Augusta County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution of support for the 90,000-acre Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area (SMNSA) at its regular monthly meeting on June 26.  Augusta County has more acreage in the proposal than any other county and is the first county to endorse the proposal.  

Federal designation of the SMNSA would offer many benefits to Augusta County, including permanent protection of 

• high quality water resources;
• outdoor recreation opportunities;
• outstanding wildlife habitat;
• scenic beauty; and
• support for the local tourism economy.

The SMNSA proposal also extends into Rockingham and Highland Counties.  Support from local governments is crucial to eventual introduction of federal legislation.  Augusta's endorsement is a big step forward for our campaign.

In addition to reaching out to local governments, FOSM continues to be an active member of the GWNF Stakeholder Collaborative.  The Collaborative supports federal designation of the SMNSA along with more active management, such as cutting timber, in appropriate areas across the GWNF.  

We thank Augusta County for their support and will continue to work with other local governments.

​Explore the rich variety of butterflies at Hone Quarry with Master Naturalist John Holden and photographer Jeannie Holden. We will begin at Hone Quarry Reservoir.

This will be a patient, slow paced “walk“ and a group effort to find species in mixed habitats.
​
Registration required.  Children are welcome.

 Learn more and sign up.​​​

Our annual spring wildflower walks will be held on Saturday, April 27.  These walks are a great opportunity to explore the beauty of Shenandoah Mountain and find a variety of wildflowers.  Each hike will have a wildflower expert to help identify flowers.
​
Choose from four walks:

• Hone Quarry​​ - 4 miles. Hike to a waterfall and see wildflowers along the way.
• North River Campground - <1 mile in the morning
• North River Campground - <1 mile in the afternoon
• North River Gorge - 2 miles

Be sure to bring your camera!

Learn details and register to attend.

Cosponsored by Friends of Shenandoah Mountain and Headwaters Master Naturalists

We now have a video of this program available online:

Flood of 1949 Program
Verona Government Center
Nov. 19, 2018
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Co-sponsored by Friends of Shenandoah Mountain and Augusta County Historical Society

Unfortunately, the camera card filled up just as Aubrey Urbanowitz began her presentation on the weather event, but viewers can still enjoy over 70 minutes of the program

Many thanks to Richard Adams for recording this event.  We are glad to have a lasting record of this wonderful event.
​
Enjoy!

The June 1949 cloudburst over the Reddish Knob area was a significant event in the history of Shenandoah Mountain.  The little town of Stokesville was wiped out, and Bridgewater experienced a historic flood, as did farms and homes along the North River.  The mountainsides slid away under the weight of 15 inches of rain in one day. The families who were affected have stories that they have passed down to their children and grandchildren.  

​Come and hear more about the Flood of 1949 from a panel of speakers:

• Nancy Sorrells, Augusta County historian
• Aubrey Urbanowicz, WHSV Chief Meteoroligist
• Linda Michael Kelley, Stokesville flood survivor
• Leslie Jopson Bulken, Bridgewater flood survivor
• Lynn Cameron, Friends of Shenandoah Mountain

When:  Monday, Nov. 19, 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Where:  Augusta County Government Building, 
              18 Gov Center Ln, Verona, VA 24482

Free and open to the public.

Read about the flood and see historic photos at Flood of 1949 on our web site.

Explore the rich variety of butterflies on Shenandoah Mountain with Master Naturalist John Holden and photographer Jeannie Holden. We will begin at Briery Branch Lake and drive to several flower-filled clearings along the road to Reddish Knob.

This will be a patient , slow paced “ walk “ and a group effort to find species in mixed habitats.

This is a great opportunity to learn and have fun at the same time.
​
Registration required.  Children are welcome.

 Learn more and sign up.​​​
​

Lynn Cameron, Co-Chair of Friends of Shenandoah Mountain, and Caroline Whitlow, a JMU Social Work major, teamed up to research the flood and interview survivors.  The result is a series of stories about what happened on Shenandoah Mountain and in the Stokesville area.

• Cloudburst on Shenandoah Mountain
• Stokesville is Gone!
• The Cramer Family
• The Michael and Emmett Families
• The 4-H Campers and Girl Scouts
• Harry (Doc) Jopson's Story
• After the Flood:  Flood Prevention​​

We are grateful to Bridgewater College Special Collection, James Madison University Libraries, the Augusta County Historical Society, the Bridgewater Historical Society, and the George Washington National Forest North River Ranger District for their assistance and use of their photographs and other resources.  We are especially grateful to all the flood survivors and their decendents who shared their stories and their photographs:  Alan Cramer, Gay Michael Emmett, and Dorwon Emmett, Lee Beam, Mike and Bootsie Twitchell, Leslie Bulken, and the late Harry (Doc) Jopson.

Dr. Clarence Geier, Professor Emeritus of James Madison University, gave an engaging presentation on the early history of Stokesville on May 23, 2018, in Bridgewater.  Dr. Geier has given Friends of Shenandoah Mountain permission to share his presentation with those who were unable to attend.

Many thanks to Dr. Geier for presenting research that he, Dr. Carole Nash, and Dr. Skip Hyser did this boom town at the base of Shenandoah Mountain.  It's a fascinating story!

Dr. Geier and Dr. Nash are writing a book on Stokesville that will be published by the Archaeological Society of  Virginia with the permission of the U.S. Forest Service.  

Almost 70 participants and guides gathered at the base of Shenandoah Mountain on Saturday, April 28, to go on our annual wildflower hikes.  Participants had a choice of three hikes:

• Hone Quarry
• North River Gorge
• Todd Lake area

The wildflowers were a little late to bloom this year, but we were able to find some real beauties and the scenery was stunning.  Enjoy this gallery of photos, all from the 2018 Shenandoah Mountain Wildflower Walks. 

Headwaters Master Naturalists and Friends of Shenandoah Mountain cosponsored this event.  Stay tuned.  We plan to offer wildflower hikes again next April.