By Savannah R. Watts
One of the beauties of summer in the High Country is the abundance of plants in bloom. Next Saturday, June 9, celebrate nature in the High Country with the Blue Ridge Chapter of the NC Native Plant Society, High Country Audubon Society, Daniel Boone Native Gardens, and Grandfather Mountain by volunteering or participating in nature-centered events. Events last all day from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at various locations around Boone, NC.
Start your day off by helping the High Country Audubon Society plant a native garden at Green Valley Park. From 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. bring your shovel and gloves to get your hands dirty and learn about which native plants help birds and pollinators.
Love taking pictures? Head over to the Daniel Boone Native Gardens from 9:00 a.m. to noon for a flower photo stroll. This free workshop presents local photographer Bill Barbour and the Ashe Camera Club to help you learn how to take better photographs of flower, even on your cell phone.
At 10:00 a.m. learn about the bumble bee conversation and how you can help by attending The Search for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee. Sponsored by Wild South—the leader in public lands protection in the Southeast—this event educates participants on the perils of bumble bees in the Southern Appalachians with an emphasis on the federally endangered Rusty Patched Bumble Bee. Help support the project to find the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, which hasn’t been seen in NC since 2001, by learning how to start your search and support the efforts to conserve the species’ habitat and recover the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee in the region.
Grandfather Mountain is holding an all-day event that concludes their weeklong Rhododendron Ramble. From 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., visitors can visit the native plant festival at the Let-it-Rain Picnic Area and participate on multiple hikes throughout the day. The native plant festival showcases the beauty and significance of the NC native rhododendrons and provides visitors with information about native plants and other materials. Hikes range in ability and difficulty, so all hikers can enjoy. The beginner level starts at 11:00 a.m., advanced level at 1:30 p.m., and the intermediate level at 2:30 p.m. to end the day’s events. There will also be a kid’s craft activity at the Picnic Shelter from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The Blue Ridge Chapter of the NC Native Plant Society is looking for volunteers to attend their booth at the Let-it-Rain Picnic Shelter from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers will be providing information for visitors of the native plant festival. Flyers with information about native plants as well as other materials will be available on hand to hand out to visitors. For more information about volunteering or to sign up to volunteer, email Annkatrin at rosea@appstate.edu.
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