nature

Wild strawberry plants in bloom.

May’s Wild Edible: Wild Strawberries

Fragaria virginiana is one of the first plants to bloom in these mountains, thus supplying a wide variety of bees, butterflies, and moths with an important source of pollen and nectar.
RIGHT: A yellow morel grows on a Botetourt County, Virginia mountainside. TOP LEFT: Roanoke, Virginia’s Jeff Huffman finds a yellow morel in a poplar glade. Note the three poplars growing together behind the mushroom. BOTTOM LEFT: Use a knife to remove an edible mushroom from its base. Doing so often enables the fungi to reproduce from the same spot.

Blue Ridge Fungi Fancier: An Expert Guides a Learner

Jeff Huffman has taken the time to learn what needs to be known about the wondrous world of mushrooms in the forest.
Glade Creek Grist Mill, at Babcock State Park, West Virginia, owes some of its striking beauty to the fact that it was assembled from parts of older mills.

On the Trail of Grist Mills

We visit a collection of the turning wheels and stones that built human history in the mountains.
Dryland cress as part of this tomato and vegetable soup entrée.

April’s Wild Edible: Dryland Cress

Land cress looks much like watercress with its small square leaves and also has a similar peppery or mustard-like taste.
The Cranny Crow overlook in West Virginia’s Lost River State Park is two miles up to look down at the valley 1,000 feet below.

Short Hikes to Great Vistas in 7 States

These classic spots are great for any time of year, and are a fine-views way to kick off your hiking year.
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Behind Blue Ridge Country

Even More Sweet Virginia Breezes

Casually cruising to Claytor Lake in southwest Virginia, I felt like I had come home – back to where it

April 12, 2018

CALENDAR OF EVENTS