The Man who Planted Trees

I was given a book to read, The Man Who Planted Trees by Jim Robbins.  This book is about David Milarch and his mission to replant forests all over the world. 

The reading of this book has changed my life as student and teacher of the trees.  My new focus is to write about the people who are working to bring an awareness to the world about the importance of trees to the future of our planet.

There are amazing people out there speaking about how it is imperative for the earth to have mature forests as well as ancient trees standing on the earth.   It is also most important to tell the stories of the people that are working to make this a reality, so that is what I am to do.

Our children and grandchildren need a world to thrive in.  Read about and listen to the wisdom of these great teachers.  May we listen and then act to help save this beautiful planet for our children and grandchildren and their children.

To quote Jim Robbins here,

"Planting trees may be the single most important ecotechnology that we have to put the broken pieces of our planet back together."

The link to connect with David Milarch is:  https://www.ancienttreearchive.org/

David Milarch says that 98 percent of all the old growth forests in America are gone.

His mission is:

"Propagate the world’s most important old growth trees before they are gone.

Reforest the Earth with the offspring of these trees to provide the myriad of beneficial ecosystem services essential for all life forms to thrive including releasing oxygen, sequestering carbon dioxide, providing beneficial aerosols and medicines: essentially a global warming solution.

Archive the genetics of ancient trees in living libraries around the world for the future."

After listening to David Milarch speak on Ted Talks, the reason is clear and imperative:

Clean Water
Clean Air
Clean Soil
The trees are the filter system of our earth.  

It is for our children and grandchildren and their children.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGMJT9H3Aok

Listen to the YouTube video, above.  Go to his website.  May we all do our part.

I have a personal goal to plant 93 native southern Appalachian trees in the Asheville area in 2017. The 93 native trees that I have studied on this blog will be the trees I plant.

In Celebrating Champion Trees, There is a National Flowering Dogwood tree.

A Flowering Dogwood at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville
September 26, 2016

The National Forest Champion Flowering Dogwood lives in Clarke, Georgia.  Nominated by Andrew Saunders.   

http://www.americanforests.org/flowering-dogwood-cornus-florida-2/

This Dogwood is 67 feet high and has a circumference of 90 inches.

A Naturalist Journey

A Naturalist Journey

A few weeks ago, an online auction was held in support of my daughter and son-in-law.  My son-in-law is in treatment for his pancreatic cancer.  We are so grateful for the support of all of our friends and family who participated in this auction and those who are sending prayers and good thoughts for Ryan, Brooke and Harper. https://www.32auctions.com/ryanconrad

I donated a Naturalist Journey and was honored when one of our friends, bid and won this Journey. 

Here is a link to my Naturalist Journey as listed in the online auction.

https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/25500/auctions/30386/auction_items/764523

If anyone else would like to experience this Journey,  I would be honored to come to your place and and create your own Naturalist's journey.   I will donate what you pay for your journey to Ryan and Brooke, to assist them with costs associated with Ryan's pancreatic cancer treatment.

"A Naturalist Journey - Location of your Choice!

with Naturalist Becky Priddy

I am offering a nature journey of the place you call home or a place in nature you connect with.
I will come to your home or place to be in nature and walk the land with you.
We will create a journal by observation, journaling and drawing.
We will observe the trees, the birds, the flowers, and the insects that share the land with you.

Includes:
3 to 4 hours of observing, identifying, drawing, photographing, and journaling.
You can have 1 to 6 people included and children of all ages are welcome.
You will receive your nature journal in the mail within two weeks after we meet.
The journal will be yours to add entries to in the days ahead.
Cost:  $300.00, for the Asheville area.
Negotiable, if out of the area.

ABOUT THE NATURALIST, BECKY PRIDDY:
I am a naturalist certified by the North Carolina Environmental Educators
as well as the Great Smokey Mountains Tremont Institute."

Please contact me by email and we will plan your own Naturalist Journey.
Celerylady@gmail.com

My first Ponderosa Pine

My first Ponderosa Pine tree.

I took a train trip up Pikes Peak yesterday  with my sister and niece and great niece. The conductor, Ricky, led me on a short hike to my first Ponderosa Pine.  

He told me it would smell like butterscotch or vanilla.  I smelled butterscotch.  I have got to find out about this!

More later...from Colorado 

To Walk among the trees on a Winter's Day

A Winter's Day Walk

To Walk Among the Trees on a Winter's Day can bring such peace and joy to the human heart.

Fall on the Blue Ridge Parkway

American Beech, Blue Ridge Pky.

Yellow Birch, Blue Ridge Pky.

Yellow Buckeye, BlueRidge Pky.

Striped Maple, BlueRidge Pky.

My NW Adventure

While in the Pacific Northwest, I am getting aquainted with some trees that are familiar but slightly different.  I am thinking these are very close to the Sweetgum and Mountain Ash back home in North Carolina.

Elk in Cataloochee by a lone tree in the field

This weekend I went on a trip to the Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  I joined the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences for this trip.  NC Museum of Natural Sciences

I was fascinated by the elk in this grass field with the lone tree standing as a sentinel on this cool, fall foggy morning.  Most of the elk were eating the grass or resting; however, the bull elks went at it antler to antler.  The sounds, the smells and what we witnessed in this male elk ritual, created a sense of awe in all of us as we stood spell bound in silence.   To see nature in all it's majesty instilled a feeling of reverence in our group that is still with me.  I have such a feeling of gratitude and respect for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park for preserving the land and bringing back the elk to this habitat for us any others to be witness to a day in the life of such a magnificent species.

You can read more about the elk in Cataloochee at Smoky Mountain National Park Elk.

Cataloochee valley in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Elk mating behavior in Cataloochee Valley 

Apples are one amazing fall treat from nature!

North Georgia Apples in October

I have been eating so many apples this time of year.  If you have not gone to a local apple orchard, I encourage you to do so soon if you live near one.  I visited the Mercier orchard this year in Blue Ridge, Georgia.  Each year I visit a different orchard.  Here is the website for the Mercier orchard.

Mercier Orchard

Here is link with some orchards that are near me.

Apple orchards near Asheville

Enjoy!  Crunch!!!!

Pumpkins everywhere I look...

I like to envision the people I know and meet in a unique way.  I liken my friends and family and coworkers, well everyone I know actually, as a vegetable, a fruit, or a tree...I liken my own self as a pumpkin in the fall.  Yep, I am a pumpkin type of human.  This time of year is such fun for me.  I love to look at pumpkins.  I decided to share my pumpkin findings with you, here on my blog.  Enjoy your fall!  Get outside, take your shoes off, and feel the grass under your feet.

Fall leaf changes in North Carolina

Acer saccharum, Sugar Maple

Cornus florida, Flowering Dogwood

Carya Glabra, Pignut Hickory

Fall color is in North Carolina and is showing in the Hickories, the Dogwoods, and the Maples.  On the Blue Ridge Parkway the reds of the Black gum, the Red maples, and the Sourwoods are coloring the mountains.  Get outside and enjoy!!!

The Trees of the Botanical Gardens at Asheville - A GPS Guide

The Trees of the Botanical Gardens at Asheville - A GPS Guide 

This is my Community Action Partnership project that I have have completed with the North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program.  You can click on the above link to access my booklet entitled, The Trees of the Botanical Gardens at Asheville.

This booklet (to quote from the booklet itself):

"contains a list of 32 Native trees* of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.  All 32 of these trees live at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville, located at 151 W.T. Weaver Boulevard in Asheville, North Carolina.  These 32 species of trees are members of 12 different families of trees.

This booklet has been written as a guide to challenge you to find all the trees listed;  and then, to get to know the trees by observing them.  You can get to know the trees by visiting the Botanical Gardens in every season to observe the many changes that the trees go through."

You will be able to locate the tree using GPS coordinates.  A GPS coordinate is given for each species as well as a leaf drawing.

Tree 31 is Tilia americana, Basswood.

GPS Coordinates are:

N 35° 36.777

W 082° 33.976

The Trees of the Botanical Gardens at Asheville - A GPS Guide

You can read more about the NC Environmental Education Certification Program by visiting
http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/certification--about-the-program.html

If you are in the Asheville area take time to visit the Botanical Gardens at Asheville.  You can print out my booklet and challenge yourself to locate all 32 tree species.

Have fun and enjoy learning about the trees,

Rebecca