Linville Gorge Wilderness with Gary Kauffman contributed by Jean Hunnicutt

It was another wonderful day with Gary.

We were a small group (because of the limit of group size in designated Wilderness areas) but our enthusiasm for this beautiful area with its diversity of plant life was huge.

The walk was spectacular:  from the Table Rock parking area through pine-oak/heath forest/woodland, chestnut oak forest to the low-elevation rocky summit at The Chimneys.  These plant communities are fire adapted and maintained with recurrent burns.  We were heartened to see both of the federally listed plants at the summit:  Mountain Golden Heather, Hudsonia montana, and Heller’s Blazing Star, Liatris helleri.  We helped Gary with an inventory of the Liatris; the final count was more than 100 plants!

As usual, we were overwhelmed by Gary's knowledge and enthusiasm - and his ability to challenge us to be better botanists.

Fly Poison

The Group

Rhododendron regrowth after burn

Large Leafed Aster

Tapestry with Indian Cucumber Root

Nancy

View of Table Rock at lunch

Fetterbush 

Corydalis sempervirens, Rock Harlequin

Chinquapin 

Chimney

Chimney

Hudsonian montana 

Chimney

Liatris helleri

Here is a link to a pdf of the plant list.  Linville Plant List Aug 2015

Bryophytes with Ed Schwartzman at Cliffside September 18, 2015

Cliffside Lake / Dry Falls with Ed Schwartzman

Cliffside Lake was a beautiful location for our second foray into mosses and liverworts.

Ed again started the day by saying he's not an expert on bryophytes and immediately began to overwhelm us with his knowledge - and enthusiasm.

He helped us see and understand the complexity (and wonder) of these nonvascular plants.

Dry Falls of course was spectacular with its unusual and rare mosses / liverworts.

Thanks to Ed for another wonderful day - and to Karen for capturing it in her beautiful photographs.

Bazzania trilobata

Connecticut Beech Fern

Dry Falls

Ed finding mosses

Ed

Elen and Jean examining mosses

Ginny and Henry looking at moss

Henry

Jean examining a bryophyte

Brent and Bryophytes

Lizard Skin Liverwort

Mountain Spleenwort Fern

Orange Lichen and Falls

Pincushion Moss

Spaghnum Moss

Spleenwort and Liverwort

examining the stump for mosses

Ellen, Henry and George

Ed and Ellen

Cliffside and SAPS with Ed

Ed finding mosses

Ed and instruction

rare bryophyte

moss and liverworts under the waterfall

Henry and Dry Falls

Dry Falls

Dry Falls

Dry Falls and many plants