Great Smoky Mountains National Park Podcasts & Blog » Forest http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog Enjoy the Smokies Courtesy of the Great Smoky Mountains Association! Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:38:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Calderwood Fire http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/calderwood-fire/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/calderwood-fire/#comments Sun, 05 Sep 2010 02:13:56 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=1813 Smoke still coming off Calderwood fire 9/3/10 The fire near US 129 and Calderwood Dam has been burning for over two weeks now, but the park’s fire crew isn’t concerned. Click here to find out how it started and what the park’s strategy is for dealing with it. You might hear a word you’re not familiar with: “duff”. Duff is a layer of decaying plant and tree material that covers the soil in the forest and it can smolder for days, so putting it out is very important.

Closed captioning is available for this video by clicking the caption button in the lower right-hand corner of the video controls. ]]> http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/calderwood-fire/feed/ 0 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Hiking to Albright Grove http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hiking-to-albright-grove/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hiking-to-albright-grove/#comments Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:18:45 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=141 Albright Grove   Take a quick jaunt with Mari to the beautiful and lush Albright Grove. Click here or on the photo to see some beautiful old growth trees and to have a relaxing moment in the Smokies. ]]> http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hiking-to-albright-grove/feed/ 0 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Meet the Saviors of the Park’s Hemlock Trees! http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/meet-the-saviors-of-the-parks-hemlock-trees/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/meet-the-saviors-of-the-parks-hemlock-trees/#comments Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:42:51 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=30 Whether you realize it or not, Eastern Hemlock trees likely had a profound impact on you during your visit to the Smokies:

That shady green forest you drive through between Gatlinburg and Sugarlands Visitor Center? Hemlock trees!

Those gently drooping boughs that arched over you while you dipped your feet into the icy river in Greenbrier? Hemlock trees!

The trees with delicate, tiny needles that you walk among on almost every trail in the Smokies, that you see on almost every hillside… Hemlock trees!

But the quintessential Smokies’ tree is being killed by a non-native insect that’s no bigger than the dot at the end of this sentence. Saving the trees is a complex problem, involves a lot of sweat and effort, and some interesting biology too.

I’ve put together a 3-part film, posted below, to explain what the problem is, and what’s being done to save the trees. Click each photo to play its film.

Part I: The Problem
hemlock intro

Part II: Soil Drenching
soil drenching

Part II: Beetles
beetles

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