http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler stories of landscapes, conservation, and people in and beyond the Rivanna Watershed Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:11:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 © lmiddleton@embarqmail.com () lmiddleton@embarqmail.com() stories of landscapes, conservation, and people in and beyond the Rivanna Watershed lmiddleton@embarqmail.com No no http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler 144 144 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/04/114-winter-stoneflies/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/04/114-winter-stoneflies/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:05:21 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/04/114-winter-stoneflies/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/04/114-winter-stoneflies/feed/ 1 5:10 February 28, 2008 In the midst of winter, there are bugs in the stream that are alive and well ndash; and some, eve, are hatching out ... February 28, 2008 In the midst of winter, there are bugs in the stream that are alive and well ndash; and some, eve, are hatching out to become insects, having found their aquatic niche at a time when no others compete.nbsp; During StreamWatch sampling on the upper Doylersquo;s, we find several families of winter stoneflies. This show originally aired on February 28, 2008 and again on December 4, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. The upper Doyles River, like most headwater streams in the Rivanna watershed, is about as pristine as they come.nbsp; The waters that collect from springs and drainages of the land that is protected by Shenandoah National Park do not suffer the assaults of sediment and runoff that challenge the health of streams at lower elevations.nbsp; For this reason, the community based water monitoring program, StreamWatch, has chosen a spot high on the Doyles as one of several headwater streams that will be used during the next few years as ldquo;reference streamsrdquo; ndash; a standard of ldquo;as good as it gets in our watershedrdquo; -- against which other tributaries of the Rivanna will be evaluated. A couple of weeks ago, during a lull in the waves of wintry mix that so often challenge us in the piedmont, I visited the site for the first time.nbsp; The snow was still in patches on the ground, especially on the cooler, north facing slopes, but the sun was casting bright shadows lighting up the grays and browns of winter.nbsp; The macroinvertebrates, that we were there to count, cycle through their lives no matter the weather.nbsp; Some species are only found in the upper reaches where springs fill rugged, narrow streams that drop through pools and riffles, creating a cool, oxygen rich environment that is ideal for the aquatic world of bugs and the trout that feed on them. Recently, Irsquo;ve become interested in stoneflies ndash; the order Plecopteranbsp; that is well known to aquatic biologists and fishermennbsp; -- and on this day especially I was eager to see which stoneflies might come up to be counted in our mesh net after a vigorous rubbing of rocks and gravel. Ournbsp; total count was 355 bugs from three short net samples ndash; with almost 2/3 of them mayflies ndash; another bug that is known to thrive in cleaner water ndash; but also a hearty count of stoneflies, over forty of these representing at least five different families. In aquatic biology, it isnrsquo;t just the numbers of these sensitive organisms thatrsquo;s important ndash; when many different species are represented, this indicates richness, the abundance of varieties pointing to a complex and thriving ecosystem, with plenty of niches for many different kinds of organisms. The water is 3 degrees Centigrade, or about 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and we collect stoneflies from five families: green, common, perlodid, giant, and small winter stonefly.nbsp; Each of these has its place in the food chain ndash; some are crawlers that graze the algae and bacteria from the rocky bottom.nbsp; Others feed on the abundance of detritus caught between rocky pools and drops, munching through twigs and leaves, and recycling nutrients back to the water.nbsp; Some are carnivorous, and some are opportunistic.nbsp; And their lifecycles also vary: when they lay eggs, hatch into the larval stage, emerge from the water, and finally complete the cycle by depositing eggs for the next generation ndash; these are particular to each kind. Today, wersquo;ve caught a few of the small winter stonefly, which are sometimes called snowflies to honor the season in which they hatch from eggs that have been deposited by their terrestrial parents.nbsp; As the water warms, these bugs burrow down to the region of the loose sand, gravel, and cobble where surface water and groundwater mix and wait out the summer in quiet dormancy.nbsp; As the water starts t... Albemarle,County,,Climate,,Doyles,River,,Ecology,,Headwaters,,Natural,History,,Rivanna,River,,Water,Quality,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/23/108-an-exhibit-of-gar/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/23/108-an-exhibit-of-gar/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:16:44 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/23/108-an-exhibit-of-gar/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/23/108-an-exhibit-of-gar/feed/ 0
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5:00 October 23, 2008 There's a healthy population of long nose gar in the Rivanna ndash; an amazing fish that not only looks prehistoric, but really is ... October 23, 2008 There's a healthy population of long nose gar in the Rivanna ndash; an amazing fish that not only looks prehistoric, but really is prehistoric.nbsp; The gar's ability to survive in low oxygen waters is part of the secret to its long term survivability as a species. nbsp; This show originally aired on October 30, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. I do not have a lot of experience counting fish that are schooling, but as our canoe floated by the long olive green shapes in the clear water of the lower Rivanna, I couldnrsquo;t help but cry out, "There must be fifty of them!" Well, as soon as I said it, I began to wonder if I was even close.nbsp; True, it was only Becky and me in our canoe paddling down the shallow sunlit water towards the Rivenna Mills sampling site in Fluvanna.nbsp; But the claim could not go unverified, so budding naturalists that we are, we turned around and cautiously paddled back upstream, hugging the bank as far away as possible from where we'd seen the fishnbsp; that were also swimming upstream.nbsp; Turning once again, we floated back down in the foot deep water, slow enough to count them as we drifted by.nbsp; Close enough to admire the broad flat tail fin, ridged and undulating, gently propelling the fish upstream.nbsp; Close enough to see the unmistakable body shaped like a cylinder, olive green and spotted with black from tail to head.nbsp; And close enough for the give ndash;away that makes it possible for even a non-fishermen like me know for sure that the slender tapering snout must be the long nosed gar.nbsp; There's nothing else like it in these waters save, perhaps, the American eel, and I know just enough about fish to know that these were no eels. Sometimes called pike, sometimes gar-pike, these long-nosed gar, were proceeding by in a lazy upstream stroll, in groups of three and five.nbsp; The long-nosed gar is the only species of gar native to Virginia, and today they ranged from foot long adolescents to close to three feet long.nbsp; The gar is often called a living fossil, because its family has survived with little change since the time of the dinosaurs.nbsp; The Latin name, osseus, confirms its structure:nbsp; Genus name, Lepisosteus,nbsp; comes from Lepis, Greek for scale, and osteus meaning boney in Latin.nbsp; The species name, osseus, repeats the boney description for added measure, just like the fish, whose touch, over-lapping plate-like scales wrap it in a virtual coat of armor, leaving it few predators in the wild. Locals nod knowingly when we tell them we have seen gar along this stretch of the Rivanna. Though they can make for a good fight on the end of the fishing line, they are commonly thought of as noxious predators, eating all the game fish around.nbsp; But they actually play a special role in the ecology of the river ndash; true predators, they help balance the populations of other fish.nbsp; Armed with rows of razor-sharp teeth, they lie still and ready to ambush the unwary fish that swims close by with a quick thrash of the snout, and they prefer smaller fish and minnows. The long-nosed gar has evolved to handle varying levels of oxygen in the water.nbsp; Typically, like other fish,nbsp; it breathes through gaseous exchange at its gills ndash; but the gar also has a swim bladder connected to its esophagus that serves as an auxiliary breathing apparatus when oxygen levels in the water are low or not even present.nbsp; They are sometimes seen at the surface of the water, gulping the air.nbsp; Thus, they do well in slow moving streams and behind impoundments.nbsp; Though I have no way of measuring it, today I suspect that the low flowing Rivanna, absent the flush of any recent high waters, is also deficient in the life giving oxygen. As it turned out, there were actually fifty-one long-nosed gar schooling in this stretch of the Rivanna... Ecology,,Fluvanna,County,,Natural,History,,Rivanna,River,,Rivanna,mainstem,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/09/18/103-swimming-with-snakes/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/09/18/103-swimming-with-snakes/#comments Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:59:15 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/09/18/103-swimming-with-snakes/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/09/18/103-swimming-with-snakes/feed/ 0 00:01:01 September 18, 2008 A trip with Cole Peale-Grody to find the northern water snake on the North Fork of the Moormans River in Sugar Hollow ... September 18, 2008 A trip with Cole Peale-Grody to find the northern water snake on the North Fork of the Moormans River in Sugar Hollow results in enough close encounters that The Rambler learns to feel comfortable swimming with these non-poisonous snakes. This show originally aired in September 11, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net When we arrive at the informal parking lot at Sugar Hollow Reservoir, it isn't surprising to find almost every available parking slot between the tall trees already taken. It's a hot Sunday afternoon with moist air pushed northward by the hurricane ndash; most are here to get cool, to swim or sit by the water. But Cole Peale-Grody, his father, Charles, and me have another goal. Along with another father-son team we meet here, we're going snake hunting on the north fork of the Moormans in Shenandoah National Park, where today folks have filled every available swimming hole, mostly oblivious of the fact the they are sharing the cool water with the Northern water snake, On the drive out Cole tells me that he caught his first snake, a ringneck, at five years and has been into them ever since. He likes them because they are, well, "cool"ndash; like any passion words are not adequate for the deep attraction some feel for certain landscapes, or animals, or works of art. And, as Cole's father explains, he's also got the eyes. On outing after outing, Cole invariably is the first one to spot the snakes, whether on the ground, under a log, or draped over a tree limb above. Since the river is so crowded, Cole says we'll likely find them where the people aren't. Though snakes donrsquo;t have ears, they can sense vibrations from sound and movement, so we start our trek up the river bed, rock-hopping from pool to boulder. Not as nimble as the guys, I'm well behind when I hear that the first snake has been spotted. As I round the bend, I see Cole already handling a slim dark snake about two feet long, with his younger friend, Drake, looking on. Turns out they'd spotted the snake on a small rock dam that had been built to create a swimming hole that is presently in use by another family, who are all busy scrambling over to see the catch. We all gather around as Cole explains that the snake does have long teeth and will bite humans ndash; but only if it's been cornered or mis-handled. Perhaps it is unnerving to think that they inhabit the swimming hole here, but there's really little to fear since these, as well as all other snakes seen in the water in this part of Virginia, are non-venomous and have no interest in us except to not get caught. If it hadn't been for Cole's keen eyes and quick hands, the snake would be nowhere to be found amidst the family splashing. And once caught, the snake slowly calms as Cole expertly hand over hands its long curling body. After awhile, it stops moving, and I have the opportunity to touch it. Now, I fall into the category of those who would never consider catching a snake, let alone holding one. And though I understand that this snake is not dangerous, it's still a bit of a stretch for me to touch it. But now that I'm in the second half of life, I'm inclined to go back and fill in the gaps of my experience. In spite of the slightly keeled (or ridged) scales, the snake's firm body has a texture that is soft and cool. On this hot afternoon, the snake has as much need of the water to cool itself as we humans have the desire to take to the water for the same reason. Eventually, since Cole is a practitioner of the catch-and-release style of snake hunting, he steps back into the water to let the snake go near the rock dam, and it glides into a dark wet hole in the wall. We make our way up to a popular swimming spot where the trail crosses the river. Apparently, it is known as "Snake Hole," though likely not by the forty odd folks who are cong... Albemarle,County,,Ecology,,Headwaters,,Moormans,River,,Rivanna,River,,Tributaries,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/08/21/99-restoration-on-the-north-fork/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/08/21/99-restoration-on-the-north-fork/#comments Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:04:27 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/08/21/99-restoration-on-the-north-fork/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/08/21/99-restoration-on-the-north-fork/feed/ 0 00:01:01 August 21, 2008 Landowners along the North Fork take advantage of VDGIF's Landowner Incentive Program to restore a section of stream bank and habitat for the ... August 21, 2008 Landowners along the North Fork take advantage of VDGIF's Landowner Incentive Program to restore a section of stream bank and habitat for the James Spineymussel.nbsp; This show originally aired in August 21, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net On a still, hot morning, I head out of town to visit some friends who are transforming their own corner of heaven in northern Albemarle County. Vickie and Mark Gottlob live in a house they finished building four years along the North Fork of the Rivanna.nbsp; It sits on a wooded slope of Buffalo Ridge, named for the mammals that once roamed these parts.nbsp; The Gottlobs are working with Louise Finger of the Virginia Department of Inland Game and Fisheries to help restore habitat in the river for another species rarely seen here: the Jamesriver Spineymussel. This is my third visit to the site. Before Louise and her team of heavy equipment operators arrived earlier this week, I had come up to visit the river "before" so I could better appreciate the changes "after".nbsp; I had donned appropriate river wading gear and dropped down into one of the deeper holes.nbsp; With cooling water up to my waist, I could see the bank slumping steeply into the stream and showing the signs of instability even an untrained eye could see.nbsp; The Gottlob's small floodplain pasture was being eaten away by storm flows and gravity, and all this dirt was settling in the river and clogging the very life out of it.nbsp; But there were solid gravel bars, mounded here and there with piles of small cobble left by chub and other nest-building species.nbsp; It had the potential to be good habitat for the spineymussel if it could be stabilized. The Jamesriver Spineymussel is a rarely seen mollusk in our parts ndash; but its influence has been felt for years ndash; it's presence blocked the building of the Buck Mountain Reservoir, a memory that runs deep with planners and residents.nbsp; Today, on its behalf, federal money is directed into a program that Louise Finger manages for the state that restores stream habitats for species that are endangered or at risk.nbsp; What makes it possible for the Gottlobs to undertake this $15,000 restoration job is that 75% is paid for by the Landowner Incentive Program ndash; so they pony up 25% of the costs ndash; and sweat equity counts. And how did they come to this choice?nbsp; Well, a picture can be worth a thousand words hellip; The Gottlobs walked daily down to the river and over time could see the changes wrought by the erosion. On night, Surfing the web for all things Rivanna, Vickie saw before and after pictures of a similar project nearby on Welsh Run. A few phone calls, an on-site assessment by Louise, and the project was scheduled using some of the remaining funds set aside for the Rivanna watershed. Today, talking down the path through the woods, I hear the earth moving equipment before I see it.nbsp; As the field opens up before me, it looks like a giant is playing a rugged game of dominoes.nbsp; There are thick gray rocks are strewn across the field near the curve in the river.nbsp; Yesterday, the backhoe removed tons of dirt, and the tractor spread it in an upland corner of the field near the woods to be planted.nbsp; The once unstable bank is now a gentle grade that slopes easily into the field.nbsp; Closer to the water's edge, Louise in full chest waders is directing her backhoe driver through the arduous process of selecting and placing just the right rock for just the right spot in the river as they build the structure that will sustain the new geometry of the bank. These flat rectangular hunks of rock are ideal for building the vanes, weirs and sills that are the hardscape tools of the stream restoration specialist.nbsp; Louise been at this for five years, and the Gottlob project is number 35 or so ndash; she's lost count ndas... Albemarle,County,,Ecology,,North,Fork,Rivanna,,Sediment,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/17/95-deer-sightings-in-the-city/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/17/95-deer-sightings-in-the-city/#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:28:06 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/17/95-deer-sightings-in-the-city/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/17/95-deer-sightings-in-the-city/feed/ 0 00:01:01 July 17, 2008 This show originally aired in July 17, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. ... July 17, 2008 This show originally aired in July 17, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net As I sat at our kitchen table yesterday evening, casually peering into the loose thicket of privet that divides our lot from our neighbors, I was startled to see the tawny brown of what could only be a deer moving slowly across the lawn towards his house. Head down, browsing on the choice green grass, the deer was unconcerned, casually munching as if it had been there before. Now, for many in our watershed, this would not be an unusual sight, but not only do we live in the city, we live uphill, across the street, and several houses away from the green corridor that flanks the unnamed stream that flows downhill from the ridge of Rugby Road. So why did the deer choose to cross the road, after all? It was dinner hour and quiet in the neighborhood. People at pools or on vacation. A hot summer day ending in slow summer evenings. The deer must have emerged from the thicket of bamboo that grows wild and barely checked along the drainage swale, traversed the slight slope of the houses, smelled something alluring in our next-door neighbor's yard, and went for it. From where I sat, the deer was twenty feet away. It was small, anterless. I guessed it was in its first year. It must have heard us talking at the table with the windows open in voices focused on other matters. I suspect the deer can discern when the attention in focused towards them ndash; just as how one can drive alongside a herd that remains unconcerned until the car stops or a person cracks the window or door. I stepped outside onto the front porch to watch the deer ramble back down the adjacent yard and cross the street, pausing as if to look both ways. My neighbor, camera in hand, was mid-stride when we caught each other's eyes, wide in amazement. "Can you believe that?" Walking back inside to own dinner, I suddenly realized that my hostas were no longer safe. As it turns out, perhaps the deer aren't either. Indeed, since the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries started tabulating the number of deer killed per square mile of suitable habitat in the commonwealth, some of the highest rates have occurred in cities, where herd populations have soared the absence the hunting pressures. This has given rise to the Urban Deer Archery Season which last year in Virginia was from September 15 to October 5th, and then again from January 9 through the end of March. The state has overall regulation, but each locale specifies additional requirements such as lot size, permits, notification of landowners, and access to public lands. Each city, town, or county must formally opt in to the program, which now includes the cities and Colonial Heights, Danville, Emporia, Franklin, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Radford, Richmond, and Winchester, and the towns of Altavista, Amherst, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Farmville, Independence, Purcellville, Richlands, Rocky Mount, Tazewell, and West Point. Add to the list Fairfax County and you get a picture of where the deer are. Are we headed this way in Charlottesville? It remains to be seen. The City Parks and Recreation Department is creating a Wildlife Conflict Resolution Policy, driven primarily by the desire to do something about the Canada geese inhabiting our public parks. Ryan Summers who manages the golf course at Pen Park says deer herds are very visible and cause no more damage than hoof prints on the putting greens that are easy to smoothe out. As he points out, the golf course has plenty of food and water and no predators. He says they are considered more mascot than nuisance. It remains to be sent whether the conflict resolution needs to be between humans and deer or between humans and other humans who have different ideas of where the deer should and should not be. I confess to feeling qui... Charlottesville,,Ecology,,Neighborhood,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/03/93-gannetts/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/03/93-gannetts/#comments Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:15:23 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/03/93-gannetts/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/03/93-gannetts/feed/ 0 00:01:01 July 3, 2008 This show originally aired in April 25, 2007 and then again on July 3, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs ... July 3, 2008 This show originally aired in April 25, 2007 and then again on July 3, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net On a sunny Sunday in April, we finally cast the lines off the boat and leave for a trial run to the Potomac after a long marina-bound winter. With a sweet 12 knot breeze out of the east, we are soon under sail skipping across the Potomac from Virginia to Maryland. The river is mostly empty of boats, a few April adventurers and other folks who know that this can be one of the best times on the Chesapeake and her rivers. And we have other company, too. In the distance, the dive and plunge of birds, repeated again and again, catches my attention. Instinct suggests, and my binoculars confirm, that I am seeing Northern Gannets flocking and fishing. I know these birds from my time working on the ocean, where I saw great numbers, along with thousands of other pelagic birds. Itrsquo;s a striking bird, white with sharp black wingtips, and a white head with a slight buff the color of butter. Once yoursquo;ve seen one, yoursquo;ll know it forever. Strong, large, with a n adult wingspan of over 6 feet, these birds are build to dive, and can be distinguished from ospreys who enter the water chest first. Gannetts, on the other hand, descend in a dive that remains committed to the end. During the descent, their wings are drawn alongside, bent back like a trussed chicken, so that right before impact the bird has the shape of missile. They enter the water with considerable speed and force but have a strong skull that is built for this kind of diving, and a system of air sacs to help absorb the shock of these plunges. The Northern Gannet only comes ashore to nest, on our side of the Atlantic in the Canadian provinces and Newfoundland. They will winter as far south as Virginia but are usually found offshore. I am surprised to see them on the Potomac, but it is April, and in the animal and avian kingdoms, everything that can, is moving, migrating, and making families. The shad are running, the herring are with them, and therersquo;s evidently good food to be had in the Potomac. We see over 50 birds, in various groupings, as they scout the surface, hover, then dive. Sometimes, they fly by, ten yards away at the level of our hull, barely skimming the surface, as they do at sea. Seeing these birds, evidently fueling up for their migration northward, gets me thinking about the whole phenomenon of migration. Birds migrating from south to north, shad and herring running upriver to spawn, the improbable journey thousands of miles of certain butterflies. And then there are the human forms of migration. Our very distant ancestors followed the seasons and the food when necessary. Native Americans from the Piedmont traveled to summer fishing camps along our major rivers to intercept shad and herring coming upstream. But the satisfaction of our need for food and shelter in the modern world is vastly removed from the necessities of harvesting fish or animals on the move. When we, or our food, travels the distance ndash; like trawlers steaming to distant fishing grounds or ttrucks moving our fair weather food crops from Florida or California to eastern markets -- we have the luxury ndash; and some would say, curse ndash; of having fossil fuels and machinery that makes this kind of travel commonplace and indeed necessary to support the so-called global market. And we humans have found our own modern forms of migration. For food, we make the daily trip to the grocery store and the weekend jaunt for recreation, like my trip down here to sail on the Potomac. We travel to distant schools and colleges. We are ldquo;snowbirds,rdquo; wintering in Florida to escape the harsh northern winter climes. Fossil fuels make all this possible, but we now know that perhaps, we may need to start making other arrangements. And mayb... Chesapeake,Bay,,Ecology,,Natural,History,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/05/22/89-the-dragon/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/05/22/89-the-dragon/#comments Thu, 22 May 2008 20:20:56 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/05/22/89-the-dragon/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/05/22/89-the-dragon/feed/ 0 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/04/10/83-shadbush-serviceberry-and-sarvis/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/04/10/83-shadbush-serviceberry-and-sarvis/#comments Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:48:40 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/04/10/83-shadbush-serviceberry-and-sarvis/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/04/10/83-shadbush-serviceberry-and-sarvis/feed/ 1 00:01:01 April 10, 2008 The serviceberry tree goes by many names, depending upon where you live or, sometimes, the species or cultivar.nbsp; Learning the stories behindnbsp; this ... April 10, 2008 The serviceberry tree goes by many names, depending upon where you live or, sometimes, the species or cultivar.nbsp; Learning the stories behindnbsp; this early blooming shrub brings an appreciation for the richness of both cultural and natural history. This show originally aired on April 10, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. Photo of shadbush by Dudley Rochester. This is one of those weeks that you can literally watch the hourly changes as spring bursts forth. It's hard to know where to put your attention, amidst all the flowering trees ndash; the dogwoods blooming on cue for the Festival, the audacious magenta flowering crabapple, redbud blossoms lining dark branches in perfect counterpoint, like tiny purple Christmas lights. In this area, if spring seems to be moving too fast, you can always travel to a higher elevation and catch it again. If I were headed to the hills, the one tree I'd still be looking for is the serviceberry, whose white showy flowers have always been a reliable marker of spring, but pass so quickly that you may have only a few days before the wind snatches them from the bud and soft green leaves unfurl in their place. Serviceberry belongs to the genus Amelanchier, in turn a member of the rose family along with chokeberry, hawthorn, apple, plum, and pear; mountain ash and, of course, the rose. There several dozen species of native serviceberry in North America with Virginia being home to three of them: Amelanchier arborae (the downy serviceberry), A. Canadensis (the shadblow serviceberry), and A. Laevis (the Allegheny ndash; or smooth -- serviceberry). It's known by other names, too: shadbush, sarvis, sarviceberry, Saskatoon serviceberry, Juneberry, pigeon berry, mespilus, and currant tree ndash; colloquial names born from the cultures of peoples who lived the annual cycles of plants and wildlife. All varieties, including cultivars, are early blooming shrub or small trees that light up the otherwise drab landscape of woodlands and field edges before just about anything else has come in to flower ndash; around here, in early March hellip; though New Englanders and Canadians have to wait many more weeks beyond to see their first color from the serviceberry. In the southern highlands, the plant is often called sarvis or sarvisberry. This pronunciation is commonly thought to derive from the season in the mountains when the springtime thaw made it possible for traveling preachers to reach their communities in the hills. In some places, frozen ground prevented the burial of those who had died in the winter ndash; as soon as possible in the spring, the bodies were removed from icehouses and properly buried. But ministers made other celebrations possible ndash; and the women went to the hills to gather the blooms for baptisms, weddings, and the regular Sunday services. Word historians have concluded that there is another explanation for this name, sarvis. They believe that the American serviceberry was named by settlers because its fruit bore resemblance to the service, a mostly forgotten English fruit somewhat like a pear, which, though, unrelated to the American serviceberry, was often called, sarvis. The sarvisberry offers some of the first early summer berries, tasty reddish-purple pomes that are a welcome treat to robins, bluebirds and other fruit eating species, giving rise to another common name, the Juneberry. Juneberries were used by Native Americans, pounded into meat to make pemmican ndash; and even now, they are collected by those who appreciate them for jams, cobblers, and wines. Most of us know that the names shadbush ndash; and shadblow ndash; derive from the timing of bloom coinciding with the run of shad in the rivers ndash; those anadramous fish that live in the ocean but travel up our Atlantic coastal rivers annually to spawn in freshwater. ... Charlottesville,,Ecology,,Native,Landscaping,,Natural,History,,Rivanna,mainstem,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/03/21/80-learning-to-see-the-forest-for-the-trees/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/03/21/80-learning-to-see-the-forest-for-the-trees/#comments Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:22:48 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/03/21/80-learning-to-see-the-forest-for-the-trees/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/03/21/80-learning-to-see-the-forest-for-the-trees/feed/ 0 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/01/31/75-just-birding-around/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/01/31/75-just-birding-around/#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:45:56 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/01/31/75-just-birding-around/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/01/31/75-just-birding-around/feed/ 0 00:01:01 Bird-watching, like other outdoor pastimes that have a specific focus, provides another lens through which to see and understand a watershed. This week, the ... Bird-watching, like other outdoor pastimes that have a specific focus, provides another lens through which to see and understand a watershed. This week, the Rambler joins the Monticello Bird Club for a morning tour of sites in northern Albemarle County. This show originally aired on January 31, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. Recently, I have been thinking about the variety of ways one can get to know the watershed. You can take to the water, by canoe or kayak, by jon boat, or propelled by oars. If you donrsquo;t have a boat, you can observe from waterrsquo;s edge, along public trails and at parks that snug the banks of rivers and streams. From bridges, you can see a whole lot, too ndash; so by foot, by bike, by car, even, you can start to know the waterways and the vistas, a sense of the terrain. And therersquo;s also the manner of seeing, focusing on habitat, or geology, or plants. Last week, I joined some folks from the Monticello Bird Club and exercised my vision in yet another way. Now, I am not what you might think of as a birder. I do know my share of backyard birds and have special affection for many species that frequent our waterways: the kingfisher, the occasional bald eagle and osprey, green and blue herons on the Rivanna. I can identify some hawks. But recognizing and naming these few is relatively rudimentary, so I felt a tad shy joining experienced birders gathered on a Thursday morning. My 8x30 waterproofed binoculars meant for boating felt clunky hanging from my neck, and I knew that my eyes were not trained to identify birds on the wing, or far away, or small, or in the bush. But my new friends were generous with encouragement and eager to share their knowledge. Guided by Stauffer Miller, whorsquo;d scouted the area the day before, piled into one car and headed for a walking trail at Forest Lakes that brought us close to a patch of unfrozen water. It was crowded with Canada geese, mallards, and a ldquo;hoodie,rdquo; short for the hooded merganser . Binoculars up, we scanned the shore near and far to make sure wersquo;d counted every species. After five minutes, we turned and briskly headed back to the car for the next stop. Passing clumps of grass emerging from the shallows, I wanted to linger at these frozen wetlands that reminded me of similar places Irsquo;d explored as a child. But as a newcomer, I was also watching for signals that would help me learn the etiquette associated with this kind of nature observation, and so, I kept up. Next stop: Chris Greene Lake. It was quiet and flat, a dull gray on a sunny day with high cumulus moving through the blue sky overhead. At the far shore, the birds: a grebe, black ducks, ring neck duck, mallards, hoodies. Over the rise of the earthen dam, bluebirds, juncos, and a mockingbird. An immature bald eagle, all scruffy brown and black, flies across the lake. I wonder if it is the same one I saw earlier in the winter on the South Fork Rivanna. Then, on to the South Fork Reservoir above the dam. An icy footpath up the shore brings us to a lookout where, across the water, we find an American Coot and more mergansers. Atop a twenty foot snag, a great blue blends in. Again, I want to stop, to take in the colors of winter, the water, and ice, but wersquo;re after birds, so we turn and head back. Our last stop is off Polo Grounds Road. As we walk across the floodplain towards the river, birds that I cannot see twitter in the tangled shrubs. There are a few mallards upstream just below rocky ledge. We hear the throaty raucous comments of a raven headed purposefully above the fields to the far woods. I think about how much of my life I have been content to enjoy the natural landscapes Irsquo;ve been lucky to live in and visit ndash; and how only just recently, Irsquo;ve been attracted to naming species and understanding what... Albemarle,County,,Ecology,,Natural,History,,South,Fork,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No