

Arachnid Guide Cade Campbell & his marbled orb-weaver

We were so excited to host the first ever Mount Rogers Fall Naturalist Rally this October! In the past couple of years we have been fortunate enough to host the Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally, and we were so happy to now start a new fall annual rally as well. This rally specifically focused on the flora and fauna that is unique to the fall! 68 enthusiastic individuals participated in this rally where we experienced lots of beautiful weather and stimulating outdoor activities. Our programs for this rally included salamander hikes, nature photography, a mushroom hike, stream ecology, an all-day Mount Rogers hike, bird watching, bird acoustics, arachnids, nocturnal nature, an owl prowl, a campus tour, the natural history of the white-tailed deer, and flint knapping.

Bird Watching at Elk Garden with Guide Allen Boynton

Guide Doug Meyer teaching Leah Wilson how to flint knap

We would like to say thank you to our keynote speaker, Michael St. Germain, for an amazing talk about the Bats of Appalachia. We would also like to say thank you to our incredible guides that really helped make our first ever fall rally a success. Thank you to Neil Fredericksen, Phil Shelton, Allen Boynton, Joshua Ward, Maddie Cogar, Lee Diggs, Steven Hopp, Cade Campbell, Linda Hylander, Doug Meyer, and Kevin Hamed. 

Salamander Photography at the Salamander Hike. Photo credits to Joshua Ward.

We were also able to lead kids programs during this rally as well! These programs were led by BRDC staff Landscaper and Naturalist Educator Ali Reilly. The childrens programs included nature journaling, fall bingo, and stream ecology.

BRDC Naturalist Educator Ali Reilly leading Fall Bingo. Photo credits to Eva Walls.

We are also so thankful for our generous donors that supplied our raffle table. Thank you to Wolf Hills Coffee (Gift Card), White Birch Food & Juice (Gift Card), Sister’s Cafe (Appalachian Puzzle), Mike Pender (Chickadee Box), Mountain Sports Limited (Naturalist Hats), Marion Outdoors (Great Naturalist Gear), Charlotte Phillips (Two Homemade Pumpkin Rolls), Brian Livingston (Signed Book), Barbara Kingsolver (Signed Books), Bohicket Apothecaries (Candles, Wax Melts, and Soap), Flora of Virginia (App download), and Adventure Damascus & Sundog Outfitter (2 Rentals & 2 Shuttles). 

Emory & Henry Volunteers and our BRDC Staff.

We would also like to give a special shoutout to our amazing volunteers from Emory & Henry! Their help was so appreciated, especially by our Head of Hospitality Charlotte Phillips.

We cannot wait to see everyone back on our campus for our Winter Rally coming in February! Stay tuned for more updates to come!

Residential Program with Carroll County

Here at BRDC, we have been elated to host 150 6th graders from Carroll County in our Residential Education Program. These students were able to participate in an immersive, outdoor experience exploring, discovering and sharing the wonders of the Blue Ridge. Programs included nature journaling, salamander surveys, seed experiments, macroinvertebrate studies, decomposition, phenology, dendrology, and highland games. A favorite was the salamander survey. The survey was conducted using two plots consisting of 25 wooden cover boards. Students were placed in small groups and were asked to identify the salamander species found under the boards. Since BRDC is in the heart of salamander country, the students were able to find many different species of salamanders during the survey. During nature journaling, students were brought into our rain garden and asked to draw and write about interesting species that they found. During this activity, they were also encouraged to share and reflect on their findings with the group. 

We were able to host these wonderful students with the help of a grant through the Twin County Community Foundation. This funding allowed us to kick off our residential education program allowing full immersion in hands-on , experiential outdoor education. We are so glad to have hosted these students and teachers from Carroll County and hope to see them for years to come. 

Naturalist/Educator Position Opening

Calling all Naturalist Educators: We have a position for you!

Job Title: Naturalist/Educator
Hours: Full-time
Location: Blue Ridge Discovery Center, Konnarock, Virginia
Salary: Based on experience

Join Blue Ridge Discovery Center as the Naturalist/Educator and help connect our regional youth and adults to one of the greatest natural treasures in the East. This is an excellent opportunity to make a lasting impact on the next generation of stewards. Play a major role in program development, coordination, and delivery while contributing to our community and BRDC’s educational foundation.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Naturalist/Educator is our point of connection with the public and is primarily responsible for implementing BRDC programming. The role of the N/E is to help participants develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the wonders of the Blue Ridge. The N/E does this through the discovery method of guiding: an inquiry-based education technique. The N/E works with all ages of participants. These include grade school kids, summer camp attendees, researchers and adult participants. The N/E is expected to work in a wide variety of settings, including wilderness areas, public classrooms, meeting halls and summer camp facilities.

OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE:

• Energetic, outgoing, enthusiastic, positive, inquisitive, goal oriented, hard working personality

• Can inspire and empower others to engage in natural history

• A strong base of natural history knowledge, preferably focused on the Southern Appalachians

• Passion for and eagerness to expand and share their own personal knowledge

• Bachelor's degree in environmental education, outdoor recreation, biology, or similar

• Experience in environmental education working closely with youth and/or general public

• Excellent verbal and written skills

• Able to meet the physical demands of outdoor activities related to BRDC programming

• Willingness to work in inclement weather conditions and wilderness settings

• Can provide their own transportation

• Strong organizational skills

BENEFITS:

• Competitive Pay

• Paid Federal Holidays

• Assistance with certifications as required

• Travel reimbursement

ABOUT BLUE RIDGE DISCOVERY CENTER

Blue Ridge Discovery Center (BRDC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring, discovering, and sharing the natural history of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Founded in 2008, BRDC has built a reputation for implementing innovative hands-on, experiential learning programs and initiatives. Working with all age groups from children to adults, including curious kids, professional researchers, and amateur naturalists, BRDC draws on a deep web of knowledge about local natural history to illustrate relationships within the rich flora, fauna, and geology that make up the unique Blue Ridge ecosystems. Emphasizing curiosity while establishing a life-long appreciation for the natural wonders of the Blue Ridge region are goals that shape BRDC’s work and its vision.

BRDC’s MISSION is to inspire curiosity, discovery, and stewardship through the wonders of the Blue Ridge.

We are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, pregnancy, disability, work-related injury, covered veteran status, political ideology, marital status, or any other factor that the law protects from employment discrimination.

Rally, Rally, Rally!

The Fall Naturalist Rally is quickly approaching and we are so excited to share some of the programs! Friday starts with a great dinner will consisting of locally sourced ingredients, so be sure to sign up for that before October 11th on our website. Our a keynote speaker, Michael St. Germain will talk about bats. Perfect subject for the month of October! Saturday will consist of Mt Rogers hike led by Phil Shelton (full day), a Bird Ecology and Migration program led by Dr. Ashley Peele and Shawn Kurtzman, a Salamander Hike led by Neil Fredericksen, a Mushroom hike led by Lee Diggs, a Birding Acoustics program led by Dr. Steven Hopp, and a Campus Tour led by Linda Hylander and Judy Greear. Sunday will consist of a Salamander Hike led by Dr. Kevin Hamed, Flint knapping with Doug Meyer, and a Nature Photography program led by Joshua Ward. If you are interested in reading more about each of the programs and their leaders, check out our rally page.

Mt. Roger's Fall Naturalist Rally Keynote Speaker: Michael St. Germain

Michael St. Germain currently works for the Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech as a wildlife ecologist with a special interest in bat research. He has a Bachelor’s of Science in Wildlife Management from the University of Rhode Island along with a Master’s of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation from Virginia Tech. His current research is on bat population distributions all over Virginia. He is using a geostatistical model and remote sensing to conduct his research. He will use his extensive bat knowledge as the main topic of his speech at our first ever Mt. Roger’s Fall Naturalist Rally. Mike’s last visit to our campus was with a group of Wildlife students from Virginia Tech. Mike aided these students in finding a few species of bats in the area around our campus. The bats they found were the Big Brown bat, the Eastern Small-footed bat, and the Eastern Red bat. These are just three of the 17 different species of bats found in Virginia. 

Big brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus) are the largest bat species in Virginia. They can be identified by their sheer size alone and their uniform brown color. They can be found all over Virginia feasting on insects. They usually live alone, but have been known to form maternity colonies in the summertime. These colonies can be found in old buildings and caves. 

Eastern Red Bats (Lasiurus borealis) are smaller than Big Brown bats and can be identified by their red fur. They also have a red fur tail that can be used to wrap around themselves, similar to a jacket, during the cold winter months. They are also the only sexually dimorphic species of bats in Virginia, meaning that their males and females look slightly different. The difference is that the female fur isn’t as vibrant as the male fur. These bats can also be found all over Virginia feasting on insects. Instead of forming maternity colonies, these bats produce offspring alone in the trees. 

Eastern Small-footed Bats (Myotis leibii) are the smallest bat in Virginia. They can be identified by their small size, brownish gold fur, and black face and wings. They typically feed on insects as well. They can be found in caves along the western part of Virginia in the mountainous regions. Like the Big Brown bats, they also form maternity colonies in the springtime. 

If you’re interested in hearing more about bats of Virginia, sign up for the rally on our website and stay tuned for more rally updates to come!