A Hike from Fiery Gizzard to Raven Point

HIKE to BEAUTIFUL RAVEN POINT!

You esteemed leaders:
E.M. Keen, Ltd., x2669
J.D. Trimble, esq., x2204


When? SUNDAY, October 1st, Leaving the BC at 8am
Who? the NATURALE HISTORY SOCIETY and the SOP!
Meet where? At the B.C.!!!
Sign up outside the SOP office!


The Sewanee Naturale History Society (SNHS) and the SOP (SOP) invite you
to join us for a Glorious 9-mile Hike (G9MH) this coming weekend. What a
perfect way to celebrate the arrival of October with an insanely beautiful
hike! We shall begin at Fiery Gizzard (FG), making our way through the
hemlocks and cedars to historic Raven Point (RP), a lookout over a
enormous chasm of cove forest and valley mist. On the way, we will be
catching insects, checking out fungi, looking at the fall migrant birds,
and breathing in that cool fall air. And if that isn't enough, I mention
again the heart-stopping, jaw-dropping, tear-wrenching vista at Raven
Point, where I assure you the secrets of life (SOL) will be revealed to us
all. Come, join us, for the Hike of a Lifetime (HOAL).
Questions? Contact your fearless leaders!
Don't forget to sign up (DFSU)!

A message from E.M. Keen, Ltd., Prefect-at-Large

Bug Out a success.

Despite the threat of schlocky conditions, a contingent of arthropod aficionados swept the atimbrous airport premises for insects this afternoon. Representatives from the hemipterans were notably common nestled in the flowering forbs. A wacky good time was had by all. Said one K.S. Zigler, Ph.,D., regarding some of the competing arachnid life in the verd: "You never know how many of those little green spiders there are until you drag a net through the grass...but it's approximately a Jillion." Pictures will be added as they become available - the intrepid tri-cycle conductress, Lyn Hutchinson, was on hand to document the Society's latest romp.

Boisterously,
B.L. Padgett, esq. Patrician.

Found an old well at the top of the watershed. Iron loops at the lip of the well for ropes that would suspend containers down into the well.



Giant eastern sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) swallows Rex. Perhaps a record diameter for the Domain. Matt is only hugging a quarter of the circumference!


Mary Priestley lead us to a spectacular waterfall that drops into an open sinkhole. Unfortunately not much water flowing in the drought. This may be one of the tallest waterfalls on the Domain. It is in an obscure corner of the Domain. Come to the Landscape Lab to see its location on a GIS map.


Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), a tall-grass prairie species (its taller than Alfire!), is common in the powerline glade.

Open glade along TVA powerline opening below the Cross. Lots of prairie species. Great botanical spot on the Domain!

Plant systematics class explores another obscure location on the Domain.... This time we headed down over the mountain below the Cross to pole 75 along the TVA powerline cut and then up the adjacent watershed.

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves"

-John Muir

Bug Out ! Thursday.

Join us this Thursday afternoon at 5:15 as we pursue those flighty arthropods known to the Entomologically inclined as insects. Our confidential sources have indicated that excellent hunting is to be had on the grounds of the Sewanee Airport. We will spend an happy hour at the chase, so bring those articles most suited for a romp in the merry grasses of the field.
Nets will be provided by the illustrious Dr. K. Zigler of the Department of Small Reproductive Crawling Entities. Following the hunt, there will be an insect pinning and curation session in the Laboratory, during which time we will enjoy the rousing filmograhphic comments of a one Mr. David Attenborough. Report to the Woods Laboratory Circle (library side) at the appointed time to participate.

Hexapodally,

B.L. Padgett, esq., Patrician.
E.M. Keen, ltd., Prefect-at-Large.
J.D. Trimble XVI, Curator.

Owling at the Steep

Next Tuesday, October the 3rd, Angie and Elspeth are going owling at Morgan's Steep. Please join us at the Steep at 8:30 P.M. We won't be going far, but you might want to bring a flashlight and dress warmly. Angie wants to let you know that she didn't have a headlamp last year and she ran into a tree. We will use recorded owl calls to call owls and spot them with a large spotlight. This event will last from 30 minutes to one hour. Hope you can make it!

Last night's meeting

Thanks to everyone who came to the meeting last night. We got a lot of work done. In the future, we'll have fewer things to go over and meetings will be a lot shorter. Some of the things we talked about are:

Fall Break Trip: We voted to go backpacking in Joyce Kilmer in North Carolina for Fall Break. A lot of people signed up, so if you want to go, contact Luke or me as soon as possible. To those of you who have signed up, we'll let you know when we plan the details of the trip.

Upcoming trips: We will post announcements on the blog for each of these trips, but here's a quick summary

Bird walk, this thursday at 8 A.M., meet in front of Woods
Bug Out, this thursday at 5:15 P.M., meet in front of Woods
Owling, Tuesday, Oct 3, at 8:30 P.M., meet at Morgan's Steep

Dr. Potter offered to take a group to Lost Cove this fall. We'll let you know when we can go. Potter also suggested that we have an evening to play music one night this fall.

We appointed Luke Padgett as Patrician (plainly, president), Elspeth Iralu as Viceroy (vice pres), and Angie Langevin and John Trimble as Curators (documenters of trips).

The biodiversity spotlight focused on the praying mantis and copperhead snake.
(Note: Dr. Shaver, Luke, and I released the snake in the woods this morning.)

Please come to our next meeting in two weeks to share your ideas for trips and projects.

Fall 2006 Meeting Schedule

Dearest Natural Historians,

I have just spoken with an esteemed colleague at the Dupont Library who has granted us access to the Torian Room for meetings on the following nights:

Monday, October 9
Monday, October 23
Monday, November 6
Monday, November 20
Monday, December 4

All meetings will commence at 7:30 P.M.

Yours Sincerely,

E. Iralu

Canoe Trip Photos

Paddling in the pure waters of Woods Res. 300ish cattle egrets, 8 or so little blue herons, a few black-crowned night herons, black terns, a caspian tern, green and great blue herons. A plume-aceous time was had by all. Aug 31 2006.

The next generation of twisted hook-tooths (Agkistrodon contortrix)

Don't Miss Fall Migration

The illustrious curator Angela Langevin and viceroy Elspeth Iralu invite you to join them for a Bird Walk on Thursday, September 28, 2006. Please meet the Natural History Society fellows at 8:00 A.M. on the rotund drive in front of Wood's Lab. This expedition to observe the birds of central campus will last precisely one hour. Binoculars will be provided to those without them.

Meeting Tonight

To all:
Please join us in the Torian Room tonight at 7:30 for the first semesterly meeting of the Society. We will discuss our fall break trip and other matters of Natural Historical importance. Come in for free coffee, and to see the 30-foot tall backsass-squatch known as E.M. Keen, recently captured in middle Tennessee.

yours,
B.L.P., esq. Patrician