Blue Ridge Naturalist
I am once again teaching a few field courses for the
Blue Ridge Naturalist progam through the North Carolian Center
for Creative Retirement. I'll be doing Spring Wildflower identification,
Summer Flora (which will include both wildflower and tree identification),
and probably a course in Fall Wildflower identification.
In the wildflower courses you will learn to use Newcomb's
Wildflower Guide which uses a non-technical key to determine
identifications. The Summer Flora course will familiarize you
with Newcomb's as well as Swanson's A Field Guide to the Trees
and Shrubs of the Southern Appalachians. Using Swanson's
will teach you the diabolical nature of technical identification
keys! Actually, you'll learn that using a technical key is simply
a matter of doing it, and can be a lot of fun (not that there
is not a frustration factor.)
To learn when, where, how much and assorted other
details check out the Blue Ridge Naturalist website.
Ventures
I'll be leading a series of walks for my good friend,
Simon Thompson's company, Ventures. Simon, who can identify more
birds by sound than I can visually, leads trips around the globe
while I have a hard time leaving the southern Appalachians.
April 24 - Baxter
Creek/Big Creek trails located in the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park is an amazing place. In 1.5 miles of walking we
can expect to see some 50 - 60 species of wildflowers in bloom
during the morning walk. After lunch we will walk along what
I consider to be the prettiest stream in the park.
May 21 - Douglas Falls which
is on the Coleman Boundary just north of Weaverville is another
of my favorite spots. This trip is more of a drive and stop along
a forest service road, followed by approximately 1.5 miles of
walking to the falls themselves. Lots of wildflowers, usually
some good birds, and as always just beautiful stuff.
June 18 & 19 - Roan Mountain is such a beautiful place
that we have to do two trips. The Catawba
rhododenron, Flame
Azalea, and Gray's Lily are amazing and nowhere offers more
compelling views of them. The morning is spent along the Appalachian
Trail, walking across Round Bald and checking out the vistas
from the top of the world. After lunch we'll visit the site of
the old cloudland hotel. To learn a little bit more about the
area click here.
August 20 - Craggy
Gardens and points north will take us up into the
high country and out of the August heat. At these elevations
we'll even find some fall flowers in bloom. Our lunch will be
at Mt. Mitchell State Park where we'll see and discuss the devestation
of the Fraser Fir trees by acid deposition and the Balsam Wooly
Adelgid.
November 26 - Winter Walk.
This is one of my favorite trips since I frequently get to turn
folks onto looking at the natural world in a new way. We drive
along the parkway and stop for short walks at various points,
observing and discussing the changes taking place in prepartion
for winter's cold.
For information on any of these programs contact Ventures
at their website, or call 828.253.2427
May 3 & 4 UNC-Asheville Wildflower
Pilgrimage One of my favorite things every year is this
get together which offers a wide variety of programs and walks.
On Saturday I'll be leading an all day trip to Douglas Falls
(read the write up in the Ventures section above) and on Sunday
I'll be, as usual, helping out my dear friends Tommy and Nancy
Shinn at Stone Knife Farm. For details on this weekend visit
the UNC-Asheville biology department's wildflower webpage, which may or may not be updated.
It it's not current check back.
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