The Nature Center will be closed on Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th for the Thanksgiving holiday.
We will reopen the Nature Center on Saturday, November 30th at 9:00 am. As always, our trails are open from dawn until dusk.
From all of us at Ruffner Mountain, have a safe and happy holiday!
East Lake Park Restoration
Help plant trees in East Lake Park!
This is Phase III of the restoration project at East Lake Park with the Nature Conservancy of Alabama. Other project partners include: City of Birmingham Parks and Recreation, Cawaco RC&D Council, Jefferson County Urban Forestry Group, Alabama Soil & Water Conservation, and Alabama Forestry Commission.
80% to 90% of trees in East Lake Park are green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). Because of the Emerald Ash Borer Blight, all of these trees will likely be dead in five to ten years’ time.
But how?
The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an Asian beetle that has become the single most destructive forest insect to ever invade the United States. These tiny, bright green creatures use ash trees to reproduce, and as a result, pose a grave threat to green ash populations. Females lay their eggs beneath flaps of bark or in crevices. When the larvae hatch, they burrow or “bore” their way inward and feed for weeks. There, they create “galleries” which disrupt the tree’s ability to transport moisture and nutrients up and down the trunk causing the entire tree to fall prey to this invasive species.
Join us on Saturday, November 16 as we plant 75 native trees at East Lake Park. Not only does planting native trees help maintain biodiversity, it also aides in fighting climate change. Through the natural process of photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutant particulates, then store the carbon and emit pure oxygen.
New Teaching Naturalists & Field Trips
We are excited to introduce our new Teaching Naturalists - Jessica, Stella, and Stephanie, who will be working alongside Ruffner’s longtime Naturalist, Carl.
With school back in session, new staff have been reviewing lesson plans ranging from forest ecosystems to mining history as well as participating in our animal ambassador program training. All field trips include a guided, interactive hike, a visit to the Nature Center, and a meet and greet with one of our native animals.
Staff review the native snakes on exhibit, including the copperhead. The public can stop by our Nature Center during office hours to learn the differences between our venomous and non-venomous snakes on exhibit by observing their patterns. Say ‘hello’ to the corn snake, who is often mistaken for the copperhead.
On September 26th and 27th, third graders visited Trillium Trail on a fall field trip. If you are interested in booking a field trip, please complete our form here to start the scheduling process. Those schools that qualify can also request an application for a field trip scholarship for funding assistance.
Our Birds Are Declining
According to a recent study from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2.9 billion birds have disappeared in 50 years due to loss of habitat which further reiterates the importance of supporting all green spaces.
Back to Nature Book Events
This book is such a big deal, we need two events!
Please join us for the official Back to Nature book launch at Alabama Booksmith on Wednesday, September 4 at 5:00 pm, and a book signing at Ruffner Mountain on Thursday, September 19 from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Author Mark Kelly and photographer Bob Farley will be at both events to sign copies of the book! Copies will be available for purchase at the event.
Don't have your copy of the book yet? You can purchase a copy here, at Ruffner Mountain’s Nature Center, or visit the following locations:
Alabama Booksmith
SHOPPE
Church Street Coffee & Books
Little Professor Books
Alabama Outdoors
The Anvil gift shop at Vulcan Park and Museum
Leaf & Petal
Hope to see you there!
Habitat Garden Club - Pollinators
From Habitat Garden Club host, Michelle Reynolds:
Habitat Garden Club meets every Tuesday from 8 am until 11 am at the Ruffner Mountain Nature Center and is not just about working and weeding in the gardens. It is about discovery of new things. We like to take the time to notice the buzzing insects around us. We take pictures, post them to iNaturalist for identification, and we’re constantly learning about the nature that surrounds us.
Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium) provides a pretty backdrop to this busy bumblebee as it visited many flowers, packing its pollen baskets and transferring pollen from flower to flower throughout the day.
Uroleucon aphids siphon sweet juices from stems of tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), the carpenter ant crawled around them and drank their sugary excretions (honeydew). Yes, it is a little bit gross but mostly cool.
