Sustainable Forestry Teachers' Academy

I can't begin to tell you how bummed this turtle is. I was all ready to get on the ball and get some of my posts done, only to realize that I uploaded the pictures on a different computer! One would think there wouldn't be a lot of room in my shell for a bunch of different mobile devices, but you would be surprised how easy it is to loose stuff in there.

So, I will have to share my experiences now through writing and upload the pictures later.

So I rode to New Bern with my friend Renee. She helps facilitate the Sustainable Forestry Tachers' Academy (SFTA) and she was kind enough to ask me if I would like to go along. I was looking forward to learning about the coastal plain of North Carolina, especially the history of the naval stores industry. For you humans, I am not talking about the history of you belly button, but the history of using pines, especially longleaf pines, in products of the shipping (and other) industry. In fact, there is a whole museum dedicated the the history of forestry in North Carolina, and the director, Mr. Harry Warren, was kind enough to come and share his knowledge with me and 33 other teachers. He had a lot of really neat stuff to smell and touch, too!

The next day we really got to the business of learning about forestry. We visited the NC Division of Forestry's Claridge nursery and saw millions of little seedlings. It was amazing the work the goes into producing tiny seedlings for the landowners and citizens of North Carolina! And we also got to ride in a wagon behind a tractor, which was a lot of fun and made it easy for this reptile to keep up with his human campanions! We also learned how to measure trees with a tool called a Biltmore Stick, which was created near what is known as America's Castle and the Birthplace of American Forestry. Anyone know what I am talking about?!?? If not, stayed tuned to a July posting and I will give you the answer!

My other favorite part of the SFTA was visiting the Croatan National Forest and learning how longleaf pine savannahs are fire dependent, which can be difficult to manage with so many human communities nearby. It was very dry, and the air was full of smoke from a wildfire is a different part of the state. Even though it was dry, we were able to find some very unique plants!

I know the teachers really like all the mill tours. Sadly, it wasn't safe for me to tour them even though I have my hard shell. I wouldn't be able to keep up with the group, and no one could carry me safely up and down all the stairs.

The last day, we went to Cool Springs Environmental Education Center. This is one of my favorite places --- perfect for a box turtle like me! I also ran into some dear friends there.

So, it summary, that was my week in the coastal plain. I barely even scratched the surface of all the neat things to see and do there, and hope I can hitch a ride with another friend to the outer banks before I see all the NAAEE conference participants in Raleigh in October! Come back soon to see the pics I post to go along with my trip, and I will also let you know via my Twitter (TryonTurtleNC & #naaee2011) or my Facebook page (Tryon T Turtle).

Yes, I am behind!

This has been a long, tough, week for this turtle! I had a great week with 33 teachers learning all about coastal forest ecology. The days were long but I learned so much! I am heading to Morehead Planetarium tomorrow to celebrate our native pollinators, so look for lots of blog posts next week!

First Trip to Western North Carolina

What a refreshing way to spend the unofficial start to Summer!  On Memorial Day Weekend, I hitched a ride with Kelly Hoke to a gathering of western section Environmental Educators of North Carolina members.  Kelly is the western section coordinator and she also works with NC State Parks and Recreation.  She was telling me that 2011 is Year of the Turtle!  I couldn't believe it!!. 

We seemed to have gone from a lot of rain to a lot of heat, so the ride was nice.  It was also great to catch a ride because it is over five hours by car from Raleigh to our final destination...  Deep Creek Campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park! 

Safety First!!  Everyone, even turtles, should wear their seatbelts.

Seems like there has been a lot of talk of bears lately.  Before I left Raleigh for this trip, there were
a lot of  bear sightings around home.  Luckily, with the help of these folks and my EENC Friends, we
were able to bear-proof out campsite.

Though I am a land turtle, I was pretty excited that our campsite was right on the river.  I sure like water being around, the sounds is just very relaxing.  We met for lunch, they had some great food from their local farmers markets like blueberries, fresh breads, and peaches.  It was a yummy lunch for this omnivore!

After lunch, all my EENC friends headed down to the river.  I am not built for swimming but sure did enjoy watching from the bank  Some of the youngest EENC members kept me company!! 

Later we went on a hike to see some of the waterfalls and wildflowers in the area.  It was just so peaceful and quiet... and so pretty.  Great Smoky Mountains National Park is known for its diversity of plant and animal life, and is America's most visited national park.  I had no idea!!  There are more than 800 miles of trails in the park that straddles the border of Tennessee and North Carolina... but luckily our hike was only a short one!

It was a long day full of excitment, and the youngest member of our group took a little nap on the way back to the campsite.  I think he should have eaten some earthworms for lunch like I did do he would have enough energy!!  That night we camped under the stars and I was introduced to s'mores!!  Now, if you have a turtle friend at home, I wouldn't recommend a steady diet of s'mores... but the little bite I tries was sure tasty!!

I have lots of adventures lines up for June, and will try to be better about posting my adventures.  I also have more than 20 followers on Twitter, and almost 75 friends on Facebook!!  I can't believe it - - and really want to thank you all for sharing in my fun.  I am also hoping to post more information about the upcoming NAAEE Conference in Raleigh.  Registration opened on June 1st.  I know some folks have asked me if it will be cooler in October, and all I can say is it should be!!!  Hope to see you there!