The Baa-tany Blog

Goat Sitters Needed!!

2011-06-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hello there! We have two weekends still available for goat sitting and need to fill them ASAP! Please contact Jamey Donaldson, tnplanthunter@yahoo.com, and/or Julie Judkins, jjudkins@appalachiantrail.org if you are interested in the weekends listed below:

August 26-28
September 9-11

Thank you for your support!

Goat Sitting Opportunities!

2011-05-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to everyone who has signed up for a weekend of goat sitting this summer! At this point, all weekends but two have been spoken for (see above) but we will still need folks in the fall for some Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays. Please contact Julie, jjudkins@appalachiantrail.org or Jamey, http://www.blogger.com/tnplanthunter@yahoo.com if you are interested in weekday dates during the fall. Again, thank you all for your support!

2011 Goat Sitting Schedule- Updated 5/14

2011-05-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Below is the 2011 Goatherd Schedule. We still have some weekend dates available! Please contact Julie Judkins at jjudkins@appalachiantrail.org or Jamey Donaldson at http://www.blogger.com/tnplanthunter@yahoo.com

if you are interested. Once all the weekends are full we will begin scheduling for weekdays during August and September. Thank you so much for your support!

2011 Weekend Goatherd Schedule
June 24-26- Closed
July 1-3 Closed
July 8-10 Closed
July 15-17 Closed
July 22-24 Closed
July 29-31 Closed
August 5-7 Closed
August 12-14 Closed
August 19-21 Closed
August 26-28 Open
September 2-4 Closed
September 9-11 Open

Other 2011 Dates:
June 12: Begin Packing in Equipment
June 17: Goats go into seed-free food quarantine
June 22: 4th Annual Herding of the Goats onto the Balds

4th Annual Herding of the Goats OFF the Balds (Wednesdays):
September 14: probable date
September 21: may stay an extra week if weather is favorable

"Nash"- Appalachian Mountain Photography Exhibition

2011-04-22T05:37:00.000-07:00

"Nash" has a smile that everyone loves! Recently at the Appalachian Mountain Photography Exhibition at Appalachian State, this photo of "Nash", by Jeffrey Stoner Photography, won best image in the flora/fauna category. What a great shot!

Jeffrey Stoner

Fine Art Photography

406 Laurelwood Drive
Kingsport, TN 37660 USA

(423) 367-5850

Jeffrey@JeffreyStonerPhotography.Com

http://www.JeffreyStonerPhotography.com

2011-04-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your support of the Baa-tany Goat Project on Roan Mountain , NC /TN. The goats and their goatherd really appreciate your interest and kind support of this ongoing project. Great progress has been made to stop the spread of the Canada blackberry, and other non-native plants.

Jamey, the goatherd and director of the project, expects to be working with the goats & now 2 great Pyrenees dogs, for at least another 2-5 years. If you are able to support this project, the goats will be happy.

Go to friendsofroanmtn.org, click on "Home", go below the notation for "check us out on facebook" to the bottom of the page, click on Baa-tany Goat Project for the form, and my address.

Joyous Spring to you,

Anne

Save the Grassy Balds and Adopt a Goat

2011-03-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

BAA-TANY GOAT PROJECT ADOPT A GOAT

Help Save the Grassy Balds & Give a Goat a Retirement Plan – In 2008, Trudy, a goat owner in northern Virginia, donated 19 goats because she wanted to give them a retirement plan rather than send them to the meat market. These goats are dedicated for ecological restoration work and we will have to provide for them for the rest of their natural lives (it applies to the other goats also).

Working Vacation – goats will work for food and they love blackberries.

PROJECT SUMMARY: The purpose of the volunteer-based Baa-tany Goat Project is to restore Grassy Bald corridors on Roan’s western balds using goats as an experimental management tool. Browsing rotation and vegetation sampling protocols are being developed that can hopefully be applied elsewhere.

Roan’s Grassy Balds are important habitats for many rare and endemic species such as Gray’s Lily as well as species at or near the southern ends of their ranges. The western balds are thought to be natural (predating European settlement). These ecosystems have declined in quality and quantity and immediate actions are needed to halt and reverse this trend.

The project area (about 79 acres) is within the Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests along about 1 mile of the Appalachian Trail corridor from Jane Bald to Grassy Ridge.

OBJECTIVES & METHODS: Goats will selectively browse the invading woody plants rather than herbs. Canada Blackberry is the main target.

Angora goats (a fiber rather than a meat goat) are being used. They are more tolerant of these high elevation conditions (5700-6100ft). They will be sheared, treated for parasites, confined, and fed a seed-free food to flush their guts of unwanted and potentially invasive plant seeds prior to being moved to the project area. Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dogs are their protectors.

0.5 – 1+ acre moveable paddocks will be set up using solar-powered fencing. Browse levels will be monitored and the goats moved into the next paddock once they have achieved the desired results. Water will be carried by hand to the paddocks thus protecting sensitive wetland habitat. Volunteers will be onsite most of the time which will provide better browse level monitoring as well as additional protection for the goats.

At the end of the summer the goats will be going back to their home pasture in Shady Valley, TN, with the hopes that they will be back on Roan’s Grassy Balds in future years.

An intensive VEGETATION STUDY is part of the project. This will allow us to:

A. Assess the effectiveness of using goats for Grassy Bald restoration,

B. Analyze data and distribute reports as well as make comparisons in vegetation changes over 20+ and 70+ year time spans,

C. Determine effects on the rare Gray’s Lily.

FUNDING: This is a volunteer-based project. In 2008 & 2009, we received a grant from the North Carolina Appalachian Trail License Plate Fund that paid for travel expenses and some equipment and supply needs. An anonymous donor also made significant contributions to the project. However, additional funds are needed for a proper and thorough multi-year implementation and evaluation of this project.

PARTICIPANTS: This is a collaborative project involving several agencies and organizations that have made “in kind” contributions to the project. However, most of

their contributions are in planning rather than funding for field implementation. Participants include:

Appalachian Trail Conservancy USDA Forest Service Friends of Roan Mountain US Fish & Wildlife Service North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Tennessee Division of Natural Areas Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Tennessee Eastman Hiking & Canoeing Club The Nature Conservancy

Appalachian State University East Tennessee State University Wake Forest University

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please consider joining our GRASSY BALD RESTORATION MEMBERS’ COOPERATIVE by adopting a goat. This money will be dedicated for losses (possibly vandalism & / or “Acts of God”), excess expenses, and data management (reports, data entry, data analysis) during this third year. Follow- up vegetation sampling will be needed whether or not the goats are back on the mountain (but of course we hope they will be back on the mountain but that will depend on funding).

Consider giving an Adopted Baa-tany Goat to the Nature Lover in your life.

WHAT YOU GET IF YOU ADOPT A GOAT:

1. An adoption certificate, lock of mohair, and picture of your goat letting you know how much it likes the blackberries and spending time in the Grassy Balds,

2. The chance to name your adopted goat (the goats only have numbered ear tags right now),

3. The satisfaction of knowing you are helping save a unique ecosystem by helping us further develop and refine a model protocol for using goats in Grassy Bald restoration.

COST: For 2011, we are planning on a 3 or 4 month field season (June to September). You may adopt a goat for 1 month, the entire 2011 summer season, and / or for the 2012 summer season (or longer).

$20 per month; $50 for the 2010 summer; $50 for the 2011 summer.

If you cannot Adopt a Goat (or perhaps in addition to Adopting a Goat), then please consider volunteering your time and energy with onsite work such as:

1. Helping carry equipment to the project area and setting up paddocks (>1 mile from Carvers Gap),

2. Being a goat sitter for a weekend or two; we encourage low impact Leave No Trace (www.LNT.org) camping for 24 hour onsite protection of the goats,

3. Helping carry water from the nearby springs to the goat paddock, etc.

We will provide information and training for all volunteers participating in the onsite implementation of the project.

Thank you for considering being part of this project.

Jamey Donaldson, Project Leader & Goatherd Todd Eastin, Chief Coordinator of Caprine Conservationists

This is a tax deductible contribution, please make checks payable to the Friends of Roan Mountain and note on the check that it is for the Roan Goat Project:

Friends of Roan Mountain Anne Whittemore 208 Mark Drive Johnson City, TN 37615

For more information about this project, Friends of Roan Mountain, and the Appalachian Trail, please contact:

www.FriendsofRoanMtn.org and / or jjudkins@appalachiantrail.org 828-254-3708 www.appalachiantrail.org

Roan Mountain Mohair

2010-11-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

65% mohair, 35% fine wool

DK/Sport weight

Approximately 2 ounce/180 yard skeins

Natural color, no dyes

“Green Spun” / Organic Processing by Green Mountain Spinnery (http://www.spinnery.com/)

Our first batch of yarn is in route from the spinnery. Goat adopters and project volunteers get the biggest discount; ATC, SAHC,and Friends of Roan Mountain members also get discounts. Other folks probably

Herding Off Sept. 15th

2010-09-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

Shepherds needed! The family vacation is ending, and we are in need of volunteers to assist for the journey home. If you are up for the herding of the goats off the mountain, join Todd Eastin and company at Carvers Gap at 9:00am. The hike out will only take about an hour, to meet up with the goats and lead them back to the trailhead. Helpers are also needed to help carry gear and equipment off the mountain.
questions? jjudkins@appalachiantrail.org

Guided Goat Hike

2010-08-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

Guided Goat Hike - Roan Mountain Saturday, August 14 at 10:00 am

Free and open to the public!

Hike Leader: David Hall, Recipient of the 2009 Stan Murray Volunteer Award August 14 (Saturday) - Moderate 5 miles RT

If you missed the last Goat Hike, here is your chance to join SAHC for another grassy balds management/goat-viewing hike on beautiful Roan Mountain! Once again this summer, Jamey Donaldson, leader of the “Baa-tany Goat Project,” is rotating goats through test plots of vegetation on the high-elevation grassy balds of Roan Mountain. We will visit the goats and learn about their role in preserving the grassy balds. The hike will be around five miles of moderately steep terrain. Starts at 10:00am.

To learn more about the “Baa-tany Goat Project” visit:
http://friendsofroanmtn.org/goat%20project/goat%20project.html

Please bring sturdy hiking shoes, rain gear, backpack lunch, water, sunscreen and a camera.
RSVP by Friday, August 13th (5:00pm) to cheryl@appalachian.org or call (828) 253-0095, ext 209.Directions will be sent upon RSVP.

Information provided by:
Cheryl Fowler
Membership Director
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
Land Trust Accreditation Commission Accredited
828-253-0095, ext. 209
34 Wall Street, Ste. 502
Asheville, NC 28801

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that works with individuals and local communities to conserve the clean water, unique plant and animal habitat, working farms and recreational treasures of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. In the last 36 years, the Conservancy and its 1,500 members have protected almost 50,000 acres, including key sites adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Highlands of Roan, and more than 3,000-acres of farmland in Sandy Mush near Asheville, NC.

A Very Busy First Month

2010-08-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

It has been a hectic 1st month getting the goats settled in and keeping up with the paddock rotation and toting water while monitoring the assorted vegetation study plots. Our 1st surprise came when #211 gave birth to twins (a boy and a girl) the day before we herded the goats across the balds. Ansel and Audrey carried the twins across the balds while the mama goat followed, with occasional stops so the twins could nurse. Mama goat and her babies are doing fine. The little boy has been named (but not yet formally adopted) Gambol in memory of Hank Gamble who volunteered on Roan and elsewhere for many years. Hank was among the best of volunteers, he simply showed up, quietly helped with what was needed, and then often just as quietly slipped away when the work was done. I found out more about Hank’s life away from Roan from his obituary than from him directly.

Our 2nd surprise was during the herding across the balds. #902 veered off to the left while the herd veered to the right. She was last seen in the Rhododendron thicket on Round Bald.
Our 3rd surprise: Yet, being more like the Roadrunner than the Coyote, she showed up at the goat paddock 20 days later and about 1 mile from where she was last seen, apparently fine but obviously relieved to be back with the herd. She slept a lot the first couple of days after coming back.

We have help monitoring the rare Gray’s Lily this year. Joe, an undergraduate honor student at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is doing his senior thesis on Gray’s Lily. Joe has done the bulk of re-monitoring our 12 macro-plots (5 meter radius circular plots) as well as started the very first demography study (tracking the same individuals through time) on Roan Mountain. He plans to track the reproductive plants through this growing season. After the summer is over he will be analyzing the 3 year macro-plot data set as well as the demography study, with hopes of doing a meta-population analysis by including other researchers’ data sets. Sun hats off to Joe for helping get data on a rare plant that may well belong on the federal Endangered Species List.

#230 and her twins from this year are doing fine. #210 is the young billy (his horns are much stouter than his sister’s), and #310 is the young doe. They started out a bit shy, like all the other kids, but soon became more outgoing just like their mother and her twins from last year. The twins spend most of their time together yet never very far from their mother.
G-man, my buddy, is one of #230’s twins from 2009. He survived last year’s hypothermia adventure (read about it elsewhere on the blog) and is the most outgoing ambassador goat of the 2009 kids. He has a rakish twist to his right horn that stands out from the other goats.

Here is an Eastern Photo Point 55mm shot from July 20 (from Harriet Bald viewing west at Jane Bald with Round Bald in the background).

The Return

2010-07-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Walkabout Goat, #902, last seen June 23 on Round Bald in the Rhododendron thicket during the 3rd Annual Herding of the Goats Across the Balds, showed up yesterday afternoon, July 12, at the goat paddock and allowed herself to be let back in. She appears fine and rather relieved to be back with the herd. There had been no reported sightings of her during her ca. 1 trail-mile 20-day walkabout. Nice to have her back.

- The Shepherd

3rd Annual Herding of the Goats!

2010-06-01T06:38:00.000-07:00

This will be the 3rd Annual Herding of the Goats onto the Balds! Join us on Wednesday, June 23: with alternate bad weather days on the 22nd and 24th. Meet at Carvers Gap at 8:00am so the goats can beat the heat. Contact Jamey (tnplanthunter@yahoo.com) if you are willing to volunteer and help our baa-tany friends make it up to their summer home. If you are coming, please confirm with Jamey so he can prepare paperwork, and give him your phone number so he can contact you in case of change in plans.

If you would like to be a volunteer shepherd for a weekend, please contact Julie (jjudkins@appalachiantrail.org).

Weekend goatherds needed (Friday afternoon – Sunday afternoon):

July 2-4: Not Available
July 9-11: Not Available
July 16-18: Not Available
July 23-25: Not Available
July 30-August 1: Not Available
August 6-8: Not Available
August 13-15: Not Available
August 20-22: Not Available
August 27-29: Not Available
September 3-5: Not Available
September 10-12: Not Available

3rd Annual Herding of the Goats OFF the Balds (Wednesdays):
September 15: probable date
September 22: may stay an extra week if the weather is favorable…

G-Man's Adventure

2009-10-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, September 16, the rain started (the beginning of an 11-day stretch). On the morning of Monday, September 21, the 6th day of rain (cumulative total of 4 inches by Tuesday morning), G-Man was on his side, valiantly chewing what cud he could. He caught a chill: bona-fide hypothermia. I have learned that if you can pick up a goat or hug it then something is wrong. I gathered him up and picked some tasties for him to munch on. Bailey Goat, the one who got stuck in the hawthorn tree last year and who now has a children's book written about her, came over to investigate and had a knowing look in her eyes.

G-Man seemed to perk up with the fresh food and I put him down next to a pile of mostly Mountain Ash (with berries) and Blackberry and Beech leaves. Then I went to look check on the other goats. When I got back to G-Man he was on his side again. Couldn't do much for him with the winds and rain and the need to keep an eye on the other goats as well as cut more fence line and put up fence (rain or not) to get all the goats on fresh browse, so I decided it was best to evacuate him.

I called all my emergency numbers as well as left messages on the other phones that I was packing him out with hopes that someone would meet me so that I could get back to the rest of the goats. Wrapped him up in my fleece pullover that I had just packed in the day before and worn overnight and a garbage bag to block the wind, then tucked him inside the front of my rain jacket for the trek out.

Took 2 hours to hike the 2 miles from the AT - Grassy Ridge Trail fork area with frequent stops for me to rest (I don't have daddy arms / muscles for carrying any kind of kids for any kind of distance) and for him to munch, which he did most of the time. I kept telling him how much we needed him and to hang in there, that we didn't have far to go and that he would be warm and dry soon.

Got him settled into the middle of my truck seat with AC and heater on full, made one stop at Twin Springs for Sugar Maple and White Ash leaves, then continued on down the mountain. I was able to get Todd on the phone when I got to the town of Roan Mountain and we made plans to meet at Barker's, a drive in diner we both enjoy. I got there first, ordered 2 BLT's, a grilled ham & Swiss, french fries, and sweet tea with lemon (first food of the day for me). Ate the sandwiches and was finishing up the fries when Todd got there. By this time G-Man had roused himself and devoured the remaining leaves. Todd ordered a chocolate dipped cone. We got G-Man settled into Todd's car and I headed back up to the goats with 15 pounds of corn to give them all an energy boost (they loved it!).

Todd reported that G-Man quickly recovered and never lost his appetite, and has generally been keeping another goat kid who did not go up to the balds company while awaiting the return of the other goats.

His mother, Lady Chrevaset, just wasn't the same after he left. They have been or will soon be reunited. His twin brother Pete inquired about G-Man on my return and I told him that all was well and that everyone would be back together in another 9 days and asked him to pass the word along to his mother. Pete seemed satisfied with the answer.

We were lucky in that on Tuesday it did not rain but was still cloudy (I got the next paddock set up; we were actually working out the details of an emergency evacuation for everyone but thankfully the weather improved). Wednesday brought some sunshine which everyone needed. Some rain resumed both nights and then pretty much light-moderate rain Thursday and Friday. We had an intermediate herding from the east end of the saddle back into the saddle on Saturday. Had 9 people help with this - hard core folks - who braved the beginning of a storm that added 1.7 inches of horizontal rain and a bit of sleet making it 7.1 inches cumulative total for the 11 day stretch that ended late Saturday night / Sunday morning... The goats were, at this time, on fresh browse on the lee side of the ridge.

So that's the story of G-Man's Adventure that ended well. As I mentioned to some folks recently, most of this project runs on "blood, sweat, and tears". G-Man's Adventure involved all 3, at least on my part.

The herding of the goats off the mountain on September 30 went well.

I often think of a story (perhaps Judy told me) of a sheep rancher out west who only hires women shepherds. His reasoning is that "the women will do whatever it takes to take care of the sheep". High and hard standards for the guys to live up to but we have to try.

jamey

Goats Journey off the Mountain

2009-10-01T07:06:00.001-07:00

Greetings All,

A brief note to say that all the goats made it safely off the mountain yesterday and are snug in their barn in Shady Valley. We had a great turnout of volunteer goatherds (especially considering the low-mid 30 degree temperatures in the clouds at the start of the herding), perhaps 40 or more helpers but the final tally has not been done. i am heading back up today to finish wrapping and packing up the equipment before tomorrow's possibility of rains so that it can go directly into storage once leaving the mountain. More details to follow in a few-several days.

With much appreciation for the help, jamey

Update from the Shepherd

2009-09-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Attached is photo #1801, 55mm from the East Photo Point (from Harriet Bald, viewing Jane), a momentary parting shot as the goats are, as of this past Thursday, September 3, at the Appalachian Trail - Grassy Ridge Trail junction (mostly on the NC side of the line and up to but not beyond the trail fork). The ca. 6 original acres from 2008 are now 13 days behind us. Later this week we begin our descent back into Sisters' Saddle on the TN side of the AT, probably re-browsing a previous paddock or two in the final week as we hope to get the goats back atop Jane Bald to facilitate their Herding off the Balds on Wednesday, September 30 (meeting at Carvers Gap at 9am, planning to be out with the goats by 10am).

Baa-fully yours, jamey

Article in A.T. Journeys

2009-07-28T08:36:00.001-07:00

Check out the wonderful article about the baa-tany goat project by Jamey Donaldson:
Baa-tany in the Balds (PDF)Angora goats serve as maintainers on Roan Mountain.

Herding of the Goats

2009-06-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Annual "Herding of the Goats Up Across the Balds" successfully took place the morning of June 24, 2009. Todd Eastin, with the help of at least 40 friends, led 44 Angora goats, 1 milk goat named Blue, and their 2 Great Pyrenees guard dogs across Roan's Grassy Balds from Carvers Gap to the summit of Jane Bald where they will spend the summer eating Canada Blackberry and other woody plants that are invading these rare high elevation grasslands. Supporters included the Charger / Recharger Hiking Club (9 members), the Family Salisbury (5), the Usual Suspects & Friends (17), and Cherokee National Forest (10). Photo by Jeanne Berkley.

Volunteer!

2009-04-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

If you would like to camp with these lovable animals, in one of the most scenic places along the entire Appalachian Trail, we have volunteer goatherd opportunities available!
Sign up for one of these times:
June 19-21
June 26-28
July 3-5
July 10-12
July 17-19
July 24-26
July 31- Aug 2
Aug 7-9
Aug 14-16
Aug 21-23
Aug 28-30
Sept 4-6
Sept 11-13
Sept 18-20
Sept 25-27

Welcome to the Baa-tany Goat Project's Blog!

2009-04-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Roan Massif, of the Roan Highlands, has the world's premier examples of the globally rare Southern Appalachian Grassy Bald ecosystems. These grassy balds are declining due to soil changes, climate change and lack of large herbivores. This makes these beautiful, grassy balds susceptible to woody plant invasion, which is shrinking the corridor of the remaining Roan balds.