Project Update: Sweet Mountain Laurel Loop

 Certified Master Naturalist, Ed Coleman, submitted this article on the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail Adoption project.  Please contact him if you are interested in picking a site to visit periodically to collect data on wildlife. 

Adopting the Sweet Mountain Laurel loop of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail.

Late in 2019, I volunteered to be the Adopt-A-Trail coordinator for the Sweet Mountain Laurel loop of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail (VBWT). The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) created the Adopt-A-Trail project to help maintain the VBWT.   I specifically requested the Sweet Mountain Laurel loop due to my familiarity with the area and the unique biodiversity found on the Blue Ridge plateau. The 13 sites on this loop are located on or near the southern portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. The drive from site to site is almost as amazing as the sites themselves; the Blue Ridge Parkway offers spectacular vistas, with overlooks stationed every few miles. The Sweet Mountain Laurel loop provides a nice amalgam of private and public lands, outdoor recreation, and includes Mabry Mill, Chateau Morrisette, Rock Castle Gorge, and Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve, among others.

Saddle Overlook, Photo by Ed Coleman

Since the Sweet Mountain Laurel loop had not been previously adopted, there was a lot to do as a trail coordinator before starting fieldwork.  While verifying that weblinks opened the appropriate page on the Sweet Mountain Laurel loop website was an easy at home activity, tracking down site contacts for updates to site specific content proved more challenging given the time that had elapsed since the site owners initially signed up.  Two of the Bed & Breakfast sites on the loop had permanently closed and owners of two of the privately-owned sites no longer wanted to participate.  Other site owners were eager to remain in the program but were consistent in their feedback that the VBWT program needs further promotion to bring visitors to their sites.  As there had been numerous VDOT projects since the Sweet Mountain Laurel loop was established, revisions to the driving directions as shown on the loop’s webpage were required as well to ensure visitors find their destination.  

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), Photo by Ed Coleman

Undoubtedly, the fun part of the Adopt-A-Trail project is viewing wildlife and documenting observations, which I did for the first time in July.  For the VBWT Adopt-A-Trail project, recording wildlife observations is done using eBird and iNaturalist.  Unless you are Mary Foster, wildlife observers may have trouble identifying birds to log in eBird.  For the sites in the Sweet Mountain Laurel loop, I opened the eBird hotspot for each site in advance of my site visit, looked for the most commonly recorded birds at the site during July, and then focused on learning to identify those specific birds. With limited success, I also experimented with two mobile apps that help to identify birds by sound. 

 

 Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), Photo by Ed Coleman

 

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), Photo by Ed Coleman

Twin Spot Skipper (Oligoria maculata), Photo by Ed Coleman

Wildlife observations are recorded under the Virginia Wildlife Mapping project on iNaturalist. Insects can be a great go-to when observers just cannot seem to find the more picturesque amphibians, mammals or reptiles at a site.  Fortunately for me, July was bloom season for common milkweed on the Blue Ridge, so butterflies such as Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) and Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) were plentiful at several sites.  When it came to identifying insects, I snapped pictures with my iPhone using the Picture Insect app, instead of using a dichotomous key.  I admit that the app is not always accurate, and results must be rechecked, but the identification process is a lot faster and more accurate than using my dichotomous key skills.    Since the Virginia Wildlife Mapping project on iNaturalist only accepts photos or sound recordings, it’s best to keep camera in hand with finger on the shutter release button when in the field.  I missed a nice shot of a northern water snake at the DeHart Memorial park wetland bog and at least a dozen dusky salamanders on Rock Castle Creek. But, was fortunate to snap a photo of a young Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) on the Lower Rock Castle Creek trail and an Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) at Mabry Mill. The eBird and iNaturalist mobile apps make recording of observations in the field easy, but the remoteness of the sites on the Sweet Mountain Laurel loop means no cellphone service.  So, my observations had to be uploaded at home after completing the fieldwork.

Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), Photo by Ed Coleman

Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), Photo By Ed Coleman

DWR requests that website contacts, site descriptions, and driving directions be updated annually for each site within the adopted loop, whereas wildlife observations should be recorded quarterly.   October is the next cycle for recording wildlife observations on the Sweet Mountain Laurel loop.  If you are interested in volunteering by adopting a site(s) within the loop, please let me know, as I could use your help.  There is a site for every interest - from the rugged Lower Rock Castle Creek trail to the easily accessible majestic overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the simple elegance of Chateau Morrisette.    Adoption of a site is an activity that can be done at a social distance, with a fellow Master Naturalist or with family or friends.  Think about it, fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains observing wildlife - it just does not get any better than that.   Check the loop out at https://dwr.virginia.gov/vbwt/mountain-trail/msl/