Stumped. (ha! pun)

So, today I had a 3rd grader ask me a great question. He wanted to know if a tree could live forever. I knew that trees had different life spans, but didn't really know much past that. Turns out (I ran back to my office after the program and googled it) that the oldest living tree is the Bristlecone Pine. These trees can live up to 5,000 years! 5,000, can you imagine?! There is record of one specimen being 4,600 years old. Bristlecone Pines grow very slowly in cold temperatures and dry soils. The wood is very dense and is thus resistant to fungi and many annoying pests.

Isn't knowledge fantastic? I love that I'm learning something completely fascinating each day.

Swamp Pink

This little beauty was put on the "threatened species" list in 1988. The second largest population of swamp pink is found right here in North Carolina. We are second to New Jersey of all places. Go figure.

The swamp pink grows in wetlands. In this photo it is sittin' pretty in the bog.

Promotion, promotion, promotion!

SO! I'm finally getting the chance to mix art with environment. Made up this poster for the Songbird Celebration we are having on May 15th.

With some graphic design help from Jason and the great artwork of Robert Petty...I think it turned out nicely!

At the risk of sounding like a total NERD...

... you have to listen to the song of the wood thrush.

It is my goal to become more knowledgeable about bird songs and birdjam.com is a great resource. I've still got a long long way to go, but I'm fairly positive I'd know the wood thrush if I heard it.

That my friends, is progress.

WORK SPACE

Ah, yes. My desk. I did a little sprucing up of the office today and hung a Charley Harper poster on migratory birds over my bulletin board. Do you love it?


There, now that you can see it, do you love it?

Seen one waterfall seen them all?

Maybe not. I happened upon the Moore Cove Waterfall on my drive down the mountain today. And when I say "happened upon", I mean that I parked my car, walked for a mile and found a pretty spectacular waterfall at the end of the path. I'm not one to go "waterfall hunting", but spring seems like the perfect time to do just that. The leaves are coming out on the trees again and everything is many shades of green!

Obama sighting?

Nope, I definitely didn't see them. Instead, I saw this---bumper to bumper traffic lined up outside the Asheville Regional Airport. Still exciting...in it's own way. Turns out the Obamas and I had the same plan for this weekend. Only when I visit places, I don't shut down whole roads (or get private tours of the Biltmore Estate). But no matter! I made it to the hippie, mountain town by 2pm and promptly fell in love. Walking down Haywood street, I saw a girl blowing bubbles and twirling hula-hoops on her arms (each in a different direction, mind you!), later a guy in a Subaru station wagon drove by blaring Yeasayer out his window. Could it get any cooler? The little town in the middle of the mountains has me sold!

"art"

Brevard, NC has many wonderful things: fantastic forests, beautiful mountains, great restaurants, A SODA SHOP, but art is definitely not their strong suit. I ventured down the mountain tonight to check out the 4th Friday Gallery Walk. It was mediocre at best. Canton's First Friday even draws a bigger crowd. I'm not trying to be an art SNOB (okay, I totally am), but the "art" was art in the very loosest of terms. There were loads and loads of cheesy waterfall photographs and corny paintings of flowers. It was the kind of stuff that was so sickeningly sweet and cliche that it made your tooth hurt. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to making a trip to the Asheville Art Museum this weekend to see what the (somewhat) bigger city has to offer!

EARTH

Had my best Earth Day to date today! Probably because it's the first time I celebrated it the proper way--teaching about the importance of protecting the environment. We had a field trip of 60 3rd graders at the Discovery Center this morning. I wish we would have had a special program that was all about Earth Day and it's history, but then again, taking the kids on a hike through the forest was a pretty perfect way to commemorate the day.

So, happy April 22nd everyone! Let's remember Gaylord Nelson, the U.S. Senator who got the whole thing started 40 years ago.

More great facts about Earth Day can be found here: http://nelsonearthday.net/

Cow-Catcher

Okay. So I feel like this might be common knowledge to some people, but I'm definitely new to trains and train terminology. Since there is an old train on the Forest Festival Trail, I did a little light reading today on locomotives. I was shocked when I discovered that the front wedge shape on trains actually serves a purpose! Turns out it was used to push animals (cows) and objects out of the way of the train so that it's pilot wheels weren't derailed--thus the name, COW-CATCHER.

I imagine it would have happened kind of like this...



(drawing reblogged from thepostitproject.blogspot.com)

LOOT

My SCA uniform package came today, which meansssss ye olde pickle suit is going right back in the closet! I got a super awesome box of gifts including: a camelbak water bottle, 5 shirts, various patches, a nametag, a hat, a pin, AND a pretty neat little satchel.

Mountain Trivia

Cold Mountain, the mountain that inspired the book (which in turn inspired the movie) is located right here in Pisgah National Forest. On my day off today, I went and explored the Blue Ridge Parkway and came upon a very hazy view of the famous mountain. I didn't think it was anything to write home about (or base a book on) but Charles Frazier (author ALERT) obviously disagrees.

Check out this beauty!

Meet the 5-lined skink. It has a fantastic, bright blue tail- which it can drop and regenerate when in danger. My boss, Cindy, told me about a kid who picked up a skink, but was left holding only a squirming blue tail while the the little guy got away. Gotta love a clever lizard!

North Carolina meets South Carolina meets Georgia!

Had a wonderful siblings reunion this weekend! Since my weekends are actually Sunday and Monday it makes for a fast visit (seeing as Monday is a bust, because everyone else goes back to work), but Kevin and Jason did manage to have enough time to pose for this BARRY COOL PHOTOG.

E SQUARED

I'm officially an environmental educator! I took my first group out on the trail today (an awesome group of 3rd graders). I think I probably got a little spoiled because I had such a good group and they won't (so I'm told) all be that way. The kids had great questions and it was just so much fun to point out habitats and walk through the woods with them. I actually had a girl come up to me and say "it's so great you have all this here for us to come and look at". I mean, 3rd grade! So cool. And of course it makes it even cuter when they all have little southern accents.

Pictured above: The Discovery Center in Pisgah National Forest.

In A Pickle

Today I was issued my very own FOREST SERVICE UNIFORM. It's affectionately termed, "the pickle suit" and is, not surprisingly, very hideous. If you're waiting to see a photo of me in said suit...you'll be waiting a long time. I WILL say that the pants are somewhere between mom jeans and American Apparel high-waisted denim. I can't decide whether to love it or hate it, but I'm leaning toward hate at this point.

Waterfall Trivia

Looking Glass Falls is the most popular and most photographed waterfall in Western North Carolina (probably because it is so easily accessible--located right off the main road winding through the Pisgah National Forest). The waterfall is 60 feet tall and named because of its resemblance to a "looking glass". During the winter months the water freezes and when the sun glistens off of it, it looks just like a mirror (supposedly). I took this picture on my way back up the mountain tonight after running some errands in Brevard.

No, this isn't an appliance store...

...it's my kitchen.

Hello, Welcome! I moved to the forest...let's catch up!

Yesterday I stuck the (surprisingly small) amount of possessions I have in my Camry and drove from Ohio to North Carolina. After 528 miles, plus a VERY curvy 11 mile drive up the mountain, I arrived at my new home for the next 4 months--Pisgah National Forest.