Aug 25, 2023
On Saturday September 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Odonata enthusiast Cindy Andrews will give her stunning presentation of dragonflies and damselflies in the Quarry Gardens classroom—and then lead a trail walk to the damp and flowery places where these flying jewels may be found.
Why do we like odonates? Besides flying and posing beautifully, they eat mosquitoes by the thousands—and they don’t bite or sting.
Cindy is a Virginia Master Naturalist in the Riverine Chapter and a nature photographer. To join her, sign up at quarrygardensatschuyler.org/visit. Binoculars may help you spot these aerial delights, and a camera will help to preserve the thrills. Consider bringing a lunch to enjoy in our picnic pavilion before the event.
The featured image by Cindy is a Blue-faced meadowhawk (Sympetrum ambiguum), an easy-to-identify dragon found in September and October.
Aug 20, 2023
Thirty-two Nelson County campers in grades three to six made a field trip to The Quarry Gardens on Friday, August 19, for lessons in geology and habitat restoration.
The morning session included an introduction to historic soapstone mining and the QGs project, a tour of Visitor Center exhibits, and a walk and talk along the main trails led by founders Armand and Bernice Thieblot. After lunch in the picnic pavilion, Kathie Driscoll and Lindsey Hill gave on-site, hands-on lessons in wetland ecology and geology.
In the featured image, campers are taking turns rubbing a slickenside on a discarded soapstone boulder by the side of the road near the north quarry. A slickenside is a polished rock surface with parallel grooves formed by frictional wear during sliding and movement along a fault. Such movement on a large scale can cause earthquakes. The talc in soapstone made this one especially slick.
Tye River Elementary School sponsored this summer’s STEAM project (science, technology, engineering, art, and math)—called “The Kids Grow Green: Unearth the Unexpected”—with Nelson County Public Schools and a host of partnering organizations.
Aug 3, 2023
Did you know that caterpillars glow under ultraviolet light? In fact, using a UV flashlight makes them easier to find in the wild. And many are more active at night.
At the Quarry Gardens on August 26 from 6 to 8 p.m., Courtney McLaughlin, former Director of In-house Education at the Caterpillar Lab in Marlborough NH, will show how it’s done. (It helps to know which caterpillars eat what plants). Courtney is a wealth of information on the lives of caterpillars. Bring your own blacklight if you’d like to join in the search.
In any event be sure to bring a personal light—phone flashlight or head lamp—so that you can find your way back to your car at the end of the evening. There is no outside lighting at the Quarry Gardens. The Visitor Center will be open with restrooms, water, and snacks available. Come early if you’d like to bring a picnic to enjoy in our pavilion.
Sign up at quarrygardensatschuyler.org.
Bring your camera; we’d love to see your images. The featured image of a fall webworm moth caterpillar is from the Explore Ohio Website: https://www.exploreohiooutdoors.com/post/caterpillar-hunting-at-night
