Julie Dodd

Educator, blogger for Friends of the Smokies, nature enthusiast, writer, runner, hiker, photographer

[Friends of the Smokies @SmokiesFriends]

Friends of the Smokies will help keep Great Smoky Mountains National Park open through Jan. 4 with basic visitor services and limited staffing amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. Full press release on the partnership agreement at the link:
https://t.co/wmcpTYjOaB

[Diana Cotter@linnaeaborealis @DianaCotter5]

I've been wandering around my local wood and copse, and along hedgerows, picking up leaves from as many tree and shrub species as I could find. I found 29, mostly native, species. I just love the different colours and shapes!🍂🍁🍂

[Julie Dodd @profdodd]

Enjoyed sharing the story of Anna Marie Pavlik's experience as an Artist in Residence @GreatSmokyNPS. A linoleum cut print she donated to the park includes 21 different plants she identified in the park. @SmokiesFriends helps fund the AIR program.
https://t.co/jgg05Knwqg

[SCCF @SCCF_SWFL]

An epic journey. 🐢 3 years ago, a Florida box turtle that was tagged as part of our research program was swept from Sanibel to Pine Island during Hurricane Ian. A Facebook post helped us locate the turtle & bring him back to Sanibel, where he is protected by law from collection.

“Piney” has also survived Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and he’s still going strong! If you see a box turtle in the region, email us at [email protected].

[National Park Service @NatlParkService]

The National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916, to "preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations."

[Julie Dodd @profdodd]

I remember that great photo! Animal caretakers at the Miami zoo moved flamingos into the bathroom to protect them from #HurricaneAndrew.

[Ron Magill @RonMagill]

33 years ago I took this photograph never realizing how iconic it would become as a reminder of one of the most catastrophic natural disasters of my life. #flamingosinthebathroom #hurricaneandrew #nikonphotography

[Smokey Bear @smokey_bear]

Thanks for celebrating with me, friends. If you’re spending time outdoors with your flat Smokey, visit my website https://t.co/rI2GCm8IO2 to brush up on your wildfire prevention tips. 🐻

[Julie Dodd @profdodd]

Thanks to @GreatSmokyNPS Ranger Josh Shapiro for collaborating with me on this @SmokiesFriends blog post about the restoration of Bullhead Trail, one of the trails leading to Mount Le Conte.

[Friends of the Smokies @SmokiesFriends]

Your license plates and donations support the Trails Forever crew restoring Bullhead Trail. Writer Julie Dodd digs into the project in our latest blog post. Thank you to the workers and everyone who supports Friends of the Smokies! (Photo by Josh Shapiro) https://t.co/zIfjXrvy3Z

[Smokies Life @Smokies_Life]

How researchers began looking to the #dragonfly for help track mercury contamination in the environment makes for a pretty interesting tale of an unlikely ‘Rosetta stone.’ Find out how scientists are making a difference in tracking an insidious pollutant: https://t.co/tjd4t1eq8A

[Julie Dodd @profdodd]

@gatornic @UF @ufogpd I appreciate your support for UF's graduate student teachers and recognizing their accomplishments at the Graduate Student Awards and Recognition Ceremony.

[Julie Dodd @profdodd]

Congratulations to @UF Graduate Student #Teaching Award winners for 2024-2025! Honored to serve on the selection committee. @gatornic @ufogpd
https://t.co/cnliLOKkoU

[Flower Show @TheFlowerShow]

thought this was neat. The life cycle of a blackberry.

[Julie Dodd @profdodd]

Enjoyed opportunity to write about hiker Margaret Stevenson's positive impact -- inspiring other hikers and improving trails in @GreatSmokyNPS. Check my @SmokiesFriends blog post.

[Friends of the Smokies @SmokiesFriends]

Margaret Stevenson (1912-2006) achieved staggering hiking stats in the Smokies. The first woman in the 900-Miler Club, she hiked Le Conte 718 times. An endowment benefiting our Trails Forever program in her honor recently reached $275K. More at our blog: https://t.co/SlnElDBloG

[dominic dyer @domdyer70]

Veterinarians crafted miniature snow shoes for a small mockingbird with deformed feet, recently rescued by the California Wildlife Center. The customized shoes aided in realigning its feet, restoring them to a normal bird's foot shape. Within a week, the bird's feet were successfully corrected, allowing it to walk independently.

Credit: California Wildlife Center

[Flower Show @TheFlowerShow]

Linnaeus's flower clock is a fascinating and historical concept created by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century.

In 1751, Linnaeus designed a flower clock as a way to show how different flowers bloom at specific times of the day, thus creating a living "clock" that could be used to tell time based on the opening and closing patterns of flowers.

For example:
•5:00 AM (early morning) – Crocus (known for opening at dawn)
•9:00 AM – Poppy (which opens late morning)
•12:00 PM (noon) – Lily (which blooms around noon)
•3:00 PM – Rose (usually opens fully in the afternoon)
•6:00 PM (evening) – Evening primrose (blooms in the evening)
•9:00 PM (night) – Night-blooming cereus (which opens at night)

[Diana Cotter@linnaeaborealis @DianaCotter5]

I finally finished this hand-drawn woodland walk map, showing my route and the wildIife I saw. I've made another one as I wasn't happy with the original version, which had slightly tilted trees - not in a good way!🌲🌳🌲🌳

[Julie Dodd @profdodd]

Enjoyed working with @GreatSmokyNPS Ranger Jesse Webster in telling the story of protecting hemlock trees in the Smokies & the role @SmokiesFriends plays.

[Friends of the Smokies @SmokiesFriends]

With your support, we'll provide $155,000 to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2025 to protect hemlock and ash trees from deadly pests. Writer Julie Dodd's post on our blog explains why hemlocks are vital and how the treatments work. https://t.co/VVYSMHG1yn

[The Figen @TheFigen_]

A well funded music program.

Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" xylophone-style.

[MLDwrites @MichelleDuster]

My brother Dan and I had input into the design of this special quarter honoring our great-grandmother #IdaBWells. She's only one of 20 women from the entire history of the country to be featured on this specific currency. @RebelliousMag

[Girl Scouts @girlscouts]

📢BIG NEWS: Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts, is set to grace the U.S. quarter in 2025 thanks to the U.S. Mint's American Women Quarters™ Program. 📷 Let's honor her legacy together! Get the deets: https://t.co/a499IVKzXU. #GirlScouts #AmericanWomenQuarters