BRDC in the Piedmont Region

The board of the Blue Ridge Discovery Center decided at its last meeting to concentrate its efforts in South Western Virginia, particularly Grayson County, in order to make the most of its human and financial resources. We are excited to use this opportunity to clarify our purpose, strengthen our presence, and deepen our roots by reducing our geographic scope. At the same time, we are saddened to reduce our energy in the Piedmont Region and in the activity here that you helped manifest. Thank you to all of you for your contribution to our programs in this area, and your efforts to explore, discover, and share this region with others. Please continue to follow BRDC's activities on our Blue Ridge Blog, and on our website. We also hope you might join us in Grayson from time to time for events like the Mount Roger's Naturalist Rally, which is an activity-filled weekend outdoors in May that BRDC co-hosts.

Pawpaw Prints

Pawpaw fruit bisected, the seeds removed, and watercolors used for pigment.

My girls and I have been watching and waiting for local pawpaw fruit to ripen. We visit local woodlands weekly to check in on this wonderful native plant. We went yesterday with visions of soft sweet fruit in our heads and the expectation that maybe, just maybe, local pawpaws were beginning to soften... not so! Despite a report from Pfafftown, NC of ripe fruit on August 4, the northbound wave of ripening has yet to reach the C-ville area.
So...while we wait...we're using the unripened fruit to making pawpaw prints and learning more about this plant in the process.