Roan Mountain Fall Naturalists Rally coming up Sept. 9-11

Published 12:45 pm Wednesday, August 31, 2022

The Roan Mountain Fall Naturalists Rally will be held September 9-11 and is chocked full of field trips and programs on the outdoors and creatures and things that can be found out there.

This year marks the 60th year the Fall Naturalist Rally has been held. During those years it has drawn nature enthusiasts from over the country to Roan Mountain. The rally is made possible by the man volunteer field trip leaders, the support of Roan Mountain State Park, and Friends of Roan.

Also, the weekend of activities will include programs by Kelby Ouchley and Dr. Arthur J. Merschat. Outlay will present the Friday evening program at 7:30, which is titled “Atop Your Mountain, Along My Bayou – Seeking the Connections.”

Ouchley is a biologist and writer and managed National Wildlife Refuges for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for 30 years. He lives on the edge of the Bayou D’argonne Swamp near Rocky Branch, La., in a cypress house surrounded by white oaks and black hickories.

Merschat will present the 7 p.m. Saturday program titled “August 9, 2020, Mw 5.1 Earthquake in Sparta, N.C. and Blue Ridge Geology.” Meerschaum is a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey ad an Adjunct Research Professor at Appalachian State University. He has spent more than two decades studying the structure and tectonics of the Appalachian Mountains and has worked on geologic mapping of the Appalachians as well as mapping projects in the southern Appalachians, New England, and Adirondacks. He is part of a collaborative research group investigating the Sparta, NC earthquake and the Little River Fault.

A buffet dinner will be presented at 5:30 p.m. Friday and 6:30 p.m. Saturday. A bag lunch is available at 12 noon Saturday. All are by pre-paid reservation.

A number of field trips are planned for both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday field trips begin at 8:30 a.m. and include:

– Birds with Lee & Lois Herndon Chapter TOS

– Wildflowers with Guy Mauldin

– Useful Plants by Marty Silver

– Mushrooms with Cindy Fowler and Ken Crouse

– Spiders by T.J. Jones

– Snakes by  Philip Hylen

– Genealogy of Roan High Bluff with Arthur Merschat

Lunch will be 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Conference Center, and activities will include a slide show by Marty Silver and Fossil Casting for All Ages by Mick Whitelaw of the ETSU Dept. of Geology and Geoscience Club.

Afternoon field trips iat 2 o’clock include:

– Stream Ecology with Bart Carter and Anna Gizzard

– Geology of Roan Mountain with Mick Whitelaw

– Butterflies and Other Insects with Don Holt

– Wildlife Tracking by Marty Silver

– Mosses & Liverworts by Jim Goldsmith

– Salamanders by Tyler Wicks

– Appalachian Cove Forest Exploration with Cade Campbell

Moth Parties will be held both Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. with Larry McDanield. Saturday night will feature a Night Walk at 9 o’clock by Cade Campbell.

Sunday friend trips at 9 a.m. will feature:

– Birds with Lee and Lois Herndon Chapter TOS

– Rare Plants of the Roan Highlands with Gary Kaufman

– Mushrooms by Mike Gartin

Field trips at 2 p.m. will include Butterflies and Other Insects by Lance Jessee and Birds of Prey by Phillip Hylen

Meals will be catered by City Market. Meals must be prepaid by Sept. 6. No meals will be available for those who have nor prepaid. The evening meals are buffet-style with salad, hot entree, side items, drink and dessert. The lunch is a bag lunch with sandwich, chips, fruit, cookie and drink,

For more information contact Gar Barrigar and Larry McDaniel, Rally Directors at friendsofrosm@gmail.com