Strike Your Target,
Even Before You Move A Muscle.
The Egrets-Eye Is Within You
~
Great Egret Plunging Its Head Into The Water To Catch A Fish
Strike Your Target,
Even Before You Move A Muscle.
The Egrets-Eye Is Within You
~
White-nose Syndrome Decimates North Carolina’s Bats
Biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have determined that white-nose syndrome (WNS) continues to decimate bat populations in western North Carolina, with some infected locations showing up to a 95 percent decline in hibernating bats over the past one to two years. The disease, which has been confirmed in seven counties in western North Carolina, does not affect people.
Wildlife Commission biologists surveying bat populations have documented declining bat populations by site. The number of bats hibernating in a retired mine in Avery County has plummeted from more than 1,000 bats prior to WNS to around 65 bats in just two years since the disease was discovered. At a mine in Haywood County, the number of bats hibernating dropped from nearly 4,000 bats to about 250 bats in only one year. And at a cave in McDowell County, numbers dropped from almost 300 to only a few bats remaining this winter.
White-nose syndrome continues to spread, affecting bats throughout the mountains. Bats in two additional counties – Rutherford and Buncombe – are now confirmed to have the disease and the disease is suspected in Swain County. First detected in North Carolina in 2011, WNS was confirmed in an abandoned mine in Avery County, a cave at Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County, an abandoned mine in Yancey County, Linville Caverns in McDowell County, and from a dead bat found in Transylvania County. In 2012, hibernating bats in Haywood County were confirmed positive for WNS.
In Buncombe County, a dead bat found on the deck of a house was confirmed positive for the disease, while a Rutherford County dead bat in a cave on The Nature Conservancy’s Bat Cave Preserve property also tested positive. In Swain County, two hibernation sites surveyed this year had bats with visible signs of WNS. Laboratory tests later confirmed the presence of the fungus. The fungus can be present on a bat, making that bat “suspect” for WNS, but the bat is not considered to have the disease unless invasion of the skin tissue by the fungus is observed with a microscope.
Across the continent, nine bat species in North America are known to be affected by white-nose syndrome. North Carolina is home to 17 species of bats. While eight of those species have been discovered with the fungus elsewhere, the disease or the fungal spores have been documented on only four species in North Carolina. Those species are the tri-colored, Northern long-eared, big brown, and little brown bats.
Neither the fungus nor the disease has been detected in any of the so-called tree roosting bats, which typically roost individually in or on trees in the warmer months and either migrate south for the winter, or remain in the area, hibernating individually outside of caves. The disease has not been detected on the two species of big-eared bats that occur in North Carolina, including the federally endangered Virginia big-eared bat.
In March 2010, the Wildlife Commission took necessary steps to get ahead of the disease by adopting the “White-nose Syndrome Surveillance and Response Plan for North Carolina” in concert with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and many other partners.The plan outlines a number of steps to protect bats while allowing biologists to pinpoint and investigate a possible outbreak as quickly as possible. There is evidence that people may inadvertently spread the disease-causing fungus from cave to cave. Therefore, the most important precaution people can take to help bats is staying out of caves and mines.
The fungus grows on bats in caves during torpor, the hibernation-like state bats enter during winter. Infected bats may spread the fungal spores to other bats and roosts during the warmer summer months. However, the fungus only grows in a narrow range of temperatures(41 to 56 degrees) in high humidity conditions. Although these conditions are prevalent in hibernation caves, bat houses are used during the summer months and have no more potential to spread fungal spores than do natural roosts, such as hollow trees.
Bats are important to ecosystems worldwide, including in North Carolina. They have an enormous impact on controlling insect populations. A nursing female bat may consume almost her entire body weight in insects in one night, including insects that harm crops and forests. The U.S. Geological Service estimates that loss of bats in North America could lead to agricultural losses exceeding $3.7 billion annually.
Funding for the Commission’s bat and white-nose syndrome research and management comes from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service grants and the Non-game and Endangered Wildlife Fund, which supports wildlife research, conservation and management for animals that are not hunted and fished.
North Carolinians can support this effort as well as other non-game wildlife monitoring, research and management projects in North Carolina by:
• Donating through the Tax Check-off for Nongame and Endangered Wildlife on line 30 of their N.C. state income tax form;
• Registering a vehicle or trailer with a N.C. Wildlife Conservation license plate; and,
• Donating online at www.ncwildlife.org/give .
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Wildlife Commission biologists surveying bat populations have documented declining bat populations by site. The number of bats hibernating in a retired mine in Avery County has plummeted from more than 1,000 bats prior to WNS to around 65 bats in just two years since the disease was discovered. At a mine in Haywood County, the number of bats hibernating dropped from nearly 4,000 bats to about 250 bats in only one year. And at a cave in McDowell County, numbers dropped from almost 300 to only a few bats remaining this winter.
White-nose syndrome continues to spread, affecting bats throughout the mountains. Bats in two additional counties – Rutherford and Buncombe – are now confirmed to have the disease and the disease is suspected in Swain County. First detected in North Carolina in 2011, WNS was confirmed in an abandoned mine in Avery County, a cave at Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County, an abandoned mine in Yancey County, Linville Caverns in McDowell County, and from a dead bat found in Transylvania County. In 2012, hibernating bats in Haywood County were confirmed positive for WNS.
In Buncombe County, a dead bat found on the deck of a house was confirmed positive for the disease, while a Rutherford County dead bat in a cave on The Nature Conservancy’s Bat Cave Preserve property also tested positive. In Swain County, two hibernation sites surveyed this year had bats with visible signs of WNS. Laboratory tests later confirmed the presence of the fungus. The fungus can be present on a bat, making that bat “suspect” for WNS, but the bat is not considered to have the disease unless invasion of the skin tissue by the fungus is observed with a microscope.
Across the continent, nine bat species in North America are known to be affected by white-nose syndrome. North Carolina is home to 17 species of bats. While eight of those species have been discovered with the fungus elsewhere, the disease or the fungal spores have been documented on only four species in North Carolina. Those species are the tri-colored, Northern long-eared, big brown, and little brown bats.
Neither the fungus nor the disease has been detected in any of the so-called tree roosting bats, which typically roost individually in or on trees in the warmer months and either migrate south for the winter, or remain in the area, hibernating individually outside of caves. The disease has not been detected on the two species of big-eared bats that occur in North Carolina, including the federally endangered Virginia big-eared bat.
In March 2010, the Wildlife Commission took necessary steps to get ahead of the disease by adopting the “White-nose Syndrome Surveillance and Response Plan for North Carolina” in concert with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and many other partners.The plan outlines a number of steps to protect bats while allowing biologists to pinpoint and investigate a possible outbreak as quickly as possible. There is evidence that people may inadvertently spread the disease-causing fungus from cave to cave. Therefore, the most important precaution people can take to help bats is staying out of caves and mines.
The fungus grows on bats in caves during torpor, the hibernation-like state bats enter during winter. Infected bats may spread the fungal spores to other bats and roosts during the warmer summer months. However, the fungus only grows in a narrow range of temperatures(41 to 56 degrees) in high humidity conditions. Although these conditions are prevalent in hibernation caves, bat houses are used during the summer months and have no more potential to spread fungal spores than do natural roosts, such as hollow trees.
Bats are important to ecosystems worldwide, including in North Carolina. They have an enormous impact on controlling insect populations. A nursing female bat may consume almost her entire body weight in insects in one night, including insects that harm crops and forests. The U.S. Geological Service estimates that loss of bats in North America could lead to agricultural losses exceeding $3.7 billion annually.
Funding for the Commission’s bat and white-nose syndrome research and management comes from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service grants and the Non-game and Endangered Wildlife Fund, which supports wildlife research, conservation and management for animals that are not hunted and fished.
North Carolinians can support this effort as well as other non-game wildlife monitoring, research and management projects in North Carolina by:
• Donating through the Tax Check-off for Nongame and Endangered Wildlife on line 30 of their N.C. state income tax form;
• Registering a vehicle or trailer with a N.C. Wildlife Conservation license plate; and,
• Donating online at www.ncwildlife.org/give .
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Signs of Spring (4)
.jpg/220px-Pulsatilla_patens01(js).jpg) |
| Pasque flower (Wikipedia). |
• Pasque flowers and spring beauty (Claytonia) finally in bloom.
• Flocks of high country-bound motorcyclists on the state highway over the last weekend.
• Mourning doves are back, while the huge flock of pine siskins at the bird feeders has dispersed.
• The weather forecast alternates "high fire danger" and "rain turning to snow."
Papillon inconnu (Madagascar)
Photographié en forêt d'Ialatsara aux abords du parc de Ranomafana à Madagascar, ce papillon diurne est resté une énigme pour moi, comme bien d'autres avant lui, et je n'ai aucune idée sur sa famille (bien que je le soupçonne d'être un Lycaenidae) et encore moins sur son espèce. Cela étant, il mérite quand même d'être présenté ici car je le trouve malgré tout très photogénique même s'il doit
Solving a Cryptozoological Puzzle
 |
| The "Edwardian lynx" in the Bristol Museum |
This is not a southern Rockies post, just so you will know. We have lynx (re-introduced), and we like them.
Science writer Darren Naish shows how the puzzle of a lynx(?) shot in southwestern England in about 1903 can be solved using modern technology.
I have been in that museum, but I do not remember the stuffed lynx. What I do remember from the wildlife collection is staring for a while at this.
Naish's piece, however, is an elegant summary of what can be done with older taxidermy specimens.
Advances in Colorado Agriculture
 |
| Image from infohemp.org. |
In far southeastern Colorado, a farmer plans the first legal hemp crop since the World War II era.
"I believe this is really going to revitalize and strengthen farm communities," said [Ryan] Loflin, 40, who grew up on a farm in Springfield but left after high school for a career in construction.
Now he returns, leasing 60 acres of his father's alfalfa farm to plant the crop and install a press to squeeze the oil from hemp seeds. He'll have a jump on other farmers, with 400 starter plants already growing at an indoor facility prior to transplanting them in the field.
M. and I were just discussing planting potatoes during breakfast. Grand Junction is lower and warmer than where we live, so people are already planting there.
One Grand Junction woman made an interesting discovery in her potato patch. All I ever found were old tin cans, etc. Some people have all the luck.
Honey Bee Pollinating Garden Flowers
Every Corridor (Core Door)
Has A Door
That Opens Up To Core Truth.
~
Honey Bee Pollinating Garden Flowers
Every Corridor (Core Door)
Has A Door
That Opens Up To Core Truth.
~
Hiking the Beautiful USA
Quick: What's the longest National Scenic Trail in America? If you answered the Continental Divide Trail you would be wrong. In fact, the CDT isn't even close to be the longest. At 4600 miles, the North Country National Scenic Trail is by far the longest trail in America.
Recently, REI published an infographic that provides a bird's-eye view of the 11 National Scenic Trails in the United States, which measure more than 18,753 miles when combined. Looking over the map, if we only had a trail that spanned the southern tier of our country, thru-hikers would be able to perpetually hike around the country:
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Recently, REI published an infographic that provides a bird's-eye view of the 11 National Scenic Trails in the United States, which measure more than 18,753 miles when combined. Looking over the map, if we only had a trail that spanned the southern tier of our country, thru-hikers would be able to perpetually hike around the country:
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Low Water on the Arkansas
 |
| River running about 200 cfs |
The guide scrambles back into his seat after dragging the raft through a riffle. Sport #1 is fishing. Sport #2 (stern) seems drowsy. Maybe he drank his lunch. Photo taken near Howard, Colorado.
Smokies Offers Mountains-to-Sea Trail Hike and Presentation
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is offering an opportunity for visitors to learn about the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) on Saturday, May 4th. Danny Bernstein, Great Smoky Mountains Association Board Member and author, will lead a 2-hour hike on a section of the MST and later give a talk about her adventures hiking the entire length of the MST from Clingmans Dome to the Outer Banks.
The guided 2-hour hike along Mingus Creek Trail begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 4th at the Mingus Mill parking area which is located on US 441 (Newfound Gap Road) about 2 miles north of Cherokee, NC and 0.5 miles north of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The 4.4 mile round-trip hike is rated easy to moderate but does have some steep uphill sections and an elevation gain of 800 feet. The trail follows the route of an old wagon road and passes through areas that were farmed in the days before the creation of the park. The hike also includes a visit to the Mingus Creek Cemetery.
At 1 p.m. Bernstein will give a talk on the porch of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center sharing her adventures hiking the entire 1,000 miles along the MST. She will discuss the highlights and challenges of hiking the MST as well as share pictures, maps, and stories that will captivate the audience including the unexpected and unusual sights she encountered along the journey.
Hiking participants should wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots and bring drinking water. Because weather in the Smoky Mountains can be unpredictable a rain jacket is also recommended.
For more information, call the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at (828) 497-1904.
For more information on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains, please click here .
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
The guided 2-hour hike along Mingus Creek Trail begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 4th at the Mingus Mill parking area which is located on US 441 (Newfound Gap Road) about 2 miles north of Cherokee, NC and 0.5 miles north of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The 4.4 mile round-trip hike is rated easy to moderate but does have some steep uphill sections and an elevation gain of 800 feet. The trail follows the route of an old wagon road and passes through areas that were farmed in the days before the creation of the park. The hike also includes a visit to the Mingus Creek Cemetery.
At 1 p.m. Bernstein will give a talk on the porch of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center sharing her adventures hiking the entire 1,000 miles along the MST. She will discuss the highlights and challenges of hiking the MST as well as share pictures, maps, and stories that will captivate the audience including the unexpected and unusual sights she encountered along the journey.
Hiking participants should wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots and bring drinking water. Because weather in the Smoky Mountains can be unpredictable a rain jacket is also recommended.
For more information, call the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at (828) 497-1904.
For more information on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains, please click here .
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Forest Therapy — You Don't Need to Be Japanese
In Japan, "forest therapy" is a formal process, complete with leaders. "To help us along, Kunio—a volunteer ranger—had us standing still on a hillside, facing the creek, with our arms at our sides."
But just do it yourself. You don't need to write haiku, unless you want to.
The "nature as a gym" crowd is doing it wrong.
In an effort to benefit the Japanese and find nonextractive ways to use forests, which cover 67 percent of the country’s landmass, the government has funded about $4 million in forest-bathing research since 2004. It intends to designate a total of 100 Forest Therapy sites within 10 years. Visitors here are routinely hauled off to a cabin where rangers measure their blood pressure, part of an effort to provide ever more data to support the project.
But just do it yourself. You don't need to write haiku, unless you want to.
The "nature as a gym" crowd is doing it wrong.
And don’t think you’re off the hook if you exercise outdoors. You are quite likely still tethered to civilization. Perhaps you’re strapped to a heart monitor or headset. Admit it: Have you brought your phone? Are you clocking wind sprints? Sure, you are deriving some mental and physical benefits, but evidence is mounting that to get the most out of nature, you really need to be present in it, not distracted by your own great story of self.
Think It Has Been Cold This Spring?
Here's a map of record lows during April 2013. M. keeps telling me that more trees should be leafed out by now at low altitudes, such as in Pueblo.
I say, no problem. If it's cold and damp, it's not burning. But yes, I do look forward to planting some things.
I say, no problem. If it's cold and damp, it's not burning. But yes, I do look forward to planting some things.
Firefly Viewing Schedule - Passes Required Now
Park officials have announced the Elkmont Firefly Viewing event in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will take place from Thursday, June 6 through Thursday, June 13. For this year's viewing event, the on-line ticketing system, operated through Recreation.gov, will again provide visitors with parking passes to guarantee they will be able to park at Sugarlands Visitor Center without the inconvenience of having to arrive hours in advance.
Every year in late May or early June, thousands of visitors gather near the popular Elkmont Campground to observe the naturally occurring phenomenon of Photinus carolinus; a firefly species that flashes synchronously. In 2005 the Park began closing the Elkmont entrance road each evening and operating a mandatory shuttle bus system to and from the viewing area to provide for visitor safety, resource protection, and to enhance the experience for both viewers and campers at Elkmont.
In 2012, the Park instituted the reservation requirement for the first time. This was in response to the increasing popularity of the event which caused management issues in the parking area and congestion for visitors accessing the Sugarlands Visitor Center. The new system improved the visitor experience by allowing reservation holders to arrive later in the day and guaranteed access to the event.
For this year's event a parking pass will be required for all vehicles. The pass will cover a maximum of 6 persons in a single passenger vehicle (less than 19 feet in length). Four passes for oversize vehicles, like a mini bus (19 to 30 feet in length and up to 24 persons), will also be available. Each reservation will cost $1.50. Parking passes will be non-refundable, non-transferable, and good only for the date issued. There is a limit of one parking pass per household per season. Each reservation through Recreation.gov will receive an e-mailed confirmation and specific information about the event.
The number of passes issued for each day will be based on the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot capacity. Passes will be issued with staggered arrival times in order to relieve congestion in the parking lot and for boarding the shuttles.
The shuttle buses, which are provided in partnership with the City of Gatlinburg, will begin picking up visitors from the Sugarlands Visitor Center RV/bus parking area at 7:00 p.m. The cost will be $1 round trip per person, as in previous years, and collected when boarding the shuttle.
The shuttle service will be the only transportation mode for visitor access during this period, except for registered campers staying at the Elkmont Campground. Visitors will not be allowed to walk the Elkmont entrance road due to safety concerns.
The parking passes for this year's event will be on sale on-line beginning after 10:00 a.m. April 29. The Park will hold back 90 passes for each day to accommodate individuals who did not learn of the need to pre-purchase tickets. Those last 90 passes will go on sale on-line at 10:00 a.m. the day before the event and will be available until 3:30 p.m. on the day of the event or until the passes are all reserved.
Passes can be purchased at www.Recreation.gov . Parking passes may also be obtained by calling 1-877-444-6777, but Park officials strongly encourage the use of the on-line process, because it provides far more information to visitors about what to expect when they arrive at the Park. The $1.50 reservation fee covers the cost of processing the requests for the passes. The Park will not receive any revenue either from the reservations or the shuttle tickets.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Every year in late May or early June, thousands of visitors gather near the popular Elkmont Campground to observe the naturally occurring phenomenon of Photinus carolinus; a firefly species that flashes synchronously. In 2005 the Park began closing the Elkmont entrance road each evening and operating a mandatory shuttle bus system to and from the viewing area to provide for visitor safety, resource protection, and to enhance the experience for both viewers and campers at Elkmont.
In 2012, the Park instituted the reservation requirement for the first time. This was in response to the increasing popularity of the event which caused management issues in the parking area and congestion for visitors accessing the Sugarlands Visitor Center. The new system improved the visitor experience by allowing reservation holders to arrive later in the day and guaranteed access to the event.
For this year's event a parking pass will be required for all vehicles. The pass will cover a maximum of 6 persons in a single passenger vehicle (less than 19 feet in length). Four passes for oversize vehicles, like a mini bus (19 to 30 feet in length and up to 24 persons), will also be available. Each reservation will cost $1.50. Parking passes will be non-refundable, non-transferable, and good only for the date issued. There is a limit of one parking pass per household per season. Each reservation through Recreation.gov will receive an e-mailed confirmation and specific information about the event.
The number of passes issued for each day will be based on the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot capacity. Passes will be issued with staggered arrival times in order to relieve congestion in the parking lot and for boarding the shuttles.
The shuttle buses, which are provided in partnership with the City of Gatlinburg, will begin picking up visitors from the Sugarlands Visitor Center RV/bus parking area at 7:00 p.m. The cost will be $1 round trip per person, as in previous years, and collected when boarding the shuttle.
The shuttle service will be the only transportation mode for visitor access during this period, except for registered campers staying at the Elkmont Campground. Visitors will not be allowed to walk the Elkmont entrance road due to safety concerns.
The parking passes for this year's event will be on sale on-line beginning after 10:00 a.m. April 29. The Park will hold back 90 passes for each day to accommodate individuals who did not learn of the need to pre-purchase tickets. Those last 90 passes will go on sale on-line at 10:00 a.m. the day before the event and will be available until 3:30 p.m. on the day of the event or until the passes are all reserved.
Passes can be purchased at www.Recreation.gov . Parking passes may also be obtained by calling 1-877-444-6777, but Park officials strongly encourage the use of the on-line process, because it provides far more information to visitors about what to expect when they arrive at the Park. The $1.50 reservation fee covers the cost of processing the requests for the passes. The Park will not receive any revenue either from the reservations or the shuttle tickets.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Smokies Recruiting Volunteers for Elk Bugle Corp in Cataloochee
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking volunteers to assist rangers with managing traffic and providing visitor information on responsible elk viewing practices in Cataloochee, NC.
Cataloochee is a remote mountain valley on the eastern edge of the Park where remnants of early settlements are preserved. Surrounded by mountain peaks, the isolated valley is a popular, year-round destination. Elk were reintroduced in Cataloochee in 2001 as part of an experimental release to determine if an elk herd could sustain itself in the Park after a 200-year absence. Approximately 140 elk now live in the self-sustaining herd.
Each volunteer is asked to work at least two scheduled, four-hour shifts per month starting the second week in May and continuing through November. This target period is during high visitor use from late spring during the elk calving season through the end of the fall color and elk mating season.
Volunteers will spend time roving the valley in a zero-emission electric vehicle or by bike. Volunteers who prefer to rove by bike are required to bring their own bicycle and protective riding gear. Bike patrol volunteers will rove along the road through the valley which is mostly flat with very little change in elevation.
If you're interested in volunteering or would like more information about the program, please contact Park Ranger Pete Walker at (828) 506-1739.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Cataloochee is a remote mountain valley on the eastern edge of the Park where remnants of early settlements are preserved. Surrounded by mountain peaks, the isolated valley is a popular, year-round destination. Elk were reintroduced in Cataloochee in 2001 as part of an experimental release to determine if an elk herd could sustain itself in the Park after a 200-year absence. Approximately 140 elk now live in the self-sustaining herd.
Each volunteer is asked to work at least two scheduled, four-hour shifts per month starting the second week in May and continuing through November. This target period is during high visitor use from late spring during the elk calving season through the end of the fall color and elk mating season.
Volunteers will spend time roving the valley in a zero-emission electric vehicle or by bike. Volunteers who prefer to rove by bike are required to bring their own bicycle and protective riding gear. Bike patrol volunteers will rove along the road through the valley which is mostly flat with very little change in elevation.
If you're interested in volunteering or would like more information about the program, please contact Park Ranger Pete Walker at (828) 506-1739.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
May Classic Hikes of the Smokies: Big Creek Scenic Hike
On the third Tuesday of each month this year, Friends of the Smokies will be offering guided hikes as part of their Classic Hikes of the Smokies series. To celebrate the Friends’ 20th anniversary this year, each hike will honor an achievement or cause that the Friends organization has supported in Great Smoky Mountains National Park since its establishment in 1993.
The hike for next month will honor bear management:
May 21: Big Creek Scenic Hike
Distance: 10.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 1000 feet
Trails – Big Creek
To help support the Smokies Trails Forever program, a donation of $10 for members and $35 for non-members is requested. Non-members receive a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies. Members who bring a friend hike for free. You can pre-register for this through Friends of the Smokies at outreach.nc@friendsofthesmokies.org or 828-452-0720.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Double Crested Cormorant Facial Gestures
Show Your True Face,
By Expressing Honestly What You Feel.
~
Double Crested Cormorant Facial Gestures
Show Your True Face,
By Expressing Honestly What You Feel.
~
Mental Illness and Gun Rights: Some Hidden Traps?
Recent debates over gun-ownership have seen the pro-gun rights side reacting to calls for restriction with the counter-argument that what we really need is more attention paid to the mentally ill.
On its website, the National Rifle Association states, "The NRA has supported legislation to ensure that appropriate records of those who have been judged mentally incompetent or involuntarily committed to mental institutions be made available for use in firearms transfer background checks."
This seems like a good response to those politicians who want to turn law-abiding citizens into criminals with the stroke of a pen. We all agree that "crazy people shouldn't have guns."
But is there a hidden danger here? Who defines "mental illness"? The mental-health industry (drug makers, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and other therapists) keeps enlarging the definition.
The new fifth edition of the DIagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will have even more categories than the fourth edition had. And the DSM-4 already offered catch-all categories such as "adjustment disorder," which let a therapist medicalize any mild depression, etc., assign it a code number, and let patients submit claims to their insurance carries.
Now half the population will be conceivably coded as "mentally ill":
A book review in the Chronicle of Higher Education also notes the multiplication of categories of mental disturbance:
If you are not taking psychotropic medication yourself, you know people who are. And since not everyone metabolizes these medications yourself, perhaps you have heard stories of how a switch in medication caused the patient to become crazier, until they begged their psychiatrist to prescribe something else.
Furthermore, boys more than girls tend to receive psychoactive drugs. Making the connection, one writer notes, "It is simply indisputable that most perpetrators of school shootings and similar mass murders in our modern era were either on – or just recently coming off of – psychiatric medications."*
This is one aspect of school shootings that has not been examined enough. Could "Why did they do it?" have some connection with psychotropic medication?
So, gun owners, think about these questions:
• if you like the NRA's language about "involuntarily committed," do you think that if someone is placed on a 72-hour hold, the SWAT team should kick down the door and seize all firearms in the household? Even if that person is released subsequently with a pat on the hand?
• Do you think that a therapist who thinks guns are icky might get a patient to admit to owning one and then report that patient as a danger to society?
• Do you think that the gun-banners might seek to leverage the DSM-5 to make gun ownership more difficult in the name of protecting society from the "mentally ill"?
It's a culture war that we are in, not a disagreement over crime-fighting.
* I realize that WND tends toward the "paranoid style," but this issue of drugs and school shooters is worth looking at. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
On its website, the National Rifle Association states, "The NRA has supported legislation to ensure that appropriate records of those who have been judged mentally incompetent or involuntarily committed to mental institutions be made available for use in firearms transfer background checks."
This seems like a good response to those politicians who want to turn law-abiding citizens into criminals with the stroke of a pen. We all agree that "crazy people shouldn't have guns."
But is there a hidden danger here? Who defines "mental illness"? The mental-health industry (drug makers, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and other therapists) keeps enlarging the definition.
The new fifth edition of the DIagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will have even more categories than the fourth edition had. And the DSM-4 already offered catch-all categories such as "adjustment disorder," which let a therapist medicalize any mild depression, etc., assign it a code number, and let patients submit claims to their insurance carries.
Now half the population will be conceivably coded as "mentally ill":
If we think of having a diagnosable mental illness as being under a tent, the tent seems pretty big. Huge, in fact. How did it happen that half of us will develop a mental illness? Has this always been true and we just didn’t realize how sick we were—we didn’t realize we were under the tent? Or are we mentally less healthy than we were a generation ago? What about a third explanation—that we are labeling as mental illness psychological states that were previously considered normal, albeit unusual, making the tent bigger. The answer appears to be all three.
A book review in the Chronicle of Higher Education also notes the multiplication of categories of mental disturbance:
Where [psychiatrist Jeffrey[ Kahn's book is a genial guide to American angst, [Edward] Shorter's How Everyone Became Depressed is a polemical, alarmist complaint about the psychiatric profession, the big pharmaceutical companies, and the changes within medicine about diagnosis and terminology. Shorter, a professor of history at the University of Toronto, who went down this road in Before Prozac (Oxford, 2008), argues that the overelaboration of symptoms in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the updated fifth edition of which will appear in May, has led to the multiplication of nervous syndromes. "Most clinicians, in their heart of hearts, thought anxiety and depression were really the same illness: It was only the DSM drafters who wanted to keep them apart," he says.
If you are not taking psychotropic medication yourself, you know people who are. And since not everyone metabolizes these medications yourself, perhaps you have heard stories of how a switch in medication caused the patient to become crazier, until they begged their psychiatrist to prescribe something else.
Furthermore, boys more than girls tend to receive psychoactive drugs. Making the connection, one writer notes, "It is simply indisputable that most perpetrators of school shootings and similar mass murders in our modern era were either on – or just recently coming off of – psychiatric medications."*
This is one aspect of school shootings that has not been examined enough. Could "Why did they do it?" have some connection with psychotropic medication?
So, gun owners, think about these questions:
• if you like the NRA's language about "involuntarily committed," do you think that if someone is placed on a 72-hour hold, the SWAT team should kick down the door and seize all firearms in the household? Even if that person is released subsequently with a pat on the hand?
• Do you think that a therapist who thinks guns are icky might get a patient to admit to owning one and then report that patient as a danger to society?
• Do you think that the gun-banners might seek to leverage the DSM-5 to make gun ownership more difficult in the name of protecting society from the "mentally ill"?
It's a culture war that we are in, not a disagreement over crime-fighting.
* I realize that WND tends toward the "paranoid style," but this issue of drugs and school shooters is worth looking at. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Updates on Flood Damaged Trails in the Smokies
Great Smoky Mountains National Park crews are making needed repairs on both Chimney Tops Trail and Noland Creek Trail which received significant flood damage this winter.
In Tennessee, the popular Chimney Tops Trail has been closed since January when high waters destroyed the pedestrian bridge across Walker Camp Prong at the beginning of the trail. Crews are working to replace the 70-foot long bridge to allow trail access and estimate reopening the trail by June 30th, 2013. At that time, the Park's Trails Forever Crew will begin Phase 2 of the ongoing full trail rehabilitation which will necessitate closing the trail each Monday through Thursday from Monday, July 1 through Thursday, October 17, while the trail continues to undergo a major facelift.
In North Carolina, Park crews will repair a slide area along Noland Creek Trail. In order to make the needed repairs, the trail will be closed to all hiker and horse use from April 22 - May 2, 2013 from the trailhead to Backcountry Campsite 64. Note that Campsite 64 will remain open, but Backcountry Campsite 65 will be closed during the project.
During the January 30th storm, the Great Smoky Mountains received more than 4 inches of rain in 24 hours, resulting in flooding of streams throughout the park which were already swollen from higher than normal precipitation throughout the month. Average rainfall during January across the Smokies usually averages 5-7 inches of rain, but the park received 14-17 inches of rain during the month.
Other backcountry closures you should be aware of include:
• Beard Cane Trail and campsites #3 and #11
• Hatcher Mountain Trail
• Scott Mountain Trail from campsite #6 to Schoolhouse Gap (campsite #6 is open)
• Backcountry Campsites 3, 11, 40, 54
For more information about trail closures, please call our Backcountry Information Office at 865-436-1297.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
In Tennessee, the popular Chimney Tops Trail has been closed since January when high waters destroyed the pedestrian bridge across Walker Camp Prong at the beginning of the trail. Crews are working to replace the 70-foot long bridge to allow trail access and estimate reopening the trail by June 30th, 2013. At that time, the Park's Trails Forever Crew will begin Phase 2 of the ongoing full trail rehabilitation which will necessitate closing the trail each Monday through Thursday from Monday, July 1 through Thursday, October 17, while the trail continues to undergo a major facelift.
In North Carolina, Park crews will repair a slide area along Noland Creek Trail. In order to make the needed repairs, the trail will be closed to all hiker and horse use from April 22 - May 2, 2013 from the trailhead to Backcountry Campsite 64. Note that Campsite 64 will remain open, but Backcountry Campsite 65 will be closed during the project.
During the January 30th storm, the Great Smoky Mountains received more than 4 inches of rain in 24 hours, resulting in flooding of streams throughout the park which were already swollen from higher than normal precipitation throughout the month. Average rainfall during January across the Smokies usually averages 5-7 inches of rain, but the park received 14-17 inches of rain during the month.
Other backcountry closures you should be aware of include:
• Beard Cane Trail and campsites #3 and #11
• Hatcher Mountain Trail
• Scott Mountain Trail from campsite #6 to Schoolhouse Gap (campsite #6 is open)
• Backcountry Campsites 3, 11, 40, 54
For more information about trail closures, please call our Backcountry Information Office at 865-436-1297.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
National Junior Ranger Day on April 27
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate the seventh annual National Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with special activities at all three of the Park's visitor centers.
Children and their families can join in a variety of free, hands-on activities at Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, TN; Cades Cove Visitor Center near Townsend, TN; and Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC A few of the natural and cultural opportunities that will be available include Ranger guided walks, historic toy making, opportunity to talk to a real wildland firefighter, the making of dinner bells at a blacksmith shop, and visiting touch tables with animal skins, skulls and scat. Information about specific programs is available at each of the visitor centers.
Children can earn a Junior Ranger patch, for free, by completing three of the specially planned activities. A Junior Ranger booklet is also available, for those who would like to explore the Park in more depth. The Junior Ranger booklets, produced in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains Association, can be purchased for $2.50 each at Park visitor centers. The booklets are designed to serve a variety of age groups targeted at 5 to 6, 7 to 8, 9 to 10 and 11 to 12.
Middle and High School students have a special opportunity at Sugarlands Visitor Center to participate in a National Park Career Day. Students will get a "behind the scenes" look into the careers of the National Park Service. Employees will be demonstrating their jobs with hands-on activities while providing insight for those interested in these types of future careers. By including this Career Day for older children during the National Junior Ranger Day event, the park hopes to provide opportunities for all ages to experience the national park.
For information and questions about High School Career Day, please contact Emily Guss at 865-736-1713.
National Junior Ranger Day is a special event held during National Park Week, celebrated this year between April 20 and 28. National Park Week is an annual presidentially proclaimed week for celebrating and recognizing national parks. This year's theme is "Did You Know…" Most parks throughout the country will host ceremonies, interactive games, and special events designed to connect children with the resources found in national parks.
For information and questions about Junior Ranger Day, please contact Lloyd Luketin at 865-436-1292.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Children and their families can join in a variety of free, hands-on activities at Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, TN; Cades Cove Visitor Center near Townsend, TN; and Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC A few of the natural and cultural opportunities that will be available include Ranger guided walks, historic toy making, opportunity to talk to a real wildland firefighter, the making of dinner bells at a blacksmith shop, and visiting touch tables with animal skins, skulls and scat. Information about specific programs is available at each of the visitor centers.
Children can earn a Junior Ranger patch, for free, by completing three of the specially planned activities. A Junior Ranger booklet is also available, for those who would like to explore the Park in more depth. The Junior Ranger booklets, produced in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains Association, can be purchased for $2.50 each at Park visitor centers. The booklets are designed to serve a variety of age groups targeted at 5 to 6, 7 to 8, 9 to 10 and 11 to 12.
Middle and High School students have a special opportunity at Sugarlands Visitor Center to participate in a National Park Career Day. Students will get a "behind the scenes" look into the careers of the National Park Service. Employees will be demonstrating their jobs with hands-on activities while providing insight for those interested in these types of future careers. By including this Career Day for older children during the National Junior Ranger Day event, the park hopes to provide opportunities for all ages to experience the national park.
For information and questions about High School Career Day, please contact Emily Guss at 865-736-1713.
National Junior Ranger Day is a special event held during National Park Week, celebrated this year between April 20 and 28. National Park Week is an annual presidentially proclaimed week for celebrating and recognizing national parks. This year's theme is "Did You Know…" Most parks throughout the country will host ceremonies, interactive games, and special events designed to connect children with the resources found in national parks.
For information and questions about Junior Ranger Day, please contact Lloyd Luketin at 865-436-1292.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Snowy Egrets Mating In A Nest On Bay Farm Island In Alameda, CA
Oneness is being Insertive and Receptive All at Once.
~
Snowy Egrets Mating In A Nest On Bay Farm Island In Alameda, CA
Oneness is being Insertive and Receptive All at Once.
~
Snowy Egret Jumping From Its Nesting Tree On Bay Farm Island In Alameda CA To Gather Sticks For Its Nest
Be Treated With The Intensity Of Life,
By Jumping Head First Into Everything You Do.
~
Snowy Egret Jumping From Its Nesting Tree On Bay Farm Island In Alameda CA To Gather Sticks For Its Nest
Be Treated With The Intensity Of Life,
By Jumping Head First Into Everything You Do.
~
Chattanooga To Be Named First Official Trail Town Of The Great Eastern Trail
Chattanooga will be named as the first official trail town of the Great Eastern Trail at a ceremony to be held at the Tennessee Riverpark’s Amnicola Marsh pavilion on Sunday, April 28, 2013, at 12:00 noon EDT. Representatives of the City of Chattanooga, including then Mayor Andy Berke, Hamilton County, and the Great Eastern Trail Association will participate. The public is also invited to attend.
The Great Eastern Trail (GET) is a new long-distance hiking trail comparable in many ways to the Appalachian Trail (AT). Its “trail town” designation is essentially the same as the AT’s “trail community” and can be expected to provide similar economic benefits. The GET has been created by linking together regional trail systems. It extends nearly 1,800 miles between Alabama’s Flagg Mountain and the North Country National Scenic Trail just south of New York’s Finger Lakes. About 72% of the GET is open to hiking. More information about the GET and the Great Eastern Trail Association is available at www.greateasterntrail.net .
Tom Johnson, president of the Great Eastern Trail Association, states. “The Great Eastern Trail passing directly through Chattanooga makes Chattanooga the largest city in the country by far to host a major long-distance trail.”
Until recently, the Chattanooga area was one of the few remaining major gaps existing between the regional trail systems that are components of the GET. That gap has now been closed through the efforts of a joint Great Eastern Trail Association (GETA) / Cumberland Trail Conference (CTC) committee chaired initially by Jim Schroeder of Murfreesboro, TN, and currently by Warren Devine of Oak Ridge, TN. Over the last couple of years, the GETA/CTC Chattanooga Committee has worked diligently in partnership with local, state and federal partners and interested citizens to identify and establish a trail connection between the Georgia Pinhoti Trail at the Tennessee-Georgia state line and the Cumberland Trail on Walden’s Ridge. The Cumberland Trail will serve as the GET’s path northward to the Tennessee-Kentucky line.
Joanna Swanson and Bart Houck whose trail names are “Someday” and “Hillbilly Bart,” are currently engaged in an effort to become the first persons to thru-hike the GET. Their hike through the Chattanooga area took place in early February 2013. They will interrupt their thru-hike to return to Chattanooga for this event and will present a program on thru-hiking the GET at Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River Street, at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 28, 2013. The public is invited to attend. Their progress on their thru-hike can be followed on the website www.gethiking.net .
On Sunday, April 28, 2013, in addition to the “Trail Town” ceremony and the “Thru-Hike” program, there will be two guided walks along the Riverwalk. The walks will depart from the Tennessee Riverpark’s Amnicola Marsh pavilion at 1:00 p.m. immediately following the “Trail Town” ceremony and the public is invited to participate.
Also, on Saturday, April 27, 2013, there will be three opportunities for the public to participate that morning in guided hikes and walks along existing and planned segments of the GET’s route.
A complete schedule of the public activities, including the hikes, “Trail Town” ceremony and “Thru-Hike” program, that are part of the “Great Eastern Trail – Chattanooga Weekend” event can be viewed online at the Outdoor Chattanooga website: www.outdoorchattanooga.com . For questions about the schedule, the public may call the Outdoor Chattanooga office at 423-643-6888.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
The Great Eastern Trail (GET) is a new long-distance hiking trail comparable in many ways to the Appalachian Trail (AT). Its “trail town” designation is essentially the same as the AT’s “trail community” and can be expected to provide similar economic benefits. The GET has been created by linking together regional trail systems. It extends nearly 1,800 miles between Alabama’s Flagg Mountain and the North Country National Scenic Trail just south of New York’s Finger Lakes. About 72% of the GET is open to hiking. More information about the GET and the Great Eastern Trail Association is available at www.greateasterntrail.net .
Tom Johnson, president of the Great Eastern Trail Association, states. “The Great Eastern Trail passing directly through Chattanooga makes Chattanooga the largest city in the country by far to host a major long-distance trail.”
Until recently, the Chattanooga area was one of the few remaining major gaps existing between the regional trail systems that are components of the GET. That gap has now been closed through the efforts of a joint Great Eastern Trail Association (GETA) / Cumberland Trail Conference (CTC) committee chaired initially by Jim Schroeder of Murfreesboro, TN, and currently by Warren Devine of Oak Ridge, TN. Over the last couple of years, the GETA/CTC Chattanooga Committee has worked diligently in partnership with local, state and federal partners and interested citizens to identify and establish a trail connection between the Georgia Pinhoti Trail at the Tennessee-Georgia state line and the Cumberland Trail on Walden’s Ridge. The Cumberland Trail will serve as the GET’s path northward to the Tennessee-Kentucky line.
Joanna Swanson and Bart Houck whose trail names are “Someday” and “Hillbilly Bart,” are currently engaged in an effort to become the first persons to thru-hike the GET. Their hike through the Chattanooga area took place in early February 2013. They will interrupt their thru-hike to return to Chattanooga for this event and will present a program on thru-hiking the GET at Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River Street, at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 28, 2013. The public is invited to attend. Their progress on their thru-hike can be followed on the website www.gethiking.net .
On Sunday, April 28, 2013, in addition to the “Trail Town” ceremony and the “Thru-Hike” program, there will be two guided walks along the Riverwalk. The walks will depart from the Tennessee Riverpark’s Amnicola Marsh pavilion at 1:00 p.m. immediately following the “Trail Town” ceremony and the public is invited to participate.
Also, on Saturday, April 27, 2013, there will be three opportunities for the public to participate that morning in guided hikes and walks along existing and planned segments of the GET’s route.
A complete schedule of the public activities, including the hikes, “Trail Town” ceremony and “Thru-Hike” program, that are part of the “Great Eastern Trail – Chattanooga Weekend” event can be viewed online at the Outdoor Chattanooga website: www.outdoorchattanooga.com . For questions about the schedule, the public may call the Outdoor Chattanooga office at 423-643-6888.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Blog Stew: Cook it for a Merit Badge
• "Pimp My Walk" — an article on the glory days of walking canes, with comparison to today's hiking apparatus: "I’ve noticed an inverse correlation between the use of paired aluminum walking sticks and eye contact — they’re often like car drivers who don’t like to make eye contact with pedestrians.
• Being a locavore is fine, the writer says, but, contra Michael Pollan, is it a good idea for government to require locavorism?
• Were Boy Scouts of 1911 tougher than today's or merely living in a "just do it" society?
One way to illuminate these changes is by comparing the original BSA handbook, published in 1911, with the modern version – the 12th edition was introduced in 2009. In an incisive book review for the Claremont Institute, Kathleen Arnn conducts this type of side-by-side analysis. She points out that while the modern version contains many of the same skills as the original, “its discussions of these things have been pared down and lack the verve, punch, and adventurous spirit—the manliness—of the original handbook.”
• • •
Modern badge requirements also diverge from the old in their more abstract, mental nature. While the 1911 badge requirements are all direct actions, often of the physical, hands-on variety, the modern badge requirements emphasize more thinking than doing. The hands-on tasks are now tucked into long lists of requirements that ask the scout to thoroughly Review/Describe/Explain/Illustrate/Demonstrate the underlying principles and context of the badge’s subject matter before trying their hand at it.
Signs of Spring (3)
 |
| (Illustration from National Geographic) |
While I was away in South Carolina, M. reported that she came outside on the 13th to find a bird-feeder opened up and licked clean of sunflower seeds. So the bears are out.
Then yesterday, as we stood in the mud discussing something about the garden water system, there was a buzzing around our heads. Chico* the broad-tailed hummingbird had arrived and was circling the area where the sugar-water feeder should be. Very soon, it was.
Something about the arrival of the hummingbirds always clutches me. It may well snow again, but when they are here, it is the summer half of the year. And in September, even though the weather may be hot, the day comes when the last one (always a female) shutters and locks the summer house, takes her tote bag full of paperback novels, and goes away, and then it isn't summer anymore.
*All male broad-tails are named Chico, just as all scrub jays are named Timmy. Why Chico? Perhaps because he seems to have come home from the wars.
Noland Creek Trail to be closed for 2 weeks
The Noland Creek Trail will be closed from the trailhead to campsite #64 for approximately two weeks. Beginning on April 22nd, the trail, located on the North Carolina side of the Smokies, off Lakeside Drive, will be closed for landslide repair as a result of heavy rains this past winter.
During the January 30th storm, the Great Smoky Mountains received more than 4 inches of rain in 24 hours, resulting in flooding of streams throughout the park which were already swollen from higher than normal precipitation throughout the month. Average rainfall during January across the Smokies usually averages 5-7 inches of rain, but the park received 14-17 inches of rain during the month.
Backpackers should note that campsite #64 will remain open during the trail closure.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
During the January 30th storm, the Great Smoky Mountains received more than 4 inches of rain in 24 hours, resulting in flooding of streams throughout the park which were already swollen from higher than normal precipitation throughout the month. Average rainfall during January across the Smokies usually averages 5-7 inches of rain, but the park received 14-17 inches of rain during the month.
Backpackers should note that campsite #64 will remain open during the trail closure.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Ludlow, 99 Years Ago Today
 |
| Ludlow Massacre site the day after (Wikipedia). |
People toss the phrase "class warfare" around a lot these days — and with reason — but it's a bloodless warfare in the news media and social medial and schools, for the most part.
This on the other hand, was real "class warfare." Southern Colorado blogger Rosewolf is reminds us of an anniversary today (scroll down past the snowstorm part).
I have been known to take hitchhikers on Interstate 25 on a short, unscheduled side trip to see the monument.
But today's Coloradans can only put one association on the date "4/20".
Papillon de nuit - 2 (Madagascar)
Photographié dans le même secteur que celui publié ici, à Ambatomirahavavy près de Antananarivo à Madagascar, ce papillon à la forme particulière dont je n'ai pas trouvé l'identité m'a fait penser sur la seconde photo à un aéroplane de la belle époque prêt à décoller. Papillon de nuit - 2
The National Park Week Getaway Giveaway
The National Park Foundation has partnered with Globus to launch the National Park Week Getaway Giveaway! The lucky winner of this sweepstakes will receive airfare, hotel stays, transportation, and VIP access to some of the most spectacular national parks including Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, and Grand Teton National Park. The total value of the Grand Prize is approximately $4800!
The National Park Week Getaway Giveaway winner and a guest will experience the breathtaking landscapes, wildlife, and history of the West. This trip features an 11-day guided tour from Denver to Salt Lake City with stops at national parks, museums, and historic sites. Expert Globus tour guides will present fascinating information and stories about each of the destinations and offer a unique level of access to park attractions. Globus has developed a full itinerary, including lodging and transportation, for a completely hassle-free touring experience.
The sweepstakes closes on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 11:59 PM EST.
For more information, and to enter, please click here .
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
The National Park Week Getaway Giveaway winner and a guest will experience the breathtaking landscapes, wildlife, and history of the West. This trip features an 11-day guided tour from Denver to Salt Lake City with stops at national parks, museums, and historic sites. Expert Globus tour guides will present fascinating information and stories about each of the destinations and offer a unique level of access to park attractions. Globus has developed a full itinerary, including lodging and transportation, for a completely hassle-free touring experience.
The sweepstakes closes on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 11:59 PM EST.
For more information, and to enter, please click here .
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
100,000 Geotourism Maps
Geoz had an article this week titled New South Wales holidays all mapped out. This article refers to a new map which has been developed which should help those that would like to know more about the physical features of the areas they are touring. The Geoz article is reproduced below:
There are several areas which relate to our Northern Rivers:
The first state Geotourism Map in Australia has been released by Cartoscope Pty. Ltd. This NSW map features 96 sites and has an accompanying website so that users can get extensive geological detail in layman's terms and maps on each site. The map was supported by a TQUAL grant and sponsors helped lessen some of the costs. So far 15,000 of the 100,000 maps have been distributed mostly to visitor centres and many to secondary schools science departments. The map is receiving very favourable comments both from geoscientists and tourism information services. Accompanying website: http://bit.ly/XUsS9m
There are several areas which relate to our Northern Rivers:
I hope you find something for your area or something you’d like to look at while travelling through.
Appalachian Trail Enthusiasts to Meet at Western Carolina University for 39th Biennial Conference
Registration is now open for the 2013 Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) Biennial conference, scheduled for July 19-26, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The event is hosted by the five southern Appalachian Trail (A.T.) maintaining clubs and convenes Trail managers, hikers, and fans to celebrate and conserve the iconic National Scenic Trail.
The program includes 137 organized hikes, 70 workshops, live music, dancing, and trips to some of the region’s best activities.
Hikes are planned on the A.T. and other regional trails. Workshop topics cover hiking, trail maintenance, natural wonders, cultural history, and volunteer leadership development. Activities include rafting, zip-lining, touring Asheville’s booming art scene, and visiting the Carl Sandburg Home and the Biltmore Estate.
“This event is only held in the southeast once every eight years, so the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is excited to bring this informative and entertaining event to North Carolina to showcase the Appalachian Trail and the surrounding beauty,” Morgan Sommerville, regional director of the ATC.
Organizers expect 1,000 participants of all ages for the celebration of the A.T. The Biennial also serves as the general business meeting of the ATC’s membership; this meeting will take place on Saturday evening, July 20th.
Contra dancing, music from Southern Exposure and Buncombe Turnpike, presentations about hiking long trails, and a Cherokee storyteller make up the rest of the evening entertainment scheduled Sunday through Thursday. Evening activities are open to the public with a $7 nightly ticket.
The ATC was founded in 1925 by volunteers and federal officials working to build a continuous footpath along the Appalachian Mountains. The A.T. is a unit of the National Park System, stretching from Georgia to Maine, at approximately 2,180 miles in length. It is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. Volunteers typically donate more than 220,000 hours of their time doing trail-related work each year, and about 2 to 3 million visitors walk a portion of the A.T. each year.
For more information about the Biennial Conference or to register, visit appalachiantrail.org/2013biennial
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
The program includes 137 organized hikes, 70 workshops, live music, dancing, and trips to some of the region’s best activities.
Hikes are planned on the A.T. and other regional trails. Workshop topics cover hiking, trail maintenance, natural wonders, cultural history, and volunteer leadership development. Activities include rafting, zip-lining, touring Asheville’s booming art scene, and visiting the Carl Sandburg Home and the Biltmore Estate.
“This event is only held in the southeast once every eight years, so the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is excited to bring this informative and entertaining event to North Carolina to showcase the Appalachian Trail and the surrounding beauty,” Morgan Sommerville, regional director of the ATC.
Organizers expect 1,000 participants of all ages for the celebration of the A.T. The Biennial also serves as the general business meeting of the ATC’s membership; this meeting will take place on Saturday evening, July 20th.
Contra dancing, music from Southern Exposure and Buncombe Turnpike, presentations about hiking long trails, and a Cherokee storyteller make up the rest of the evening entertainment scheduled Sunday through Thursday. Evening activities are open to the public with a $7 nightly ticket.
The ATC was founded in 1925 by volunteers and federal officials working to build a continuous footpath along the Appalachian Mountains. The A.T. is a unit of the National Park System, stretching from Georgia to Maine, at approximately 2,180 miles in length. It is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. Volunteers typically donate more than 220,000 hours of their time doing trail-related work each year, and about 2 to 3 million visitors walk a portion of the A.T. each year.
For more information about the Biennial Conference or to register, visit appalachiantrail.org/2013biennial
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Yesterday versus Today
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| Yesterday: A wild tom turkey struts his stuff near Beulah, Colorado. |
 |
| Snow, snow, glorious snow. |
And the best part is that the snow is continuing to fall on the burn scar from last October, which was re-seeded with grass seed last week as a flood-prevention measure.
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