Acounts of Snow and Silence – Paint Rock Takes a Snow Day

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Photos by Gabe Sullivan-Brugger Text by Sakora Smeby

As the year kicks off with many doors of opportunity opening, the tree census that has been worked on diligently by our many census crews wraps up. Each group carried on, season to season, working through the heat of the summer, crisp fall air, and the relatively mild winter temperatures. However, this year, on January 9th, the Paint Rock valley was engulfed in snow, offering a picturesque landscape. The crew took the day to stay inside, and input data and two of the members seized the moment, exploring the forest and capturing it in this rare state. Gabe Sullivan-Brugger went camera in hand, out into the flurrying field, with Joao Pedro de Godoy leading him on the path. 

I had the chance to speak with the two men about their time in the snow, I first spoke with Mr. Sullivan-Brugger. When asked what he enjoyed about the experience, he answered: 

“It showcased all of the soft edges of the land and captured the natural shape of the topography. It allowed everything to be heard more distinctly, similar to when the streets are clear in the middle of the night. Ambient noise was cut by the snow, drawing focus to typically-hushed sounds like birds swooping down to eat off of shrubs.”

Experiencing snowy mountains was exciting for Gabe, who comes from Athens, Georgia. There, snow is scarce and usually comes down as sleet, whereas this time around, it fell gracefully and formed a powdery layer on the ground.

Gabe says the most notable part of the winter wonderland was the striking appearance of wildlife contrasted against the snow. Vibrant birds danced through the valley, and deer peeked out behind trees.

The next interviewee was Joao, who shared enthusiasm with Gabe, coming from a place of even further and warmer origin – Brazil. The few times Paint Rock has received snow, Joao, a man of few words, says he felt the satisfaction of seeing and feeling something unlike anything he had encountered back home- snowfall and frigid temperatures.

We are happy to be able to share the results of their breathtaking and incomparable time wandering in the frosted forest. The photos, taken by Sullivan-Brugger, are the highlights of their adventure. It is the first time he has used our extensive digital camera system meant to encourage conservation photography. It seems that Gabe has an extremely good feel for the photography process, I am sure he will add it to his tool belt in his future journeys.

Paint Rock Forest Research Center has been working in the Valley for seven years

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On November 10th, we were fortunate enough to celebrate our seventh year as a research center! The anniversary was commemorated through our annual harvest celebration. We gathered family, friends, and neighbors together to enjoy a beautiful fall day and an overview of our accomplishments, as well as our vision for what’s ahead.

The Paint Rock harvest celebration is a festive event meant to show gratitude to all vested parties for the work they do to help us move forward. This year, we were joined by the McFarlen family- in droves. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the family’s farm was located on what is now the research center’s property. We were glad to welcome them, and we’re looking forward to hearing stories about the land and how it was used during that period.

Paint Rock’s Executive Director, Bill Finch, drew in a large crowd of peers, friends, and neighbors to listen to the progress in restoring the shortleaf pine and its ecosystem back to the Southeastern United States. In his hour-long conversation, Bill dove into many of the specific wonders that make Alabama and the Paint Rock Valley special, its biological diversity across plants and animals, and the biological importance of caves.

We would like to thank those who continue to help us keep moving forward. You are turning the tide of the Southeast’s ecological future. To those of you who are subscribed to the newsletter and share it with those around you, your importance cannot be overstated! We want to make our gratitude clear and hope that you all continue to tune in for more updates on the research center.