2015 Atlantic White Cedar Foliage Collections

April 2015 Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides)

Foliage Collections

April 12-18, 2015

Andrew Whittier

Location of 11 Atlantic White Cedar provenances from which foliage was collected in April of 2015 for a genetic diversity study.

April 2015 Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) Foliage Collections

April 12-18, 2015

Andrew Whittier

I. Introduction

During the 2013 cone collections of Atlantic White Cedar (AWC) from populations in Florida and Mississippi it was decided that Camcore would also collect foliage from each of the sites visited. This decision was introduced by USFS Region 8 Geneticist Barbara Crane who assisted in the 2013 collections and is the Forest Service cooperator for our AWC conservation efforts.

Foliage collections are being done from most sites from which we have collected or will collect cones in order to investigate patterns of genetic diversity of the species across the range and to compare this diversity to that of our seed collections as an evaluation of our conservation progress. Pursuant to this decision we collected foliage from cone collection sites in New Jersey and Maryland in 2014 and plan to do the same during the 2015 cone collections. Unfortunately we did not anticipate a genetic diversity study in 2012 and did not collect foliage from any of the original provenances collected in the Carolina’s and Virginia. In order to remedy this, in April of 2015 we set out to revisit some of the 2012 collection sites in order to secure foliage from what we have classified as the Southern Atlantic Seed Zone for AWC. During these foliage collections we also took time to explore and collect foliage from new stands in both eastern and western Georgia that we had read about in the literature. Securing foliage, and eventually cones, from this portion of the range will fill in a gap in our collections between South Carolina and the 2013 Gulf Coast collections in the panhandle of Florida and Mississippi.

All together this trip was successful and enjoyable with field work fitting in seamlessly between nearly daily rain showers. Foliage from 10 trees from each of 11 populations in the central portion of the AWC range was collected. On returning to Raleigh all foliage was shipped to the National Forests Genetics Lab in Placerville, CA for DNA extraction. From the 5 sites visited in Georgia I feel good about fall 2015 cone collections from 3 sites. In the eastern part of the state Fort Gordon should be targeted for a 2015 cone collection. In western Georgia cone collections are recommended at the TNC Fort Perry site, and the Pipes property along Little Whitewater Creek.

From the majority of sites visited new cone development was evident with spent catkins commonly found on trees. Similar to our conservation work with other domestic species, AWC cones on this trip were much more prevalent on trees with exposure. It was reassuring to see immature new cones on AWC trees in mid-April. During April of 2014 we explored AWC stands in New England and found we had visited too early to observe new cones. If cone development at the 11 sites visited in April of 2015 is an indicator of cone status across the range we should have successful cone collections in New England as well as Georgia in 2015. In July of 2015 I will explore stands in New England and the mid-Atlantic in order to determine which sites are suitable for cone collections during the fall. It will be interesting to investigate thehealth and cone production at the more northern AWC sites after an abnormally long, cold, and wet winter.

Foliage collections went very smooth and we are appreciative to our contacts at each site for assisting and granting us permission to complete this project. Specifically, thanks are extended to Bryan Poovey at the Great Dismal Swamp in VA, Brian Van Druten with the Alligator River NWR, Ed Correy with NC State Parks, Steven Maharrey on the Croatan National Forest,Michael Juhan with Fort Gordon in GA, Michele Elmore with The Nature Conservancy in Georgia, western Georgia private landowners Victor Prevatt, Clarissa Pipes, Martin Cozart, and John Frazer, Thomas Coleman with the Bishop Gravatt Center, Stan Hutto with SC State Parks, and Brady Beck with NC Sandhills Game Lands.

II. Methodology

Foliage collections were completed over the course of one week in mid-April of 2015. In total 13 sites were visited in 4 states. At each site material was collected from 10 trees with the majority of trees being located 100 meters or greater from their nearest neighbor. I attempted to sample from Camcore cone mother trees whenever possible but could only positively ID 6 of our pedigree tags. From each sampled tree I took four 6 inch long branch tips with healthy green foliage. Collections were done via pole and hand pruners. Samples were labeled with provenance abbreviations and sequentially with no trees being marked in the field. Due to a miscount in the field there are no trees in the 051-060 range in this collection. Samples from each tree were placed in plastic Ziploc bags and later sent to the USDA National Forest Genetics Lab in Placerville California for DNA extraction. Foliage collections using this methodology will be hopefully repeated during the fall of 2015 at sites in New England and the mid-Atlantic in order to capture foliage from sites across the northern portion of the species range.

III. Provenance Collection Data

11. Gravatt Center

Provenance Name & Number: Gravatt Center (7)

County & State: Aiken, SC

Country: USA

Latitude: N 33 44.4

Longitude: W 81 35.0

Elevation: 133m

Location

Bishop Gravatt Center is located approximately 45 southwest of Columbia, SC. From Columbia head west (towards Augusta) on I-20 to exit 29/Wire Road, head north off the exit ramp. Drive one mile before turning left onto Kedron Church Road. Follow Kedron for 0.75 miles to Camp Gravatt Road. Take Camp Gravatt Road 0.75 miles into camp center.

Site Notes

It was good to return to Bishop Gravatt Center and hike around their property. After checking in with Program Director Thomas Coleman I headed over to the Sparkleberry Trail. I was again impressed with the number and size of AWC trees located along the tributary draining into the lake. In talking with Thomas it was mentioned that the February 2014 ice storm that effected nearby Fort Gordon had done extensive damage to the AWC here. During my short hike Iobserved what he was talking about. Even with the damage here I was able to easily secure foliage from 10 individual trees.

While walking the trail it was interesting to contrast the dense understory on the swampy lakeside of the trail with the open and burnt longleaf stands on the drier opposite side of the trail. Once I got closer to the lake I was able to find more AWC trees with exposure and cones, both old and new. The spacing of the first few trees collected was a bit closer than 100 meters as I underestimated the number of trees here. Tree 100 occurred on the backside of the lake and had been mowed back to inadvertently look like a hedged seedling. Even with the small height I was able to secure enough healthy foliage to collect. Had I realized there were more trees on the backside of the lake I would have likely skipped this tree. I did not collect any foliage from the trees along the powerline cut from which we collected cones from in 2012. On heading back to the truck I ran into Roy and we chatted for a bit. During this talk Roy mentioned that the AWC around the office was planted and he was uncertain of its origin.

Heirloom Vegetables in the Gravatt Garden

This spring at Gravatt will be growing even more heirloom varieties in our garden.  Heirloom vegetables are defined in several ways. Some consider heirlooms to be any vegetable cultivars that have been grown for a certain length of time. Other people consider vegetables to be truly heirlooms only if being passed down by a family or group has preserved them. Heirlooms are always open-pollinated.

Here is a taste of some of the varieties that will be planted this spring and summer.  If you would like to enjoy some of these delicious vegetables, don't wait to join Gravatt's CSA

White Wonder CUCUMBER Southern heirloom, pre- 1925. 'White Wonder' is an old variety that matures to an ivory white color. The 7-inch fruit are easy see at harvest.

'Lemon'  Cucumber produces many lemon-colored and lemon-shaped fruit on fast-growing vines.

Cow Horn OKRA Pre 1865 Cow Horn produces larger pods than most okra but should be harvested young and tender. Best time to pick Cow Horn is at 6" but can remain spineless, crunchy and tender up to 10" long. This old heirloom dates all the way back to the early 1900's when first discovered. The twisted shape of the okra somewhat resembles the horns of a cow. Use shorter more tender pods for pickling or longer pods are great for gumbo! First flowers will start to appear within 45 days with okra pods soon to follow.

Bloomsdale Spinach – Pre 1908

Lucullus Swiss Chard - Introduced about 1914. Named after the Roman general Lucius Lucullus (pronounced "lu-kul-us") who was renowned for his splendid banquets.

 Southern Giant Curled MUSTARD - Pre 1880,  An old heirloom from the Southern U.S. and makes a mighty swell mess of greens.

Yellow Crookneck – introduced about 1700

Moon and Stars - [Early 1900 family heirloom from Georgia. Introduced 1987 by SESE. Years ago, a melon of this description was routinely shipped from Bermuda to some southern states around Christmas time.] •'Moon & Stars' is another heirloom from the Amish. These 15- to 30- pounds melons have sweet red-pink flesh. The dark green rind is covered with bright yellow spots. The leaves of the plants are also spotted.

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce - This heirloom dates back to 1850!

Deer Tongue Lettuce is a pre-1900 heirloom that is named for its pointed leaves and thick mid-rib. It is heat-tolerant and slow-bolting.

Calico Crowder is a medium-sized, heirloom, climbing crowder pea, white with maroon splotches, good fresh or dried. 70 days

Peanuts – Carolina Black[Introduced 1999 by SESE from seed sent by Derek Morris.] One of the varieties grown during the 1800s was the African peanut (also known as the N. Carolina peanut). It may have been a black peanut, possibly the same as ‘Carolina Black.’ According to food historian William Woys Weaver, the black peanut may have been used as a substitute for Black Bambarra (African ground nut) by the black community. Black Bambarra is important in African folk medicine as an aphrodisiac. The N. Carolina climate won’t support black Bambarra, but black pea- nuts grow there without difficulty. Carolina Black produces sweet-tasting, black-skinned peanuts that are slightly larger than Spanish peanuts.

Spring is Finally Here!

Winter is gone and the sun and warm days are back. The flowers are blooming and the trees are starting to bud.

Here at Gravatt this is a very important time for wildlife, such as deer, birds, and insects. One insect in particular that is special here at camp are the bees. Gravatt has one hive of honey bees. The bees help the plants and trees bloom and also love to be in the garden. We take great pride in our bees because they play such an important role for the plant life here at Gravatt. We hope to soon be harvesting honey in the near future.

Winston Collins, Farm & Program Intern

5 Tips for Making the Perfect Cinnamon Buns

Here in the kitchen at Gravatt, one of our favorite things to make for breakfast is homemade cinnamon rolls. Who doesn’t love a warm, gooey treat slathered with icing for breakfast? Here are some tips we have learned on how to make the some of the best cinnamon rolls around:

1. Take time and be patient. I’m not sure about anyone else, but this is one of the hardest things for me when it comes to making different breads and pastries. Once the dough comes together, it is incredibly difficult to have to sit and wait for it to double in size. But the wait is worth it! Letting your dough rise for the full amount of time improves the texture and overall flavor of it.
2. Take care of your yeast! Yeast is a finicky thing and can be hard to figure out, but with the right temperature it can be mastered! An accurate temperature allows the yeast to activate and ferment properly. If the temperature is too low, it will create a sticky dough and if it is too hot, the yeast will die. So an ideal temperature would be between 105 F and 125 F.
3. Thinner dough = more flavor. When rolling out the dough, don’t be afraid to make it thin. The thinner the dough, the more cinnamon and sugar swirls there will be after you roll and cut it. So they will be even more delicious!
4. “More butter, more better!” This applies to the filling, and all the ingredients that go into it! Don’t be afraid to add too much of anything – adding a “Paula Deen amount” of butter will keep the rolls moist and tender and some extra cinnamon and sugar never hurt anybody, right? The key here is to make a mess. When rolling up the dough, you definitely want to see butter oozing out the sides. Another tip for the filling is to just make it your own. Add pecan pralines, chocolate chips, or dried fruit for some delicious and different flavor complexities.
5. A yummy icing/glaze makes the cinnamon roll. I think the icing may be one of my favorite parts about cinnamon rolls. There are lots of different kinds that you can make, like complicated cream cheese frostings or fancy maple and coffee cream glazes, but I just prefer a simple vanilla icing. All it takes is a little vanilla extract, heavy whipping cream, and powdered sugar. Whisk them all together and drizzle it over hot cinnamon rolls right out the oven and you can’t go wrong.

Here is an awesome recipe from the Food Network

Yummy cinnamon rolls ready to go into the oven!

that we use here in the kitchen for you to try at home!

Cinnamon Roll Recipe:

½ cup milk

1 ¼-ounce packet of active dry yeast (or 2 ¼ teaspoons)

¼ sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg yolk

1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 ¾ cups All Purpose Flour, with more for dusting

¾ teaspoon of salt

Filling: 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of cinnamon

1. Warm ½ cup of water and the milk in a saucepan over low heat until a thermometer reads 105 F to 110 F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast on top, then sprinkle with a pinch of sugar; set aside, undisturbed, until foamy (about five minutes).
2. Whisk the melted butter, egg yolk, and vanilla into the yeast mixture until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, and the salt together. Make a well in the center, then add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to make thick and slightly sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. Shape into a ball.
3. Brush a large bowl with melted butter. Add the dough, turning it to coat lightly with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size, about an hour and fifteen minutes.
4. Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead briefly to release excess air; re-form into a ball and return to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it directly on the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least four hours – overnight.
5. To make the rolls: Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 10×18 inch rectangle. Spread the butter over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one of the long sides. Top with the cinnamon and sugar. Tightly roll the dough into an 18 inch log, then slice with a serrated knife. This should make approximately 12 rolls. Place the rolls in the prepared pan and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set them in a warm place to rise until they are doubled in size  (about an hour and ten minutes).
6. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Uncover the rolls until they spring back when touched, ~25 – 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan before serving. Don’t forget to drizzle them with the glaze!