Steve Roark, Freelance Journalist Profile

Articles

Mountain coffee: Chicory

2 weeks ago | newportplaintalk.com | Steve Roark

Chicory was a popular wild plant back in the day when it was used to make a coffee-like beverage. It is very common in our area and can be seen right now growing along roadsides and abandoned places. Chicory is easy to identify by its blue, dandelion-like flowers that have fringed, flat tipped petals, which can sometimes be white or pink. The flower will usually close up in the late afternoon or on overcast days.
The majestic eastern hemlock

3 weeks ago | newportplaintalk.com | Steve Roark

The hemlock is one of my favorite trees because of its huge size and that it grows along mountain springs and creeks that are usually picturesque and nice places to visit. The eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is our local native, and there is also a western species found from the Rockies west. The local name for the tree is spruce-pine. As mentioned, it likes to grow up in the mountains near streams where the soil is cool and moist.
All the buzz about cicadas

4 weeks ago | newportplaintalk.com | Steve Roark

Though their numbers vary from place to place, you likely have seen and for sure heard the periodical cicada, which has emerged this year in vast numbers and creating a loud drone during the warm part of the day. Cicadas are native insects, of which there are many species. Most show up every year, but seven species have synchronized development and come out periodically in large numbers, hence their name periodical cicada. There are two cycles of them, a 13-year and a 17-year cicada.
Outside: Moss is the carpet of the forest

4 weeks ago | therogersvillereview.com | Steve Roark

Walking in the woods you are bound to see rocks, soil, even the base of trees covered with a thick, green carpet. Moss may appear fairly plain, but it has a few features that call for more attention. It is an old and venerable life form unique to other plants you find in the forest. kAm%96 =@H[ 8C66? >@DD 4@>>@? :? @FC 2C62 :D D@>6E:>6D 42==65 4FD9:@? @C 42CA6E >@DD] xE :D @?6 @7 E96 ECF6 >@DD6D F?56C 2 A=2?E 4=2DD 42==65 |FD4:] |@DD :D G6CJ 5:776C6?E 7C@> @E96C A=2?ED :?
Outside: Carpenter bee damage

1 month ago | therogersvillereview.com | Steve Roark

From personal observation and talking with others, it seems to be a good year for carpenter bees, as there are plenty of them. Usually when I get asked about them, it’s how to get rid of them. kAm%96 62DE6C? 42CA6?E6C 366 Wk6>m)J=@4@A2 G:C8:?:42k^6>mX =@@<D D:>:=2C E@ 2 3F>3=6366[ 36:?8 2C@F?5 2? :?49 =@?8 2?5 <:?5 @7 49F33J[ H:E9 3=24< 2?5 J6==@H 4@=@C2E:@?] *@F 42? E6== E96> 2A2CE 3J =@@<:?8 2E E96 235@>6?[ H9:49 @?
Fallen baby birds

1 month ago | newportplaintalk.com | Steve Roark

Sometimes you find an immature bird that has fallen out of the nest, which can happen in the spring when the birds are old enough to move around in the nest but too young to fly. Their flopping about sometimes puts them on the ground and in serious trouble. So what to do? If you can find and safely reach the nest it fell out of you can try putting it back. There is no truth to the belief that a parent bird will reject a baby bird touched by humans, as songbirds have no appreciable sense of smell.
Outside: Do you have what it takes to foster a baby bird?

1 month ago | therogersvillereview.com | Steve Roark

Sometimes you find an immature bird that has fallen out of the nest, which can happen in the spring when the birds are old enough to move around in the nest but too young to fly. The flopping about sometimes puts them on the ground and in serious trouble. kAm$@ H92E E@ 5@nk^AmkAmx7 J@F 42? 7:?5 2?5 D276=J C6249 E96 ?6DE :E 76== @FE @7 J@F 42?
Outside: Why is the sky blue?

1 month ago | therogersvillereview.com | Steve Roark

A blue sky has a positive impact on our psyche, not only being something beautiful to behold but also because it foretells a day of nice weather. The blue is even more enhanced if there are bright white clouds present. kAm%9:D =625D E@ 2 BF6DE:@? E92E A6C92AD J@F 925?’E E9@F89E @7i (9J :D E96 D<J 3=F6n !C6A2C6 J@FCD6=7 7@C 2 D9@CE A9JD:4D =6DD@?]k^AmkAm%96 DF?
Outside: Grandpa believed in planting by the signs

2 months ago | therogersvillereview.com | Steve Roark

My Grandpa Roark was really into doing farm activities according to the signs, be it planting crops, killing weeds, or dehorning cattle. And his preference was to go by a system that used human body part signs to tell when it was a good time to do things: plant root crops when the signs are in the head and kill weeds when the signs are in the bowels.
Planting by the signs

2 months ago | newportplaintalk.com | Steve Roark

My Grandpa Roark was really into doing farm activities according to the signs, be it planting crops, killing weeds, or dehorning cattle. And his preference was to go by a system that used human body part signs to tell when it was a good time to do things: plant root crops when the signs are in the head and kill weeds when the signs are in the bowels.