Our contributing photographers wandered the mountains in late spring and early summer to capture critters big and small frolicking, nibbling, and buzzing about.
Photo above: A bee clings to the center of a sunflower at Mill Springs Farm, located just up the road from historic downtown Jonesborough, Tennessee. From the photographer: “The farm grows a yearly crop of a variety of sunflowers. The bees love them!” Photo by Jay HuronA freshly bloomed trillium growing on a mountainside in northeastern Tennessee offers shelter to a small frog. Photo by Joshua MooreIn Virginia’s Big Levels area of George Washington National Forest, a female ruby-throated hummingbird hovers at a cardinal flower, collecting nectar. Photo by Pete EmersonDame’s Rocket is one of many flowers that burst upon the scene at the New River Gorge in West Virginia each spring. From the photographer: “A butterfly enjoyed a quick meal from a bloom of the showy wildflower, commonly found along roadsides and in open areas.” Photo by Ed RehbeinFlashing brilliant red against the spring canopy in Scott County, Virginia, a male scarlet tanager catches an insect to snack on. Photo by Ryan RiceA whitetail doe meanders through a carpet of spring daffodils in Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Cades Cove. Photo by Bill LeaBees like this one, spotted in Kingsport, Tennessee, play a crucial role in the growth of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. From the photographer: “You can see bits of pollen clinging to it, ready to be carried to other flowers.” Photo by Jay HuronCrabtree Falls, located in Virginia’s George Washington National Forest, is a series of five cascades that collectively descend over 1,200 vertical feet. From the photographer: “In late May and early June, Catawba rhododendron blooms line both sides of this magnificent waterfall.” Photo by J. Scott GrahamAn eastern purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) attracts an eastern bumblebee in Cornelia, Georgia. Photo by Randolph KanipeOn a mossy forest floor, a snail slowly inches toward a cluster of delicate Hepatica flowers. Photo by Joshua Moore
This year is a landmark one for this treasured piece of mountain land in Virginia: the 100th anniversary of Congress authorizing its establishment and the 90th anniversary of its dedication.
On July 4, 1776, a new nation was born. In honor of this historic day, we explore the forts, battlefields, museums, trails, and more that trace the Patriots’ journey to freedom in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
When it officially opened in 1940 — in the depths of the Jim Crow era — Green Pastures was likely the first U.S. Forest Service recreation area in the nation constructed for African Americans.
