Today area Girl Scouts and guests spent an afternoon giving back to nature by planting trees and bushes at the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve in Ridgeway. The Community Tree Planting Day, coordinated by The Dan River Basin Association (DRBA), was made possible by generous donations from Anne Carter Gravely of Rocky Mount and Prillaman Landscape Dimensions, Inc. of Ridgeway.
Before planting, the scouts from Troupes 761 and 464 watched Mr. C.D. Prillaman, Vice President of Prillaman Landscape Dimensions, Inc., demonstrate the use of a Toro Dingo machine that digs large holes for trees. 
After being given instructions on how to plant the trees, the scouts worked with their parents and volunteers from DRBA and the Martinsville-Henry County Master Gardeners to plant fifteen trees and seven rose bushes in memory of the late Richard P. Gravely, Jr.
Frank Frazier and Aileen Bourne of the Master Gardeners spoke to the scouts about the types of trees and shrubs being planted and what they will look like as the trees mature. Mrs. Bourne enjoyed spending time with the scouts and was “very impressed with their ability to listen and follow directions” as they learned how to properly plant the trees. According to Junior Girl Scout Courtland Hudgins of Axton, “planting trees was lots of fun!”
The trees supplied by Prillaman Landscape Dimensions, Inc. included Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis), and Pink Knockout Rose Bushes (Rosa 'Radcon').
Many hands working together made for light work and after the planting was complete the scouts enjoyed games about the life cycle of trees led by DRBA staff members Jennifer Doss and Brian Williams.
The Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve is located at 2525 Eggleston Falls Road in Ridgeway. The 75-acre preserve, funded in part by the Harvest Foundation of the Piedmont, is operated by Henry County Parks & Recreation and the Dan River Basin Association. It contains two miles of walking trails and is open year round for the public to enjoy.
Prillaman Landscape Dimensions, Inc. is located in Ridgeway, Va and can be reached at (276) 956-2113 or pldinc@embarqmail.com.
Article by Jennifer Doss
Photos by Martha Smith
On a blustery fall day in mid October, Dan River Basin members gathered at the home of Wayne and Betty Kirkpatrick for the monthly "DRBA third Saturday outing." The Kirkpatrick's have a beautiful farm in the rolling hills of Patrick County in Stuart, VA, where they graciously hosted this Saturday's event.
It didn't take long for the group to start spreading out along the trail into smaller groups, all hiking at thier own pace.
The fall colors were just beginning to peak and we were treated to fabulous shades of gold and red from the many hardwoods along the ridge. The deep crimson red of the sourwood trees and the brilliant yellow of the hickories stood out against a lush green backdrop of thick rhododendrons.
The Closed Gentian was still hanging onto its wildflower purple as a reminder that summer is gone but not forgotten.
The Bull Mountain range towers above the rolling hills of Patrick County and it sometimes becomes shrouded in fog. That's when the mountain can turn deadly for unlucky air travelers. On a side trail near the top, we took a detour to visit the Memorial to the airmen of a B-24 on a training mission that crashed on the mountain back in 1944.
This propeller stands as silent testament to that fateful day, engraved with the names of the crew. On the way home, Wayne also took us around the east side where we viewed a memorial cross high on the ridge, erected as a memorial to the Hendrickson racing family plane crash in 2005.
Bull Mountain is also known for it's vein of staurolite crystals, better known as Fairystones or Fairy crosses. The vein runs the length of the mountain range and although we did not spend much time hunting Fairystones, just observing the rocks along the trail you could see staurolite crystals exposed in the matrix rock at certain elevations. 
Arriving at the summit, we all took a break and had some lunch at the Bull Mountain Fire Tower. Exploring the northeast flank of the mountain just beyond the tower, the hickory's seemed to be the dominate tree, and the forest seemed to glow with yellow fire.
