At GRP, Life is Good

One epic adventure after another, such is life at GRP. We explore the Preserve on our daily morning mentor hikes, searching for wildlife, edible plants and intellectual conversation concerning the naturalist point-of-view. We munch on fresh sour wood leaves, clean our teeth with sweet birch and we savor the ever flavorful and always gooey, sassafras. The biodiversity of this particular region is unlike most other places in the world, in terms of the variety and quantity of plant and animal life, there’s a lot going on here. The thing is, by the end of week 2 of the 3-week-session, we feel like we’ve seen it all. The truth is, you never know what may present itself. While riding the bus up to Long Rock, to experience a breathtaking sunset, our campers spotted a black bear right off the upper road, locking in a Grand Slam for Session 3.

Just this morning, on Lower Bald, we encountered a massive timber rattlesnake. Knowing where to look is half the battle, and we commonly see rattlesnakes and copperheads out on the exposed rock, sunning themselves. Today, we checked out one of the general hot-spots and found one coiled up, soaking up the heat. It is a powerful moment when we find something as dangerous as venomous snake. After a few photos and a great teaching moment regarding respect for wildlife and observation from a distance, we trekked onward and downwards, back to the road to await our shuttle to lunch. On our last day of activities for this session, we’re all soaking up the fun, excited for tonight’s Lower Council Fire and what tomorrow might bring.

Story by Brandon S. Marshall with Photos by Brandon S. Marshall & Samantha J. Keebler