By ROBERT JUMPER
One Feather Editor
Those of us who daily have the privilege to live in the mountains take for granted the incredible display of nature’s beauty that is routinely available to enjoy. There are those who live not so far away who don’t have the great pleasure of seeing trees full of birds, streams full of fish, and lands teeming with wildlife so often that it is commonplace.
Just a couple of weeks ago one of the roaming elk herds came through the downtown area and caused quite a stir at the Ginger Lynn Welch Building. There is no way to explain the wonder of looking out the glass doors of your office building and seeing those majestic animals lumbering along Acquoni Road. Yes, there is some danger involved in having them come that close to civilization, for both the elk and humans. While they are mostly docile, they are wild animals and animals of a size that could be hazardous to one’s health if they are frightened. Most folks stayed inside until the fine officers from Natural Resources Enforcement came and urged the herd into the Oconaluftee River. Then some folks ventured out to marvel at them and get a few pictures.
Being a gateway community, we get treated to all the wildlife that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway call home. From snakes, lizards, turtles, and frogs of various kinds to squirrels, rabbits, deer, and bear. Not everyday and everywhere, but often enough that we are careful and watchful. I have taken to carrying a walking stick with me wherever and whenever I go walking on the Qualla Boundary. I am not quite to the point of depending on one, but it is very helpful when I encounter the occasional snake or other stubborn wildlife that might need a gentle prod or two to give me the right of way. For me, the stick is more about defense than offense. Walking our greenway trials are actually treasure hunts of the best kind. There is always something new and interesting to experience. Nature at its finest.
If you are into fish, the Oconaluftee and its headwaters are another playground for the amateur naturalist. It isn’t a bad place for professional fisherman either. The crystal clear, rushing waters of the river are home for a variety of aquatic life, including those much sought-after Rainbow, Golden, Brown, and Speckled Trout. Whether you are after them with a high-dollar fly rod and waders, or just wondering at their beauty while wading knee-deep in the water, water that many of us believe has mystical, spiritual power, you always come away from an encounter with our wildlife in the water with a feeling that you just experienced something unique and special.
One of my favorites are the flocks of turkeys that come down from the park from time to time. The turkey is a bird with a history, from being Benjamin Franklin’s pick for national bird to being the spokes-fowl and mascot for some high-priced liquor. Turkeys are iconic in our society, not to mention the tasty centerpiece of many holiday meals. Snoods and wattles are some of the most grotesque facial appendages a person could imagine, yet they somehow work on turkeys. It might be that they have such a regal strut and feathery display that it is hard not to love them. They are truly some of the most fascinating animals to watch.
A stroll in the Talking Trees Island Park will usually net a look at some of our Tribe’s more visible immigrants. Large flocks of Canadian geese and more than a few Mallard ducks call Cherokee home for large portions of the year. It is no fun dodging goose and duck droppings while walking the park’s sidewalks and it sometimes becomes a bit of a gross obstacle course, but the birds are always interesting to watch. There were some discussions within the government about trying some resolutions like creating feeding stations away from the walkways and signage prohibiting the public from feeding them on the island, a la Lake Junaluska’s plan, but no implementation is visible on the Island Park. I think at minimum they should put a couple of those foot shower stations up like you use to wash the sand off your feet at the beach. That way, if you felt something squishy between your toes, you could hit the showers instead of washing them off in the river.
Additionally, I have seen a pair of Wood ducks paddling around the river near the Island Park. In fact, the Oconaluftee Island Park is one of six locations on the Qualla Boundary that is an official North Carolina Birding Trail. The other five are Mingo Falls, Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Oconaluftee Indian Village Botanical Gardens, Riverwalk at Riverbend, and Kituwah Fields. Each of these six locations has a variety of bird species like Pileated Woodpeckers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Belted Kingfisher, and the Northern Harrier. This is just a small list of the many possible sightings of birds that frequent our Boundary. Birding is a great way to get exercise, explore some of the Boundary, and see some of the great bird species of the Southeast.
Like some other projects, a nature reserve and zoo have been explored, tabled, reexplored and tabled. At a least one point, the tribe considered an aquarium, like the one in Gatlinburg, to house and showcase the variety of river critters on Boundary. Personally, and judging by the reaction of the locals and tourists to seeing wildlife on the Boundary, I think either would be a big hit.
Regardless of which is your favorite, take some time explore the Boundary for your favorite beasts. Always use good common sense concerning distance and safety. Make one trip with a camera. Make another without the camera. It’s hard to meditate when you are framing shots for pictures. Spending time in and focusing on the creation reminds us of the Creator. And what could be better than that?
