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Don�t let the name �Little Canaan� Wildlife Management Area (LCWMA) fool you. This place is big on scenery.  Little Canaan Wildlife Management Area The LCWMA is 3,168 acres of forest, meadow, and wetlands located just east of Davis, WV. It�s accessed by SR 32 south of Davis and on Camp 70 road (CR 32/18) east of Davis. In addition about 3 miles of the Blackwater River runs through it providing fishing for trout, rock bass, and other species. A forested area lies south of the river and provides hunting opportunities for deer, bear, grouse, woodcock and turkey. Little Canaan Wildlife Management Area But my interest in the LCWMA is hiking and photography. About mid-September is a good time to visit this area. The ferns are just changing color then, and the cottongrass is out in full display. In fact, one of my favorite landscape subjects is cottongrass. To me a field of cottongrass is magical. The tiny puffs of white seem to hover weightlessly above the earth. But cottongrass needs a ...

What�s a waterfall lover to do when the weather is so dry? Head to Sandstone Falls in Summers County. That�s what Phyllis and I did last Friday. Although low, there was still plenty of splash and spray from the falls at Sandstone. In an earlier Post , I wrote about how to get the most out of a visit to Sandstone Falls. I took my own advice and went to the island of rock in the middle of the river that directly faces the falls.  Sandstone Falls The island is not a part of the boardwalk and trail system that the National Park Service (NPS) has made, but it�s easily hiked to with a little scrambling. Just take the path to the right just before the final overlook. You can�t miss the turn off. There�s a gap in the boardwalk and a sign reminding fishermen to wear floatation gear when in or near the water. Most people don�t take this scramble, which is a shame because it offers the most spectacular view of Sandstone Falls.  Sandstone Falls What is it like to be on the island, and wha...

Also important in the quality of a leaf color season is another chemical in leaves called auxin. Auxin controls a special band of cells at the base of each leaf stem, called the abscission (cutting away) layer. During the growing season, auxin prevents this layer from fully developing and blocking the tiny, internal tubes that connect each leaf to the rest of the tree's circulatory system.  Babcock State Park In fall, however, cooler and shorter days trigger an end to auxin production, allowing the abscission layer to grow and cut off the circulation of water, nutrients and sugar to the leaves. When this happens, chlorophyll disintegrates rapidly, letting carotenoids shine through as yellow and the anthocyanins as red. The color season ends when the abscission layer finally cuts the stem completely, and the leaf falls off.  Babcock State Park Tree Types and Color Certain colors are characteristic of particular species. Oaks turn red, brown, or russet. In fact, in the absence o...

Why some leaves turn red or orange is not simple to explain. The red pigments in leaves are made by anthocyanins, which give color to such familiar fruits as cranberries, red apples, concord grapes, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and plums. Red maples, sugar maples, white ash, pin oak, sassafras, and other trees owe their brilliant hues of red to anthocyanin.  Highland Scenic Highway For years red pigments were thought to be leftover pigments, too, just as the yellow pigments. But current research has shown otherwise. As observed by seasoned fall color watchers, no two autumns are identical. Each fall, leaves differ in color and intensity. For instance, why does a maple go yellow one year and red the next? Red is the wild card color. It is not left over after the green is gone. Federal and state forest service researchers have discovered that the red pigments are produced under certain conditions by leaves during the approach and beginning of autumn. But, the how and the why ...

Show Youth Care (SYC) is an inaugural event organised by Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) to promote the spirit of volunteerism. The event was held over two days in July at the Atrium and showcased a total of 18 booths by various community service and environment related CCAs and their partner organisations. It was a little quiet during the afternoon when I visited on the first day, with a few people in each booth. I walked into the auditorium and was welcomed by the representative from the Mentoring Club who introduced their booth�s objective. I played some of the games that they had prepared. Through one of the games, I learned how to properly engage senior citizens with better communication skills and behaviours. The next stop for me was A.R.T which captured my attention. Organised by NYP Students� Union, the station had a big crowd. I saw serious faces tracing pictures on a translucent sheet while some drew their pictures freely. Most of them did it beautifully. Some of them were making S...

Why do autumn leaves change color? What controls the change, and why are the colors so different from year to year? Though I am far from an expert, the following is what I have been able to learn about the subject.  Highland Scenic Highway Three Prime Factors The reason autumn leaves change color is far from simple. Some factors are well known, but scientists admittedly do not have all the details. The three prime factors controlling the color change are: 1) Leaf pigments, 2) Amount of light, and 3) Weather conditions. The color palette of leaves consists of three main pigments: chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanin.  Babcock State Park Chlorophyll is the green pigment, so to speak, and is essential for plant growth. Chlorophyll is an exceptional substance that converts sunlight into food for plants in a process called photosynthesis. Using energy from sunlight, chlorophyll combines water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and sugars. The oxygen mingles with the air we b...

The Endless Wall Trail was voted the #1 National Park Trail by readers of USA Today ( Endless Wall Trail ). And for good reasons. Many stunning vistas of the New River Gorge line the trail. In this post I will highlight the best overlooks and other points of interest in a 2.6 mile loop trail of the Endless Wall. Endless Wall from Diamond Point Start at the Fern Creek Parking Area (GPS: Lat. 38.06298, Long. -81.05682) on the Lansing-Edmond Road (County Road 82) just 1.3 miles from its intersection with U.S. 19. The Endless Wall Trail begins by meandering on a flat, well graveled path through a lovely hemlock forest. After a half-mile, it crosses Fern Creek and begins a gradual ascent through a rhododendron thicket. As the trail tops the hill, the Fern Buttress Overlook takes off to the right at the 2/3 mile mark. The vistas are somewhat obscured by trees, but the viewpoint still gives you a sense of the depth of the gorge. On the right (north) side of Fern Buttress, paths zigzag to the ...