Kalm's St. John’s Wort is a bee-friendly shrub.
Kalm's St. John’s Wort is a bee-friendly shrub.
Dark skies sought on Parkway
Scaffolding surrounds Mabry Mill, allowing workers with National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center to replace the shake roof of the historic structure at milepost 176 on the Parkway.
Between March 14-20, students and faculty from Colgate University and Wellesley College will travel the length of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia to conduct a comprehensive dark skies survey, collecting data that will help evaluate and protect the national park’s nighttime environment.
Beginning at milepost 0, the team will work its way south along the Parkway during a six-day period, stopping at roadside overlooks to measure the darkness of the night sky. In addition, the students will visit park facilities to record the brightnesses and colors emitted by light fixtures.
They will be joined along the way by colleagues and students from Radford University and astronomy graduate students from the University of Virginia. During the same week, partners from UNC-Asheville, Appalachian State, and Western Carolina University will be conducting similar dark sky and light fixture surveys along the Parkway in North Carolina.
“The effort will measure the brightness of the sky above the entire length of the Parkway and identify opportunities to reduce light pollution with the goal of preserving and improving Parkway’s night skies,” said Jeff Bary, Sweet Family Chair and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Colgate University. “As a kid who discovered the stars while growing up in the Central Appalachian mountains, it’s such a pleasure to be involved in a project that seeks to preserve our exceptional view of the night sky for future generations of kids like me.”
The Parkway is widely recognized for its natural beauty and serves as an important corridor for wildlife and outdoor recreation. With a majority of animals being nocturnal and dependent on natural darkness to thrive, efforts to understand and improve night sky quality support broader conservation goals, while strengthening community connections to the national park.
“Protecting dark skies along the Blue Ridge Parkway requires both good science and community engagement,” said Jason Urroz, Vice President of Education for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. “This project combines hands-on research with public education to help ensure future generations can experience the Parkway’s night skies.”
Students and professors will also host three community meetings to share information about the importance of dark skies and the role local communities can play in protecting them. These meetings are open to the public and will take place on the following dates:
• Bedford – 4-6 p.m., March 16, Bedford Area Welcome Center, 816 Burks Hill Road
• Floyd – 4-6 p.m., March 17, Hotel Floyd Conference Room, 300 Rick Lewis Way
• Galax – 4-6 p.m., March 19, Center 2:42 Community Building, 227 S. Main St.
Each meeting will focus on:
• Why dark skies matter for wildlife, human health, and astronomy
• Practical steps homeowners and neighborhoods can take to reduce light pollution
• How communities can pursue certification as a DarkSky International community
“Dark skies are one of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s most awe-inspiring but least appreciated resources,” said George Ivey, Director of Blue Ridge Rising. “By supporting this dark sky survey, we’re also gathering information to help communities attract the growing segment of night-sky tourists, who are eager to find great locations to see the stars, planets, meteor showers, and more. The night sky can serve as an environmental, cultural, and economic resource all at once.”
The Foundation is sponsoring the dark skies survey as part of its Blue Ridge Rising initiative, which focuses on uniting and serving the 29 counties that host the Blue Ridge Parkway and its 16 million annual visitors. The Foundation is working closely with the Blue Ridge Parkway’s natural resource and maintenance staff to facilitate access to Parkway facilities and overlooks. They are also providing partner institutions with dark sky survey equipment, sponsoring the community meetings, and helping connect students and faculty with local community ambassadors in neighboring communities along the Parkway.
For more information about the dark skies survey or to attend a community meeting, contact Jason Urroz, Vice President of Education at the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, at jurroz@brpfoundation.org or (866) 308-2773, ext. 384.
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is the nonprofit fundraising partner of the Blue Ridge Parkway, helping to ensure cultural and historical preservation, natural resource protection, educational outreach, and visitor enjoyment now and for future generations. Since 1997, the Foundation has provided more than $24 million in support for the country’s most visited national park unit. To learn more, visit BRPFoundation.org.
News
Floyd falls in semis
The G-Men did it again.
For the second straight year, Graham ruined the Buffalo bid for a state title.
Gavin Swartzell had a stellar night in the 59-56 Floyd loss, tossing in a game-high 24 points.
Noah Farley chipped in 14. Farley drained three from beyond the arc.
The Buffs entered the half with a two-point advantage over Graham, 27-25. A 17-11 run in the third quarter, though, erased the lead and put the G-Men ahead. Despite outscoring Graham 18-17 in the final stanza, the Floyd boys fell just shy of a trip to the state finals.
The showdown was a repeat of last year, when the G-Men stung Floyd with a loss on a last-second shot in the state semifinals.
Floyd earned a state tournament berth with a 66-46 win over Gretna and won the Region 2C championships with a 53-44 showing over Nelson County.
In that championship game, which set Floyd up for a state tournament battle with Graham, Floyd overcame a halftime deficit powered by Farley’s 15 points. Daecan Slaughter recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Floyd County (21-4), while Chaycen Harman and Isaiah Cantrell each tallied 10 points.
Upcoming programs at Jessie Peterman Memorial Library
March 12 -Scrabble at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Thursday, March 12th at 1:30 pm. Enjoy a challenging and fun game of Scrabble with other word enthusiasts!
March 12- Talking About Books at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Thursday, March 12th at 2 pm. This month's book is Before the Swallows Come Back by Fiona Curnow. Before the Swallows Come Back is a story of love, found family, and redemption that will break your heart and have it soaring time and time again as you sit on the edge of your seat desperately hoping.
March 13- Crayon Resist Art at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Friday, March 13th at 11 am. Science meets art with crayons and watercolors! Draw or write anything with crayons, and watch the magic happen as you paint over it with watercolors. Enjoy hot chocolate in fun colors while you paint!
March 13- Pokémon Club at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Friday, March 13th at 3:30 pm. Calling all Pokémon fans! Meet up with other fans the 2nd Friday of the month to trade, learn to battle, earn prizes, and discuss all things Pokémon. All ages are welcome.
March 14-Volunteer Income Tax Assistance at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Saturday, March 14th from 11 am to 1 pm. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance is provided in the New River Valley by New River Community Action. We give assistance to our community by providing free tax assistance for anyone making less than 75K a year. The taxes we prepare cannot be overly complicated and must be within scope.
March 14- Pi Day at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Saturday, March 14th at 1 pm. Celebrate Pi Day by making a Pi bracelet or necklace, learn facts about Pi and taste some delicious pies. Program will on the Pavilion weather permitting. All ages welcome, supplies limited.
March 15- Author Talk with Barbara Pleasant at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Sunday, March 15th at 3 pm. Local author Barbara Pleasant will be joining us for a special author event sponsored by the Floyd County Library Building Fund. Pleasant is best known for her gardening books, but more recently published her novel, Floyd, VA 2:42. Her intention was to write a story that would appeal to everyone in Floyd, including those who rarely read books, and it’s working. Her clean, quirky end of the world novel where the survivors prevail by pulling together has lots of local folks turning pages.
Copies of the author's book will be available for sale and proceeds will go to support the Floyd County Library Building Fund.
March 18- All Ages Storytime at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Wednesday, March 18th at 10:30 am. Share stories, rhymes, music, and movement, and a craft as a family. Develop early literacy skills and encourage a love of reading.
March 18- Big and Little Social Club at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Wednesday, March 18th at 11:15 am. Hang out and socialize after our regular story time with other caregivers and the little ones in their care. We'll put out toys for the tots although adults are welcome to play too!
March 19 -Scrabble at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Thursday, March 19th at 1:30 pm. Enjoy a challenging and fun game of Scrabble with other word enthusiasts!
March 19- Living with Black Bears in Virginia at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Thursday, March 19th at 5:30 pm. Join the NRV chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists to learn about bear biology, what attracts bears to our yards, how to reduce human/bear conflicts, and what YOU can do to keep bears wild.
March 21- Ukes for Kids! at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Saturday, March 21st at 10 am. It's time for the kids to join in the fun! Floyd's favorite ukulele lady, Mim, will be leading this program. No experience necessary. Bring your own instrument. If you don't have a uke, we will have limited loaners for this program. Ages 6 and up.
March 21- Seed Swap at the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library on Saturday, March 21st at 2 pm. Join us for a two-day Community Seed Swap at the Library Pavilion.
Bring your extra flower and vegetable seeds, gardening tools, pots, or seedlings to share, or simply take what you need to help your garden grow. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow Floyd gardeners and nature lovers, exchange tips, and celebrate the growing season together. Free snacks will be provided.
If the weather does not cooperate, the program will be held in the Mark Hollingsworth Community Room.
