7/30/2019 February rally to celebrate Roan Mountain and its
treasure trove of resources
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Lifestyles Editor: Bryan Stevens - [email protected]
tXXXTUBSIRDPN
Sunday, February 3, 2013
FeatheredFriends:Winter
WaterfowlPage 2B
Guacamole Twists:Fresh take on a
Super Bowl classicPage 4BB
BY REBEKAH WILSON
STAR INTERN
The majesty of Roan Mountain is so great thatan organization
formed specifically to preserve andprotect it now holds naturalists
rally every season,including winter, to celebrate one of Carter
Countysmost valuable natural resources.
This years rally will celebrate the stark winter se-renity of
the Roan while also looking ahead to someongoing summer projects
that are ongoing on theslopes of the local mountain.
The Friends of Roan Mountain will host its sixthannual Winter
Naturalists Rally Saturday, Feb. 16,beginning at 9:15 a.m. at the
Roan Mountain StatePark Conference Center.
The years one-day event will feature the win-ter rallys
first-ever winter birdwatching hike to thehabitats of the
almost-endangered golden-wingedwarblers, as well as three other
hikes.
Organizers hope to use the rally and the hikes topromote support
for efforts to protect rare plants andbirds.
Knowing what is there is the first step towards
protecting what is there, said Marty Silver, a
parkranger-naturalist for 34 years with Warriors PathState Park in
Kingsport.
The rally will begin with a presentation by NoraSchubert on the
rare fauna on Roan Mountain, in-cluding the golden-winged warbler.
This small bird isdeclining in numbers, most likely as a result of
habi-tat loss and competition/interbreeding with the veryclosely
related blue-winged warbler.
Schubert is Roans expert ecologist and alsoworks with the
Southern Appalachian HighlandsConservancy. She has done biological
research since1993 and is well versed on the wildlife and
ecosys-tems present on the Roan.
Jamey Donaldson, biological consultant and pro-fessional
botanist, will give an update on the Baa-ta-ny Goat Project and the
effort to preserve the Roans
rare flora. He will also speak on Roans green alder.Roan has the
only green alder south of Penn-
sylvania, he said. Green alder grows across mostof Canada and as
far north as the southern partof Greenland. Richard Knight, Marty
Silver, JerryGreer and Jamey Donaldson will lead four hikes af-ter
lunch. Hikers will meet left of the entrance to theparks cabins on
the lower field. Hikes will last ap-proximately two-and-a-half
hours and will all beginat 1 p.m. They will take place regardless
of weatherconditions.
Knight will lead the birdwatching hike in Hamp-ton Creek Cove.
This area is made up of pastures, for-ests and trout brooks.
According to the Department ofEnvironment and conservation, these
trout streamsare some of the most productive in East Tennessee.
It is also a popular birding location because of therarity of
the golden-winged warbler and the largepopulation of other bird
species.
Though the golden-winged warblers are still va-cationing much
farther south, Hall said hikers willsee the habitat that these
birds use during the nestingseason, as well as a variety of birds
that call the Roanhome. According to the U.S. Department of
Agricul-ture, the population of golden-winged warblers is atrisk
for listing under the Endangered Species Act be-cause the habitat
that the species needs to reproduceis declining.
Silver will guide an animal tracking hike nearthe Doe River.
This hike will be partly handicapped-accessible depending on the
possibility of snow onthe trail. Silver said the trail passes
through severalinteresting woodland and streamside habitats.
February rally to celebrate
Roan Mountain and its
treasure trove of resources
nSee ROAN, 6B
Photos Contributed
Above: A group of hikers dur-
ing a previous Roan Mountain
Winter Naturalists Rally treks
across a snow-swept Roan
Mountain on its way to Round
Bald.
Right: Jamey Donaldson leads
a group of hikers through
the spruce-fir forest on Roan
Mountain.
Left: The Doe River looks serene ifchilly in this photograph
taken dur-
ing a previous Winter Naturalists
Rally.
7/30/2019 February rally to celebrate Roan Mountain and its
treasure trove of resources
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Page 6B - STAR - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2013
Our goal for the hike is to seekout and learn to read a variety
ofwildlife signs including tracks andtrails as well as dens, scats,
etc., hesaid.
Greer will lead a photographyhike through the woods west ofTwin
Springs.
Donaldson will take hikers to
Alder Bald. He said that partici-pants will get an update on the
rareGrays lily and learn about otherglobally-rare plant
communitiessuch as the Beech Gap Forest, Fra-ser Fir Forest,
Rhododendron Bald,Grassy Bald and Alder Bald.
We hope to get as far as JaneBald where we can see the AlderBald
invaded by blackberry as wellas Alder Bald being restored bygoats,
Donaldson said.
The goats will spend a sixthsummer on Roan in 2013. Donald-son
said that although the black-berries have not completely disap-
peared, they have clearly decreased,thanks to foraging by the
goats. Theinvasive blackberries have been re-placed by native
grasses, sedges anddesirable native wildflowers.
Lisa Huff, stewardship ecologistfor the Tennessee Natural
AreasProgram, will speak during lunchabout invasive species at
CarversGap.
She said that smooth bedstraw,garlic mustard, spotted
knapweedand cow-parsley are among someof the most threatening
species at
Carvers Gap and on Roan.Sandwiches, cookies and
brownies will be provided by CityMarket of Elizabethton at noon
be-fore hikes begin. Pre-paid registra-tion is required for
lunch.
The registration form for lunchand for the event is due Feb. 12
andcan be found at
http://friendso-froanmtn.org/Winter%20Registra-tion%202-16-2013.pdf.
The event is free for Friends ofRoan Mountain and $5 for
adults.Lunch is $7.50 for adults and $4.50for children.
Annual FORM membership fees
are $15 for an individual, $20 fora family and $10 for a
student. Formore information on the rally orFORM, email Rally
Director DavidHall at [email protected].
nContinued from 1BRoan
(AP) Much as I lovemashed white potatoes, my fa-vorite potato is
the sweet va-riety.
Ive been cooking and eatingsweet potatoes as long as I
canremember. And when I foundout that they were loaded withvitamins
and other good-for-youstuff like fiber, I immediatelythought...
Heres a great excuseto eat sweet potato pie!
Kidding aside, sweet potatoesare just as good if not better
than
traditional baking potatoes insavory applications. My
favoriteone-bowl meal in winter is aloaded baked potato. And I
oftenmake it with sweet potatoes.
Around 5 p.m., I throw thepotatoes in a 350 deg. F oven. Ifind
that a lower oven tempera-ture keeps the skin from fallingapart,
allowing you to split thepotato in half and load it up!However, it
does take twice aslong for the potatoes to cook.
This year, I have been toppingmy potato with sauteed kale,which
not only looks stunning all that orange and green
but also is a perfect complementto the sweet meaty potato.
But thats not all. I also roastgarlic and make it into a paste
toflavor the potato, folding in justa touch of butter and a pinch
ofsage. I scoop out half of the po-tato, mix it all together, add
halfthe cheese and put it back intothe shells like you would a
twice-baked potato. At this point, therecipe can be made in
advanceand re-heated another day.
Just before serving, yousprinkle on more cheese, adda healthy
spoonful of the sau-
teed kale and, if you like, topwith toasted pumpkin seeds fora
welcome crunch. If you dontlike kale, you can saute spinachinstead.
And while I have speci-fied fontina and Gruyere for thecheeses,
Parmesan, cheddar andmozzarella are great, too.
I generally make this loadedpotato a meatless meal, butyou could
easily add leftover orrotisserie chicken.
Loaded Sweet Potatoes
With Roasted Garlic
If you want to get a jump on
things, the garlic can be roastedand mixed with the butter
and
salt up to 2 days in advance. Justrefrigerate until needed.
Start to finish: 1-1/2 hours(45 minutes active)
Servings: 83 heads garlicOlive oilKosher salt4 large sweet
potatoes2 tablespoons unsalted butter,
room temperaturePinch dried sage1 large shallot, chopped1 bunch
(about 5 ounces)
baby or chopped Tuscan kale1/2 cup grated fontina cheese
Ground black pepper, to taste1/2 to 1 cup shredded whitecheddar,
Gruyere or mozzarellacheese
3 tablespoons toasted pump-kin seeds (optional)
Roasted chicken (optional)Heat the oven to 400 deg. F.Remove the
outer layer of pa-
pery skin from the heads of gar-lic. Slice off 1/4 inch from
thenarrow end of each. Place eachhead of garlic, cut side up, on
asquare of heavy-duty foil. Drizzleeach with olive oil, then
sprinklewith salt. Wrap the foil loosely up
and over the garlic heads, thenroast for 1 hour, or until
golden-
brown and soft. Remove and letcool.
Meanwhile, prick the sweetpotatoes with a fork, then rubthem
with oil. Add them to theoven and bake for 50 to 60 min-utes, or
until tender.
Once the garlic has cooledenough to handle, remove thecloves
from their skins. Themost efficient way to do this is tosqueeze the
whole head from thebottom. In a small food proces-sor, combine the
garlic, butter,sage and a pinch of salt, thenpulse until chopped
and com-
bined. Set aside.About 15 minutes before thepotatoes have
finished, in a me-dium saute pan over medium-high, heat 1
tablespoon of oliveoil. Add the shallot and sauteuntil soft, about
4 minutes. Addthe kale, and saute for a fewminutes, stirring
constantly, un-til tender. Set aside.
When the potatoes have fin-ished baking, remove them fromthe
oven and let them cool un-til easy to touch. Leave the ovenon. Cut
the potatoes lengthwisedown the middle and scoop out
about half of the flesh fromeach, making sure to keep a
thick layer of sweet potato withinthe skin so that it can stand
onits own.
In a bowl, mash the sweet po-tato, the roasted garlic mixtureand
the fontina cheese. Seasonwith salt and pepper. Divide thefilling
between each potato,spooning it into the shell of each.Top with
your choice of shreddedcheese and the hot sauteed kale.
Arrange the potatoes on abaking sheet and return to theoven
until hot, about 15 min-utes. They also can be micro-waved for 2
minutes. Serve hot,
garnished with pumpkin seedsand chicken, if desired.
EDITORS NOTE: ElizabethKarmel is a grilling and South-ern foods
expert and executivechef at Hill Country BarbecueMarket restaurants
in NewYork and Washington, as wellas Hill Country Chicken in
NewYork. She is the author of threecookbooks, including
Soaked,Slathered and Seasoned. He rcolumn, The American
Table,celebrates the delicious diversityof simple home cooking.
Give a twist to traditional loaded baked potato
I]Z
6bZg^XVcIVWaZ
Wn:a^oVWZi]@VgbZa
AP Photo/Matthew Mead
Sweet potatoes with roasted garlic are shown served on a
plate.
The Watauga Historical As-sociation will feature new
CarterCounty Historian Scott Bowers asguest speaker at its next
meeting.
The public is welcome to at-tend and hear Bowers speak
about his plans for preservingthe vast history of Carter
County.The meeting will begin at 6:30p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7, at
TiptonHaynes State Historical Site inJohnson City.
Carter County historianguest speaker for WHA
The Elizabethton Senior DanceClub will hold its Valentine
danceat the Elizabethton Elks Lodge, No.1847, 1000 N. Sycamore St.,
from7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8.
A king and queen will be
crowned during the dance.Music will be provided by the
Rambling Rose Band.Those attending are asked to
bring finger foods to share. Thereis a $6 door charge.
Club announces date for Valentine dance
The National Active and
Retired Federal Employeeswill hold the ir mont hly mee t-ing at
the Golden Corral, 3411Browns Mill Road, JohnsonCity, at 11 a.m.
Thursday, Feb.
7.
The speaker will be MariahRaml with Contact Ministries211 with
Teen Talk line.
For more information, callWayne Rober tso n at 232- 6219.
NARFE sets February meeting
Sweet and savory
Photo Courtesy of Ed Schneider
Nora Schubert will update Rally attendees on efforts to
protect
the golden-winged warbler, which nests on Roan Mountain.
Photo Contributed
These goats are used each summer to graze on invasive plants
on
the Roans grassy balds.
The GFWC of TennesseeElizabethton Womans Clubwill meet at 2
p.m., Monday,Feb. 4, at First United MethodistChurch,
Elizabethton.
Members are reminded tobring their fillers for the giftbags that
will be distributed tostudents at Little Milligan El-ementary
School in February.
Womans Club will meet Monday
Hungry fo rsome tasteful reading?
*Send your payment to the Elizabethton Star for a one-year print
renewal or a new one-year printsubscription, and we will send you a
certificate for a FREE World Famous Calabash Chicken dinner at
FATZ, good with the purchase of one adult entree.
This limited time offer is good only at the Elizabethton FATZ
location at 980 Overmountain Drive,
Elizabethton, TN 37643. Coupon expires 3 months after renewal or
subscription purchase date.
Call theElizabethton
STAR542-4151
Renew yourElizabethton Starand dig in!Pay in advance for a
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