Ramble Report June 13 2019

Today’s Ramble was led by Dale Hoyt.

Here’s the link
to Don’s Facebook album for today’s Ramble. (All the photos in this post are
compliments of Don, unless otherwise credited.)

Today’s post was written by Dale Hoyt.

Today’s Focus:

32 Ramblers met today.

Today’s reading:
Today’s non-inspirational, fact-filled reading about Witch Hazel was from
Donald Culross Peattie’s A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central
North America. (If you are at all interested in trees, this is a book you
should own.)

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Ramble Report June 6 2019

Today’s Ramble was led by Dale Hoyt.

Here’s the link
to Don’s Facebook album for today’s Ramble. (All the photos in this post are
compliments of Don, unless otherwise credited.)

Today’s post was written by Dale Hoyt.

Announcements:

1.     From Karen Porter: There
is a Tallassee Forest SPLOST2020 information session at the Kenney Ridge
Community Center this coming Sunday. I’m inviting Ramblers to this community
event because most of them have visited the Forest and know its conservation
value as well as the desirability of having public access in an environmentally
protective way.

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Ramble Report May 30 2019

Today’s Ramble was led by Linda Chafin.

Here’s the link to Don’s Facebook album for
today’s Ramble. (All the photos in this post are compliments of Don, unless
otherwise credited.)

Today’s post was written by Dale Hoyt.

Today’s Focus:  Herb and Physic Garden, Purple Trail, Purple
Trail Spur to Flower Garden, Flower Garden, Heritage Garden

32 Ramblers met today.

Today’s reading: No reading today.

Show and Tell:

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Ramble Report May 23 2019

Today’s Ramble was led by Linda Chafin.

Here’s the link
to Don’s Facebook album for today’s Ramble. (All the photos in this post are
compliments of Don, unless otherwise credited.)

Today’s post was written by Dale Hoyt (Added Milkvine text by Linda.)

Today’s Focus:
Power line right of way and Carolina Milkvine.

29 Ramblers met today.

Show and tell:

Luna moth cocoons

(click to enlarge)

1)
Kathy brought two empty Luna Moth cocoons.

Red Mangrove embryo

(click to enlarge)

2)
David brought a Red Mangrove embryo that he
collected on a recent trip to the Florida Keys. He told us the fascinating story of mangrove
reproduction

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher nest

(click to enlarge)

3)
Avis brought a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher nest. It
resembles a gigantic hummingbird nest.

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Ramble Report May 16 2019

Today’s Ramble was led by Linda Chafin.

Here’s the link
to Don’s Facebook album for today’s Ramble. (All the photos in this post are
compliments of Don, unless otherwise credited.)

Today’s post was written by Linda Chafin.

29 Ramblers met today.

Today’s focus:
 
Cool-season grasses along the White Trail and in the powerline
right-of-way.

Show and
Tell:

Halley brought a section of tree top that recently fell in her yard.  It was a hollow section with a large hole for
a woodpecker nesting cavity.  Eugenia
thinks it may be a Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes
carolinus
) nest.

Announcements: Tomorrow (Saturday, May 18) is Snake Day at Sandy Creek Nature Center (12 to 4 p.m.)  Bring the children or grandchildren!

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Ramble Report May 9 2019

Today’s Ramble was led by Linda Chafin.

Here’s the link
to Don’s Facebook album for today’s Ramble. (All the photos in this post are
compliments of Don, unless otherwise credited.)

Today’s post was written by Linda Chafin.

29 Ramblers today. We were happy to have Sandra Hoffberg, a former Nature Rambler who left us for a
post-doc at Columbia University, back with us today. She brought a long a
friend named Todd, who is studying salamanders at UGA – read further about his
salamander finds today.

Show and
Tell:

Catawba Rhododendron
(click on photo to enlarge)

Linda brought two flower clusters of Catawba Rhododendron,

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Ramble Report May 2 2019

Today’s Ramble
was led by Dale Hoyt.

Here’s the link to Don’s Facebook album for today’s Ramble.
(All the photos in this post are compliments of Don, unless otherwise credited.)

Today’s post was
written by Dale Hoyt.

Today’s Focus: Seeking what we find on the Purple and
Orange Trails.

21 Ramblers met
today.

Announcements:

1.     
This
weekend is the big fund-raising event for the State Botanical Garden of
Gerogia. Andrea Fischer told us that the contributions from this year’s Ball
will be earmarked for the Conservation program.

2.     
Friends First Friday, is usually, as the name implies, held on
the first Friday of each month. But due to preparations for this weekend’s Gala
it has been postponed until the following Friday,
May 10
. Our very own Don Hunter will be talking about the Nature Ramblers
and other activities he is involved with. Expect plenty of wonderful
photographs. Sign up soon if you plan to attend.

Today’s
reading
:
Dale read an excerpt from the book Crow
Planet
by Lyanda Lynn Haupt; Little, Brown & Co., 2009, pp. 4-5:

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Ramble Report April 25 2019

Ramble Report April 25 2019

Today’s Ramble was led by Dale Hoyt.

Here’s the link
to Don’s Facebook album for today’s Ramble. (All the photos in this post are
compliments of Don, unless otherwise credited.)

Today’s post was written by Dale Hoyt.

Today’s Focus:
Seeking what we find in the Dunson Garden down to the River Cane.

26 Ramblers met today.

Announcements:
Next Weds., May 1, Emily will lead the monthly guided walk at Sandy Creek
Nature Center. Walk starts at 9 a.m.; coffee and snacks afterwards.

Show and Tell:
Robert was walking into the Conservatory building this morning when he heard a
“thwack.” A bird had flown into the glass and died.

Rose=breasted Grosbeak,killed by flying into a glass window.

It was a lovely
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, on its way north. These are usually only seen at our
feeders for a week or two during spring migration.

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Ramble Report April 11 2019

Today’s Ramble was led by Linda Chafin.

All the photos in this post, unless otherwise credited,
were taken by Hugh and Carol Nourse, former leaders of the Nature Ramblers.

Today’s post was written by Linda Chafin.

Today’s Focus:
The Rock and Shoals Granite outcrop.

25 Ramblers met today.

Today’s reading:
No reading today.

Announcements: The Garden is participating in a “Plantapalooza” plant sale this weekend (Saturday). Click here for the details and a link to the species offered.

Today’s route:
Ramblers met today at the Botanical Garden and carpooled to the Rock &
Shoals Natural Area off Barnett Shoals Road. Mid-April is peak blooming season
for the Piedmont granite outcrop specialties and endemics.

Piedmont granite outcrops are found from SE Virginia to
central Alabama, totaling about 12,000 acres, but 90% of them occur in the Georgia
Piedmont. There are approximately 5,000 granite outcrops in Georgia larger than
¼ acre. Unfortunately, only 11 of them are protected, including Rock and Shoals
(R&S), which is owned jointly by Athens-Clarke County and Georgia Department
of Natural Resources. Though small, R&S supports many of the
outcrop endemics and four rare species.

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