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  “Her name is Tickle,” she said, giggling as a millipede crawled across her arm. “It tickles!” That moment—pure curiosity, a little bravery, and a lot of joy—captured the spirit of our first week of Jocassee Wild Child Outdoor Laboratory Experiences (JWC OLÉ). This week, 4th graders from Oconee and Greenville counties stepped into a…

Ahh-chooo!   Chill rises with morning air to wipe a smooth surface across deeper recesses of Lake Jocassee. Sun has risen behind these steep, worn mountains, but here, where ancient river follows an ancient path, light is subdued. Then river bends around mountain, and rays of sunshine stream through trees, illuminating water dusted white with…

After overwintering as a chrysalis in diapause, hidden in curled leaves and tree crevices or protected under rock ledges, our adult tiger swallowtail butterflies have begun to emerge. Several have been spotted fluttering across coves and narrow channels of the lake in search of the perfect spot to complete two very important tasks. These butterflies…

Xy-loco-pa I have a friend who will close a gentle fist around carpenter bees who stray too close. If you should stray too close, she’ll hold her fist to your ear so you can hear the strong buzz from Bee. Some people are impressed. Some are terrified. The sound brings to mind the sound of…

Hot off the press and for sale at JocasseeWetandWild.com, and your local Devils Fork State Park office!

We were on a boat in the dark, headed for the convergence of conservation and culture. The full moon fell slowly behind the mountain, as it has for eons. The deep waters beneath us covered the valley, once home to a timeline of inhabitants, from ancient ferns and mastodons to human settlers. This morning, Lake…

Flaming!   His dress was fish casual: lightweight camo sun hoodie, quick dry pants, polarized sunglasses, expensive flip-flops. His green ball cap had a hook stuck in it. His boat, which matched his trailer, which matched his truck, was Decked Out for Speed and for trolling, and clean inside and out. He made one more…

Spring is here! Oconee bells are blooming, dogwood trees are flowering, tulip tree leaves are unfurling. If these are a sight for winter-sore eyes, the spring bird song is music for winter-weary ears. Bird migration has begun and all the signs are here. Songbirds are returning by the thousands on their journey from the tropical…

Why Wildness? He challenged us to answer, “Why wildness?” so my brain immediately circled to, “what is wild?” Wild is an adjective, a noun, but not so easily a verb. What is wild? The wail of a loon? Is the turkey vulture soaring overhead any wilder than the goldfinch at the feeder? Is bear more…

Is it spring? For most, the spring equinox is the first day of spring. For some, including meteorologists, it’s March 1. Kay and I claimed March 1 as the first day of spring when we first moved here, to the shores of Lake Jocassee. We jumped in the lake on that first day of Spring….

Buy the Book! I’ve written a book. Actually, I’ve written this book paragraph by paragraph, week by week, over the past 13 years. Readers of the Blue Wall Weekly have read these paragraphs before. Still, the book debuted, appropriately, at Saturday’s BellFest, at Devils Fork State Park, on the edge of Lake Jocassee, and I…

LOON WEEK! What a week. 5 days of near perfect weather at the first of March studying winter loon behavior with loon biologist extraordinaire Dr. Jay Mager, ten very eager loon lovers, and professional staff from three loon conservation organizations from breeding lakes in the northern states. Six long, slow hours each day watching loons…