Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

 Although I am already fairly knowledgeable about this organization (as I work there every day) it was still interesting to research more about the history of the mountain and learn about how it all started. Creating this non-profit took a lot of teamwork from a lot of the town locals and that is why the Grandfather community is so special and means so much to people that have watched it become what it is today. I also dedicated a whole slide to the iconic Mildred the Bear. She kickstarted the entire wildlife habitat program at the mountain which then turned into the education and conservation program that teaches guests from all over the world.  This year, the first strategic plan was presented for the mountain for the first time in over 10 years. I was able to talk to and learn from the President and Executive Director of the Stewardship Foundation, Jesse Pope, and learn what the plans are for the future of this organization. These plans include improvements across all depar...

I chose to look into the taxonomy of Hericium erinaceus, also called Lion's Mane. It is a large, white, bulbous mushroom species that is unique as it is edible and provides many health benefits. It gets its name from its resemblance to a lion's mane with its shaggy mane-like appearance. Normally I would choose to research a type of animal but this time I decided to look into something that I don't know as much about and I found it quite interesting!

 I curated a slideshow of various trees that can be found in the Grandfather Mountain region and Western North Carolina in general. As someone who is not as well-rounded in dendrology, I found that putting this slideshow together helped me to see the similarities and differences in various species of trees in this area. Some of the trees are trees found all over the state so I am easily able to identify them as I have grown up seeing some of them in the Piedmont and some are solely in Western North Carolina which I am still learning about. I hope you enjoy reading through and learning along with me!

vTree App: While taking my wildlife field biology course at Virginia Tech, many of my classmates were taking Dendrology simultaneously and often referenced the vTree App during their course. I hadn’t downloaded it until recently and I find it to be straightforward to use the ‘Plant ID Help’ option is very useful to use if you are unsure of a species. The image guide is also very useful if you aren’t sure how to describe the plant species. Having never taken a Dendrology course myself I feel that I will be using this app a lot in this field! Plant Parent: This app was referenced to me by a coworker as I have recently been trying to help save my dying hanging flowers on my back porch. This app allows you to diagnose any issues that may be wrong with your plants and what you can do to help them. You can add all of the different types of plants that you are caring for including cacti and succulents, foliage, flowering plants, orchids, vegetables, and herbs and it will give you a guide on h...

 

       I did my soil survey in Avery County, North Carolina which is where Grandfather Mountain is located. After exploring this tool, I thought that it was great to be able to have access to so much data on things that can influence changes in the soil such as wind erodibility, water storage and flooding, frost action, vegetation, traffic, and much more. Initially, I didn’t consider how so many factors can impact the health and productivity of the soil. I think that this is useful for a variety of conservation means in any area and is crucial to have a more well-rounded understanding of the foundation that we have in a given place, especially when things like urbanization and land planning are spreading so vastly.