On May 1, Susan Studler led 11 BRNN members on a moss, liverwort and lichen discovery walk along the beautiful Laurel River near Hot Springs, NC. Susan had identified over 100 species in the first half mile of the trail, we saw a limited number. She graciously provided a handout to the group which explained the characteristics of the organisms which is attached. Randy Richardson did his usual great photography, the link to the photos in Amazon is https://www.amazon.de/photos/share/Y2sKB3ElqubuWOqq5AR34RUqHtHQ6w8yKP7AGpC88hV.
with Drew Lathin, owner of Mountain Native Landscape Design
Tuesday,
March 12, 7 p.m.
Landscaping with native plants is critical for building wildlife habitat, reducing resource inputs like excess water and fertilizer, and creating healthy outdoor living areas. Learn why only native plants can do this as well as some design tips to make your native landscape beautiful.
Drew Lathin is the owner of Mountain Native Landscape Design. He is also a certified Blue Ridge Naturalist. Drew is an advocate for re-wilding our urban and suburban landscapes, using native plants in thoughtful ways to bring biological diversity and beauty to our everyday lives.
No RSVP necessary for this event. We look forward to seeing you there!
Chilly morning temperatures at 5000 feet did not deter the 28 BRNN members joining our high-elevation wildflower walk on Tuesday May 23rd. Ably led by guides Lou Dwarshuis, Marilyn Kolton, and Randy Richardson, our gang set off to explore the trails leading from the Pisgah Inn to the site of the former Buck Springs Lodge. On the sunnier, drier Buck Springs trail we saw the first of the late spring/summer flowers, with highlights including blooming Speckled Wood Lily, Wild Sarsaparilla, Wood Betony, Catawba Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Canada Mayflower, Wild Lily of the Valley and Umbrella Leaf. The shadier, wetter Campground trail yielded the last vestiges of a number of species of trillium (Painted, Red Wake Robin, Large-flowered, and Vasey’s) including some examples with four and five leaves! And a small cadre of committed plant nerds stopped along the Parkway on the way home to see the rare Small-flowered Yellow Lady’s Slipper. Our group included some keen birders, and they recorded some very interesting bird species, including:
Hooded warbler
Blue-headed vireo
Black & white warbler
Indigo bunting
Scarlet tanager
Northern parula
Chestnut-sided warbler
Dark-eyed junco
Downy woodpecker
Veery
Selected photos from the outing are provided below:
The Blue Ridge Naturalist Network is an outgrowth of the Blue Ridge Naturalist Program through the N C Arboretum. Our interest is in the natural world and environmental issues, with a foundation based in science.
