New herp county records for Franklin County!

Dr Todd Fredericksen shares this exciting news:

The first recorded captures in Franklin County of the Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii) and the Eastern Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) occurred at Ferrum College this past summer.  

Click image for larger view of the Spadefoot

The Eastern Spadefoot spends most of its time below ground and occurs mostly in the Coastal Plain with a few scattered locations in the Mountains.  It was captured in a pitfall trap in a hardwood forest following a heavy rain in July. 

Click image for larger view of the Must Turtle

The Eastern Musk Turtle, also called the “Stinkpot”, is rare in the upper Piedmont and Mountains and was captured with a net trap in a small pond in September.

Dr Todd Fredericken is a member of the Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists. He is also one of our treasured instructors for the VMN Basic Training Program. The next training is scheduled for Fall 2013!

Away they all flew like the down of a thistle

Have you ever wondered about the phrase...

Click image for larger view

I saw "thistle down" and took a photo from Grassy Hill yesterday.  I have seen it before in the bush and thought it was rabbit fur!

"He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,

Happy Christmas to all! And to all, a good night!" 

From:  "'Twas The Night Before Christmas:  A visit from St. Nicholas"  

by Clement C. Moore - 1822

Take your camera on your next hike and shares some photos with us! If you want to visit Grassy Hill Natural Area Preserve click here for directions, it is in Rocky Mount, VA. 

Learn more about the Virginia Master Naturalist Program here. 

Learn more about thistles here.

VIRGINIA MASTER NATURALISTS LIKE TO DO IT OUTSIDE!

Can you help me identify this wasp?

I took these photos in Franklin County Virginia on our land. The purple on the back of this wasp really captured my eye! Can you help me identify it?

VA seeks acorns, seeds to preserve native trees

from AP - -RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The Virginia Department of Forestry is asking Virginians to help preserve native trees by collecting acorns and seeds from 11 species.

Officials say the best time to collect acorns is the last week in September through the first week of October and that lawns or paved areas are ideal collection sites

The most-needed species are: Alleghany Chinkapin; Chinese Chestnut; Hazelnut; Black Oak; Chestnut Oak; Northern Red Oak; Pin Oak; Sawtooth Oak; White Oak; Willow Oak, and Black Walnut.

Nursery forester Josh McLaughlin says those interested in collecting acorns or seeds should not use plastic bags to hold them or combine different species in the same bag. Collectors also should identify the species on the bag before delivering them to the nearest department office.

SNAKES DO NOT CHASE PEOPLE

Snakes have been the focal point of folklore for centuries. The word "snake" itself often yields a strong emotional response ranging from awe and wonder to shock or fear. 

Watch your step in the woods

Rock piles are perfect habitat for snakes

These individual responses originate from the diverse values people associate with snakes. While some people find them fascinating, others are not very fond of snakes because they do not appear and behave like any other animals we know. Additionally, there are numerous deeply rooted tales and myths about the extraordinary powers and abilities of snakes. Regardless of the source of our response, misconceptions about snakes have made them among the most feared and misunderstood of all animals. Once we begin to learn more about snakes, our misconceptions usually fade with the facts and our fears give way to curiosity.

If you do encounter a snake in the woods, simply leave it alone, it'll get out of your way or you can walk around it. SNAKES DO NOT CHASE PEOPLE. Here are a few tips to avoid the possibility of being bitten when hiking in the woods"

1. Stay on the trail.
2. Watch where you place your hands and feet, and where you sit down.
3. Do not attempt to capture snakes.

Read more from the DGIF VIRGINIA OUTDOOR REPORT here.

REMEMBER, KILLING SNAKES IN VIRGINIA IS ILLEGAL

Want to learn more about the Virginia Master Naturalist Program? Click here.

Bears and bobcats: Central Va. gets natural history museum

The Rockfish Valley Foundation Natural History Center
The Rockfish Valley Foundation– motto: "As big as all outdoors!"– has been a relentless booster for the natural resources of Nelson County, and has opened a park, hiking trails, and a scenic loop. Now it's poised to open the Natural History Center, in association with the Virginia Natural History Museum in Martinsville.

A New Natural History Museum in Nelson County VA 

Read more about this new natural history museum here by Lisa Provence in The Hook.

Along with Radford University, the Nelson museum becomes the second operating affiliate. And the Virginia Museum of Natural History in turn is associated with the Smithsonian, which means plenty of resources for the smaller, low-budget museums.

The grand opening is June 16 with the exhibit, "Living off the Land." With the wineries and breweries along Route 151 and the Blue Ridge Mountains, Agelasto believes the new museum will be another reason for visitors to come enjoy Nelson's rural charms.

Agelasto is particularly interested in luring children away from video games and television and toward the magic of the natural world. He finds himself among a growing chorus of those who call the electronic device-centric lifestyle Nature Deficit Disorder. The Rockfish Valley Foundation Natural History Center, he believes, can be part of the cure.

Visit the Nelson Scenic Loop to see what else there is to see when you visit this new museum! 

Learn more about the Virginia Master Naturalist Program here.

Super Cloudy for the Super Moon

We waited and I was able to capture a few images of the Cinco de Mayo Super Moon here in Franklin County Virginia. Super cloudy for the super moon...

Natural History of The Blue Ridge Parkway

National Parks Travelers shared:

Visit The Blue Ridge Parkway for your next field trip

James River Watergap/ James River Face (Milepost 63.
Imagine the titanic forces needed for Virginia’s biggest river to flow placidly through this breach in the Appalachians. This water gap—a typical Appalachia formation—is sure to impress. Such gaps played a key role in westward expansion, and the one here was a corridor for an early turnpike, railroad, and canal. A major highway and rail line still course above the river. The canal is gone, but the James River Trail leads across a bridge from the visitor center to the opposite bank where a lock is still visible at this lowest point on the Parkway. The Trail of Trees (same starting point), one of the Parkway’s best interpretive trails, covers the geology of the water gap and the diversity of the floodplain forest. The cliffs and crags on the south side of the river comprise the James River Face Wilderness, an 8,900-acre federally designated wild area.

Onancock Nature Trail grows 300 feet longer

VIRGINIA MASTER NATURALISTS IN THE NEWS!

Master Naturalists work on extending Onancock Nature Trail

What are your favorite hiking books?

Hiking Trip Reports 

Favorite Hiking Books

If you’re like me you don’t get to spend as much time on the trail as you’d like. But thanks to many great books we get to experience the outdoors through great novels and non-fiction books as well as location guides and hiking guides. Below are some of my favorite outdoor books. Most are about hiking, but a few are outdoor adventures that have inspired and moved me. If you have a favorite be sure to tell me about it and I’ll include it here for others to find. I would love to talk to authors of guides and outdoor adventure books.

The Beauty of Pollination

Sit back and enjoy this magnificent video!

Dick LeRoy of our BRFAL Chapter wanted to share this spectacular video of The Beauty of Pollination and it's amazing videography with you.
Learn more about the Virginia Master Naturalist program here!

Get involved in something cool, our next basic training will be held at The Franklin Center in Downtown Rocky Mount beginning March 2012, feel free to email us for more details: contact@brfal.org or visit our website for the draft schedule of classes here.

Hawk Watching Fun Peaks in October - November

A VIRGINIA MASTER NATURALIST SHARES SOME VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT HAWK WATCHING!

By Marie Majarov

Today in Franklin County VA

Shellie took these this evening of the spectacular Fall colors in our Franklin County Virginia

Grassy Hill (taken from Landmark Mountain)

Cahas Mountain to the left (Hwy 220 hidden to the right in this image)

Now you can see why we as Master Naturalists adore this part of the country, and these Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes!

Learn more about the Virginia Master Naturalist program here!  BRFAL Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalist wants you to get outside, explore and learn something new today. 

Get involved in something cool, our next basic training will be held at The Franklin Center in Downtown Rocky Mount beginning March 2012, feel free to email us for more details: contact@brfal.org

Virginia is for... volcanoes?

Virginia is known for many things, from its beaches to its mountains, its farms and universities.

But volcanoes?

True enough, Virginia has a quirky if still unexplained history with volcanic activity, one of the few East Coast states that can make that claim.

Mole Hill is surrounded by farms, many owned by Mennonite families, on the outskirts of Harrisonburg. The summit, about 1,900 feet above sea level, is covered by thick scrub and forest. (Jane Harper | Special to The Virginian-Pilot)

Read more from Scott Harper at The Virginian-Pilot here

BRFAL Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalist wants you to get outside, explore and learn something new today. 

If you are interested in the Virginia Master Naturalist program and want to learn more about it, or when the next training will be held, click here. BRFAL Chapter will be holding the next basic training course beginning in March 2012 in downtown Rocky Mount at The Franklin Center.

Farms Dominate Landscape Here

Despite Pockets of commercial and residential development, farms remain the dominant feature in Franklin County's landscape.

Franklin County farm facing east and fall scenery

• Franklin County ranks eighth among Virginia's 95 counties in the amount of farmland, according to the most recent U.S. Census of Agriculture.
• Franklin County has 166,592 acres of farmland, according to the census.
• Bedford County ranks fifth with 212,237 acres.
• Franklin County also ranked among the top 10 counties for Virginia Farm income, according to the census.
• The average Farm in Virginia generates $61,334 worth of sales according to figures from the national Agriculture Service (NASS).
• The average size of a Virginia farm is 171 acres, according to NASS.

The BRFAL Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalist visited a local Dairy Farm as part of their basic training last Spring and saw the day to day operations. I cannot commend our local Farmers enough for all they do to produce quality dairy products for us! 

IF YOU ENJOY YOUR FOOD - THANK A FARMER!

If you are interested in the Virginia Master Naturalist program and want to learn more about it, or when the next training will be held, click here.

Be careful! It’s a jungle out there!

MEET THE BRACKEN FERN

Bracken Fern

By Meg Brager 

Observe Plants and Animals

Nature's Notebook is a national plant and animal phenology observation program 
Taking the pulse of our planet

You can join thousands of other individuals who are providing valuable observations that scientists, educators, policy makers, and resource managers are using to understand how plants and animals are responding to climate change and other environmental changes. Your observations will make a difference!

25+ Nature and Wildlife Mobile Apps

Do you have a smart phone and want to use it to explore nature? The saying, “there’s an app for that,” rings true in this case. I’ve tested out a number of smart phone applications, and I must say they really can help you find nature, identify, share and enjoy the wildlife you’ve seen.

This is a sister post to “Fantastic Wildlife and Nature iPhone Apps,” and, while you’ll notice a few repeats, I decided to extend the mentions to a few new ones! I’ve linked mostly to the iPhone applications, but most of them have an Android counterpart.

Read this article with links and information on Nature and Wildlife Apps from Wildlife Promise here.

Mobile Apps to Help You Find Parks and Trails

Sometimes, in order to see wildlife and feel close to nature, you have to find it, so that’s what these applications help you do.  

Examples: NatureFind

Price: Free

Find the closest parks, forests and nature centers with this application. It also will tell you local events that the places are hosting. This application is incredibly useful regardless if you’re in a city or surrounded by suburban houses.

Wildlife Sightings and Citizen Science

WildObs Observer

Price: Free

BRFAL Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalist wants you to get outside, explore and learn something new today. Get involved in something cool, learn more about the Virginia Master Naturalist program here! 

When it comes to wildlife observations, there are several useful apps and WildObs is one of my favorites. It makes it very easy for you to report your sightings and identify species, and your observations show up on National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Watch website. It’s one of the only apps that allows you to report sightings without having a photo and it also tags your location if you so desire.

Blue Ridge Parkway Wildflower Report for September 20th, 2011

TOUCH-ME-NOTS!

Shellie took this image here in BRFAL country VA

It is mid-September and depending on your location you may find a few signs of fall color on some trees along the Parkway. This is just a reminder to the display that always arrives here in the mountains around the middle of October.  Generally the fields full with this time of year with Black-eyed Susan, Joe-Pye weed, Queen Anne's Lace, Ironweed, Goldenrod and in some places great displays of Cardinal Flower in wet areas.

Create a Certified Wildlife Habitat

Turn Your Yard Into a Haven for Wildlife!

By providing food, water, cover and places for wildlife to raise their young, your garden can join the nearly 140,000 Certified Wildlife Habitat™ sites across the country.

Start here to certify your habitat >>

Whether you have an apartment balcony or a 20-acre farm, you can create a garden that attracts beautiful wildlife and helps restore habitat in commercial and residential areas. By providing food, water, cover and a place for wildlife to raise their young--and by incorporating sustainable gardening practices--you not only help wildlife, but you also qualify to become an official Certified Wildlife Habitat™.

How to Create a Wildlife-Friendly Garden