|
|
Know Before You Go, vol. 6
News To Use & Helpful Info about YOUR Smokies! |
|
The Lodge at Mt. LeConte by Robert A. Tino |
The close of the 2010 season at Mt. LeConte is November 23rd. Whether you've made the trek this year, or in years past, surely great memories of your adventures remain. Famed Smoky Mountain artist and native son Robert A. Tino captured the peace and beauty of this mountaintop retreat in 'The Lodge at Mt. LeConte', commissioned by Stokely Hospitality in 2009 during the park's 75th anniversary year. Proceeds from the sale of each print benefit Friends of the Smokies! To order yours today, in time for the holidays, click on the image above! Many thanks to Robert & Mary John Tino and Stokely Hospitality for making Friends of the Smokies a part of the recent Robert A. Tino Gallery Fall Homecoming Festival! Laura Flynn of Stokely Hospitality with her niece Leah | |
|
Courtesy of Sam Hobbs |
|
Great Smoky Mountains News Release
Source: Nancy Gray
Date: October 8, 2010
National Park Hosts Birds Of Prey Programs And Evening On The Farm
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials invite the public to attend several special fall programs at the Mountain Farm Museum, adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, N.C., and the Sugarlands Visitor Center, near Gatlinburg, Tenn., in October.
A Birds of Prey program will be conducted twice by naturalist Doris Mager. The first program will be at the Mountain Farm Museum on Wednesday, October 13, from 11:00 a.m.-noon. She will do another one at the Sugarlands Visitor Center on Saturday, October 16, from 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Mager, also known as the "Eagle Lady", has been working with raptors for over 35 years. During the two programs, she will have four birds with her, including an American Kestrel, a Screech Owl, and a Great Horned Owl. The public will have an opportunity to "get up close and personal" with these fascinating creatures. At age 84, Mager still travels the Eastern United States giving educational programs. She has cared for over 80 injured eagles and hundreds of other raptors, and has housed up to 36 birds of prey in her backyard at one time.
"An Evening on the Farm" is scheduled at the Mountain Farm Museum on Thursday, October 14, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. During the event, Park staff and volunteers will provide a variety of demonstrations, including hearth cooking and broom making. The Davis/Queen farmhouse will also be open for visitors to walk through the century-old building for a look at life in the past. During the event, hot cider also will be served. For more information contact the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at (828) 497-1904.
-NPS-
|
More Dispatches from the Field
In vol. 5 of 'Know Before You Go' we shared Science Communication Biological Technician Susan Simpson's write-ups on eight great Smoky Mountain science topics. Susan's latest dispatches about alien worms and the tragic white nose syndrome in our park's bat population are posted below. Read her Dispatches from the Field on the National Park Service website.
Here's a list of the topics she's covered so far...
Dispatches from the Field
Issue 8: Fire In The Smokies
Many thanks to Toyota Motor North America for providing funding for "Dispatches from the Field"!
Rich Mountain Road by Sam Hobbs |
|
|
All About Elk
I hope you'll make time to journey to Cataloochee to see the annual display of male competition for the females of the herd. Activity should continue robustly for about a week or so. Here is a rundown of activity, beginning in late August-
Smoky Mountain Elk Herd News
Source: Joe Yarkovich
Date: August 26, 2010
There has been a lot of activity around the elk herd since last update. In November 2009 Bull #21 was shot by a poacher in Cataloochee Valley. This bull was relocated to the Park from Land Between the Lakes and was one of the very first elk released into Cataloochee Valley in 2001. Number 21 was a highly visible bull that would often be seen near the Ranger Station or Palmer House in Cataloochee and provided a lot of bugling and fighting that crowds could witness during the fall rut. In July the poacher pled guilty to unlawfully shooting the elk and was sentenced to 150 days imprisonment and fined $8,384 in restitution costs. His rifle was also seized, which was autographed by Richard Petty, he lost his hunting license for two years, and has been banned from the Great Smoky Mountains and all other National Parks for two years.
On a lighter note, there has only been one documented mortality of an adult elk in 2010 so far! The animal that died was Cow #93, a 4-year old female that had a history of health problems and had a physical anomaly that would have prevented her from ever reproducing and having a calf. Her health would fluctuate throughout the year and in March she was found dead near the Rough Fork Trailhead in Cataloochee. While losing animals can be hard for such a small herd, this was the only elk lost so this year far which makes 2010 the best year for adult elk survival since the start of the program!
Another extremely positive sign for the program has been the success of calving season this year. To date, 25 calves are confirmed to have been born this year. Park personnel are able to track the fates of 17 of those calves, and so far all 17 have survived! Having that many calves and a survival rate of 100% makes 2010 the best year for herd recruitment so far! This is also a very good indication that adult females have learned how to hide and defend their calves better against predators. Of the 17 trackable calves, at least 7 are female, 4 are male, and the sex of the others has yet to be determined.
While the rut probably won't be in full swing for another couple of weeks, things are starting to pick up around Cataloochee. The bulls in Cataloochee have all lost their velvet and several have begun to bugle and pursue cows. The bulls that have been dominant for the past three years, #'s 3, 16, and 67, have all returned to Cataloochee and have been bugling and raking trees most afternoons.
If you come to the Smoky Mountains to view elk this fall, please remember a few things to help make your visit a more enjoyable and safe one.
- Bring binoculars and zoom lenses. This allows for great viewing and photos from a safe distance.
- Be very mindful of your food scraps and please clean up after yourself. This helps eliminate the chances of an elk becoming conditioned to human food, which usually leads to the demise of the animal.
- Stay in or near your vehicle when the elk are out, and please pull off to the side of the road to allow traffic to continue around you.
- Be patient! This allows everyone to have a better experience of Cataloochee, at a Cataloochee pace!
Volunteer Shift Reports
Source: Elk Bugle Corps (on behalf of Anne & Kathy)
Date: August 18th & 22nd, 2010
Wednesday Night Crew reports:
Bull #16 (...he is big, strong, and handsome) was with his ladies in the field just past the school. We didn't get to hear him bugle, though...
Good ol' #2 was down at the corner of the road to the Palmer House, and had a lovely antler decoration of vines, plus velvet hanging off that looked like dreadlocks.
***
Of Bugles, Bears and Birds!!! Sue Simmons, Stefanie McIntosh and I were treated to bugling echoing through the Valley...we believe that three bulls are now bugling. In the flat light of the evening, we could not see the numbers on the ear tags...but we sure did hear them!!!!
Most of the action was centered around the field near the schoolhouse and along Shanty Branch. A small bear cub caused a big bear jam as it ran from the field into the woods. Ranger Pete was there to help. We did not see the sow, but sure she was close. As we left the Valley, a large black bear crossed the road in front of us.
During the afternoon, turkeys were really strutting their stuff!!! Big feather fans were spreading out all through the fields. Our beautiful waxwings were getting drinks out of a puddle by the Caldwell barn.
We left the valley under a full moon rising over the mountains.
Date- August 28, 2010
It was a warm yet comfortable day in the valley yesterday so the elk were not out in force until around 3:00 pm when 4 bulls stayed by the headquarters and #18 kept the harem of about 25 under control and bugled close to 2 dozen times until the valley closed.
He did most of bugling when challenged by #2 and #17 in the distance and locked antlers and pushed around one of the 2 young full-grown bulls who were earlier testing each other by the Messer Barn. They got gentle sparring lessons by #17.
The harem stayed in the first meadow and did so switching sides once and stayed when we left to close the gate.
For the first time this season I was able to observe spraying by a bull, #18 must have done so 6 or 7 times and his bugle had a clear triple chuckle at the end 5 times so in my opinion he has kicked the "pre rut" up a notch. So far, the cows are still keeping their distance from him.
The valley looks great in regards to trash on the ground and to me looks better than any other section in the park - even those with volunteers, let's all work to keep it that way. A special thanks to Shirley who came in off shift during the day and had a grabber and plastic bag with her.
If time permits on a shift it may be a good idea to hit the horse camp as our elk have been stealing oats and feed and it's a great educational opportunity.
As much as working in the valley with great people in a beautiful environment with such lovely creatures is inspiring, some of our visitors blow me away.
Last night a woman from Waynesville came in with her husband and granddaughter. The couple's daughter (who is the mother of the little girl with them) is a doctor at Johns Hopkins, and has been working with experimental serum based upon elk antlers for the treatment of Osteoporosis for years.
Since the visitor broke her femur in 14 places, she is now talking this experimental serum daily under the direction of her daughter as part of the study. She just came to the valley to see the elk and raise her spirits. Wow.
Chris
Friends of the Smokies thanks Chris Hibbard and each member of Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Elk Bugle Corps volunteers for their time, travel, and public relations skills during this busy visitation period for Cataloochee!
Courtesy of Sam Hobbs |
|
|
New Look for Friends of the Smokies Donation Boxes
A million thanks to Friends' volunteer Larry S. for sprucing up the Deep Creek donation box! |
One of our favorite Friends, Ms. Phyllis, at Clingman's Dome. | |
|
Sport Your Support for Friends of the Smokies
Our 2010 Friends Across the Mountains volunteer t-shirts were very popular so we ordered more! If you would like to get one for yourself, and another for a friend, you can contact our North Carolina Office Director, Holly Demuth at fotshd@bellsouth.net. Price is $20, plus $5 shipping & handling.
And speaking of Holly...is anyone confused?
Friends of the Smokies has TWO Hollys. Holly Scott (THAT'S ME!) in the Tennessee office takes care of communications and outreach. Holly Demuth, our North Carolina Office Director, is the primary staff contact for North Carolina, and is working to increase our North Carolina membership base and increase sales of our North Carolina specialty license plates.
It's a tale of two Hollys, but we both love Great Smoky Mountains National Park and are thrilled to work with Friends of the Smokies!
Friends Member & Volunteer Sandra Aldrich in the new Friends logo tee |
The great light yellow tee with the Friends logo across the chest is available in S, M, L, XL, and 2XL. Jay Aldrich models it here! |
|
|
Fall Fun in the Smokies
Photograph courtesy of Samuel Hobbs. |
- October 14th- Friends of the Smokies will participate in Diamond Brand Outdoors annual Diva Night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you are in Asheville, please come by and say 'Hello'. The great yellow t-shirts you see above will be available for purchase, and Jay Aldrich, our Trails Forever Volunteer donated a lovely print that one lucky attendee will take home that night. For more information about Diva Night at Diamond Brand in Asheville, please call Holly Demuth in our Waynesville office at (828) 452-0720.
- October 23rd, Keith Watson and Ruth Barber of Boogertown Gap will perform a variety of music from English ballads to old-time mountain tunes. They will perform at Sugarlands Visitors Center near Gatlinburg at 11:00 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Between the Boogertown Gap sets, Mike and Kathy Gwinn will share stories and songs of the hills and hollers of the Smokies. "Many of our visitors in the fall come to discover the lifeways and rich history of the mountain people," said park ranger Brad Free. "Offering these performances of mountain music and storytelling is one way we try to keep these authentic traditions alive." (Great Smoky Mountains News Release; Source: Nancy Gray; Date: September 30, 2010)
|
 Hype
|
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an independent 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization with the mission to help preserve and protect Great Smoky Mountains National Park by raising funds and awareness and providing volunteers for needed projects.
Since 1993, Friends of the Smokies has raised more than $31 million to help support educational programs, historic preservation projects, wildlife protection, and natural and resource conservation in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
# # # |
|
|
|
|
