10 Wonderful Words about Nature and Pictures at the Pinnacles

I am convinced that language is the most fascinating aspect of anthropological study. We can study a culture’s words and oral customs and make inferences about that culture’s historic development and daily rituals. A language (and its numerous dialects) provides insight into what is prominent in the lives of its speakers. Words that describe very specific feelings or images are particularly intriguing; I try to imagine the origins of these words, the people that first spoke them, and what the word looked like when they were adopted.

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Posted by Wendy Warren Hiking Students The Center Trees

Taking Nature for Granted

I have always been amazed at how we do not know what we are missing until we take the leap of faith and try out new things.

As humans, we always go for the easier route, the comfortable one. We do not like to try things that take us out of our comfort zone, but once we do, we are always left in awe and wonder.

My name is Aloyce Riziki. I was born and raised in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. I am currently a rising junior at Berea College and for the first part of my summer, I am working at the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center.

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Posted by Wendy Warren Hiking Students Trees

Winter Tree Identification

On March 3rd…

we were joined by Dr. Sarah Hall, Chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department at Berea College, for a winter tree identification session–the first of many themed Saturday hikes. An inter-generational crowd gathered in front of the Center anxiously awaiting Dr. Hall to begin. Our slow walk began at the base of the trails where Dr. Hall started by teaching us about shagbark hickory (Carya ovata). Its distinct shaggy, peeling bark is easily recognizable, but comparable to shellbark hickory (Carya laciniosa), where the differences lie in the shape of the nut.

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Posted by Wendy Warren Hiking Trees Volunteer

Documentary Dialogues: NERVE

The logo for NERVE

Twenty-five community members gathered at the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center January 18th for the first in a series of Documentary Dialogues, to be held the 3rd Thursday of each month.  Many thanks to Nina Verin, a Friends of the Forest Volunteer who coordinates this event. This month’s offering was NERVE, a film created to highlight the work of the Kentucky Environmental Foundation. The dialogue that followed was led by two of the people featured in the film, Craig Williams and Deborah Payne. We are most grateful for their generosity in spending this time with us. 

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Posted by Wendy Warren Community Volunteer

Saturday Community Hikes

A group of Berea College students, staff, and community members gathered Saturday, January 20th, to celebrate the return of warmer weather as we hiked together at the Pinnacles. We met at the Forestry Outreach Center at 12:30, divided into groups to accommodate hikers’ interests and needs, and made our way on trails along the roadside or up to various Pinnacles. Some of the people gathered had never hiked at the Pinnacles before, while others were quite familiar with the trails. 

A portion of the group that hiked on January 20th.

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Posted by Wendy Warren Community Hiking Volunteer

Call for Volunteer Bloggers!

Have you visited the Forestry Outreach Center, attended a recent event, or hiked the Pinnacles lately? Do you have a story to share about an experience in the Berea College Forest, past or present? Can you provide insight into the flora, fauna, or history of College Forest lands? If so, we invite you to consider volunteering to contribute to this website as a guest blogger! Submit your post, including a photo or two, if possible, to Wendy Warren at wendy_warren@berea.edu . We hope to be reading your story on this site very soon!  

by Jay Buckner
Posted by Wendy Warren The Center Volunteer

The Berea College Forestry Outreach Center is OPEN

It’s time to plan your visit to the Forestry Outreach Center!

Located at the edge of the Pinnacles parking lot, the Forestry Outreach Center serves as a welcome center for hikers, bikers, and other visitors to the area. Inside the Center, you’ll find displays about Forest ecology and the history of Berea College’s relationship with the Forest, restrooms, and a water bottle filling station. Volunteers and Center staff, including Berea College students, will be on hand to greet visitors. Center hours are currently 10am-3pm Monday through Saturday. Virtual visitors can learn more about each of the displays by accessing the Forest Outreach Center tab of this website.  

In addition to the display area…

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Posted by Wendy Warren The Center