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Behind Blue Ridge Country

CURRENT Behind Blue Ridge Country

Birds of the Blue Ridge: Black-and-white Warbler

This striped little bird is about the size of our chickadees and “creeps” up and down trees like our nuthatches.

Birds of the Blue Ridge: Common Merganser

Elegant, streamlined Common Mergansers gather on the freshwaters of the Blue Ridge during winter.

March’s Mountain Wildflower: Bloodroot

One of the pleasures of a late winter/early spring walk in the woods is spying the tightly-wound green leaf of a bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis) plant pushing its way through the frost-encrusted soil.

Birds of the Blue Ridge: Mallard

This dabbling duck, like other bird species, loses its feathers (molts) once per year and becomes flightless during that time.

February’s Wild Edible: Fiddlehead Ferns

In decades and centuries past, settlers in these mountains consumed what they called the fiddleheads of ferns. But just what is a fiddlehead?

Current Issue

60fdc2cc-2046-11f0-aa8d-12163087a831-Black-and-white-Warbler---photo-by-Robin-Edwards

Birds of the Blue Ridge: Black-and-white Warbler

This striped little bird is about the size of our chickadees and “creeps” up and down trees like our nuthatches.
Female Common Merganser and ducklings.

Birds of the Blue Ridge: Common Merganser

Elegant, streamlined Common Mergansers gather on the freshwaters of the Blue Ridge during winter.
901e31ac-f50f-11ef-8d7e-12163087a831-3-2025bloodroot--credit-Joe-Cook-and-Monica-Sheppard

March’s Mountain Wildflower: Bloodroot

One of the pleasures of a late winter/early spring walk in the woods is spying the tightly-wound green leaf of a bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis) plant pushing its way through the frost-encrusted soil.
Male and female Mallards.

Birds of the Blue Ridge: Mallard

This dabbling duck, like other bird species, loses its feathers (molts) once per year and becomes flightless during that time.
Christmas fern fiddleheads are not edible and can be toxic.

February’s Wild Edible: Fiddlehead Ferns

In decades and centuries past, settlers in these mountains consumed what they called the fiddleheads of ferns. But just what is a fiddlehead?
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Departments

Knoxville Asian Festival, August 29-30,  Knoxville, Tennessee. Photo courtesy of Asian Culture Center of TN
Events

Fall 2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion. Inside,

April 20, 2026
4th of July Parade & Festival, July 4, Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
Events

Summer 2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion. Inside,

April 20, 2026

CALENDAR OF EVENTS