flying squirrelSurprisingly Large Number of Northern Flying Squirrels Counted in 2009

A total of 26 Northern Flying Squirrels were found in the 88 squirrel boxes checked along Grandfather’s Daniel Boone Scout Trail, Profile Trail and in-park trails. Grandfather represents the southern-most limit of this species' range. Read more about it.

facebook iconGrandfather Mountain Posts FaceBook Page

In an age when the interest in "social media" is growing at an exponential rate, Grandfather Mountain has joined the crowd by creating a page on Facebook. The Grandfather staff regularly updates the page to keep "fans" informed about what is happening on Grandfather Mountain. Read more about it.

Top Shop Construction Gears Back Up In March

hikerThe weather improved enough in March for crews to get back to work on the Top Shop. Some erected steel framing walls for the exterior of the first floor while others used large boulders to fill in a section of the cliff behind the building that needs to be brought up to grade with the path to the Swinging Bridge. Read more about it.

Are you worried about mercury in compact fluorescent light bulbs?

Grandfather Mountain has changed to compact fluorescent light bulbs because CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. But should we be concerned that fluorescents contain mercury?

According to Popular Mechanics Magazine, generating the power needed for an incandescent bulb releases 4.65 more milligrams of mercury into the environment over its lifetime than a CFL, even if the mercury contained in the CFL is released directly into the atmosphere.

When it comes time to dispose of a CFL, if your community does not have a recycling program for fluorescent bulbs check with Wal-Mart or Home Depot.

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