The Nickajack Naturalist

Russell Cave Begins to Reopen Operations

Russell Cave News Release

                                                                                                      (Photo: Bob Butters)

Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Russell Cave National
Monument is increasing recreational access and services. The National Park Service (NPS) is
working servicewide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the
COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.

As of Monday June 29, 2020, Russell Cave National Monument is reopening access to the:
• Park grounds
• Hiking Trails
• Visitor Center

With public health in mind, the Visitor Center facility will be opened under modified hours. The
new hours of the Visitor Center are 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Central Time.

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be
paramount. At Russell Cave National Monument, our operational approach will be to examine
each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public
health guidance, and will be regularly monitored. We continue to work closely with the NPS
Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public and workspaces are safe and clean
for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers.

While these areas are accessible for visitors to enjoy, a return to full operations will continue to
be phased and services may be limited. When recreating, the public should follow local area
health orders, practice Leave No Trace principles, avoid crowding, and avoid high-risk outdoor
activities.

(Read an in-depth article about Leave No Trace from Wilderness Redefined.)

The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces prevent the
spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure that
visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.

Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our website
www.nps.gov/ruca and social media channels. Updates about NPS operations will be posted
on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

Things That Might Interest You 6-28-2020

A weekly roundup of nature-related odds and ends.

                                                (Photo: American Trails)

From American Trails:

Trails have been an established economic driver for some time, with the outdoor recreation industry contributing over $800 billion per year to the economy. Now there are more than 1,000 trail projects in the United States waiting on funding to help put Americans to work building, maintaining, and improving our nation’s trails, and this number reflects only a fraction of the estimated need that exists in our nation.   Read more...

From Trust for Public Land:

Today Chattanooga is at a crossroads. For thirty years, the city—with help from The Trust for Public Land—has steadily grown its trail system into a thriving greenway network that has sparked a remarkable urban renaissance. But these public investments have yet to benefit all neighborhoods equally, so TPL is working alongside low-income communities and communities of color to expand access to Chattanooga’s great outdoors.   Read Mind the Gap.

                                               (Photo: Doug Strickland)

As more cities look for ways to create safe outdoor space during the pandemic, TPL is mapping which neighborhoods need access the most, and sharing key data with city leaders.   Read On the Map.

From Land Trust for Tennessee:

Suggested Reading: The Value of Land Trusts
As communities spend more time at home, we've heard from many supporters about how this time has made them care even more about conservation. As a recent article posted to Medium.com argues, the recognition of the value of land trusts across the country is on the rise.   Read the story.

Compiled by Bob Butters

 

 

 

 

Opossums: Unsung Heroes in the Fight Against Ticks and Lyme Disease

By Jane Kirchner                                                          National Wildlife Federation

Young opossums sometimes ride on their mother’s back as she hunts for food. (Photo: MonicaR./flickr)

With the huge rise in deer tick populations and the spread of Lyme disease, many friends of wildlife are welcoming opossums into their yards. Why? Scientists have learned that opossums act like little vacuum cleaners when it comes to ticks – with a single opossum hoovering up and killing an estimated 5,000 ticks in a season.

Read more.

What To Do If You Find Baby Wildlife

By David Mizejewski                                                    National Wildlife Federation

What should you do—and not do--if you find a baby animal in your yard or neighborhood? Read on to find out.

Buck's Pocket State Park Opens Campground and New ORV Trail

From Alabama Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources

The overlook at Buck's Pocket State Park.                        (Photo: Bob Butters)

The Alabama DCNR is excited to announce that on June 16th, Buck's Pocket State Park reopened its campground and introduced a brand new ORV(Off-Road Vehicles) trail. This was a culmination of over 2 years of planning, development and dedication. These new amenities will create a family-friendly destination for campers, off-road enthusiasts and vacationers. Check out this article and make your plans.

Visit the Buck's Pocket State Park website.

Senate Passes Great American Outdoors Act

                                                                                                      (Photo: Bob Butters)

Last week, the U.S. Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act. It now has to pass the House and be signed by the President before becoming a reality. Following are takes on the event from several sources:

Outdoor Alliance

The Senate passes a historic bill that will provide billions for outdoor recreation, maintenance, trails, and green spaces. Next, it goes to the House.

Read more.

The Great American Outdoors Act will create more close-to-home outdoor spaces

NoogaToday

On June 16, Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander spoke on the Senate floor about the Great American Outdoors Act, which establishes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to support deferred maintenance projects on federal lands. You can watch the video of Senator Alexander speaking about the legislation here. 

Trust for Public Land

Thanks to 20 years of advocacy from our community, Congress is on the verge of passing a bill that will fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund forever. As this momentous legislation moves forward, we're revisiting a few of the many special places where LWCF has made a difference.

Learn more →

National Park Partners

The Great American Outdoors Act came one step closer to becoming a reality through a victory in the United States Senate on Wednesday. Led by Tennessee's own Sen. Lamar Alexandar, the years-long crusade to provide dedicated funding to address deferred maintenance in our National Parks is almost across the finish line.
Read our Recent Editorial

Land Trust for Tennessee

In an historic bipartisan vote, the U.S. Senate this week passed the Great American Outdoors Act - which is one step closer to providing full and dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In the words of Land Trust Alliance President Andrew Bowman, the "vote will lead to the conservation of local, state and national treasures, providing more Americans with access to the outdoors while contributing more to the nation's economy and securing more jobs."
Read an article about the Great American Outdoors Act here.

 

The Caverns at Pelham Begins Guided Cave Tours

The Caverns underground music venue is opening a new show cave and will begin guided cave tours on July 4. The new cave is the first to open in Tennessee in the last 50 years. The tours will be offered daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Make a reservation to be one of the first people to experience the new attraction here.

From NoogaToday

Opportunities to Help with Savage Gulf Trail Maintenance

Friends of South Cumberland news release

Savage Falls.                                                                    (Photo: Bob Butters)

Monday and Tuesday, June 29 and 30, 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Monday, July 13, 1:15-3:15 p.m.
Pre-registration required. Join rangers and other volunteers for three days of trail maintenance and improvements at Savage Gulf. Bring work clothes, sturdy footwear, gloves, plenty of water and food. Work implements (hand tools) will be provided, but you may bring your own, if desired. All volunteer days are 'weather permitting'. Meet at the Savage Gulf Ranger Station. To register, or for more information, visit the activity sign-up for any of these three dates on the State Parks website, or email Ranger Mark Greenwood at [email protected].

Also from Friends of South Cumberland:

Please Take Care of Your Park!

                                                                 (Photo: FSC)

The Park is experiencing overwhelming crowds at popular spots like Greeter Falls, Foster Falls and Grundy Forest. Visitors are parking in undesignated areas, littering, vandalizing and going off trail. The mission of the park is to preserve and protect these natural, cultural and historic places. All visitors are encouraged to follow posted guidelines on the State Parks website. If a parking area is full, visitors should adjust their plans to visit a different trailhead (we have 13 of them, throughout the park!), or visit at another time. Please do not park along roadsides or on adjacent private properties. Please bring a trash bag with you when you visit the park, and if you see something like in the photo above, please take a moment to pick it up, pack it out, and help keep your park beautiful! Thanks!

Things That Might Interest You 6-21-2020

A weekly roundup of nature-related odds and ends.

This week features ideas from Backpacker Basecamp to help you make the most of the outdoors in summer, as well as some recommended reads to help pass the time if you're not travelling as much as usual.

                                    (Photo: Backpacker Basecamp)

51 Summer Camping Secrets Every Hiker Should Know
Maximize fun and minimize hassle with these essential tips on comfort, safety, cooking, and finding solitude during the high season.
Read More

Looking for the fastest route to deep backcountry? Lace up your sneakers, ditch the heavy pack, and run your favorite trails with advice from Gina Lucrezi.

Read How to Start Trail Running.

From a hermit’s three-decade sojourn in the wilderness to a geographer’s dive into the racial history of the outdoors, these titles bring a new perspective to the adventure canon.  Read The New Wilderness Classics: 9 Books That Will Change How You Look at the Outdoors.

Travel postponed? Live vicariously through these adventurous sagas instead.

Read 11 Classic Outdoor Memoirs to Inspire Your Next Adventure.

Compiled by Bob Butters

 

Nesting Barn Swallows and Dealing with Baby Birds

From Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources

A young barn swallow preparing to fledge (Photo: Terry Johnson)

OUT MY BACKDOOR: WATCHING BARN SWALLOWS NEST

By Terry W. Johnson

Each year countless birds nest close to our homes. However, none offer a better chance to watch their nesting behavior than barn swallows.

These popular birds have the most expansive breeding range of all swallows, breeding across much of North America, Europe and Asia. And over countless generations, they have developed an affinity for living close to humans. In eastern North America, barn swallows' propensity for nesting on manmade structures is so strong they rarely nest anywhere else.

Read the rest of Terry’s column for a close look at nesting barn swallows.

Found a young bird?

Here’s a handy guide from Mass Audubon to determine if it’s a hatchling, nestling or fledgling, and what you should do – if anything.