Thank You, Alabama State Representative Rolanda Hollis!

Many thanks to State Representative Rolanda Hollis of Alabama House District 58 for her support of Ruffner Mountain and Jefferson County greenspaces!

Rep. Hollis chose Ruffner Mountain as an organization to support through the Jefferson County Community Service Fund. Her generous donation will provide our wildlife ambassadors with the food, enrichment, and enclosure maintenance that they need to live healthy lives. Rep. Hollis's support will ensure that our wildlife ambassadors can continue to educate District 58, along with all of Jefferson County's citizens, about Alabama's amazing ecosystem.

We would also like to commend Rep. Hollis for her efforts to fight for women's healthcare issues in the State of Alabama with the passing of HB230 - which prohibits practices regarding the treatment of pregnant female inmates or female inmates in the postpartum period, and HB250 which requires Schools K-12, and local boards of education to provide feminine hygiene products in women's restrooms of certain schools, at no cost to students. You can read more about these bills here.

Spotted: Green anole (Anolis carolinensis)

A green anole (Anolis carolinensis) photobombed the blooms of the Alabama state wildflower, oakleaf hydrangea (hydrangea quercifolia). This lizard was giving us some serious side-eye!

Turkey Creek Native Plant Sale on May 7th!

Make plans to shop Turkey Creek Nature Preserve’s Spring Native Plant Sale on Saturday, May 7th, 10am - 4pm at the Turkey Creek Pavilion.

Need a nudge for a cool plant to buy? See Manager, Charles Yeager’s favorite plant and why it is an excellent choice for an Alabama landscape. A plant list and more information about the event can be found on their website at: https://turkeycreeknp.com/spring-2022-native-plant-sale/

Please Remember to Leash Your Dog

Thank you to Ruffner visitors, J'lah and Khloe, for keeping Sam on a leash while hiking the trails.

Ruffner Mountain welcomes all dogs to enjoy the trails! However, it is important to make sure they are leashed at all times.

Why does my dog need to be on a leash?

1.) Keeping your dog on a leash keeps your pup safe from hidden dangers in the woods. Dogs like to sniff and investigate things on the sides of trails. However, there may be wildlife that isn’t too happy about getting a dog nose in the face, poisonous mushrooms, ticks, or even poison ivy – which can get on your dog’s coat and then get on you.

2.) It keeps other visitors safe. Not all people are dog people. We want everyone to have an enjoyable experience on the trails. Keeping your dog on a leash keeps unwanted human interaction to a minimum.

3.) Wildlife displacement. When we walk in the woods, wildlife is disturbed and generally moves away from us. When we walk in the woods with a dog, wildlife will move away almost double what they would move when it’s just a human alone, and when a dog is off of a leash, wildlife tends to scatter from the area in a panic, creating unnecessary stress. We aim to keep Ruffner as a sanctuary for native wildlife species that don’t have anywhere else to go. Continually walking dogs off-leash may disperse them into places where they aren’t welcome – like roads.

4.) And, finally, it’s the law. The city of Birmingham has a leash law for animals in public spaces.

Local Spring Events

Spring is a busy season in Birmingham—
Check out these upcoming events and mark your calendar!

Click the links below for more details:

• Turkey Creek BioBlitz—April 22 - April 23

• Wild & Scenic Film Festival—April 23 - April 24

• Camp Fletcher BioBlitz—April 29 - April 30

• City Nature Challenge—April 29 - May 2

• Alabama Audubon Spring Bird Count—April 30

• Red Mountain Wine Down—May 1

• Turkey Creek Native Plant Sale—May 7

• Village Creek BioBlitz—May 14 - May 15

• Vulcan Park Walking Tour —May 15

• Railroad Park's 99 Neighborhood Rally—May 15

Habitat Garden Club Volunteers Needed

Join us!

Every Tuesday, volunteers with the Habitat Garden Club get together and work from 9 until noon while we have fun learning about native plants and observing the insects and birds inhabiting the gardens. Each week we have specific target weeds and tasks that flow with the natural rhythms of the habitat gardens. Tasks include weeding, planting, pruning, and collecting seeds for propagation.

All skill levels welcome. If you have any questions, email Michelle Reynolds at coverings@bham.read.com

Swallowtail Butterfly Sightings

The swallowtail butterflies were out this weekend! An excellent online resource for identifying butterflies in Alabama is the Alabama Butterfly Atlas. Find beautiful pictures and in-depth information as well as native host plants and landscaping tips by clicking on each listed species.

Pictured below: pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) on mountain azalea (Rhododendron canescens), eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on scarlet buckeye (Aesculus pavia), and eastern tiger swallowtail on woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata).