Helping preserve the Muir Valley Nature Preserve on fall break
Most college students find fall and spring breaks to be ideal times for some well-deserved rest and relaxation. But many Warren Wilson students find those times to be ideal for engaging in service in the Asheville area and beyond. Take, for example, the 10 students who traveled to the Muir Valley Nature Preserve in Kentucky in October. (Other 2012 fall-break service trips took students to New Orleans, New York City and Cumberland Island, Ga.) The impact they made during their week there was significant in several respects. There’s no better way to convey the scope of their efforts than by sharing this thank-you note sent to Dean of Service Cathy Kramer by Liz Weber, who owns the nature preserve with her husband, Rick.
What’s your story?
This fall, Danny Starnes ’59 and Ernst Laursen ’49 stopped by the campus communications office on separate occasions to talk about collecting stories that spotlight memories of and connections with the College. Starnes, infamous for his car in Carson prank, is interested in hearing particular memories, traditions and yes, even hijinks and other tall tales. Laursen is interested in what he calls “small world” stories where people discover and explore Warren Wilson connections with others they meet locally and internationally. If you have stories to share, you can write them up (250 words or less if possible) and email them to communications director John Bowers . “Then what?” you ask. The communications office will gather the stories and publish them in the e-newsletter, on the website and via other communications channels. We want specifics—stories about the people, places and events that shaped your appreciation of the College. Tell us your Warren Wilson story, your small world vignette. We all have them.
Bringing Nature Home author to speak Dec. 12
Doug Tallamy, author of the book Bringing Nature Home: How We Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, will speak on that topic Dec. 12. His presentation, free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. in Canon Lounge of the Gladfelter Student Center.
Because our yards and gardens are part of the terrestrial ecosystems that sustain humans and the life around us, Tallamy says it is essential that we keep them in working order. In his talk he will discuss the important ecological roles of the plants in our landscapes; emphasize the benefits of designing gardens with these roles in mind; and explore the consequences of failing to do so.
Tallamy is professor and chair of the entomology/wildlife ecology department at the University of Delaware and the author of more than 65 research articles. His primary research focus is better understanding of the ways insects interact with plants and how those interactions determine the diversity of animal communities.
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