The Mountain is Calling
Thanks to the hard work of Van Coffey, Land Steward at Ruffner Mountain, and Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, you may have noticed some improvements to trail signs and bridges lately.
Van on recent trail maintenance: “We elongated this bridge along the Ridge & Valley Trail and had to add new pieces. The juxtaposition of the old and new revealed something. The planks were not painted red, they were stained red from all the iron ore off of people's shoes.”
Happy November!
A few general reminders as we head into the winter season:
* Beginning today through February 28th, 2023, trails will be open from 7 am - 5 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. Trails are closed on Mondays.
* The Nature Center is open Thursday through Sunday from 9 am - 5 pm.
* If you are not yet a member of Ruffner Mountain, be sure to sign up soon to ensure you receive your parking permit for 2023. Click HERE to choose a level that is right for you. Support the place you love!
THANK YOU and see you on the mountain!
We love bats and how important they are in maintaining healthy ecosystems. We are excited for the opportunity to continue our bat surveys this winter at Ruffner Mountain partnering with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Alabama Department of Conservation Natural Resources (ALDCNR) and Virginia Tech. We are hopeful that this survey will confirm the trend of a significant population of the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) using the Ruffner Mountain mines as winter hibernacula despite the presence of white nose syndrome-causing fungus. For more information on bat week and bat conservation visit https://batweek.org/ and https://www.batcon.org/
Habitat Garden Club works hard in our native plant gardens, but we’re careful not to tidy up too much during the autumn season. Clipping back fallen foliage around pathways and sidewalks, we distribute seeds, make floral arrangements for the Nature Center (thanks Holly!) from the cuttings, and we leave the rest for the birds. We like growing tall around here, and leaving grasses, stalks and seeds throughout the fall and winter provides cover and food source for wildlife and structures for overwintering insects.
Starting today, through Sunday, October 16th, you can order native plants on our website and pick up your order between Tuesday, October 18th—Saturday, October 22nd at the Ruffner Mountain greenhouse between 10 am - 2 pm.
Here's how it works:
Step 1: Select your plants, enter payment information, and checkout. Select the "Native Plant Sale Pickup" option as shipping will not be available for any plant sales.
Step 2: Pick up your plants between Tuesday, October 18th, and Saturday, October 22nd between 10 am - 2 pm. Follow the "Plant Pickup" directional signage to enter Ruffner Mountain's greenhouse driveway from the alley off 81st Street.
Start shopping by clicking the link below!
Do you love Ruffner Mountain and are currently a UAB employee?
We need your help!
Through UAB’s Benevolent fund, UAB employees can opt to deduct a small percentage of their paycheck each month (either 1 hour of pay, 1% of their paycheck, or a chosen amount) to go towards a nonprofit organization of their choice. In order to become a designated nonprofit, we need pledges from at least five employees to reach a minimum of $1,000 per year by October 14th, 2022. Will you pledge your support to Ruffner Mountain today? Please email Stella at stella@ruffnermountain.org with your completed pledge form (see button below). Your pledge will be processed starting December 1st, 2022 if we are selected as a designated nonprofit. Your payroll deduction will not be processed if we are not selected.
P.S. If you have other UAB colleagues that you think would be interested in pledging towards Ruffner Mountain, please share this post with them today!
Warm-season grasses are more productive in growth during summer and are now hitting their stride in the quarry and in the habitat gardens. Taller stalks and blooms (yes, grasses bloom!) lend dramatic backdrop to fall wildflowers, and the seeds feed the birds moving through along their migration paths. To mimic the scenes in your habitat garden, plant cool-season Cherokee sedge (Carex cherokeensis) and warm-season purple lovegrass (Eragrotis spectabilis) and pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) in front and edges of borders and beds for seasonal enjoyment. Drop in little bluestem (Schizachryium scoparium) to fill in between flowers and for sculptural interest, and plant switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) as a backdrop or for center height. Longleaf woodoats (Chasmanthium sessiliflorum) are beautiful planted en masse in a shady woodland garden. They will naturally self sow and fill in nicely even if you only start with a few. And river oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) are perfect for rain gardens or low-lying areas. We’ll have all of these plants available for the upcoming Native Plant Sale.
