Mount Rogers Fall Naturalist Rally
October 16-18, 2026
As Autumn unfolds, the mountains transform into a breathtaking landscape of rich colors and seasonal wonders. Join this fall rally to see golden foliage, witness bird migration, discover mushroom varieties, and see the crisp, starry skies.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Carrie Fearer on “Small but Deadly: HOw Pests and Pathogens Transform Our Forests”
A presentation on invasive, tree pests and pathogens, and their effects on our forest structure and composition. But, don’t worry, there may still be hope for our forests with new research and effective management options on the horizon.
Dr. Carrie Fearer graduated from Ohio State University with a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in environmental science. She specialized in forest pathology during her doctoral work through her research on identifying the causal agent of the newly emerged beech leaf disease. After graduating, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue University and the University of New Hampshire before becoming an assistant professor in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech in 2023. Her research program at Virginia Tech focuses on forest pathology, biological control, and host resistance.
Friday night Programs
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Join Blue Ridge Discovery Center naturalist educator Cade Campbell to venture out into the Appalachian night to search for some of the “spookier” inhabitants of our fields and forests; the arachnids! You’ll have a chance to meet some of the most fantastic, fascinating and feared animals in the Mt. Rogers area and learn about their natural history, and you just might find that they aren’t as scary or dangerous as they seem at first.
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On many nights, the majority of the nocturnal chorus is sung by insects. Join BRDC naturalist Brendan on a short walk into the woods and identify a few of these insects by ear.
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The Appalachian mountains are a global biodiversity hotspot for salamander species. Join Neil Fredericksen to learn a little bit about their amazing life histories and some of the species we may find in the area–and then go out and look for them!
Saturday Morning Programs
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Bob Riggs will take you to search sparrows and falcons and other migrants in the skies above. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them.
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Tiffany Leach with the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) works to restore freshwater mussels in Virginia. The AWCC was established by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and has successfully produced 40 species of freshwater mussels. These animals play an important role in improving water quality for our rivers. During the visit, you will see mussels at various ages and the aquaculture systems that serve as their temporary homes.
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Join Corey Kanuckel with the USFWS Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program to explore the importance of wetland areas and riparian zones and the benefits these habitat types provide for water quality, erosion and flood control, and aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. We will also explore various habitat restoration and enhancement techniques and practice.
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From a human safety perspective, weather forecasting is about looking for rare weather events whose ingredients represent a combination of extraordinary amounts of moisture and/or energy. To know what qualifies as ‘extraordinary,’ one must have a good climatological record of weather conditions typical of the area of interest. This presentation will describe how knowledge of the local climate in the weather forecast process helps build confidence when issuing a dire weather warning.
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With Arthur Merschat. More information coming soon!
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This presentation focuses on the evolutionary adaptations unique to snakes that have led to a variety of phenological characteristics and dentitions that determine how they adapt to a huge variety of environs, and hunt and kill prey, both without venom and with (and then are able to eat something bigger than their heads).
Saturday afternoon Programs
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Join seasoned Horticulturist, forager, and self-proclaimed plant nerd, Ben Casteel of VHCC on a walk around the grounds of BRDC to see what useful plants can be found in our ecoregion.
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Meet Tom McMullen, Tumbling Creek Cider Company co-owner, educator and orchard manager to begin the tour of Kelly Ridge Farms, a 240-year-old family farm. This session focuses more on the science behind apple propagation and growing methods both old and new. It includes a visit to the Tumbling Creek Cider Company Orchards, the Upper Orchard (a trellised orchard installed in 2023) and the Lower Orchard (a trellised orchard installed in 2019). These orchards have more than 1400 apple trees, most of which were grafted by Tumbling Creek Cider folks. The orchards contain more than 70 varieties of heirloom apples preserving some apple diversity and resulting in some excellent hard cider. After the orchards we head to the Cider Barn for free tastes of award-winning ciders and a discussion of the "apple to glass" process of hard cider making. Bottles of hard cider, growler fills and merchandise will be available for purchase at the conclusion. Adults please have valid ID available.
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We’ll be looking at the interaction of rain, run-off, and rock (land) slides in the Pigeon River Basin (Haywood County, NC and Cocke and Sevier Counties, TN) to investigate a potential relationship that might be exploited in the forecasting of shallow landslides. A comparison of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) river gage observations to North Carolina Geological Survey (NCGS) documented landslides dates since 1 October 1985, combined with rainfall observations from a high elevation rain gauge network (Duke GSMRGN) since 1 July 2009, are used as the foundation of a potential operational landslide watch and warning system. The presentation will focus on the challenges facing its development.
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Avid fly fisherman, naturalist, and former BRDC intern, Drew Morris, will get participants ready to hit the water with confidence! Participants will learn about the benefits of fly fishing, how to choose the right rod, reel, line, and fly, and how to cast a fly rod using three basic techniques.
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Suzanne Stryk will lead a session on drawing small creatures with magnifier lamps to study details. She'll also suggest ways to take notes to enhance your observations. Pencils, paper, and erasers are provided, or bring your own.
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This will be an indoor program viewing photos and descriptions of the different families of mammals in Virginia, focusing on the mammal species of the Blue Ridge and Mountain Physiographic Provinces. Taxidermy species and skulls will be used to illustrate their life histories.
Saturday night Programs
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Follow Joshua Ward on a nighttime exploration around campus, looking for Eastern Screech-Owls, Barred Owls, and Great Horned Owls! Bring a flashlight/headlamp, good shoes for walking in the woods, and an extra layer or two for the cool night weather.
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Dark, fall nights in Appalachia are the perfect time to search for spiders & kin. Join naturalist Cade Campbell to search for some of our most incredible and misunderstood creatures and the tangled webs they weave.
sunday morning Programs
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Join Virginia Tech graduate student Morgan Crum and get hands-on with native Appalachian Salamanders! We'll learn how to capture and identify them, why Southern Appalachia is a salamander hotspot, and the role they play in the ecosystem! Expect moderate hiking and getting your hands dirty.
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Walk around the BRDC campus with naturalist Mark Archibald to learn about trees, tree identification, and tree phenology. We will look at leaves and discuss leaf forms and characteristics. Even in summer, tree identification often involves more than leaves, so we will look at tree form, habitat, and bark. We will also look for flowers and fruit, and discuss the timing of leaves, flowers, and fruits
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BRDC Executive Director Lisa Benish will introduce you to birding in this beginner birding hike focusing on sight and sound identification of resident and migrant birds in the Mt Rogers area. Bring binoculars and field guides. This is peak migration season, so expect a good morning!
Please note, while we aim to run every program listed above as scheduled, any program’s scheduled time may change depending on guide availability, weather, or other reasons. Programs must have at least 3 registered participants to run; programs with less than 3 participants may be cancelled and those participants asked to attend another program.
Rally Schedule
Friday
2:00pm: Guest Check-In
4:00pm: Rally Registration
5:30pm - 6:30pm: Dinner (Pre-registration Required)
6:45pm: Rally Welcome & Announcements
7:00pm: Featured Speaker & Youth Program
8:30pm: Night Programs
Saturday
7:00am: Registration & Trip Selection; Breakfast (Pre-registration Required) & Coffee
8:00am - 11:30am: Morning Field Trips & Youth Programs
11:30am - 1:00pm: Lunch (Pre-registration Required)
1:00pm - 4:30pm: Afternoon Field Trips & Youth Programs
5:30pm - 6:30pm: Dinner (Pre-registration Required)
7:00pm - 8:00pm: Live Music
8:30pm: Night Programs
Sunday
7:00am - 8:00am: Breakfast (Pre-registration Required)
8:00am - 11:30am: Morning Field Trips
11:30am: Guest Check-Out
Get our brand-new Rally shirts while supplies last!
Available in two colors—Green and Military Green—in unisex sizes S, M, L, XL, & XXL. Shirts are 52% cotton and 48% polyester.
1 Ticket for $5; 5 for $20; 20 for $50
Support our Summer Camp Scholarships!
Winners will be drawn at 5:00 pm on Saturday. Must be present to win. Raffle ticket sales cut-off time is 4:00pm on Saturday.
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