Current Release: April 28th, 2009 | Vol. XXX Iss. 10

tOP Photo By lauren perry

Wesleyan teems with wildlife

By Meagan Richardson

mbrichardson@vwc.edu

Imagine walking into a crowded hangout on campus. The air is thick with a variety of smells; however, none recognizable due to the stench of damp wood. It appears that the inhabitants of this hangout have formed a clique, and unfortunately you re the odd one out. Conversations bounce back and forth like an intense tennis match. No, you haven t entered the Grille, the café, or any other student- infested grove at Virginia Wesleyan College. You d like to distinguish the surrounding murmurs, but unless you crawl, slither, hop or fly the chances are unlikely. You ve stumbled onto a frog pound.

Unlike its neighboring colleges and universities, VWC sits snuggly inside a natural environment. But as students toil over classes, exams, or the weekend hot spot, the school s  back yard seems to go unnoticed. Inside the woods dwell numerous classifications of plants, exotic and common, along with countless species of animals.

Grounds Supervisor Kathleen Bartkus has become acquainted with many four-legged Virginia Wesleyan residents. During her daily routines of going on morning trash runs, mowing the lawns, and tending to the landscape, spotting a furry creature is as common as seeing students headed to classes. She s encountered gray and red foxes, opossums, squirrels, raccoons, bald eagles, frogs, turkey vultures, pileated woodpeckers, non poisonous and poisonous snakes, turtles, mice, rats and ducks, just to name a few.

Bartkus, grounds supervisor by job title, is an animal social worker by chance. While on the job she s had many interactions with animals, but none as hands-on as rescuing raccoons from open dumpsters. While on the hunt for food, raccoons enter the dumpster in hope of a fast food experience. Many of the masked bandits find themselves trapped afterwards.

 Unfortunately, a number of people on campus do not realize that leaving trash outside of dumpsters or leaving dumpster doors open contributes directly to the raccoon encounters, she said. Bartkus advises the campus community that properly placing trash inside dumpsters and closing the doors will force the raccoons to look elsewhere for food.

 I shudder to think of how many raccoons have been sent to the dump before we were able to rescue them from a near-empty dumpster, she continued.

When she comes across injured wildlife, she keeps them safe until she is able to take them to local SPCA facilities. Despite those few scary encounters, Bartkus remains positive in her outlook about these interactions.  There is never a dull moment in this type of work, she said.

Even though animals consume a large portion of our campus, VWC s plant population also plays a dominant role. Botany, or the study of plants, includes a wide range of areas. Some of the sections include plants and their functions, classification, reproduction of plants among others. But you don t have to be an expert to identify any of the campus foliage. According to biology professor Dr. Paul M. Resslar, some plants are more obvious to identify than others.

The orchid flower for example can be found all over VWC during mid summer. Unfortunately, they tend to bloom during the time of year when students are away on semester break. Orchid breeds come in many color variations and shades magnifying any stretch of the imagination. Other species of plants that call VWC home include the rare Cardinal flower near Lake Taylor, wild roses, turtle heads, and dogwoods.

Amongst the many plants on campus, some are actually edible and medicinal. Honeysuckles and apple trees are prime examples of VWC s edible greenery. With a well-trained eye and the right amount of plant knowledge, certain plants can be used for recreational purposes.  I would strongly suggest students not to try anything found in the woods, Resslar stated with emphasis.  Some plants are toxic and others aren t; if you re not sure just leave them there.

Roommate too noisy? Library too crowded? Try opting for a wall-less environment. There are a number of trails on campus that weave in and out waiting for nature lovers to travel them. Organizations such as the Trail Club are planning improvements for paths to make them easier to access.  In the past the paths have been destroyed by people driving personal vehicles off-road, Bartkus said.  By limiting vehicular access to the trails, they can now be restored as walking, running, and biking paths.

Take a break from your daily routine and venture out and enjoy VWC s natural resources. But whatever you do watch your step-you might just invade a popular frog hangout.