Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2015
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NATURE NOTES
As we bid adieu to the Year of the Lepidoptera, we brace ourselves for
the excitement of North Carolina Parks and Recreations new annual theme.
Across the state in 2015, our parks will be celebrating the Year of the
Amphibian.
But what is an amphibian? Amphibians are a group of cold-blooded
animals that include salamanders, frogs and toads. The word is derived
from amphibia, which is the Greek term for both life. In this case,
both life references the aquatic and terrestrial stages all amphibians go
through during their lives. A perfect example of this is the frogs and toads
that call Lake James State Park home. During their life cycle, frogs and
toads start as an egg and quickly hatch into tadpoles. Depending on the
species, these larval stages vary in length, but both the terrestrial toad and
the aquatic frog transform into their adult forms from tadpoles.
Other cold-blooded animals are reptiles, including snakes, turtles, lizards
and crocodilians. Reptiles are very similar to amphibians and both are
ectothermic, meaning their body temperature is completely dependent on
their surroundings. If you see a frog on a cold 40-degree day, its body
temperature will be 40 degrees. By comparison, that same frog on a hot,
90-degree day will have a body temperature of 90 degrees. There are also
some significant differences that separate amphibians from reptiles.
Amphibians require water for their reproductive cycle. Simply, tadpoles
cant exist without water. Other differences occur through physical
characteristics. One of the hardest differentiations to make is whether an
animal is a lizard or a salamander. Amphibians have smooth skin and lack
scales and claws. If the little lizard you found under a log in your backyard has smooth skin and doesnt
have claws, you have, in fact, found a salamander and not a lizard - simple as that!
In support of amphibians as our annual theme, park rangers will be offering an increase in amphibianrelated programs. These will include Toad Treks, Salamander Soirees and various other amphibian
programs. These will be listed on the parks calendar of events as well as our bimonthly newsletters (see
related article) which will also include a new amphibian spotlight in each issue.
As the winter temperatures keep Lake James cold-blooded residents dormant, make sure to keep your
eyes and ears open for the parks amphibians during warm spells. Even in January and February, a warm
day could bring the Spring Peepers to a chirping roar and the parks salamanders to an exploratory crawl.
Enjoy the winter, but look forward to the warmer months and helping Lake James celebrate the Year of the
Amphibian. See you in the woods!
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Our park rangers spend a lot of time outdoors and are pretty observant of things that seem out of place. Those
observation skills came in handy during the first week of December, when rangers Earl Weaver and Clay Veasey
noticed a bright yellow bird in the trees next to the Catawba River Area office that neither of them had ever
seen before.
Later that day, they sought the opinion of Ranger Jamie Cameron, who has been birdwatching nearly all his life.
Based on the description they gave, Jamie ventured to guess the bird could be a western tanager.
Western tanagers are not native to the Southeast, but they do have a habit of going off course during their fall
migration and turning up in unexpected places. The state of North Carolina has around 75 documented records
of the species, with the vast majority of those being at or near the coast. In western NC, only about six western
tanagers have been recorded.
It took a week of intermittent sightings by other park staffers before Jamie finally got a look at the mystery bird,
but when he did, his suspicions were immediately confirmed. The bird was indeed a male western tanager and
represents the first sighting of the species in McDowell County. The word of the discovery spread quickly to
the birding community and it wasnt long before groups of curious onlookers with binoculars and cameras with
telephoto lenses were crowding around the dogwood trees that the tanager was visiting. One enthusiastic birder
drove all the way from Atlanta to see it.
As of this writing, the western tanager was still being seen on a regular basis at the park office.
It just goes to show, you never know what youll turn up when you visit Lake James State Park.
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Make sure you keep your New Years Eve celebrations tame enough to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
for what is quickly becoming a cherished family holiday tradition at Lake James State Park the First
Day Hike, Jan. 1, 2015.
Park Ranger Clay Veasey will shepherd this years event, with a special emphasis on recognizing edible
plants in winter. Whether youre interested in making a wild greens salad to celebrate the New Year or
looking to start a resolution of fitness, nature appreciation or learning about the environment, make a
visit to Lake James State Park part of your holiday tradition. The hike will start at the Paddys Creek
Area bathhouse breezeway at 10 a.m.
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LJSP TRAILS
CATAWBA RIVER AREA:
Fishing Pier Trail (0.3 mile, easy)
Fox Den Loop Trail (2.25 miles, moderate)
Lake Channel Overlook Trail (1.5 miles, moderate)
Sandy Cliff Overlook Trail (0.5 mile, easy)
RANGERS ON PATROL
During 2014, rangers at Lake James State Park issued 27 citations for violations within the park boundary, including;
The park was also the site of a one-day license check operation in cooperation with the North Carolina Highway Patrol and Burke County Sheriffs
Department on June 21. The results of that effort are as follows;
Lead law enforcement ranger Clay Veasey said the purpose for enforcing park rules and state laws is to make Lake James State Park as safe as it can be for the many
hundreds of thousands of people who visit each year.
Considering our most charged offenses were exceeding a safe speed and driving without a license, we ask that folks pay special attention to the 25 miles-per-hour speed
limit on all park roads and to make sure they have a valid operators license before they get behind the wheel, continued Veasey. We are looking forward to ensuring
everyone has a safe and enjoyable time at the park in 2015.
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