Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally

Feburary 21-23, 2025

The core of the mountains come to life far earlier than most realize. Attend this “dead of winter” rally to see how life persists through harsh conditions, study snowflakes and ice phenomenon, the region’s earliest flower blooms, night skies and exposed geology.

Tickets

Meal Tickets

lodging

Keynote Speaker

Blue Burrowing Crayfish with Dr. Laura Hainsworth

Central and Southern Appalachia is rich in species diversity, including crayfish. One species, the upland burrowing crayfish (Cambarus dubius), lives entirely underground, and can be found in a variety of colors – including bright blue!

Join Dr. Laura Hainsworth, director of the Emory & Henry University Bartlett-Crowe Field Station (BCFS) to learn more about these elusive and fascinating creatures.

Saturday morning Programs

Explore the surrounding area to see who has come from the great boreal forest and waterfowl areas to join our local residents making up our winter birds. Join avid local birder Bobby Riggs who knows all the best spots!
Arthur Merschat, PhD, USGS, will lead a short excursion to examine landslides from Hurricane Helene, as well as Quaternary and Neoproterozoic geology in Konnarock valley.
Tiffany Leach with the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC), located in Marion, Virginia, works to restore freshwater mussels in Virginia. It was established by the Virginia DWR 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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Saturday afternoon Programs - Session I

As Hurricane Helene strengthened in the southern Gulf of Mexico, a predecessor rain event (PRE) was impacting eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina with significant rainfall, saturating the soil of the region. After making landfall in Florida as a major hurricane, Helene tracked almost due north and caused major devastation in western North Carolina due to flooding and landslides, along with uprooted trees and the resulting power outages. Join Dr. Doug Miller as he discusses “The Unfolding of Helene as Witnessed by Two Gauge Networks in Western North Carolina”.
Ever wanted to make your own rope with materials you can find outside? Then this program is for you! Join Doug Meyers, who has spent his life working with primitive technologies, as he walks you through the process of making cordage!
Trees are the largest, oldest, and by some metrics the most complex living organisms on Earth. Join naturalist Mark Archibald for a gentle walk around the BRDC campus to learn about trees, winter tree identification using tree shape, bark, twigs, buds and leaf scars, and some of the many current threats to trees.
Join BRDC’s own Brendan Murphy to learn compass skills and reading topographic maps. Put your skills to the test in an orienteering course!

Saturday Afternoon Programs - Session II

Join BRDC’s Executive Director Lisa Benish to explore stream ecology in Della’s Branch. Learn about insects, aquatic worms, and crayfish and the habitats they need to thrive.
Road salt is a really powerful tool- it keeps roads and sidewalks safe in the winter. But when road salt runoff enters streams, it can cause enormous damage to the ecosystem and our infrastructure as well. Join Naturalist Educator, Brendan Murphy, for a short discussion on responsible road salt use followed by a field study where we will collect salinity measurements from four local streams.
Join Nell Fredericksen as she uses winter plants, like hardy ferns and fallen leaves, to create unique watercolor prints. Each participant will design and create a watercolor winter plant print as well as a set of notecards during this creative workshop.

Winter Rally Schedule

Friday

4:00pm: Lodging Guest Check-In

Saturday

8:00am: Registration - Trip Selection Breakfast (Pre-registration Required)
9:00am - 10:00 am: Guest Speaker and Youth Programs
10:00am - 12:00pm: Morning Hikes and Youth Programs
12:00pm - 1:00pm: Lunch (Pre-registration Required)
1:00pm - 3:00pm: Afternoon Field Trips and Youth Programs
3:00pm - 5:00pm: Afternoon Field Trips and Youth Programs

Sunday