Position Available: Programs Coordinator

Interested in working at Ruffner Mountain? Love working with kids and animals and conservation and education and data entry and community groups and being organized and working with a cool group of like-minded individuals while advancing the understanding of ecology in a rapidly changing world? Great! Apply here. Deadline to apply is Friday, January 31st.

For questions about the job posting, or issues applying, please email chivon@ruffnermountain.org

Back to Nature

Back to Nature by Mark Kelly is the “Ruffner book” whispered about for years, and now available for purchase!

In vivid prose, Kelly relates the history of Ruffner Mountain—it’s missteps and setbacks—a story that, in many ways, mirrors the story of Birmingham. Giving this incredible narrative life are the photos of Bob Farley and together they beautifully illustrate Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition’s 40 years of existence and the mountain’s journey back to nature.

To order Back to Nature, visit our store’s website , or visit Alabama Booksmith and Ruffner Mountain on specific dates in September to get a signed copy - details of which can be found on our events calendar for September.

Closed Monday, July 1st - Sunday July 7th

Ruffner Mountain will be closed Monday, July 1st through Sunday, July 7th to focus on operational planning, safety procedures, and gearing up for the fall season. Hike at your own risk, and remember, trails close at dusk.

We will resume normal operating hours the week of July 8th - just in time for Fresh Air Family’s Gross Out Camp - find out more here!

May 4 and 5 Weekend Hours Update

CHANGE IN RUFFNER'S HOURS THIS WEEKEND, MAY 4-5:

Life happens to all of us - even to Ruffner staff. Less than a dozen hard-working and passionate employees labor seven days a week to maintain Ruffner Mountain, while also continuing our conservation and education efforts. Unfortunately, this week has been a hard one - our coalition has been beset by illness, overwork, and death in their families.

Because Ruffner is only as strong as its staff, we will have modified hours this weekend in order to let them breathe, grieve, and take care of what needs to be taken care of - namely, themselves.

Ruffner's Nature Center and Offices will be close at 2pm Saturday, the 4th, and remain closed until normal operating hours on Tuesday, the 6th.

That means staff will not be around to answer your questions Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Printed preserve maps will not be available, and the animal exhibits will not be accessible to the public. However, the pavilion bathrooms will be open and preserve maps are available on our website. The trails are open from dawn to dusk and, as always, hike at your own risk.

Thank you for understanding - and if you see a staff member in the near future, thank them for their hard work towards the place we all love.

P.S. No worries about our captive wildlife collection - no matter what the situation, they will always be taken care of with the utmost care

Plant Species List for 2019 Native Plant Sale (Updated March 25)

You’ve asked for it… and here it is!

The 2019 Native Plant Sale, held in conjunction with Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, will be the first weekend of April. The Member Pre-Sale is April 5th from 4:00pm-7:00pm, and the Public Sale is April 6, 9am-2pm, and April 7, 1pm-4pm. Remember, members get first pick this year! (List will be updated throughout the week - availability of plants are not guaranteed)

Thank you to our members, for your help supporting the place that you love.

Frostweed (Verbisina virginica) reminds us that even in winter we can experience the magical beauty of native plants.

“Donating to Ruffner Mountain will not save the tri-colored bat, it will not ensure the king snake reigns, or preserve the Alabama Larkspur. Donating will not save any of those things, but it will help support the place that you already love, that you already visit. We cannot change the past. We can, however, build a future that protects and values the natural world…” - Carlee Sanford, Executive Director

Bat Research on Ruffner

For the past few months, Ruffner Mountain has been, and will continue to be, a site for research conducted by Bat Conservation International (BCI) in conjunction with the United States Forest Service, Northern Arizona and the University of Winnipeg. This study is currently testing treatment options in mines that have tested positive for White-nose Syndrome (WNS) - a fungal disease that is devastating bat populations in North America.

This study, along with BCI. and their partners, have recently been announced as one of the recipients of the Bats for the Future Fund 2018 - a grant funded by The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Avangrid and Southern Company.

Ruffner wishes Bat Conservation International, Inc., their partners, and all of the recipients of the Bats for the Future Fund success in their endeavors.

We will keep everyone posted as the results of this study emerges. In the meantime, consider donating or becoming a member of Ruffner. You are not just helping a beautiful greenspace remain open -you are also supporting a location for groundbreaking research.

Nick Sharp of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources with the Bat Conservation International subterranean research team and Ruffner staff