terrestrial

Host Michael Skinner goes caving, or spelunking as some like to call it. We'll explore marvelous caves in the Northwestern area of Georgia and learn more about the inhabitants there, such as the endangered grey bat, the threatened Tennessee salamander and other more common cave dwellers such as the pipistrel bat and millipedes.

Also, learn about the efforts of the Department of Natural Resources efforts to survey these underground areas for life. Sometimes humans fall victim to the often treacherous terrain of these beautiful caves. We'll explore some of the efforts and techniques used to rescue these spelunkers and review the safety precautions every caver should follow.

Join the Georgia Outdoors crew and learn about Georgia's magnificent landscapes. We'll visit Providence Canyon State Park, A.K.A. Georgia's Little Grand Canyon, and learn about the forces that created this interesting phenomenon.

We'll also visit north Georgia's Cloudland Canyon State Park with its 100 foot waterfall. Afterward, we'll stop by near-by Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail in the "pocket" area of Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area, this area is famous for its wildflowers and rocky falls.

And finally we'll visit Broxton Rocks, a little-known Nature Conservancy preserve hidden away in South Georgia.

Related Links

www.henry.k12.ga.us
Learn more about the seven wonders of Georgia by visiting this website created by students of Pleasant Grove Elementary School in Stockbridge, Georgia.

www.cviog.uga.edu
The University of Georgia also maintains a webpage about Georgia's Natural Wonders, though they suggest that there are more than seven.

Nature Conservancy
Learn more about Broxton Rocks.

Georgia's State Parks
Here you can learn about all 63 State Parks and Historic Sites including two parks we visited in our program: Providence Canyon and Cloudland Canyon.

www.gofishgeorgia.com
You can buy your Georgia hunting or fishing license by phone, by mail or online.

Pigeon Mountain
Learn more about wildflowers

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Georgia is home to two fabulous National Forests – the Chattahoochee and the Oconee. These forests are a veritable playground chock full of gorgeous scenery and fabulous wildlife.

We'll explore the Chattahoochee National Forest by horseback, with a little thanks to Muletop Mountain Outfitters near Blue Ridge, GA. Along the way we'll visit with a couple of people whose job it is to protect and manage the Chattahoochee National Forest.

We'll also take a whirlwind tour of the Oconee National Forest. We'll visit many of the most popular recreation areas of the forest in just one day – this time with a little help from Liz Caldwell, a wildlife biologist with the US Forest Service. In spite of our hurry, we'll also take a quiet moment to locate and spy on the nest of a pair of endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker. You'll have to watch the program to find out if we're able to spot one of these rare and beautiful birds!

Related Links

Georgia's National Forests
Learn about all the many activities available.

www.gofishgeorgia.com
You can buy your Georgia hunting or fishing license by phone, by mail or online.

PDF Transcript

The southeastern coastal plains of the United States were once covered by longleaf pine woodlands. These woodlands were home to many animals like flatwoods salamander and fox squirrels and, according to folklore, splinter cats and whirling whimpuses! Today we have less than one percent of this important resource left.

Join us as we find out what is being done to save this resource for the future. We'll visit one of the best examples of old growth longleaf pine anywhere: Greenwood Plantation. We'll also visit Moody Forest Natural Area to see how the Nature Conservancy and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are using prescribed burning to restore the forest to a healthy state.

We'll talk with author Janisse Ray about the importance of the restoration of the longleaf pine forest landscape. And we'll see visit the homes of this forest's keystone species- a gopher tortoise burrow and a red cockaded woodpecker's nesting cavity.

Related Links

Safe Harbor
This program helps landowners with the problem of managing their land without contributing to the decline of the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.

Gopher Tortoise Council
Is working to conserve the gopher tortoise and the fascinating world in which it lives.

The Long Leaf Alliance
Was formed in response to the steady decline of the long leaf pine ecosystem and strives to promote ecological and economic value of long leaf pine. You can find out about the work they do, how to become a member, and how to nominate a champion tree!

Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center at Ichauway
The mission is to serve as a regional center of excellence in ecology and natural resource management that includes integrated research, education, and conservation goals.

Nature Conservancy
working to save the last great places on earth. In Georgia, the Conservancy is actively involved with managing both Moody Forest Natural Area and Greenwood Plantation.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Infomation about visiting a Wildlife Management Area

Recommended Reading

Ecology of a Cracker Childhood
By Janisse Ray

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