Where are we from? On top of Mt. Mitchell at 6,684 feet, our teachers showed off their home locations on the map at the summit.

In the meadow of sleepy teachers in tents, the sounds of alarms buzzed through the mountains at 4:00am. We stumbled to the pavilion to get a hot cup of Joe and piled into the vans to get ready to band some birds! Driving through the winding roads of the Blue Ridge Parkway we stopped at Ridge Junction Overlook to take a gander. After taking in the beautiful vistas the teachers all crawled back in the van, trying to make sure we were not late for the birds. Surprise! We all crawled back out to appreciate the simple moments of a sunrise. As the sun rose above the horizon it cast a beautiful fiery orange red glow that crowned the Black Mountains.

Anna from Gates County holds a Pygmy Salamander. Click to enlarge.

Next, we drove a short while to the Big Butt trailhead and donned our gear to go capture the birds of the Appalachians with John, the ornithologist from the NCMNS. With high anticipation, we waited on the edge of our Crazy Creek chairs to capture our first bird to band. In the quiet of waiting, a Golden-crowned Kinglet flew into our net. Once freed from the net John showed the group how to measure and weigh the tiny bird. John placed a silver bracelet with multiple numbers on it to help identify the bird in future captures for collecting data. Finally, we released the kinglet and learned about the NC Audubon Society. Amy shared all the work they complete to conserve our native birds. She is a conservation biologist and she had a lot of information to share about private land owners and helping protect many different birds.

Surprise! Our view of Mount Mitchell was obscured by approaching storm clouds. The cloudy and windy summit is the highest point east of the Mississippi. With less-than-ideal views of the Black Mountains, we headed into the spruce-fir forest. The awe and wonder of the misty, dark forest was heightened when one of the teachers led us through a mindfulness exercise focusing on the Fraser Fir tree. Throughout our hike, we were enlightened by so many facts about species including the tiny Spruce-fir Moss Spider that is endangered, the similarly diminutive Pygmy Salamanders, and the giants of the forest, Red Spruce and Fraser Fir.

We were all prepared for the incoming storm … Surprise! The weather held out and made for one more final, beautiful view from Mount Mitchell summit. We had an eventful day of soaking up all of the information shared with us as we continued our explorations through the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Yesterday we traveled 143 miles and had a brand new adventure.  We began our morning packing up our campsite at Stone Mountain State Park. Our team rolled tents, boiled water and packed vans, ready to hit the road by 8:00am. After a short drive we hopped on the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped at Bluff Mountain Overlook, E.B. Jeffress Park Overlook and the Linville Cove Viaduct to enjoy the beautiful scenery. We learned the rich history of how this famous viaduct came to be and why it is considered an engineering marvel. We then headed over the Viaduct around Grandfather Mountain to Linville Falls Shelter. There, we met with Ranger Jonathan Bennet to learn the vast history of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We discussed everything from how the Blue Ridge Parkway became the most traveled National Park in our country to how Linville Falls earned its name.

Then, it was back in the van for a bumpy ride to Wiseman’s View where we had a beautiful view of the Linville Gorge. From there, we drove to our campsite at Briar Bottom and discovered a surprise along the way. On the side of the road there was a Timber Rattlesnake. We were able to quickly get off to the shoulder of the road and into the nearby grass. Once at Briar Bottom we dried our tents and set up our new campsite at the base of Mount Mitchell.

Once set up, we spent the evening with John Gerwin, NCMNS ornithologist and bird expert. He discussed how the birds are tagged and how data is collected about bird migration. We ended the evening with a moth light, and searching for salamanders using fluorescent dye powder. The dinner consisted of burritos. Yum!

Check back for photos!

“It was a different experience to see the mountains up close.” — Cecilia, Instructional Coach, Warren County Schools

Group Photo at the Stone River.

Lying belly down on the cliff face with a magnifier to study the rock up close, the Blue Ridge has become an intimate experience for all of us. With the magnifier in hand, we were astounded at what we could discover in a wide open, sunlit cliff face: sparkly crystals, sage green and dark gray lichen, signs of weathering and water channels. Melissa put North Carolina’s geological history into a story that explained how we ended up on this gorgeous, igneous rock face.

Io moth caterpillar. Photo by Chris Smith.

On our shaky-leg hike down the mountain, we were introduced to the Table Mountain Pine, whose very special pinecones are serotinous — they only open to disperse when burned, so they patiently wait years — decades even — to spread their seeds. Greg shared a quotation by Rachel Carson about many children being fascinated by “inconspicuous things.” This was true for all of us as we took our time exploring this mountain, asking questions, pointing out caterpillars, box turtles, dragonflies and Indigo Buntings.

Cecilia taking a close look at the rocks

Crayfish in the Stone River. Photo by Greg Skupien

To culminate our journey below, T.R. Russ, from the NC Wildlife Resource Commission, told us all about the mussels and fish that are in the Roaring River (which, disappointingly, does not include the Rayed Pink Fatmucket, a species of freshwater mussel). We gathered them with a river seine and then crawled the river bottom with snorkels to see what else we could find along the rocks.

Journeys above and below, patience and presence — here’s to day two!

Photo by Greg Skupien

Teachers normally spend 180 days being the “experts.” Teachers always know where to turn in your homework, what time lunch is, the entire day’s lessons and when it’s time to finally go home. On this journey exploring through the North Carolina mountains, we teachers have quickly turned into the students. On day one of this trip we have been challenged to remember what it’s like to forget something you need, not knowing what’s coming next, and being encouraged to go outside of our comfort zones.

The summer rains were the backdrop to our group’s first meeting at Stone Mountain State Park in Surry County. We shared expectations and goals for the trip as a group. Since we come from a variety of backgrounds as educators we got to practice one of our expectations of “listening to each other” by sharing “I Am From” poems. Through this activity we gained insight into the places, people and cultures that make up every individual attending this trip. As we waited for the rains to disperse, we completed a grounding activity to become aware of the sights, sounds, feelings and smells all around Stone Mountain State Park. Through this activity we honed our observation skills and discussed how to bring this into each of our classrooms.

Adam holding the first salamander of the trip!

As the day progressed, we continued to immerse ourselves in the surroundings of our new reality. Rolling over logs to find salamanders and worm snakes, sliding down freezing cold waterfalls, and observing the smallest of critters such as spiders, ants and net-winged beetles, we truly began to get out of comfort zones to get the most out of this experience. Creating positive relationships to learn, grow and play will be the backbone of our journey. Day one has set the bar high as it has been a complete success, with laughter, discoveries and freeze dried food!

How much gear does it take for 12 people to camp 8 nights while exploring North Carolina’s Blue Ridge mountains? A lot!

This week 3 Museum staff and 9 educators from across North Carolina have been gearing up for our Blue Ridge Institute. We’re packing tents and sleeping bags, oatmeal and pasta, nets and snorkels, long johns and swimsuits, and so much more as we prepare for an in-depth exploration of the North Carolina mountains. We’re looking forward to learning from experts in ornithology, herpetology, creative writing, Cherokee heritage and history, and ichthyology, among other topics. We’ll share strategies to invigorate our teaching with real life examples from our own backyard. We’ll hike and swim, learn and laugh; but most importantly, we’ll build a greater appreciation for the amazing diversity of the Blue Ridge Mountains and bring that home to share with our friends, families, and students.

Like the sun rising over the misty mountains as day begins in the photo below, this grand learning adventure is just about to begin! Meet the travelers and follow our daily blog as we travel down the spine of North Carolina.

Today was filled with serendipitous moments. We were greeted with a break in the clouds and fog revealing a beautiful sunrise, as we finished our drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway.

A damper was put on our morning hike due to rain, but serendipity prevailed giving us the opportunity to view a herd of elk. A bull serenaded his harem by bugling. This was the first time many of our group had seen elk in the wild, because they have only been reintroduced to North Carolina in the last 20 years.

Freeman Owle, an elder of the Cherokee tribe, gave us a fresh perspective on the injustice that he and his people have endured. Most people in this situation would be bitter, but Elder Owle shared this message of hope. “If you’re trying to get even, you’ll never get ahead. “ He was very open to sharing the Cherokee’s sacred land, and he gave each of us a blessing by the Tuckasegee River. One of the special moments we had with him was when he sang “Amazing Grace” in the native Cherokee language, the song that thousands of Native Americans sang on the Trail of Tears.

On a personal level, Elder Owle connected with us as a fellow educator, reminding us that, “You can’t take possessions with you when you go, but you can leave a blazing trail behind you.” It is not solely the Native Americans’ responsibility to keep their culture alive; we all have a responsibility. Today’s experiences were unexpectedly powerful, moving, and magical.