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Roan Mountain Fall Naturalists Rally

September 10, 2021 - September 12, 2021

Roan Mountain
Fall Naturalists Rally
SEPT. 10-12, 2021
Featured Speakers:

Friday Evening – Dr. Fred J. Alsop III – Vanishing Birds and Live-Streaming Bald Eagles
Saturday Evening Program – Cade Campbell: The Singing Insects of Roan Mountain

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Check out the Friends of Roan Mountain Website at https://www.friendsofroanmtn.org

Or
CONTACT:
Gary Barrigar – 423 292-1298
friendsofroan@gmail.com

TO REGISTER GO TO FRIENDS OF ROAN MOUNTAIN WEBSITE:

http://www.friendsofroanmtn.org

or

MAIL PREPAID RESERVATIONS TO:
Nancy Barrigar, Treasurer
708 Allen Avenue
Elizabethton, TN 37643
Sponsored by:
The Friends of Roan Mountain

For 59 years the Fall Roan Mountain Naturalists Rally has drawn nature enthusiasts from all over the country to
Roan Mountain, the jewel of the southern Appalachians. Some of the best naturalists in the country volunteer their
time and energy to make this a landmark event for people of all ages. In order to keep participants safe due to the

increase in cases of COVID-19, some changes to the rally were required.

The Fall Rally features two excellent speakers and many field trips led by top-notch naturalists. Because of the
continued support of the Friends of Roan Mountain, all the Naturalists Rallies have the resources they need to
prosper, and we can support other FoRM projects. Consider joining the Friends of Roan Mountain, if you are not a
member. Members get free admission to all Naturalists Rally events and our biannual newsletter.
Evening and lunch programs will take place in Roan Mountain State Park’s Conference Center, and unless otherwise

noted, field trips will leave from the field on the left beside the entrance to the park cabins.

Changes to the rally due to increased COVID-19:
• The Friday, September 10th and Saturday, September 11th evening programs will take place in the Roan
Mountain State Park Amphitheater, instead of the Conference Center.
• Friday Registration will take place at the Amphitheater beginning at 6:30 PM
• No dinners will be available.
• All participants should keep a safe distance from others and masks are required when social distancing is
not possible. Field trips Saturday and Sunday will still take place, but it may be necessary to limit group size.

Gary Barrigar – Director

FRIDAY EVENING PROGRAM:
“Vanishing Birds and Live-Streaming Bald Eagles”

Dr. Fred Alsop is Faculty Emeritus at East Tennessee State University where he served as Chairman of the
Department of Biological Sciences and currently serves as Director of the George L. Carter Railroad Museum. Dr.
Alsop’s education includes B.S. degree, Austin Peay State University with a double major in Biology & Fine Arts,
University of Tennessee, M.S. degree and Ph.D., University of Tennessee – Zoology w/ emphasis in ornithology,
where his major professor was James T. Tanner.
Dr Alsop has had many years of experience as an ornithologist, with research, field studies, and birding expeditions
all over the US and numerous countries. His “Life List” includes almost 5000 species seen worldwide. He is an avid
field biologist and naturalist, lecturer and teacher, traveler, international natural history tour leader, wildlife
photographer, and author. He has published more than 100 articles and notes on birds in scientific journals and his
wildlife photographs have appeared in many national publications and books. Dr. Alsop has written 18 books on
birds including Birds of the Smokies and All About Tennessee Birds, Birds of North America and Birds of Canada.
While at East Tennessee State University, Dr. Alsop served in many capacities, including President of the Faculty
Senate, and has received numerous awards. Dr Alsop is Founder & Director of Biological Sciences/ETSU
EagleCam Project since 2015, live-streaming the nesting lives of 2 pairs of local Bald Eagles globally.
Program Description:
An article published in Science in the fall of 2019 documented the long-held feeling by many ornithologists and
birders that North America was steadily losing birds of many species. Long-time birders often reflected that there
just were not as many birds as there used to be. This report proved that they were right. This presentation will
review that study, discuss the causes for avian decline and what we may be able to do to slow it, or even reverse the
trend. Additionally, we look at a local live-streaming project focused on nesting Bald Eagles initiated by the
Department of Biological Sciences at ETSU and how it was achieved.

SATURDAY EVENING PROGRAM:
“The Singing Insects of Roan Mountain”
Cade Campbell is an undergraduate student studying Biology at East Tennessee State University as a Roan Scholar.
Cade has been attending these rallies since he was nine years old and now leads trips and served as a speaker at
these rallies. Cade has honed his skills doing research funded with a Coleopterists Society Youth Incentive Award
grant, where he studied dung beetle biodiversity in high-elevation peat bogs, and work as a field technician for the
2nd Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas through Virginia Tech, among other organizations with which he has volunteered.

He has also written articles for the Friends of Roan Mountain Newsletter, Tennessee Conservationist, and Tennes-
Sierran, and worked for the Blue Ridge Discovery Center last summer as a naturalist/educator intern. He is also an

Eagle Scout, and spends as much time as possible exploring the remaining wilderness of this region through wildlife
photography, fishing, kayaking, etc.

Program Description:
The sounds of insects are always heard in the crisp, cool fall evenings of a Southern Appalachian autumn. But who
exactly is making each of these strange, musical songs? Cade Campbell will be sharing the results and natural
history stories from his Friends of Roan Mountain grant-funded project to record the singing insect biodiversity of
the Roan Mountain massif by physically recording and compiling the songs of the choral insect species of the area.
Katydids, crickets, cicadas, and even a few rogue species of other insects will be the unknowing subjects of this
program where we’ll dive into the wild, mysterious world of the invertebrate orchestra living right here on Roan
Mountain.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
FRIDAY September 10: Program will be at the Amphitheater
6:30 PM REGISTRATION (At the Amphitheater)
7:30 PM PROGRAM

“Vanishing Birds and Live-Streaming Bald Eagles” Dr Fred Alsop
9:00 PM Moth Party (E, Kf) Larry McDaniel

SATURDAY September 11: Unless otherwise noted, field
trips will carpool (Cp) from the field adjacent to the cabin
area entrance.
6:30 AM Early Birds Trip (E, Cp) Lee & Lois Herndon Chapter TOS.
8:30 AM Field trips:
1. Birds (E, Cp) Lee & Lois Herndon Chapter TOS
2. Wildflowers (E, Cp) Guy Mauldin
3. Useful Plants (A, Kf, Cp) Marty Silver
4. Mushrooms (E, Cp) Cindy Fowler & Ken Crouse
5. Spiders (E, Cp, Kf) T. J. Jones
6. Snakes (E, Cp, Kf) Philip Hylen
11:00 AM – 1:30 PM Conference Center activity:
Fossil Casting for All Ages (Kf) Mick Whitelaw,
ETSU Dept. of Geology and Geoscience Club
12:00 PM Lunch – Bag lunches at Conference Center
by pre-paid reservation only (deadline Tues. Sept 7)
or you are welcome to bring your own lunch.
2:00 PM Field trips:
1. Stream Ecology (E, Kf, W, Cp) Bart Carter &
Gary Barrigar
2. Geology of Roan Mountain (M, Cp)
Mick Whitelaw
3. Birds, Butterflies and Wildflowers of Twin Springs (E, Cp, Kf) Larry McDaniel
4. Wildlife Tracking (E/Kf) Marty Silver
5. Mosses & Liverworts (E, Cp) Jim Goldsmith
6. Salamanders (E, Kf, Cp) Tyler Wicks
7. The Singing Insects of Roan Mountain (E/Kf)
Cade Campbell
7:30 PM PROGRAM (At the Amphitheater)
“The Singing Insects of Roan Mountain”
Cade Campbell
9:00 PM Moth Party (E/Kf) Larry McDaniel
SUNDAY SEPT 12: Field trips will leave from the field adjacent to the cabin area entrance.

9:00 AM Field trips:
1. Birds (E/Cp) Lee & Lois Herndon Chapter TOS
2. Rare Plants of the Roan Highlands (E/Cp)
Gary Kaufman
3. Mushrooms (E, Cp) Coleman McCleneghan
2:00 PM Field Trips:
1. Butterflies and Other Insects (E, Kf, Cp)
Don Holt
2. Birds of Prey (E, Kf) Philip Hylen

Details

Start:
September 10, 2021
End:
September 12, 2021
Event Categories:
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Venue

Roan Mountain State Park
527 TN-143
Roan Mountain, TN 37687 United States
+ Google Map
Phone
(423) 772-0190