The Ground Issue

The

Ground
Issue

Foothills Kids Magazine is proudly
made in western North Carolina and
aligns with the state curriculum

1070 26th Ave NE
Hickory NC 28601

Phone: 828.475.1323
E-mail: [email protected]

Carmen Eckard-Creative Editor and Chief
Aaron Kohrs-Executive Director
Chief Photographer-Jon Eckard
E dited by Rach ael Woodard

Creative Partenership with Foothi lls DIgest.
Stock photography by Adobe Stock.

BOARD MEMBERS

President – Mr. Cliff Moone
Vice-President — Mrs. Sarah Greer Koenig

Secretary — Mrs. Christiana Lovelace
Treasurer – Mrs. Monica Parache-Douthit

Mrs. Tracy Hall
Mr. Ron Downs
Mr. Patrick Broos
Mrs. Roseann Flowers

A note about our font: OpenDyslexic is a typeface (font) that
helps people with dyslexia read printed words more easily.
Dyslexia is the most common learning disability, and we think
using this font is a helpful and easy step for educators and
parents to take. It is available for download at opendyslexic.org.

Teachers, you can access our

curriculum guide using this QR code.

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letter from the editor:

Dear Reader,
We are so very excited to print this issue

of Foothills Kids Magazine. We’ve included
lots of information about the ground. This
issue includes science projects, history,
puzzles, places to visit and more! We hope
that this magazine helps you understand
North Carolina and our history more deeply.

After you read this magazine, you’ll know
what’s underneath your feet, all the way to
the center of the earth!

Thanks for reading!
Mrs. Carmen Eckard

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Under our Feet..........................................page 4
Soil Layer Snack........................................page 8
Ground Definitions...................................page 10
Hidden Treasure in Hiddenite................page 12
Fossils? Nope!............................................page 16
Grounding..................................................page 18
Groundhogs.............................................. page 20
Sweet Potatoes.......................................page 22
Catawba Valley Pottery.........................page 24
Linville Caverns......................................page 28
DIY Stalagmites......................................page 32
Electrical Ground and Static................page 34
Mycelium...................................................page 36
Puzzles......................................................page 38

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Under our Feet

When we are standing on the ground, there are so
very many things beneath our feet. Have you ever
considered what is underneath the surface of the earth?
Earth is a huge ball, and at the center of the ball, it’s
very hot. In fact, at 6,100ºC (11,012ºF) it is hotter
than the surface of the sun which is 5,500ºC (9932ºF).
The center of the ball is called the inner core, and it
is probably made out of a single compressed crystal
of iron the size of the moon.

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Next is the outer core. It moving for 32 billion

is about 3,200 miles thick years, according to

and it is liquid. It is made scientific estimates. You

of iron and nickel that can see the plates on this

remain melted because globe. Earthquakes are

of the high temperatures. caused by these plates

slowly moving into each

The next layer has other, and usually happen

historically where the plates

been called a meet.

mesosphere,

but it is also On top of

referred the tectonic

to as the plates is the

lower crust, which

mantle. It makes an

makes up outer shell for

more than the planet. The

50% of the crust is usually

earth’s total nine to twelve miles

volume. It is still very deep. The crust can be

hot, but much cooler than two different things:

the inner core. Oceanic or Continental.

Each are made mostly of

Closer to the surface is rocks.

the Asthenosphere, or

upper mantle. It starts But we don’t walk around

at only 60 miles beneath on solid rock all day long.

the surface of the earth. We usually walk on soil

This layer lubricates the and organic matter, which

tectonic plates. are directly beneath

our feet. The crust is

A small number of actually made of layers

tectonic plates make up of soil.

the lithosphere. They are

giant slabs of solid rock At the very bottom of

that have been slowly the crust is a solid rock

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material. We
call this bedrock.
Directly on top
of the bedrock
is a layer we call
“parent material.”
It is broken up
pieces of rock. Above
that is the subsoil.
It’s made of sand, silt
and clay mixed with small
rocks. Above that is topsoil.
This is the dirt that you’re
familiar with. It’s also made of
sand, silt and clay, but there is also a lot of humus.
Humus is decomposed organic compounds made of
things that were once alive, like fallen leaves, dead
insects, and worm casings. It is rich in nutrients and
helps plants grow. The very top layer is the organic
layer. It’s made of things like leaf litter.

What’s in the soil in your own back
yard? Dig a scoop of soil and look
at it. What can you see with your
eyes? Perhaps there are insects,
broken bits of acorns, and
rotting leaves. Maybe there are
tiny bits of rock, or pieces of
roots from plants.

If you look with a magnifying glass,
you’ll be able to see that the soil is
teeming with life. You might find mites,
springtails, and potworms or other tiny
insects and worms that eat decomposing
matter.

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If you can look at that A
same handful of dirt B
with a microscope, C
you’ll probably be D
surprised at the
variety of life. There
are bacteria (a), fungi
(b) , algae (c) and
protozoa (d). You may
also find tiny worms
called nematodes and
rotifers, and amoeba as
well as tiny eight-legged
animals called water
bears, or tardigrades,
shown below.

Tardigrade

The next time you’re standing with your feet on the
ground, take a moment to imagine how deep the
ground really is beneath you. How many animals,
from groundhogs and mice to water bears and
nematodes may be underneath your feet?

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There’s a proven link between taste and memory.
Scientists think that attaching memories to tastes
helped early humans avoid foods that made them
sick, and now, you can use this knowledge as a life
hack. If you need to remember something, you can
attach a taste to it! Making and eating this yummy
snack may help you remember the layers of the
soil!

Things you’ll need: pour this in the bottom
• Chocolate Chips
• Peanuts of your cup and allow it
• Peanut Butter
• Chocolate Pudding to cool for an hour. The
• Oreos
• Gummy Worms next layer is PARENT
• Food Coloring (optional)
MATERIAL which is
To create your snack,
we’ll start at the bottom, large chunks of stones.
which is BEDROCK.
Bedrock is solid and Pour in unmelted
mostly unbroken. To
create this effect, get chocolate chips. Next
an adult to help you
microwave a quarter is the SUBSOIL which
cup of chocolate chips
for 30 seconds. Stir, is made of clay, sand
then microwave for 30
more seconds, and add and silt. Add a serving
a healthy spoonful of
peanut butter. Stir, then of chocolate pudding.

Above that is TOPSOIL.

This is sand, silt, clay

and humus, which we’ll

represent by adding

crushed peanuts.

Lastly, you’ll find the

ORGANIC LAYER. We

crushed up 2 Oreos

and added green food

coloring. Candy worms

represent the animal

life. Eat and Enjoy!

8

TOPSOIL ORGANIC
SUBSOIL
PARENT
MATERIAL BEDROCK

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GROUND

noun
a: the solid surface of the earth or a planet
b: the area used for a particular purpose (the
fair ground, fishing grounds)
c: soil
d: basis for belief (ground for complaint)
e: an object that makes an electrical connection
with the earth
verb
a: to provide a reason for
b: to place on the ground, or bring to the ground
c: restrict from the air (ground a plane)
d: to prohibit from normal activities
e: to connect electrically with the ground
f: to intentionally throw a football to the ground
to avoid being tackled
adjective
a: reduced to small pieces by grinding (ground
coffee, ground beef)

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There are so many definitions for the word ground.
aTrheereexaprreesaslisoonmsanthyaItDIcOaMn’St that use the word. Idioms
be understood only by
knowing the definitions to the individual words.
Here are some of the most important:

from the GROUND up: from the beginning or very
thoroughly

be in on the GROUND floor: to be involved in
something from the very beginning

both feet on the GROUND: sensible, realistic and
reasonable

ear to the GROUND: paying attention to and seeking
out new information, usually to solve a problem

common GROUND: this refers to interests or beliefs
shared by two groups

boots on the GROUND: the people actually doing the
hard work

the high GROUND: a position of advantage, but it is
usually used to refer to moral or ethical situations

stand your GROUND: to not retreat or lose your
advantage

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Hidden Treasure

in Hiddenite

Emeralds and gemstones are created deep within
the earth. They are found in the ground and
western North Carolina is an excellent place to
look for them. In fact, North America’s largest cut
emerald came from Hiddenite, a nearby town.

Hiddenite is a small town in Alexander County
known for the stunning array of emeralds and
other gems. The unincorporated town was named
after William Earl Hidden, a mineralogist (a person
who studies rocks and minerals) sent to North
Carolina by Thomas Edison to look for platinum.
Instead, he found the gem that was eventually his
namesake: hiddenite. This gemstone is the only
precious gemstone that can’t be synthesized.

Even though the town carries the name of the gem,

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it’s actually other gems the region is most famous
for. Rubies and Sapphires are found here and draw
in many rock hounds (people who love to search
for gemstones), but they are more concentrated
in more western parts of the state. In fact, 63
different minerals can be found in Hiddenite, but
emeralds are the pride of this land.

In fact, the largest cut emerald ever found in North
America came from Hiddenite. A 310 carat emerald
dubbed “The Carolina Emperor” was found in 2010
by Terry Ledford and Ren Adams. The pair found
the enormous gemstone 14 feet under ground in
a quartz vein they were digging. Ren’s family had
been hunting emeralds since 1880.

Geologist Ed Speer says, “Emeralds are very rare

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in the world and only a few countries host emerald
deposits. North Carolina is lucky to have three
known emerald districts, including the Hiddenite
district.” Moreover, our region is the only place in
the world that emeralds are found with the much
rarer hiddenite. At right, you can see a piece of
hiddenite.

Hiddenite, the town, has many businesses dedicated
to hunting for gemstones. Because valuable gems
are still pulled from the ground quite often, it’s
very exciting to seek them out. Several stones
worth more than $1 million have been unearthed in
the last century.

In 2012, a couple found $40,000 worth of emeralds
in one afternoon. Finds of this size are, of course,
rare. But they aren’t impossible, which makes this
place quite special.

Stones from Hiddenite are displayed in the
Smithsonian and the Museum of Natural History,
among other places. You can visit the Nature Museum
at Grandfather Mountain, where a 722 carat emerald
called The Bolick Emerald is on display. It will give
you an idea of the treasures hiding beneath our soil.
You can also visit the Catawba Science Center to
see a large collection of different minerals.

Hiddenite is located five miles east of Taylorsville
on Highway 90. Visit the Emerald Hollow Mine,
which is the only emerald mine in the world open
to the public for prospecting, which makes it pretty
special.

The Emerald Hollow Mine has more than 60 different

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Rare Hiddenite, only
found in North Carolina.

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types of naturally occurring gems and minerals.
Many of these are very rare and include emerald,
aquamarine, sapphire, garnet, topaz, amethyst,
citrine, rutile, and tourmaline. There are a large
amount of smoky and clear quartz crystals as well.
Hiddenite is the 4th rarest gemstone in the world and
it can only be found within a few miles of the mine.
Hiddenite isn’t only the town in Western North Carolina
where you can find gemstones. We pulled data from a
map from 1896 that highlights “corundum and other
basic magnesian rocks of North Carolina.” Corundum
is the second hardest mineral, after diamonds. The
finest corundum is ruby or sapphire, so this map is a
treasure map, of sorts.
Hiddenite is highlighted with a star on the map below.
Can you find your county? Areas where corundum had
been found by 1896 are highlighted in red. Where is
the closest highlighted location to where you are?

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Fossils? Nope!

Dinosaur fossils can be found all over the world,
but they can’t be found in western North Carolina.
Why do you think that is?

The Appalachian Mountains, the mountain range
to our immediate west, is one of the oldest in
the world. One of our caves has been dated to be
450 million years old. That means that our moun-
tains are older than dinosaurs, and in fact, they
are older than bones! When our mountains were
being formed, there were only animals like jelly-
fish, which didn’t have bones. Some fossils have
been found but they are mostly plant life.

Check out fossils, gemstones,

and lots of other things from

the ground at CSC.

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All of us feel emotions, and it’s very healthy to
experience the whole range of emotions, from joy to
sadness, with many things in between. But sometimes
our emotions are overwhelming, and it’s helpful to have
a way to quiet them for a while. Grounding techniques
are designed to do just that, usually by having you
focus on your senses.

1: Exercise and stretch. Focus on how your body feels
when you do that. Be sure to breath deeply.

2: Run your hands under water or hold a piece of ice.
Concentrate on the way it feels in your hands.

3: Get your brain busy on another task. Do some
mental math or try to name all Seven Dwarves, or all
of Santa’s Reindeer.

4: Sit with your pet. Concentrate on them, and see if
you can tell what they are trying to communicate to
you.

5: Try the 5 senses method. Think of 5 things you can
see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can smell, 2
things you can touch and one thing you can taste.

6: Go for a walk. Concentrate on your steps and how
the sun and wind feel on your face. If it’s warm outside,
stand barefoot in the grass for a while.

7: Recite something you know. Maybe it’s a poem or a
song or a silly joke. Concentrate on getting it just right.

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Groundhogs

The foothills of North Carolina are home to
many groundhogs. They prefer to live where
forests meet open fields, and that means we
see a lot of them by the side of the road as
we drive around.

Groundhogs are a type of rodent called a
marmot. They live in elaborate tunnel sys-
tems that they build underground.

Groundhogs have 4 impressive front teeth
that grow their whole lives. They grow 1/16th
of an inch every week, but the groundhog
wears them down by constantly chewing on
things.

They can swim and climb trees, and are quite
clever. They eat about a pound of food every
day, and since they love to sneak food out of
people’s gardens, they are considered pests.

Groundhogs are also called woodchucks. Can
you say this popular tongue twister? Can
you say it faster?

HOW MUCH WOOD WOULD A
WOODCHUCK CHUCK IF A WOOD-
CHUCK COULD CHUCK WOOD?

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Visit a real groundhog at
Catawba Science Center!

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Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes grow deep in the ground. Green
shoots break through the surface and reach for
the sun, but the part we eat is the root of the
plant, and they must be dug out of the ground.
North Carolina produces more sweet potatoes
than any other state in the country, and we’ve
been growing them for a long time. When settlers
arrived here, Native Americans were already
growing the plant.
Sweet Potatoes are full of vitamin A, which helps
us see and helps our bones grow strong. They are
also rich in potassium, an important mineral that
98% of Americans don’t get enough of. Sweet
Potatoes are also full of fiber, which helps us feel
full and helps us digest our food.

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Sweet potatoes are delicious no matter how you
prepare them, but a lot of people bake them
until they are soft, then add butter, cinnamon
and brown sugar. You can also cream them with
butter to make mashed sweet potatoes. What is
your favorite way to eat them?

Grow a Sweet
Potato Plant

It’s easy and fun to grow a
sweet potato plant from a
sweet potato. You’ll need
a glass jar, some water,
and a sunny spot. The jar
should be small enough
that only about a quarter
of your sweet potato fits
inside. Add water, so that
the bottom of the sweet
potato is submerged. Put
it in a sunny spot and wait.

Your sweet potato will
grow roots and shoots
will grow out of the
top. These will
grow leaves, and
soon you’ll have
a healthy plant.
If you transplant
this into soil in
the spring, you’ll
be able to harvest
many more sweet
potatoes.

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Catawba Valley
Pottery

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Crafting pottery is an age-old
American tradition. But did you
know that the Catawba Valley
has its very own special pot-
tery traditions? The pottery
made in our region is special,
and collectors from all over
the world seek it out.

Pottery is made from clay
dug out of the ground. In the
Catawba Valley, the clay is dug
from particular creek beds.
Part of what makes our pot-
tery special is that clay, which
is unique to our land. There
are other things that make it
unique, like the alkaline glaze.
Alkaline glaze is made by com-
bining hardwood ash or crushed
glass with clay and water, and
the results look very different
than the salt glazes people in
other parts of the world used.

Another defining characteris-
tic of Catawba Valley Pottery
is the way it is fired. Firing is
kind of like baking a cake, but
it gets a lot hotter for a lot
longer. Most modern pottery is
fired in electric kilns, but the
pottery made here is fired in
traditional wood burning kilns,
like the one shown at left. A
special kind of kiln called the

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“Groundhog Kiln” is often used here, and firings can
take many hours, or even overnight. Kiln firings can
be a social event, with many helpers tending the fire.

For many years, pottery was necessary to life in
the mountains and foothills of North Carolina. Many
potters worked and developed the art. But, the in-
vention of plastic made pottery not as important,
and as people bought less pottery, there were fewer
potters to carry on the tradition. For many decades,
only one man continued to make pottery in the tra-
ditional style. His name was Burlon Craig (shown on
the previous page).

At right is a piece of art by Arie Taylor Reinhardt.
She is now 100-years-old, and she paints the things
she remembers from her youth. This painting fea-
tures Burlon Craig, his pottery, and his groundhog
kiln burning in the background.

Burlon Craig knew that if he didn’t teach other pot-
ters the traditional methods, they would die out. He
is responsible for teaching many of the potters who
are working today, and the people he taught have
taught other people. The result is that, once again,
Catawba Valley Pottery is sought after.

Face Jugs are a quirky pottery tradition, and Catawba
Valley potters make plenty. On the previous page,
you can see potter Michael Ball’s face jug that also
features lizards and a blue/white/earthen swirl that
is popular. You can also see his pottery pieces firing
in a kiln at right. The temperatures in the kiln reach
amazing highs of 2400 °F, and the pottery and walls
of the kiln glow red. The heat causes a chemical
change that results in rock-hard pottery with glass-
like glazes that will last for centuries.

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Linville Caverns

A cave or cavern is an opening in the earth that
is large enough for a person to explore. There
are several reasons that a cavern may exist, and
most of them are caused by water and a chemical
reaction with bedrock or limestone.

Folks who live in the foothills of North Carolina
are lucky because there is a cavern that they
can safely visit, even if they aren’t a spelunker.
That’s what we call people who explore caverns.

Linville Caverns is located underneath Humpback
Mountain, and they were most recently discovered
in the 1800s. Henry Coleton was leading a fishing
expedition when he noticed fish that seemed to
appear out of a solid stone wall. Upon investigation,
his group found a small hole that opened up into
the caverns. Even then, there was evidence that
people had already discovered the caverns, but
had kept them secret.

Soldiers from both sides of the Civil War used the
cavern to escape fighting. A group of deserters lived
in the cavern, and it’s believed that they repaired
shoes for local people in exchange for enough food
to survive. The caverns were an excellent hiding
place, but the group was eventually discovered
when smoke from their fire rose out of the top of
the mountain.

Today, visitors can tour the caverns without any
fear of running into deserters or other outlaws.
The caverns have been open to visitors since 1937,
and electricity and railings have been installed to
increase safety.

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29

Caves are fascinating places and this one is no
different. The Appalachian mountains were formed
hundreds of millions of years ago, and this cavern is
very old. This cave is an active limestone cavern with
water still running through it. For millions of years,
water seeping through the limestone has created
formations that we call stalagmites and stalactites.
You’ll also find blind trout swimming in the water.
They’ve become blind over many generations
because they live in darkness, and so their eyes
were useless. There is also a bottomless pit. Surely,
there is a bottom, but no one has been able to find
it yet. A 250 foot rope did not hit the bottom, and
no diver has been able to reach it either.

Linville Caverns is a wonderful place to visit, and
you’ll learn a lot about our local geology!

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SPELEOTHEMS

Caves are deep underground. Water drips through
the ground and the limestone of the cavern, picking
up calcite. When this water drips for a very long
time, following the same pattern, it leaves some
of the calcite behind, leaving speleothems. The
most well-known speleothems are stalagmites and
stalactites. Stalactites hang down from the roof
of the cave, and stalagmites grow upward from
the bottom. Overtime, they can meet in the middle
and form a column.

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32

You’ll need: 2 JARS, COTTON YARN, 2 PAPERCLIPS,
WATER, AND BAKING SODA OR SUGAR, PLUS
FOOD COLORING.
Cut your yarn about 2 feet long, then tie a paperclip
to each end. Place mason jars on a plate and put
a paperclip with the string in each jar. Make a
solution by slowly adding baking soda or sugar
into very hot water, stirring as you add it, until no
more will dissolve. Pour this into each jar, and put
different colors of food coloring in each jar. Make
sure that your yarn hangs down between the jars
but doesn’t touch the plate, then just leave it for
several days. The solution will travel up the yarn
and drip down in the center. Eventually, just like
mineral water drips and forms stalagmites and
stalactites, as the minerals collect, your jars will
form crystals that mimic the steleothems.
.

33

Reed's gold mine

where settlers first found gold

Johannes Reith was a German soldier fighting for
the British during the Revolutionary War. Near
the end of the war, he stopped fighting and set-
tled in the Piedmont. He changed his name to
John Reed, and his life would have mostly un-
remarkable, except his son happened to find a
17 pound yellow rock. They used it as a door-
stop until a jeweler identified it as gold in 1802.
His discovery led to North Carolina’s gold rush,
and his gold mine, in Midland, a small town in
Cabarrus County. You can visit and pan for gold.

Call 919-814-7150.

34

Underground
critters

Many different animals live
underground, from insects to
mammals, and even some birds!
How many can you add above?

35

Electrical Ground

& Static Electricity

For this experiment, you’ll need a
balloon. Blow it up, then rub in on your
head until your hair stands up. What you
are seeing is static electricity. Static means “still,”
and it means that the electricity is not moving, as it is
in a power line. It refers to the electrical buildup in an
object. In this case, rubbing the balloon to your head
creates a negative charge carried by electrons.

When we are talking about electricity, “ground”
means a direct electrical connection to the earth. It’s
important that electric equipment connects to the
ground because it prevents the electricity from going
where it shouldn’t, like into you. When you are looking
at an electrical plug, there are two prongs on top and
one centered beneath. That third prong connects to
the ground when you plug it into the wall. The ground
gives electricity a pathway to get to the earth.

After rubbing your hair with a balloon, touch a metal
doorknob, or even another person. What happens?

Now rub your hair again, and instead touch a grounded
object, like the screw on a light switch plate. What
happens this time?

Why do you think the static electricity behaved
differently when you touched different things? What
does that tell you about electricity?

BE SURE YOU NEVER STICK
ANYTHING IN AN ELECTRICAL PLUG.
THIS IS VERY, VERY DANGEROUS.

36

37

Star-
nosed
mole

Take a good look at this critter! The star-nosed mole is
one of the strangest-looking animals around.

That pink star-shaped nose on this animal is the only
one of its kind in the whole animal kingdom. The star-
nosed mole lives in complete darkness, so he doesn’t
need traditional vision. His nose provides him with all
the “vision” he needs. It has 22 tentacles, and they give
him information about his environment. The tentacles
are in constant movement. A star-nosed mole’s nose
contains more than 25,000 tiny sensory receptors,
known as Eimer’s organs.

Guinness World Records says that the star-nosed mole
is the fastest forager in the whole world. It takes them
8 milliseconds to decide if something is food. There are
1,000 milliseconds in one second. They can eat the prey
within 120 milliseconds. That’s 4 times faster than you
can blink!

Moles live underground in tunnels. In North Carolina,
there are three kinds of moles: eastern, hairy-tailed,
and star-nosed. Moles eat earthworms, white grubs,
beetles, and larvae, as well as other insects. A mole
eats its own weight in food every day!

The tunnels moles dig can be very frustrating for home
owners. It’s easy to trip over mounds and soft spots
caused by the tunnels, and the grass and landscaping
can suffer. But in North Carolina, the star-nosed mole is
considered a “species of special concern.” That means
it’s illegal to kill them. If you have a mole problem in
our state, it may be best to take steps to have fewer
worms in your yard. You can buy “grub killer” at the
hardware store that is made for this purpose. Star-
nosed moles like to live in areas that have a lot of
insects for them to eat, so if your yard isn’t filled with
delicious treats, the moles will more than likely move
to another location.

Practice Cursive

ABCDEF GH
I JKLMNOP
QRST UVWXYZ
a bcd e fg h i j k lmn
opq rstuvwxyz

ABCDEFGH
IJ KL MN OP
QRST UV W XYZ
abcdefghijklmn
opqrstuvwxyz

40

G round
Ground Ground
G GGGGG
G round Ground
Ground Ground
Ground Ground

A

41

Mushrooms aren’t plants. They are fungi. Plants
have roots that attach them to the ground, but
mushrooms have something called mycelium. It’s
a network of fungal threads that travel through
the ground connecting mushrooms to each other.
The mushrooms use this network to pull nutrients
out of the ground. You can see the white threads
in the image below. Mycelium is an important food
source for soil invertebrates, and it’s an important
part of healthy soil. If you can find an outdoor
compost pile, flip it over and you’ll probably see
mycelia (the plural of the world mycelium) thread-
ed throughout the mass.

42

Color in this picture by
solving the math problems.
There are only 4 different
answers, but there are a lot
of questions.

Can you find relationships
between numbers you
haven’t noticed before?

43

44

Puzzles

Find these hidden pictures

How many words can you find that are mentioned in other
spots in this magazine? They can go up, down and diagonally.

45

Can you help
the groundhog
find his nut?

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Across: Down:

1. Woodchuck 2. Solid surface of the earth
6. Caverns you 3. Grows up from cave floors
can tour 4.The town with hidden treasures
10. Grows down 5.This connects to the earth by the
from cave ground
ceilings 7. Green jewel
11. Bottom layer 8. Mushrooms use this to collect
of soil nutrients
12. Electricity 9. The valley famous for pottery
that isn’t moving

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Brought to you by...

...and a host of individual donors including retired
North Carolina teacher Marjorie Riddle Watson, in
honor of Don Eckard, Anthony Dickens Alderman, Eva
Kienle, Karen McClamrock, Cliff Moone, Aaron Kohrs,
Carmen Eckard, Laci Leblanc, Kendra Eades, Julie Cline,
Allen Wood, John Nunez, Jackie Watson, Richard Kohrs,
Thomas Drewing, and Heather Jennings.
Help us print our next issue by
donating! Scan this QR code or
give us a call at 828.475.1323.