May 2011 - Rockbridge Master Naturalists
May 2011 - Rockbridge Master Naturalists
May 2011 - Rockbridge Master Naturalists
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M A Y 2 0 1 1<br />
W H A T’ S<br />
H A P P ENING<br />
• <strong>May</strong> 1 2:00 pm<br />
The Chestnut Story<br />
♦ <strong>May</strong> 7 2:00 pm<br />
Invasive Species<br />
Walk Chessie Trail<br />
• <strong>May</strong> 6-8<br />
Mt. Rogers Naturalist<br />
Rally<br />
• <strong>May</strong> 7-8<br />
Wildflower Weekend<br />
Shenandoah Nat Pk<br />
• <strong>May</strong> 8 Mothers Day<br />
• <strong>May</strong> 13-15<br />
Wildflower Weekend-<br />
Wintergreen<br />
• <strong>May</strong> 14—30<br />
Green Valley Bk Fair<br />
• <strong>May</strong> 20-22<br />
DGIF Outdoors<br />
Woman<br />
• <strong>May</strong> 21 10-3<br />
Chestnut Training<br />
• <strong>May</strong> 28 10-1<br />
BlueRidge Wildflower<br />
• June 7th 5:30pm<br />
RMN Chapter Mtg<br />
& Graduation!<br />
• June 3-5<br />
VAMN Rally<br />
Sweet Briar<br />
RMN Sponsors<br />
<strong>Rockbridge</strong> <strong>Rockbridge</strong> <strong>Rockbridge</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Naturalists</strong><br />
<strong>Naturalists</strong><br />
Providing education, outreach, and service dedicated to the<br />
stewardship and beneficial management of the natural areas<br />
and resources of <strong>Rockbridge</strong> County, Virginia.<br />
After mulchingthe<br />
herb<br />
bed myson<br />
and I sat<br />
back for a<br />
well-deserved break ina patch<br />
of grass just past tall enough for<br />
the mower. While he happily<br />
munched ona dandelionbloom<br />
we begannamingall the plants<br />
we could touch; chickweed, purple<br />
deadnettle, rye, white clover,<br />
mountainmint, ground ivy,<br />
and, of course, the honorable<br />
Dent de’Leon! - all of which<br />
are quite tastyand regular additions<br />
to our salad bowl. Out<br />
of the 12 plants we identified in<br />
that small space all but 2,<br />
grape hyacinth and buttercups,<br />
were edible and/ or medicinal.<br />
Inaddition, there were numerous<br />
insects, worms, and larvae<br />
crawlingor flyingabout, and we<br />
couldn’t help but marvel at the<br />
sheer varietyof life that existed<br />
On Saturday, <strong>May</strong> 7th, RMN<br />
members will have a chance to<br />
get in some advanced training<br />
hours learning to identify certain<br />
harmful non-native plants that<br />
have take up residence along the<br />
Chessie Trail. The walk will be<br />
led by Faith Vosburgh and will<br />
count toward both advanced<br />
right at our fingertips.<br />
The biodiversityof our planet is<br />
beingthreatened bythe narrowand<br />
short-sighted economicdrivenhomocentricviewthat<br />
everythingexists<br />
for our pleasure and use. We may<br />
be products of our culture, but we<br />
are also naturalists with a deep love<br />
and innate understandingof the<br />
world that surrounds us. Cultivatinganopenmind<br />
and heart are<br />
essential elements to restoringand<br />
protectingthe wonderful gifts our<br />
world provides us, and brings us<br />
that much closer to respectingbiodiversityinall<br />
its forms.<br />
What’s the difference betweenthe<br />
dandelionweed that mars a wellgroomed<br />
lawnand a beautiful<br />
flower that nourishes your bodyand<br />
soul?<br />
Perspective.<br />
Bernadette Bowen<br />
Invasive Species ID and Removal Walk on the Chessie<br />
training and volunteer hours, ’cause<br />
once we identify those invasives,<br />
then we’re getting rid of ’em!<br />
The walk will begin at 2:00pm<br />
and last from 1-2 hours, depending<br />
on how much fun we’re having!<br />
This is the first of a series of walks<br />
that will be offered on the Chessie<br />
and will be open to the public.<br />
Here’s a link to a terrific new electronic re-<br />
"When you change the way<br />
you look at things, the<br />
things you look at begin to<br />
change."<br />
-Wayne Dyer<br />
Chapter Advisor:<br />
Karen Stanley<br />
VA Dept. of Forestry<br />
312 South Main Street<br />
Lexington, Virginia 24450<br />
(540) 463-5253<br />
Karen.Stanley@dof.virginia.gov<br />
President: Bernadette Bowen<br />
540-463-6177<br />
bbowen00@gmail.com<br />
Vice President: Keith Maurer<br />
vapapops@gmail.com<br />
Secretary: Patrick Stange<br />
pstange@embarqmail.com<br />
Treasurer: Vicki Langdon<br />
vlmillan@netscape.com<br />
source that<br />
helps differentiate<br />
invasive plants<br />
in our region from their<br />
native look-alikes:<br />
http://<br />
www.nybg.org/<br />
files/scientists/<br />
rnaczi/<br />
Mistaken_Identity_Final<br />
.pdf.
P A G E 2<br />
Loss of biodiversity from<br />
high levels of atmospheric<br />
nitrogen (from cars, industry<br />
& agriculture) has been<br />
reported in parts of Europe<br />
and the United States.<br />
Within an ecosystem, species<br />
have different roles<br />
that contribute to the productivity<br />
and stability of the<br />
community. When some<br />
species are missing, the<br />
functioning of the ecosystem<br />
as a whole is impaired.<br />
Good News! Research<br />
shows when nitrogen is<br />
reduced many species can<br />
recover. Science Daily 2/12/08<br />
If you get up any morning for<br />
the next few weeks, you’ll be<br />
treated to the sight of all the<br />
planets except Saturn arrayed<br />
along the ecliptic, the<br />
path of the sun through the<br />
sky.<br />
For the last two months, almost<br />
all the planets have<br />
been hiding behind the sun,<br />
but this week they all emerge<br />
and are arrayed in a grand<br />
line above the rising sun.<br />
Mercury, Venus, Mars, and<br />
Jupiter are visible, and you<br />
can add Uranus and Neptune<br />
to your count if you have<br />
binoculars or a small telescope.<br />
Curriculum Committee News<br />
The <strong>2011</strong> training<br />
class will graduate on<br />
June 7th—yea!!<br />
Remember: All trainees<br />
have 2 years to<br />
complete training. If<br />
you’re missing courses<br />
or field trips there is<br />
still time to make them<br />
up (please see the remaining<br />
training schedule<br />
to the right). Megan<br />
Ondricek is in charge of<br />
training records and<br />
you can email her directly<br />
with questions:<br />
megondricek@gmail.com<br />
The Entomology part of<br />
the 5/11 field trip has<br />
been canceled due to a<br />
presenter conflict. This<br />
field trip will only consist<br />
of ornithology, and since<br />
this hasn’t been offered<br />
Observatory Observatory Trip: Trip: Well, we finally made it to<br />
the VMI Observatory ! Dr. Greg Topasna<br />
gave us an excellent tour and discussed the<br />
spectrum analysis research VMI is currently<br />
involved in. Then we got to climb up into<br />
the observatory itself and learned all about<br />
the two telescopes currently being used,<br />
even climbing onto the table to peer into<br />
the opposite end to see the lenses. After<br />
synchronizing the telescope to the computer,<br />
Greg opened the dome and our beautiful<br />
moon jumped into view. Even though<br />
the night was just beginning to cloud up a<br />
little, we were able to see quite a few deep<br />
space objects, such as the Orion Nebula,<br />
the Beehive Nebula, and a binary star sys-<br />
Chessie Chessie Chessie Trail Trail Trail news news news by Bernadette Bowen<br />
The Chessie Trail is such an<br />
important community resource,<br />
the committee felt it would be a<br />
shame not to share our growing<br />
knowledge. We’re setting up a<br />
series of RMN sponsored community<br />
walks that will focus on a<br />
specific aspect and section of the<br />
trail such as the history of the<br />
trail, hydrology, geology, ecol-<br />
PLEASE NOTE !!<br />
ogy, microclimates and<br />
microhabitats, and more.<br />
We will begin on <strong>May</strong> 7th<br />
learning about invasive<br />
species with Faith Vosburgh<br />
(and getting some<br />
volunteer time by pulling<br />
them out!).<br />
We’re still working out<br />
the final details and will<br />
before, it can count toward advanced<br />
training . The field trips<br />
are normally from 8:00am to<br />
12:00pm. Please contact Keith<br />
Maurer: vapapops@gmail.com<br />
<strong>2011</strong> Training Schedule<br />
5-4 Hydrology / Ichthyology<br />
5-7 Water Quality field trip<br />
5-11 Orinthology<br />
5-18 Entomology / Decomposers<br />
5-21 Ornithology field trip<br />
(adv trn)<br />
tem; Castor and Pollux (In the constellation<br />
Gemini). But, the Piece de’ Resistance’ was<br />
when we focused on Saturn. Wow. As<br />
Maggie exclaimed, “It looks just like it’s<br />
supposed to!” It really did and took our<br />
breath away. We all had such an exciting<br />
time, Greg offered to do this again for us in<br />
the early fall.<br />
In the meantime, Greg gave us 2 websites<br />
with free downloadable astronomy programs:<br />
www.stellarium. www.stellarium. org org<br />
org<br />
www.shatters.net/celestia/<br />
www.shatters.net/celestia/<br />
ps: We tried Stellarium—awesome! The Bowens<br />
send a follow-up email to all<br />
members when complete.<br />
These walks will count toward<br />
advanced education<br />
hours and be open to the<br />
public. The plan is to help<br />
prepare our members to lead<br />
interpretive community walks<br />
on the Chessie next year.<br />
If anyone has any suggestions<br />
on topics, please let us<br />
know!<br />
The tiny short tailed shrew usually hides under leaf litter, and is the most abundant mammal in<br />
Virginia. The Least Shrew is the smallest.
M A Y 2 0 1 1<br />
It’s It’s SKUNK SKUNK SEASON!<br />
SEASON!<br />
Thirsty Plants Text For Help<br />
Researchers have developed a<br />
device that monitors soil saturation<br />
and lets your house<br />
plants send text messages to<br />
let you know if they need water,<br />
had to much, or just to say,<br />
Thanks! Science Daily 1/1/2009<br />
*********<br />
Flame Retardants (chemicals<br />
added to fabric & plastics to<br />
keep them from burning easily)<br />
have been detected in Peregrine<br />
Falcon eggs for the 1st<br />
time. Science Daily 4/18/11<br />
********<br />
Biochemists have shown that air<br />
A group of skunks is known as a, ‘stench’. (ya’ think!?!)<br />
Four Four kinds kinds of of skunks skunks are native to the U.S. and of these, 2 are found<br />
in Virginia: The Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and more rarely,<br />
the smaller Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius). All are black and<br />
white and have a strong musky odor that come from 2 nipple-tipped grape-sized<br />
scent glands on either side of the anus. Each dose contains only about a fraction of a<br />
teaspoon. The skunk can aim these glands with perfect accuracy when frightened or<br />
threatened. Skunks usually give a warning before spraying by stamping their front<br />
feet, then raising their tail, and finally lifting and fanning out the tip of the tail (the<br />
spotted skunk stamps then does a handstand and sprays over its head!). They can<br />
fire 5 or 6 rounds at a time and then need about a day to recharge. Skunks are nearsighted<br />
but have excellent hearing and sense of smell. They don’t like heat and are<br />
primarily nocturnal, preferring to feed in the early evening. Omnivores, they’ll eat just<br />
about anything, but prefer insects like grasshoppers and crickets, larvae, mice, voles,<br />
shrews, eggs, worms, grubs, slugs, weevils, spiders, fruit, grasses, and tender buds.<br />
They have sharp teeth and claws for digging. The skunk has been called the gardeners<br />
and farmers best friend because they eat most of the more annoying garden and<br />
crop pests. Skunks have a home range and can travel up to 2 miles a night looking<br />
for food. Not true hibernators, they can sometimes be seen in the milder winter<br />
months and are often seen during the daytime in early spring after emerging from<br />
hibernation or searching for a mate. A skunks greatest enemies are humans and<br />
dogs. Other predators include horned owls, fox, bobcat, and<br />
eagles. Breeding season begins in February and lasts until<br />
the end of March. Kits (up to 10 but normally 5 or 6) are born<br />
in Late April or early <strong>May</strong> and by July are able to travel about<br />
on their own. However, they usually stay with their mother<br />
until the next spring. Most dens have a single opening and<br />
are communal, meaning it will be used by whatever skunk<br />
happens to get to it first and often share, even with other<br />
species (in separate tunnels). Skunks will dig a den under<br />
stumps, fallen logs, rock piles, wood piles (spotted<br />
skunks like hollowed trees), as well as beneath<br />
houses, outbuildings, and in your garage.<br />
News Briefs<br />
pollution inhibits the distance that<br />
flower's fragrances can travel.<br />
Scent molecules usually travel easily<br />
in the air, but pollutants break<br />
them apart which destroys the<br />
smell and affects pollinators.<br />
Science Daily 8/1/2008<br />
*********<br />
Online Reporting System<br />
Need help getting into the system?<br />
Have questions?<br />
• Email Keith Maurer<br />
vapapops@gmail.com<br />
vapapops@gmail.com<br />
vapapops@gmail.com<br />
P A G E 3<br />
Best DeSkunking Recipe<br />
EVER !<br />
♦ Dawn dishwashing liquid<br />
♦ Baking Soda<br />
♦ Hydrogen Peroxide<br />
********************<br />
1. Wet your dog, briefly soap-<br />
ing up the outer coat, and<br />
rinse (this is to get the top<br />
layer of oil off)<br />
2. Make a thick paste with<br />
Dawn and baking soda.<br />
3. Add enough hydrogen<br />
peroxide to the paste to<br />
make it the consistency of<br />
shampoo<br />
4. Wash entire dog, but espe-<br />
cially the area that was<br />
sprayed<br />
5. DO NOT GET IN EYES!<br />
6. Let sit for a few minutes<br />
7. Rinse.<br />
Skunks are a vector species<br />
for rabies as are fox,<br />
raccoons, and opossums.<br />
Coming in JUNE !!<br />
JUNE 7th<br />
RMN Chapter Meeting<br />
Including graduation and a presentation<br />
on Mycology with<br />
Katie Lechter-Lyle<br />
Katie’s presentation starts at<br />
5:30pm (1 hour advanced training)<br />
June 3-5<br />
VAMN Rally<br />
Sweet Briar College T<br />
This counts as advanced training<br />
for graduates and the last<br />
field trip for trainees!<br />
“And what is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” chickweed
Plastic Plastic is is not not only only bad bad for for the the environment, environment, but but a new study by George Bittner, PhD, a biology professor<br />
at the University of Texas in Austin found that of the 455 plastic products designed to contain food that were tested, all of<br />
them leached chemical byproducts, and nearly all of them leached estrogenic compounds which interfere with hormone<br />
production and regulation. Certain plastic products labeled with a #2, #4, or #5 in the recycle triangle have been considered<br />
safe because they didn’t leach BPA or phthalates, the 2 chemicals proven to interfere with estrogen. However, this<br />
study didn’t just test individual compounds, they tested the entire product,<br />
and since a plastic product can have anywhere from t to 20 chemicals<br />
either contained in the plastic polymer or as an additive, they concluded<br />
there are no completely safe plastics. You can read the entire<br />
article at: http://www.rodale.com/chemicals<br />
http://www.rodale.com/chemicals-plastic.<br />
http://www.rodale.com/chemicals<br />
plastic. plastic. This study was<br />
published in the journal, Environmental Health Perspectives.<br />
Adopting Adopting a a plastic plastic-free plastic plastic free life life simply isn’t an option for most of us. Just<br />
look around you right now and try to count the number of objects within<br />
your reach that aren’t made of or with plastic; laminated desk, table,<br />
rugs, pens, flooring, keyboard, telephone, paint….. Unless it’s stone,<br />
wood, glass, plant fibers/wool, or metal… it’s made of plastic. Scary?<br />
It’s not only humans that are affected, but all living things, and this in<br />
turn affects the environment as a whole. So what can we do about it?<br />
• Don’t Don’t heat heat plastic! plastic! Heat stresses the polymers and causes leaching to<br />
occur more quickly.<br />
• Revamp Revamp your your food storage. Glass, ceramic, and stainless steel are great food storage materials that can go from stove<br />
to fridge to freezer easily. Wrap sandwiches in waxed paper or butcher paper.<br />
• Buy less processed food food and products products that use less packaging. Most processed foods in the grocery store come in<br />
some form of plastic packaging. Buying fresh vegetables and ingredients in bulk (which you can package in your own<br />
plastic-free containers) will help you avoid most of it.<br />
• Recycle Recycle—Recycle<br />
Recycle Recycle Recycle—Recycle<br />
Recycle Recycle<br />
• Forgo single use plastics like straws, cups, plastic plastic flatware flatware and and bags.<br />
bags.<br />
• BYO… You may already carry a reusable mug and reusable shopping bags to eliminate some plastics, but take the next<br />
step and start carrying reusable produce bags, too.<br />
BEARS love spring too….<br />
♦ Hiking at dusk or dawn<br />
will increase your chances of<br />
meeting a bear<br />
♦ Bear activity intensifies:<br />
- in spring when they’re<br />
hungry and first emerging<br />
from their dens<br />
- In July— mating is at its peak<br />
- In the fall when bulking up for<br />
winter denning<br />
♦ Stay away from animal carcasses<br />
♦ Wear ‘bear bells’ or make noise<br />
to avoid surprising bears while<br />
hiking<br />
If you MEET a BEAR:<br />
♦ stay calm, continue facing the<br />
bear and slowly back away – do<br />
not run it triggers their predator<br />
instinct and they will chase you.<br />
You can’t outrun a bear.<br />
Some bears will bluff<br />
charge then veer or stop<br />
abruptly at the last second.<br />
Wait until the bear<br />
stops then slowly back<br />
away. A bear may charge<br />
several times<br />
♦ Make yourself appear<br />
as large as possible,<br />
raise your arms or lift<br />
up your coat<br />
♦ Pick up small children<br />
♦ Do not play dead with<br />
a black bear – they are<br />
curious<br />
♦ Use an EPA registered<br />
bear spray. Only use<br />
on charging or attacking<br />
bears. Practice<br />
drawing it up quickly.<br />
keep it on your belt<br />
where you can get it<br />
fast—never in the backpack<br />
Black Black bear bear SIGNS SIGNS<br />
SIGNS<br />
Nests: Raked piles of debris, grass, or<br />
boughs at the base of tall straight<br />
trees<br />
Disturbed Ground: torn-apart logs and<br />
stumps, flipped-over rocks, dug-open<br />
anthills, muddy wallows in wet areas.<br />
Claw Marks: On trees, telephone<br />
poles, back-country cabin doors.<br />
http://www.shenandoahviews.com/<br />
BlackBears/mass-dgif-bear-biology.pdf<br />
Black bears are very intelligent, can see in color, & have excellent pattern discrimination. They can run up to 35 mph, love to<br />
swim, and can climb anything that will hold their weight. The lifespan averages 10 years, but they can live upward of 30.
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat<br />
7<br />
Road & River Relay 10a<br />
Chessie Trail 9:30-11<br />
Mt. Rogers Rally<br />
BlueRidge Wildflowers<br />
Water Quality Field trp<br />
5 6<br />
Augusta Bird Club<br />
Mt. Rogers Naturalist<br />
Rally 6th-8th<br />
2 3 4<br />
Training: Hydrology/Ichythyology<br />
1<br />
Lake Anna St Pk<br />
Glass Festsival<br />
Chestnut Story 8-9p<br />
14<br />
VA Nature Symposium<br />
- Wintergreen Resort<br />
Green Valley Book<br />
Fair 14th-30th 9a-7p<br />
12 13<br />
VA Nature Symposium<br />
- Wintergreen Resort<br />
9 10 11<br />
Orinthology<br />
8 Mothers Day<br />
Mt. Rogers Naturalist<br />
Rally<br />
Shen.Wildflower Wknd<br />
21 Augusta Bird Club mtg<br />
DGIF Outdoors<br />
Woman 20,21,22<br />
19 20<br />
DGIF Outdoors<br />
Woman 20,21,22<br />
Night Skies Shenandoah<br />
18<br />
Entymolotgy/<br />
decomposers<br />
17<br />
RACC MTG 7:00p<br />
16<br />
VMI Graduation<br />
15<br />
VA Nature Symposium<br />
- Wintergreen Resort<br />
Herb & Garden Fest<br />
Artapalooza BV 10-3<br />
Orinthology field trip<br />
BlueRidge Wildflowers9-12<br />
28<br />
BlueRidge Wildflowers<br />
26 27 Gem/mineral/<br />
fossil show 27-29<br />
Salem Civic Cntr<br />
Friday in the Pk BV 6p<br />
23 24 25<br />
W&L Graduation<br />
22<br />
DGIF Outdoors<br />
Woman 20,21,22<br />
30 Memorial Day 31<br />
29<br />
Green Valley Book<br />
Fair - last day<br />
Advanced Education Opportunity Volunteer Opportunity <strong>2011</strong> Training Class