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Storyteller Uses Song To Inspire Children To Learn About Nature

These days, kids are spending less time exploring the outdoors and more time in front of screens.

A 2019 report by the independent non-profit Common Sense Media found that on average, 8-to-12 year-olds in the United States spend approximately five hours on entertainment screen media every day. But numerous studies show that time outside is great for kids, helping them reduce stress and stay healthy.

In a special report exploring folkways traditions, as part of the Inside Appalachia Folkways Project, reporter Saro Lynch-Thomason explores how one North Carolina naturalist is using storytelling and song to get kids excited about the natural world.

Using Folklore to Learn About Nature

On a humid afternoon near Leicester, North Carolina about twenty people tromp through a field behind naturalist Doug Elliott. They are participating in a plant walk, exploring trees, flowers and herbs. Doug leads the group to a large tree, turns around and challenges them all to a riddle.

“Hidey hidey hi, hidey hidey hey

There’s a big black stain in my driveway

High as a house, low as a mouse

Got more rooms than anyone’s house.

Hey diddle high, hey diddle, diddle.

Look inside there’s a possum in the middle.

What is it?”

One person in the crowd calls out the answer, “Black walnut!” Gesturing to the tree behind him, Doug explains that black walnut trees grow high as a house, while their nuts fall low as a mouse. But, he says, what about the “possum in the middle?”

Doug takes out a black walnut shell cut in half that looks just like a possum’s face, with a narrow head and small, black eyes. Everyone “oohs” and “ahs” at this small, delicate discovery.

For more than 40 years, Doug has been telling stories and singing songs about nature, using riddles, songs and lore to engage audiences. As a child, he loved catching bumblebees in jars and exploring the woods and swamps around his home.

But it was not until after graduating college that Doug realized his passion for educating others about nature. It started when Doug began to grow his own food.

“I was an art major. I was totally unemployable,” he says. “And I thought, if I’m going to be an artist I better start growing a garden. I started growing the garden, all these weeds came up!”

But Doug says a friend had given him a book called “Stalking the Wild Asparagus” by wild food enthusiast Euell Gibbons, and after reading it Doug realized the weeds growing in his garden were not useless. Some were even more nutritious than the plants he was trying to grow.

“It kind of opened the world to me,” he says. “I got so excited about that, I started giving talks about nature, or useful wild plants.”

Since then, Doug has made a career out of storytelling living in North Carolina. He says he settled in Appalachia because people here have a deep connection to the land and they are willing to share what they know.

Now in his 70s, Doug uses storytelling to help kids learn about nature at a time when most are spending less and less time in it.

One of the kids inspired by Doug’s work is five-year-old Forest Herschman.

Forest and his father Kevin live in a house on a rural mountainside in Barnardsville, North Carolina. During the evening, one can hear tree frogs and crickets right outside their door.

Forest spends a lot of time in the woods, watching tadpoles and deer. He can even name his favorite local trees.

Doug conducts an evening performance at the Firefly Gathering. Doug’s performances typically include traditional songs, riddles, and folk tales from Appalachia and the American South.

“I like pine trees,” Forest says. “And I like maple trees so we can tap them and get the sap!”

A few years ago, Forest found some second-hand tapes of Doug’s stories and songs and was mesmerized, Kevin says..

“There was probably a three or four or five even month period where he would listen to these Doug Elliott tapes like every day,” Kevin says. “He learned how to work the tape player. He would sit down on my bed and listen to Doug Elliott for 25 or 30 minutes, easy.”

One of Forest’s favorite stories by Doug is about a non-venomous snake, called a black rat snake. It lives near farms and eats rodents. The story is about a time that Doug gently squeezed a black rat snake to help it regurgitate a plastic egg.

Kevin says not too long ago he and Forest spotted a black snake near their house. But Forest was not scared, he was excited because he had heard songs and stories about snakes. Upon hearing about this encounter, Doug just smiles.

“That warms my heart,” Doug says. “You ask me why I’m doing this, that might be one of the reasons.”

It is just one example of the many ways that Doug’s stories help kids take delight in the natural world around them.

This story is part of the I nside Appalachia Folkways Reporting Project, a collaboration between West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Inside Appalachia and the Folklife Program of the West Virginia Humanities Council. The Folkways Reporting Project is made possible in part with support from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies to the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation. Subscribe to the podcast to hear more stories of Appalachian folklife, arts, and culture.

Nature Nuggets

Bring science alive for the youngest of learners. Nature Nuggets are short, minute-long videos drawn from NATURE, one of the most watched documentary film series on public television. Included with these short videos are discussion questions and activities for students.

Nature Nuggets began as a new pilot campaign by WNET’s Education Department to test text-based technology as an effective community engagement technique. For this purpose, the minute-long videos from the NATURE series were repackaged for early learners (ages 2 to 6) and promoted as a tool for active science and language learning opportunities to parents, educators and caregivers across the nation.

Explore the Outdoors with Nature Cat

PBS KIDS’ ALL-NEW ONE-HOUR NATURE CAT SPECIAL TO PREMIERE ON WVPB

Grounded in a Natural Science Curriculum, NATURE CAT, PBS KIDS’ Newest Series Debuts Monday, January 18, at 8 am and again at 3:30 pm.

Join us for a sneak peek of the new show at a WVPB Family Fun Morning on Saturday, January 9 from 10 am to 12:30 pm at the West Virginia Wesleyan Performing Arts Center in Buckhannon, WV. The event is free and there will be lots of family nature themed activities.

The special will will be available free on both pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video App. New related games, clips and full episodes will also be available on PBS KIDS’ digital platforms throughout the month.

Grounded in a natural science curriculum, NATURE CAT is designed to encourage children ages 3-8 to go outside and explore the outdoors, while learning about a variety of scientific topics along the way. The NATURE CAT special will include four 11-minute stories with Nature Cat (voiced by Saturday Night Live’s Taran Killam), along with his pals Squeeks the mouse (Kate McKinnon), Hal the dog (Bobby Moynihan) and Daisy, a pet rabbit (Kate Micucci, The Big Bang Theory), as they embark on action-packed adventures, perilous missions, nature investigations and “a-ha” discovery moments. In each story, the characters model age-appropriate reasoning skills and explore natural science concepts, such as the role seeds play in plants’ life cycles and the types of wildlife found in various environments.

New digital content from NATURE CAT will include “Racing Rapids,” an online game in which kids will use systems thinking skills to build a boat racer, then go on a water-based adventure with Nature Cat and his friends. The one- to two-player game lets kids race their favorite NATURE CAT character and earn boat parts to unlock new races. From a stream to a river, players will learn how to create the best boat for each level’s environment. As they play the game, watch water-related clips and complete a “Build a Sailboat” DIY activity, kids will also have the opportunity to earn a new badge called “Ahoy Matey!” on pbskids.org/naturecat.

NATURE CAT is co-created by brothers David Rudman (SESAME STREET, The Muppets) and Adam Rudman (Tom & Jerry, SESAME STREET, CYBERCHASE). The series is a co-production of Spiffy Pictures and WTTW Chicago. Major funding for the series is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Van Eekeren Family, founders of Land O’Frost.

Nature Inspires Creativity at Jefferson County Arts Center

A new art installation appeared in Jefferson County, Saturday: Three big, concrete bees were installed on the grounds of Craftworks at Cool Spring. Craftworks is a nature preserve and an art studio located just outside of Charles Town.

Sculptor, Aaron Treher is the brain behind the bees. He says he’s concerned about threats to native bees, like bumblebees.

Treher is the artist-in-residence at Craftworks, and has been for the last year. The organization’s mission is to bring art and nature together.

“Art and nature are very closely related,” Treher said, “I think that there’s a lot of crossovers within a lot of artists’ work cause they draw a lot of their inspiration from nature, so places like this are really important in the sense of finding inspiration, and Craftworks does a really great job of that.”

Craftworks is a place that provides a space for artists to work, and it’s also twelve acres of protected land with a marsh, trails, and wildlife. The idea for the place came from a woman named, Linda Case. She says she wanted to combine nature and art, while also providing a place for people to getaway from their daily lives.

Linda Case, owner and founder of Craftworks.

Originally, Case bought this property to live in, and then she discovered the land included a rare type of marsh.

“It had eighteen rare and very rare West Virginia plants,” Case explained, “so that was good news, and that was bad news. The good news was there was this wonderful, wonderful thing that existed on this land. The bad news was it was responsibility.”

Case wanted to preserve the marsh and share it with the community. In 2008, she made the land what it is today; the marsh, one barn – where Trehar works – and one studio building.

While one of the main things is to provide a space for artists, Craftworks also hosts summer camps for kids, aged 6 to 13.

The studio is the main building on the property, and the building was designed to be energy efficient. The walls are super insulated and so are the windows.

But the property has its struggles. It’s a non-profit, and founder, Linda Case says right now she’s the main provider to keep it going. Other funds come from the community, board members, and grants. But Case says the organization needs to find new sources of funding.

“And it’s trying to find the way to be the most useful, the most valuable, have the highest impact on the community,” Case explained.

That means having events like last weekend’s – with live music, a nature walk focused on pollinators, and the unveiling of Treher’s new work.

Treher’s bees are now mounted on the side of the studio building. They’re near the rafters and made to look like they’re nesting.

Founder, Linda Case hopes the entire property will eventually feature outdoor artwork similar to Treher’s bees.

French Creek Freddie and Concord Charlie Both Predict an Early Spring

West Virginia’s groundhogs both predicted an early spring this year. At the West Virginia Wildlife Center Monday morning, the groundhog named French Creek Freddie did not see his shadow. At Concord University, Concord Charlie also did not see his shadow.
However, in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow and predicts six more weeks of winter.
Who is French Creek Freddie?

Back in 1978 the superintendent here, at what used to be called the French Creek Game Farm, was Bill Vanscoy. And he said a newspaper reporter called him the day before Groundhog Day, and asked him if they had a groundhog and if it had seen its shadow. Mr. Vanscoy told the reporter whatever was appropriate to the weather they were having. Then the reporter asked what the groundhog’s name was. Mr. Vanscoy said it was French Creek Freddie, and it just took off from there.

The Game Farm is now called the West Virginia Wildlife Center, where I met Kenny Hall. He’s been the handler for French Creek Freddie for over two decades. “I’ve been here for 24 years, and on February 2^nd we do it just to break up the long winter that it has been. And we see the chance for an early spring.”

Two years ago, Kenny also took on a new role as the official French Creek Mascot. That means that he’s the one who wears the copper toned groundhog costume. And of course he also wears a giant black top- hat. But for the real French Creek Freddie, Groundhog Day is, among other things, probably the most confusing day of the year.

“I know one year he was really lively and he took out and ran out over the pen. So we had to go get him and bring him to the camera (he was kind of camera shy). We’ve seen a lot of different activities. When you’re using a live animal, and it’s been woken up for that day, you could see just about anything.”

For Groundhog Day, the center gives out free hot chocolate and cookies to the crowd. Judy Channell also works at the West Virginia Wildlife Center, and she helps organize the public event.

“And the kids make posters, you know, ‘We Love Freddie’, and people are just showing Freddie a lot of love, so we want to provide them a good time and, you, know, let them know they came for a reason.”

What began in the 1970s as a sort of inside joke between the superintendent here and the media has turned into a major event for this small town.

The crowd at Groundhog Day 2014. Photo courtesy West Virginia Wildlife Center.

“Our attendance has gone up tremendously. Last year it was on a Sunday and we had an attendance of over 400 people. And people are really getting into it. They come wearing hats and they make posters and bring them, and they’re just really getting into French Creek Freddie. It’s really getting to be a popular event. We had some folks last year that traveled from Georgia. They had been to Punxatawney, to see Phil, and they were gonna work their way around the country to see the different groundhogs and last year was their turn to come and see French Creek Freddie,” said Judy Channel.

And it all leads me to ask this: Why do all these people travel here, in the dead of winter, to see a sleepy groundhog?

“I think it’s like Kenny said, you go through Christmas and Thanksgiving and all that, you know all that rush, and then it just kind of slows down and you’ve got two, two and a half months of winter weather to look forward to. And I think Groundhog day is just a good opportunity to get out regardless of what the weather is. And then it’s uplifting to know that if Freddie doesn’t see his shadow, we’ve got an early spring. … in six weeks you’re gonna see better weather. It’s something to look forward to,” said Judy.

And while the tradition of groundhog day might seem silly, there is a biological reason why the tradition exists- this is the natural time when groundhogs usually begin to wake from their hibernation.

“We have seen in the last week or so, a groundhog out in the wild. So these ones that we’ve got in the real consistent temperature right now, are probably still asleep. But in the next 2-3 days they’ll probably wake up,” said Kenny.

Every now and then, though, French Creek Freddie’s biological clock is a little bit late.

Two of French Creek Freddie’s biggest fans. Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Wildlife Center.

“If he is asleep, we will just pick him up. And that’s only happened twice in the 22 years that I’ve been here. But he could be hibernating this year. Cause we haven’t seen him on his own yet,” Kenny said.

French Creek Freddie and Punxsutawney Phil don’t always agree. In 2014, French Creek Freddie called for an early spring. Punxsutawney said 6 more weeks of winter. Who was right? that’s still up for debate. In 2015, both the groundhogs made the same predictions as last year.

The West Virginia Wildlife Center is open Monday-Sunday. There is a $3 admission for adults and $1.50 for children. The West Virginia State Wildlife Center is located in Upshur County in north-central West Virginia, 12 miles south of Buckhannon on State Route 20. From the north take exit 99 off Interstate 79 and follow State Route 33 east approximately 12 miles to Buckhannon and turn south on State Route 20. Coming from the south, take exit 67 off Interstate 79 at Flatwoods and follow State Routes 19 and 4 north approximately 30 miles to Rock Cave and Route 20. Follow State Route 20 North for 2 miles to the center.

Who is Concord Charlie?

Another groundhog in West Virginia also saw his shadow- Concord Charlie of Concord University. Every Groundhog Day since 1978, Concord Charlie has been making prediction and insights on the duration of winter. The President of Concord University confers briefly with the groundhog and then relays the forecast to guests at an annual breakfast.

0202ConcordCharlieSPOT.mp3

The Concord Charlie tradition was originated in 1978 by the late Professor R.T. “Tom” Hill. As chairman of both the Geography department and the Appalachian Studies program at Concord, Hill started the Groundhog Day Breakfast as a means to celebrate a bit of Appalachian heritage and highlight the program.

But there’s a different Groundhog Watcher each year. The Grand Groundhog Watcher honor is bestowed on an individual who has positively impacted life and culture in West Virginia.

This year the prestigious position is held by the University’s Head Football Coach, Garrin Justice.

The Grand Groundhog Watcher usually gives a colorful speech at the breakfast.

Justice led the Mountain Lions through an unprecedented season in 2014 that included a conference championship, region championship and an appearance in the national semifinals.

Two West Virginians Join Artists Across the Globe to Reimagine Hubcaps as Art

Janice Summers-Young is one of two West Virginian artists who were selected for a new exhibit at The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia. The exhibit, called Second Time Around: The Hubcap as Art, features 287 artists from 36 different countries and opened yesterday.

Young lives in the community of Queen Shoals, about a mile from the Elk River, right on the line between Kanawha and Clay Counties. By day, she and her husband Terry work for their construction business. Most weekends they spend hiking, camping, and collecting materials that Young uses in collages that are on display throughout their home.

“I’ve always loved art, and I’ve always done some form of art, and tried to make my whole life a kind of art,” said Young.

When Young and her husband began to build their home, they discovered fossils in the rocks that they dug out of the dirt. So they decided to use the fossilized stones to build the exterior of their home.

“The area had been coal mined quite a bit, some years back. We started building our house here, we started hand-picking our stones from where we had dug here, the excavation, the stones we turned up, and also stones along the creek bank, because they’re rich in fossils. And I also wanted it to look like this house fit here,” said Young.

Young’s art, like her home, also includes objects from nature, from wasp nests that are preserved with porcelain, to pieces of driftwood that are constructed into circular collages, inspired by whirlpools she finds in rivers.

She also finds imaginative ways to incorporate pieces of trash that other people dump in the woods, like using scrap wire to shape into trees.

Her work drew the attention of Pennsylvania artist Ken Marquis, founder of the Landfill Arts Project. He invited Young to submit a piece of art for a new exhibit, which opened on September 7^th. Over 1,000 artists from around the world were given a hubcap. Each of them repurposed their hubcap in their own way. Young was one of a few hundred artists whose piece was selected for the exhibit.

“When I got the hubcap, the first thing that entered my mind was the driftwood piece, inside the hubcap. I’ve seen so many hubcaps in the river. And I’ve watched them pop off the hill and roll down into the river.

And there’s swirlholes where the whirlpools land, and they’re circular. And they’ll have little bits of wood or stones collect inside of them, said Young.”

The Landfill Arts Project organized the exhibit to help encourage the public to think creatively about re-purposing old materials. What one person might consider trash, artists like Janice Young see as materials that can be used to create.

Painting of an owl, by Janice Summers-Young

“I thought it was a really really neat project that’s gonna have that many people from all around participating in something that I’m passionate about. You know, just not wasting so much and trying to reuse as much as possible. No, we can’t all be environmental saints, but any little thing that we can do all adds up eventually,” said Young.

Young says she doesn’t consider herself an environmentalist. But as a West Virginian artist, she does feels inspired by the delicate beauty of the mountains and the rivers. Often, it’s a beauty that she thinks is abused.

When she sees trash in the river, she picks it up, and tries to turn it into art. Now, that art will be on display in a museum, surrounded by the works of artists from across the world. All 287 of them are tied together by the willingness to create– out of the waste that most people call trash.

Young and another West Virginian artist, Romney Shelton Collins, will both have their hubcap art on display at The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia through next March. The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10-4.