Southern Appalachian Creature Feature

Ginseng and goldenseal are widely known and used for their purported medicinal properties. Galax is a native plant harvested for use in flower arrangements. White oak is used in traditional Cherokee basket weaving. The Southern Appalachians are home to a botanical bounty of wild plants that have found plenty of human uses. In many cases, behind those uses is a market where these plants are bought and sold, usually legally, sometimes not so. A great challenge for all involved in the legal trade of these plants is ensuring they are properly managed and sustainably harvested.

The importance of streams, in general, and especially here in the mountains, can’t be understated. For many they’re the source of drinking water, and here in the mountains they’re a key part of our outdoor recreation culture, which in turn fuels an outdoor recreation economy. In western North Carolina, our streams are home to three endangered species – the Appalachian elktoe mussel, the littlewing pearlymussel, and the spotfin chub – a tiny fish found in the Little Tennessee River.

The U.S.D.A. Forest Service recently announced prescribed burns near a pair of popular Western North Carolina recreation areas – Max Patch and Harmon Den, both in Haywood County.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is the keeper of the federal endangered species list. One of the species we’re considering adding to that list is the Grandfather Mountain crayfish.

My daily commute usually takes me by a small patch of forest owned by the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Going home one recent afternoon, I went around a sharp curve and came upon a bump in the road. A bump that was slowly moving.

Ten of the world’s most endangered birds recently flew across the Southern Appalachians, led by a trio of ultra-light aircraft.

Cold weather has descended upon the Southern Appalachians and on some mornings, perhaps most mornings, soft, warm flannel sheets make the notion of hibernation seem incredibly appealing.

We wanted to get to a remote section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park to do some bat work. To get there by land would require going by foot nearly the entire way and turn a day’s worth of work into a three-day expedition. However, going by boat cuts out all that leg work. The Smokies has a program to control feral hogs, and we were able to catch a ride with a couple of their hog control staff travelling by boat to their work area.

Scientists recently announced a break-through in their study of the deadly bat disease white-nose syndrome. First discovered in a New York cave in 2006, the disease has spread in all directions, including into the Southern Appalachians, and is blamed for the deaths of more than a million bats.

Ginseng and goldenseal are widely known and used for their purported medicinal properties. Galax is a native plant harvested for use in flower arrangements. White oak is used in traditional Cherokee basket weaving. The Southern Appalachians are home to a botanical bounty of wild plants that have found plenty of human uses. In many cases, behind those uses is a market where these plants are bought and sold, usually legally, sometimes not so. A great challenge for all involved in the legal trade of these plants is ensuring they are properly managed and sustainably harvested.