PATC Clears Trails in Ramseys Draft Wilderness
Using crosscut saws and axes, a Potomac Appalachian Trail Club - Southern Shenandoah Valley Chapter crew cleared Jerrys Run Trail and lower Ramseys Draft Trail of giant hemlock and oak blowdowns that have blocked the trails for several years. The largest was an oak, 34" in diameter (shown in photo). The local chapter of PATC was aided by Dan Dueweke, PATC crosscut saw trainer, his sawyer pal Matt Murray, and Forest Service employees from the North River Ranger District. The giant old growth hemlocks in Ramseys Draft were killed by the invasive wooly adelgid several years ago and are continuing to fall. This was a collaborative effort, and it was a lot of fun! See more photos. The PATC crew will continue their work this spring. Contact PATC-SSVC if you would like to help.
Water Research on Shenandoah Mountain
JMU students taking water samples from Dry River. Photo © Brad Striebig James Madison University Engineering Professor Brad Striebig has been awarded a JMU grant to do research on water quantity and quality on Shenandoah Mountain. Dr. Striebig will document the value of water resources for agriculture, drinking water, ecosystem health, energy development, flood control and water storage. Critical water resources are limited, and shortages are expected to occur within the next decade. Students in the JMU Department of Engineering and the Massanutten Regional Governor’s School will collect water quality information and make maps to increase awareness about how natural water quality changes as water moves though a watershed.
Students will create on-line educational materials focused on the importance and value of water resources on Shenandoah Mountain and present their research findings at the Virginia Environment Symposium to inform a broader state-wide audience about the value of these critical water resources.
FOSM is a community partner along with Cowpasture River Preservation Association and Shenandoah Valley Network. The research outcomes and documentation will be used by partner organizations to promote awareness, education and stewardship of water resources in the region. Photo © Brad Striebig
Students will create on-line educational materials focused on the importance and value of water resources on Shenandoah Mountain and present their research findings at the Virginia Environment Symposium to inform a broader state-wide audience about the value of these critical water resources.
FOSM is a community partner along with Cowpasture River Preservation Association and Shenandoah Valley Network. The research outcomes and documentation will be used by partner organizations to promote awareness, education and stewardship of water resources in the region. Photo © Brad Striebig
New Endorsements
The following have endorsed our Shenandoah Mountain Proposal:
The following have endorsed our Shenandoah Mountain Proposal:
- Mountain Valley Preservation Alliance
- White's Wayside, Churchville
- Jakes Convenience Store, Churchville
- Lily Title of Staunton
- Fisher Auto Parts, Staunton
- JMU Astronomy Club
Headwaters Master Naturalists Adopt Birding & Wildlife Trails
The Headwaters Master Naturalists (HMNs) training group is adopting three loops in the statewide Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail (VBWT) system developed by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The VBWT is a statewide driving trail composed of 65 loops connecting the best sites in Virginia for watching birds and other wildlife. The HMNs will adopt loops that contain key sites in or next to the proposed Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area, including Braley Pond, Confederate Breastworks, Reddish Knob, Hone Quarry, Switzer Lake, and Todd Lake, to name a few. See map.
The VBWT, the first statewide program of its kind in the United States, celebrates the tremendous biodiversity of Virginia:
Read more about the Headwaters Master Naturalist program and activities.
The Headwaters Master Naturalists (HMNs) training group is adopting three loops in the statewide Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail (VBWT) system developed by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The VBWT is a statewide driving trail composed of 65 loops connecting the best sites in Virginia for watching birds and other wildlife. The HMNs will adopt loops that contain key sites in or next to the proposed Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area, including Braley Pond, Confederate Breastworks, Reddish Knob, Hone Quarry, Switzer Lake, and Todd Lake, to name a few. See map.
The VBWT, the first statewide program of its kind in the United States, celebrates the tremendous biodiversity of Virginia:
- 400 species of birds
- 250 species of fish
- 150 species of terrestrial and marine mammals
- 150 species of amphibians and reptiles
- a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates.
Read more about the Headwaters Master Naturalist program and activities.
 EMU Student Making Film about Shenandoah Mountain Macson McGuigan, a senior environmental sustainability and digital media major at Eastern Mennonite University, is producing a film on Shenandoah Mountain in collaboration with FOSM. It will feature local people talking about what makes the area so special. We look forward to using it in our advocacy efforts. Photo © Steven David Johnson |  Migration Underway Neo-tropical migratory birds, like this Chestnut-sided warbler, are arriving now, back from their winter homes. Each species has its own timing for migration. Photo © David Wendelken |
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