A PRODUCTION OF: NATURE SCENE IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM: AND: ♪♪ [Captioning sponsored by THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION] ♪♪ Jim: CUMBERLAND FALLS, THE NIAGARA OF THE SOUTH.

125 FEET WIDE WITH A 68-FOOT DROP.

THE FALLS ARE LOCATED ON THE BEAUTIFUL AND WINDING CUMBERLAND RIVER SOME 80 MILES DOWNSTREAM FROM HARLAN, KENTUCKY WHERE THE RIVER ORIGINATES.

HELLO, I'M JIM WELCH WITH NATURALIST RUDY MANCKE.

IT'S SPRINGTIME IN EASTERN KENTUCKY AND WE'RE IN A VERY UNIQUE GEOLOGICAL AREA AND A BEAUTIFUL AREA.

WELL, CUMBERLAND FALLS STATE PARK IS REALLY SPECIAL.

WATERFALL, YOU'VE ALREADY MENTIONED-- WE'LL LOOK AT THAT IN A WHILE.

BUT IN THE SPRINGTIME, ANYWHERE IN THESE MOUNTAINS IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT BECAUSE YOU SEE LIFE COMING BACK INTO ITS OWN.

A LOT OF TIMES IN THE WINTER YOU GET THE FEELING THAT EVERYTHING IS DEAD AND GONE-- BROWNS AND GRAYS.

AND NOW GREEN-- FRESH GREEN LEAVES ARE COMING OUT LOTS AND LOTS OF WILDFLOWERS.

AND BUTTERFLIES AND SNAKES COMING OUT, TOO.

WELL, THERE MAY BE SOME ANIMALS, TOO.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAIN ANIMALS YOU ASSOCIATE WITH THE SPRING AND HOPEFULLY, THEY'LL BE ACTIVE ALONG THE ROAD, .

WE'LL KEEP OUR EYES OPEN FOR THEM.

I THINK THE THING THAT BRINGS MOST PEOPLE TO THE MOUNTAINS IN THE SPRING, THOUGH ARE THINGS JUST LIKE THE FLOWER DOWN HERE JUST BELOW US A LITTLE BIT.

SEE THE THREE PARTS TO THE BIG WHITE FLOWER ON THE TRILLIUM?

MM-HMM.

GUESS YOU COULD ALMOST PRONOUNCE THAT "TRY-LEE-UM," "TRI" MEANING THREE.

THREE PETALS-- THE WHITE ONES THREE SEPALS YOU CAN BARELY SEE THERE AND THEN THE OTHER FLOWER PARTS ARE EITHER THREE IN NUMBER OR A MULTIPLE OF THREE.

AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE TREE-- YOU SEE THE SLENDER TREE NEXT TO IT?

MM-HMM.

WITH BROWNISH OR PURPLISH FLOWERS HANGING DOWN?

THOSE ALMOST LOOK LIKE FRUIT OR...

THE FLOWERS LOOK LIKE DRIED LEAVES OR OLD FRUIT.

YEAH, FLOWERING EARLY IN THE SPRING.

THE NAME OF THAT PLANT IS PAW-PAW.

THE FRUIT IS EDIBLE.

LOTS OF PEOPLE EAT IT.

IT'S A BANANA-LIKE TASTE TO IT.

AND THEN THE NEW SPRING-GREEN LEAVES JUST GETTING STARTED ON THAT PLANT.

TYPICAL OF LOW, WET AREAS AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE GOT DOWN BESIDE THE ROAD HERE.

OF COURSE, THE DOGWOODS MEAN SPRINGTIME, TOO.

WELL, THE BIG WHITE... WHAT USED TO BE CALLED FLOWERS, REALLY BRACTS-- MODIFIED LEAVES UNDER A CLUSTER OF FLOWERS AND, BOY, THOSE ARE BIG THERE-- ARE ANOTHER GOOD SIGNAL THAT SPRING HAS ARRIVED IN THE MOUNTAINS.

FLOWERING DOGWOOD.

LOVES A LITTLE SHADE, SLOPING HILLSIDES.

SEE ONE OTHER PLANT.

NOW, TALK ABOUT BIG FLOWERS.

OVER HERE, WE'RE LOOKING AT BIG LEAVES NOW ON ONE OF THE MAGNOLIAS.

A MAGNOLIA!

BIG-LEAF MAGNOLIA IS A COMMON NAME FOR IT.

AND YOU SEE THE NEW GREEN LEAVES ARE ALMOST A FOOT LONG ALREADY.

BUT THEY GET OVER A FOOT IN LENGTH.

AND, AGAIN, JUST GETTING STARTED.

A FEW LEAVES-- DEAD LEAVES AT THE BASE.

BUT I SEE A COUPLE OF LEAVES RIGHT DOWN HERE BY US THAT ARE DEAD.

AND YOU SEE THE LENGTH-- OVER A FOOT LONG, SOME OF THOSE LEAVES.

THEY SEND US A SIGNAL THAT THAT TREE WILL GET QUITE BIG BECAUSE... OH, IT GETS... YEAH, IT GETS UP VERY LARGE, UH-HUH.

THAT IS A BIG LEAF, THOUGH, DOWN THERE, ISN'T IT?

BIG-LEAF MAGNOLIA.

WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS, I'M SURE.

AND THOSE LEAVES GET RECYCLED, YOU KNOW BROKEN DOWN AND CHANGED INTO OTHER THINGS.

LIKE MORE FLOWERS.

WELL, LOOK, YEAH, LOOK AT THIS F NOW, THIS ONE REALLY STANDS OUT BECAUSE OF THE BRILLIANT RED COLOR.

COMMON NAME FOR THAT-- AND IT'S A PRETTY GOOD COMMON NAME-- FIRE PINK.

BUT AGAIN, IT COULD BE "FIRE RED."

WELL, YEAH, IT'S FIRE-ENGINE RED AT LEAST, IN COLOR.

NICE CLUMP OF IT COMING UP USUALLY LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER.

LOTS AND LOTS OF COLORS AND, GOSH, JUST A LITTLE BEYOND IT ON THAT SLOPE AGAIN LOOK AT THOSE DWARF IRISES.

I WOULD ASSOCIATE THOSE MORE WITH A SWAMP I MEAN, WITH MORE MOISTURE THAN... WELL, THEY WOULD...

THEY DO BEST ON FAIRLY MOIST SLOPING HILLSIDES IN THE MOUNTAINS.

?ç YOU SEE THEY'RE VERY SMALL SO THE NAME DWARF IRIS MAKES GOOD SENSE.

BUT THE BRILLIANT...

THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE ON THOSE FLOWERS IS EXTRA, EXTRA SPECIAL AND SPRINGTIME IS THEIR SEASON FOR FLOWERING.

AND THE LEAVES, OF COURSE, LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE REGULAR IRIS LEAVES.

AMAZING PLANTS.

!

WHAT ARE THOSE TALLER LARGE-LEAVED... LOOK LIKE UMBRELLAS-- LITTLE UMBRELLAS?

I LIKE TO THINK OF THOSE AS UMBRELLA-LIKE THINGS AND THAT'S THE LEAF ON A PLANT THAT'S USUALLY CALLED MAYAPPLE AND IT DOES BLOOM USUALLY IN THE MONTH OF MAY HERE.

BUT THE LEAVES COME UP FIRST AND THEN THOSE WHITE FLOWERS.

THIS AREA ALL OF THIS OFF TO THE SIDE IS LOW AND WET.

A LOT OF SEEPAGE AND THAT DOES MAGICAL THINGS WITH, UH... WITH PLANTS.

REALLY NICE.

I SEE ONE OTHER ONE NOW UP HERE-- ONE OF THE TREES THAT DOMINATES IN AREAS THAT LIKE THIS.

TULIP TREE IS ONE OF THE NAMES.

REALLY IT'S A MAGNOLIA.

I MEAN, IT'S IN THE SAME FAMILY AS THE MAGNOLIA WE SAW BACK THERE.

THE SHAPE OF THE LEAF MAYBE IF YOU USE YOUR IMAGINATION LOOKS A LITTLE LIKE A TULIP.

IT SURE DOES.

ALL RIGHT, SO MAYBE THAT'S WHY WE CALL IT TULIP TREE.

THE FLOWER IS TULIP-LIKE, TOO.

BUT REALLY IT IS, IN FACT ONE OF THE... ONE OF THE MAGNOLIAS.

DOMINATING HERE, COMING UP VERY FAST AND LEAVES ALREADY OUT.

NOT A POPLAR.

NO, IT'S CALLED A YELLOW POPLAR SOMETIMES.

THE LEAVES TURN YELLOW IN THE FALL BUT IT'S NOT REALLY A TRUE POPLAR.

IT'S A MAGNOLIA.

NOW, LOOK, HANGING ON THE BRANCH RIGHT NEAR ME.

LOOK, SEE IT-- DRAGONFLY?

TALK ABOUT EARLY SPRING ANIMALS THAT SPECIES OF DRAGONFLY FLIES EARLY IN THE SPRING AND NO OTHER TIME.

ABDOMEN HANGING DOWN, A LITTLE BLUE ON IT BIG EYES, VIBRATING ITS WINGS, SEE?

GETTING READY TO-- LOOK AT THAT-- ZOOM AWAY.

TAKE OFF.

THAT'S A MAGNIFICENT ANIMAL.

YOU KNOW, IT'S AMAZING CERTAIN SPECIES ARE SPRING FLYERS.

YOU CAN REALLY PREDICT IF YOU KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT THEM WHEN THEY'RE...

HERE COMES A FLYER NOW-- GET HIM!

SEE, IF I CAN JUST... YOU GOT... GOT HIM.

I MISSED HIM BY A MILE, JIM.

YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET THE BUTTERFLY.

WELL, IF YOU... HEY, LISTEN IF YOU CATCH THEM ALL THE TIME WOULDN'T BE HALF AS MUCH FUN WHEN YOU GOT THEM IN YOUR NET.

WE MISS EVERY NOW AND THEN.

LET'S HEAD ON UP THE ROAD.

♪♪ COMING UP THE HILL LIKE THIS YOU KNOW, DANIEL BOONE SURVEYED THESE AREAS AND DIDN'T HAVE PAVED ROADS OR TRAILS, THAT'S FOR SURE.

NO, IT WAS A LOT TOUGHER THEN.

THERE'S ONE OF THE TREES THAT DANIEL BOONE SAW HERE.

LOOK AT IT-- MAGNIFICENT.

$3 LOOK OF THE SIZE OF THAT... BEECH-TREE, RIGHT?

AMERICAN BEECH WITH BUDS ON IT THAT ARE JUST NOW GETTING READY TO OPEN.

YOU SEE THE BROWN BUD SCALES AND THE NEW GREEN LEAVES GETTING READY TO... TO COME OUT.

BEECHNUT'S THE FRUIT ON THAT EATEN BY QUITE A FEW ANIMALS AND, OF COURSE, THAT HOLLOW SPACE DOWN IN IT WOULD ALLOW A RACCOON OR A SNAKE OR SOMETHING TO WORK ITS WAY UP IN, UH...

INSIDE.

BOONE AGE ON THAT TREE.

YEAH, BOONE CARVED HIS NAME ON A LOT OF BEECH-TREES, THEY SAY.

WELL, DANIEL BOONE NATIONAL FOREST YOU KNOW, IS ALL AROUND US HERE AT, UH... AT THE STATE PARK.

GREAT DIVERSITY OF HARDWOODS IN PLACES LIKE THIS.

BUT AGAIN IN THE SPRING IT'S THOSE LITTLE THINGS... OH, YEAH.

THAT GET YOUR ATTENTION.

AND HERE ARE TWO FLOWERS, VERY CLOSE TOGETHER AND REALLY, THEY'RE IN THE SAME FAMILY.

THE BUTTERCUP FAMILY, AND THE YELLOW ONE IS THE ONE THAT ALWAYS GETS CALLED BUTTERCUP.

AND LOOK AT THE PETALS ON THERE-- WAXY, YELLOW-LOOKING.

DOING VERY WELL IN OPEN PLACES ALL THROUGHOUT THE FOREST HERE.

AND THEN THE ONE NEXT TO IT IS CALLED RUE ANEMONE OR WINDFLOWER SOMETIMES.

AND THAT'S A VERY CLOSE RELATIVE OF THE BUTTERCUP-- IN THE SAME FAMILY.

SPRINGTIME IS THEIR TIME TO COME UP TO FLOWER, TO FORM FRUIT AND THEN THEY ARE SHADED OUT, USUALLY BY THE HARDWOODS THAT FINALLY GET LEAVES ON THEM.

THOSE ARE WHITE PETALS.

THOSE ARE NOT REALLY PETALS.

NOT PETALS?

WE CAN TALK A LONG TIME ABOUT FLOWER PARTS BUT THOSE ARE REALLY SEPALS ON THAT WHITE FLOWER.

I SEE ONE OTHER FLOWER IN THE SUNLIGHT-- JUST A PATCH OF SUNLIGHT OVER HERE.

SEE THE VIOLET DOWN LOW?

MM-HMM.

IT'S DOING REAL WELL AND LOOK AT THE LONG PROJECTION OUT OF THE BACK END OF THAT FLOWER.

AND THE COMMON NAME FOR THAT IS LONG-SPURRED VIOLET.

IT LOOKS LIKE A SPUR STICKING OUT OF THE BACK FOR, UH... FOR SURE.

DOES IT SERVE ANY PURPOSE ONE MIGHT KNOW OF?

NOT REALLY... NOT REALLY ANY FUNCTION BUT REALLY TYPICALLY DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER VIOLETS SO YOU CAN IDENTIFY THAT BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF THAT... OF THAT LONG SPUR.

BEAUTIFUL, BRILLIANT COLORATION.

THAT'S A NICE FLOWER, ISN'T IT?

YEAH.

GOOD CLUSTER OF THEM.

HERE COMES A STREAK OF WHITE.

ALL RIGHT, NOW, WATCH THIS.

REPRIEVE YOURSELF.

SEE, GOT HIM BECAUSE I CAME UP BEHIND HIM, JIM.

THAT'S THE TRICK IN CATCHING A LOT OF THESE BUTTERFLIES, TOO AND THAT IS TO LET THEM SLIP BY A LITTLE AND GET THEM AFTER THEY'VE PASSED YOU AND THIS IS... THAT IS THE MOST DELICATE BUTTERFLY I'VE SEEN.

OH, YEAH, HOLD THAT NET FOR JUST A MOMENT.

LET ME GET THIS IN POSITION BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE BUTTERFLIES THAT FLIES IN THE SPRING CALLED THE ZEBRA SWALLOWTAIL.

BLACK AND WHITE AND YET VERY TROPICAL- LOOKING BUTTERFLY.

WELL, THE ZEBRA SWALLOWTAIL GETS ITS NAME BECAUSE OF THOSE BLACK AND WHITE MARKINGS AND IT DOES HAVE LOTS OF RELATIVES LIVING IN THE TROPICS.

BUT LOOK AT OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THAT HIND WING.

YOU CAN SEE THE RED BAND ON IT THAT MAKES IT EXTRA SPECIAL.

AND THEN THOSE EXTREMELY LONG TAILS BLOWING IN THE BREEZE-- VERY NARROW TAILS AND VERY LONG.

ANOTHER NAME FOR THIS BUTTERFLY IS THE KITE SWALLOWTAIL BECAUSE WHEN IT FLIES, IT LOOKS LIKE A KITE WITH LONG TAILS TRAILING BEHIND.

ORANGE ANTENNAE THERE ON THE FRONT.

ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF THE SWALLOWTAILS AND IT'S A VERY INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP HERE BECAUSE THE PAW-PAW TREE WE LOOKED AT EARLIER IS THE ONLY PLANT THAT THIS BUTTERFLY IS KNOWN TO LAY EGGS ON.

IT LAYS ONE EGG AT A TIME ON THOSE NEW GREEN LEAVES AND THEN THAT DEVELOPS INTO A CATERPILLAR WHICH EVENTUALLY DEVELOPS INTO THIS BEAUTIFUL ZEBRA SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY.

SO WITHOUT A PAW-PAW TREE YOU WON'T HAVE A ZEBRA SWALLOWTAIL.

ABSOLUTELY.

THAT RELATIONSHIP IS THAT CLOSE.

LET'S SEE IF HE'LL SIT JUST A SECOND.

A LITTLE BIT OF BREEZE COMING UP HERE.

LOOK... OH, LOOK AT THAT THING.

OOPS!

AND GOING.

WISHING HIM WELL AND AGAIN, SPRINGTIME IS THE EARLY FLIGHT TIME FOR THE ZEBRA SWALLOWTAIL.

HE'S HEADING UP THE HILL.

WHY DON'T WE FOLLOW HIM, OKAY?

HERE'S YOUR NET.

THANKS.

RUDY, WHAT KIND OF FLOWERS BECOME A FOOD SOURCE FOR A ZEBRA SWALLOWTAIL?

THEY TAKE NECTAR FROM ALMOST ANY KIND OF WILDFLOWER.

THEY LIKE THE COMPOSITES BUT THEY LAY EGGS ONLY ON THE PAPAW.

HERE'S ONE OF THE FLOWERS HERE.

THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF ONE THEY MIGHT USE.

ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PEA FAMILY.

DIFFERENT-SHAPED FLOWER THAN WE'VE SEEN SO FAR.

WOOD VETCH IS THE COMMON NAME FOR THAT BUT THE SHAPE OF THE FLOWER GIVES IT AWAY, DOESN'T IT THAT THAT'S IN THE... PEA FAMILY.

PEA FAMILY.

COMING UP, LOW TO THE GROUND SORT OF TRAILING ALONG THE GROUND AND OFFERING A NECTAR SOURCE AND A POLLEN SOURCE FOR LOTS OF INSECTS.

SMALL FLOWERS ON THAT, THOUGH.

YOU SEE LOTS OF SMALL FLOWERS.

GRACIOUS ALIVE, LOOK AT THIS ON THE HILLSIDE RIGHT HERE.

OH, HOW PRETTY.

BACK UP, TUCKED UP IN THE WOODS JUST A LITTLE BIT.

THAT'S NOT A LITTLE FLOWER.

YELLOW LADY'S SLIPPER ORCHID IS THE COMMON NAME FOR THAT PLANT... ORCHIDS!

AND ORCHIDS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ORCHIDS YOU JUST... TO ME, YOU'RE JUST GOING INTO AN INTERESTING GROUP OF PLANTS.

THEY'RE FOUND WORLDWIDE.

THEY'RE VERY DIVERSE.

THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST ORCHIDS THAT WE'VE GOT IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES.

AND THAT BEAUTIFUL... LOOK HOW LEMON-YELLOW THAT FLOWER IS THERE.

REALLY NICE.

COMING UP OFF THE GROUND A GOOD BIT IN THE SPRINGTIME.

THE FLOWER PART'S TWISTED A LITTLE BIT BEHIND LIKE SOMEONE'S, UH...

SOMEONE'S HAIR BEING TWISTED A LITTLE BIT.

VERY INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THAT PLANT AND THE LITTLE FUNGI THAT HAVE TO BE IN THE SOILS FOR THOSE SEED TO GERMINATE.

BEAUTIFUL PLANT!

AND I SEE ONE OTHER ONE CLOSE TO IT.

JUST A LITTLE DOWN FROM IT.

KIND OF PURPLISH FLOWERS.

WOOD BETONY, OR LOUSEWORT.

WHAT A NAME!

HUH!

THERE'S ANOTHER NAME FOR THAT PLANT.

IT'S THE ORCHID, THOUGH.

THAT MAY BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER THAT, UH... THAT WE'LL SEE TODAY.

AND ONE THAT'S NOT COMMONLY FOUND HERE.

YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT TO SEE THAT ALL THE TIME BUT THIS IS THE, UH... YOU KNOW THE RIGHT SEASON TO COME LOOK FOR IT.

BRILLIANT YELLOW.

GET ON THE OTHER SIDE.

THIS SUNLIGHT... LOOK AT THE GERANIUMS DOWN THERE JUST A LITTLE WAYS.

OFTEN CALLED WILD GERANIUM.

THIS IS REALLY THE NATURALLY OCCURRING GERANIUM.

UH... AND IT'S NOT ONE THAT YOU HAVE IN A POT BUT IT'S DOING VERY WELL HERE.

LOVES THESE... AGAIN, SLOPING HILLSIDES.

YOU SEE SO MANY WILDFLOWERS THAT LIKE THAT... LIKE THAT SLOPE FOR THE SEEPAGE.

THE WATER MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.

BEAUTIFUL FLOWER, THOUGH.

WILD GERANIUM.

RIGHT, AND PRETTY COMMON, AGAIN THIS TIME OF YEAR.

YOU'D EXPECT TO SEE IT ON THESE HILLSIDES.

THERE IS A GARTER SNAKE SUNNING NEAR THE BASE OF THAT TRUNK.

ON THE SIDE OF THE HILL, YEAH.

I'LL HOLD THIS.

YEAH, LET ME SEE IF I CAN AT LEAST GET A HOLD OF HIM WHILE HE'S SUNNING.

MAYBE HE WON'T BE LOOKING AT ME QUITE SO MUCH.

THIS ONE IS ONE I'M GOING TO HAVE BE A LITTLE CAREFUL WITH, JIM BECAUSE HE'S GETTING READY TO SHED HIS SKIN, I THINK.

PROBABLY OUT JUST BEGINNING TO SUN.

AND YOU'RE RIGHT ON THE IDENTIFICATION-- EASTERN GARTER SNAKE.

LOOK AT THE TONGUE THERE WHEN IT COMES OUT.

IT'S SORT OF A TWO-TONED TONGUE.

IT'S BLACK ON THE FORK AND RED EVERYWHERE ELSE.

THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST SNAKES TO COME OUT OF HIBERNATION IN THE SPRING AND ONE OF THE LAST ONES TO GO INTO HIBERNATION IN THE FALL SO I GUESS THAT'S WHY HE'S OUT.

AND THAT TONGUE THAT HE KEEPS STICKING OUT EVERY NOW AND THEN PICKS UP ODOR PARTICLES OUT OF THE AIR.

AND IT ACTUALLY SMELLS AND TASTES BOTH FOR THE SNAKE SO THAT LETS THE SNAKE KNOW WHAT'S IN FRONT OF HIM AND, OF COURSE, HE KNOWS NOW THERE ARE TWO HUMANS.

WE'RE TOO BIG TO EAT SO WE'RE, IN A SENSE, ENEMIES TO THIS SNAKE.

YOU SAID HE MIGHT BE SHEDDING.

YEAH, THE COLORATION IS NOT QUITE WHAT IT OUGHT TO BE.

I SEE A LITTLE BIT OF GLAZE ON THE EYES ALTHOUGH IT'S VERY HARD FOR YOU MAYBE TO NOTICE.

I'VE JUST SEEN A LOT OF SNAKES.

THESE THINGS USUALLY SHED THEIR SKIN PRETTY SOON AFTER THEY'VE COME OUT OF HIBERNATION AND I DON'T WANT TO HANDLE IT TOO MUCH TO GIVE IT ANY PROBLEM GETTING RID OF THAT SKIN.

THESE THINGS EAT FROGS, TOADS, FISH AND SUCH AND ARE VERY COMMON IN THE WOODS HERE AND ELSEWHERE IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES.

ONE OF THE COMMON NAMES IS EASTERN GARTER SNAKE BECAUSE IT IS PRETTY WIDESPREAD.

BUT AN INTERESTING BODY ON THIS THING BECAUSE YOU SEE THE YELLOW STRIPE THAT RUNS RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER OF THE BACK.

IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS.

THERE ARE STRIPES ALONG THE SIDES BUT THEY KIND OF BLEND IN TO THE COLOR OF THE BELLY.

ONE SHOULD LEAVE THE SNAKES ALONE, OF COURSE.

OH, YEAH, IT'S ALWAYS...

IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS TREAT IT LIKE IT'S POISONOUS WHICH MEANS LEAVE IT ALONE.

AGAIN, THIS IS ONE OF THE NONPOISONOUS SNAKES, THOUGH.

AND, YOU KNOW, REAL BIG EYES KIND OF BUG OUT ON THE SIDES OF THE HEAD.

NOT SO FLAT TOP LIKE THE POISONOUS SNAKES.

AND HERE THAT WOULD BE A COPPERHEAD OR A RATTLESNAKE IF IT WAS, YOU KNOW, A POISONOUS VARIETY.

IS HE FULLY MATURE NOW?

THIS ONE'S GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.

THEY GET A GOOD BIT LARGER THAN THIS.

SEEMS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE, THOUGH.

AND WE JUST WANT TO PUT HIM DOWN EASY AND SEE WHAT HE'LL DO RIGHT HERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

AGN, WHETHEY'RE GETTING READY TO SHED YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO HANDLE THEM TOO MUCH.

HAPPY TO BE GOING BACK.

SLIDING... YOU SEE HOW FAST THAT THING MOVES?

JUST SLIDING LIKE OIL DOWN THE HILL.

MM-HMM.

WHY DON'T WE HEAD ON UP THE ROAD?

♪♪ YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE A MATTER OF DAYS THE SNAKE WAS OUT OF HIBERNATION?

MAYBE A WEEK OR SO, THAT'S PROBABLY ALL.

YEAH, JUST WARMING UP IN THE SUNLIGHT.

LOTS OF THINGS THAT ARE NICE HERE.

I JUST NOTICED LITTLE WHITE...

CLUSTER OF WHITE FLOWERS OVER HERE ON THE SIDE.

FRILLY.

FOAMY LOOKING ALMOST, WHITE.

AND FOAM FLOWER IS ONE OF THE COMMON NAMES FOR THAT.

PRETTY COMMON THIS TIME OF YEAR.

COMES UP AND EXPLODES IN FLOWER FAIRLY RAPIDLY.

AND THE OTHER ONE KIND OF DRAPES DOWN THE HILLSIDE THERE.

FOUR PARTS TO THAT FLOWER, SEE?

FOUR PARTS.

FOUR PARTS TO THAT FLOWER.

SEE THE LITTLE PROJECTIONS THERE?

BLUISH, SO BLUETS IS ONE OF THE COMMON NAMES.

QUAKER LADIES IS ANOTHER NAME AND INNOCENCE IS ANOTHER NAME FOR THAT GROUP OF FLOWERS.

BUT YOU SEE THAT REALLY DOES BRIGHTEN THE PLACE UP AND THAT'S ONE WILDFLOWER YOU SEE COMMONLY IN PLACES LIKE THIS ESPECIALLY ON SLOPES WITH A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA SEEPAGE.

BEAUTIFUL PLANT.

SHALL WE CONSIDER HEADING ON OVER THE HILL TOWARD THE RIVER?

I THINK IT'S TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CUMBERLAND RIVER.

♪♪ REALLY A DIFFERENT FEELING OUT HERE THAN WHAT WE HAD HIGHER UP.

BEAUTIFUL CUMBERLAND RIVER UP CLOSE.

NAMED AFTER THE DUKE OF CUMBERLAND ABOUT 1750.

CHANGING THE WORLD FORMING A NICE, FAIRLY DEEP VALLEY HERE.

A LOT OF ROCKS STICKING OUT OF THE WATER.

BUT YOU SEE THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT'S FLOWING BY HERE.

NOT REALLY TOO DEEP HERE BUT YOU CAN SEE THE WAY IT'S WORKING ESPECIALLY ON THAT FAR SIDE.

AND A LITTLE BIT OF THE LAYERING THE STRATIGRAPHY IN THOSE ROCKS MAINLY SANDSTONES AND SOME SHALES.

AND THEN ALL THAT SPRING GREEN ON THE OTHER SIDE.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL RIVER AND SO FAST-FLOWING IT HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S WORN AWAY AREAS.

AND WORN AWAY TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF ROCK, NOW AND CARRIED IT AND DUMPED IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.

RIVERS ARE CONSTANTLY REARRANGING THE WORLD.

AND YOU SEE SIGNS OF THAT HERE.

I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME SCOOPED-OUT AREAS YOU KNOW, RIGHT ON THE ROCK THAT WE'RE WALKING ACROSS.

AND THERE'S ALSO RIGHT IN FRONT OF US HERE... LOOK AT THE DEEP-CUT WEAKER ROCK AGAIN, WHERE ROCK WEARS AWAY IN RELATIONSHIP TO HOW STRONG IT IS HOW POWERFUL IT IS.

WEAKER ROCK GOES MORE RAPIDLY THAN MORE SOLID ROCK.

THIS LOOKS LIKE CEMENT OR CONCRETE MIXTURE.

LOOKS LIKE A MIXTURE OF SOMETHING, RIGHT?

THAT'S BEEN NATURALLY, IN THIS CASE, CEMENTED TOGETHER.

IT'S A ROCK THAT'S USUALLY CALLED A CONGLOMERATE BECAUSE IT IS A CONGLOMERATION OF LOTS OF PIECES OF ROCK AND A LOT OF THAT IS QUARTZ PEBBLES.

HOW IN THE WORLD DID THEY GET SO ROUNDED?

WATER WOULD ROUND THEM BUT... ALL RIGHT, WATER ROUNDED THESE PEBBLES BEFORE THEY BECAME A PART OF THIS ROCK.

SO DOWN INSIDE HERE YOU'D FIND MORE ROUND PEBBLES.

YEAH.

NOW, THAT HAPPENED A LONG, LONG TIME AGO.

THERE WAS A RIVER THAT WAS BRINGING IN THESE QUARTZ PEBBLES AND SAND GRAINS AND DUMPING IT PROBABLY IN A SHALLOW OCEAN BACK IN THOSE DAYS.

THE OCEAN HAS GONE AWAY THE MATERIAL HAS SOLIDIFIED INTO ROCK AND NOW THE RIVER IS TRYING TO WEAR AWAY, RESHAPE THOSE ROCKS.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF STORIES HERE MANY, MANY STORIES HERE TO LOOK AT.

THE CONGLOMERATE SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE COMMON ROCKS RIGHT HERE.

MM-HMM.

AND EVEN THOUGH THE RIVER GETS UP AND RUSHES THROUGH THERE ARE A FEW PLANTS THAT STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE HERE.

THAT'S IN A PRECARIOUS SPOT.

OH, MAN.

BASE OF A SYCAMORE TREE THERE WITH LOTS OF NEW GROWTH ON IT.

I GUESS THE BIG TREE PROBABLY GOT KNOCKED DOWN BY THE HIGH WATER BUT NEW GREEN LEAVES ON A SYCAMORE THAT IS STRUGGLING.

THAT SYCAMORE LOVES WET PLACES BUT FAST-FLOWING WATER IS NOT THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE.

WHEN THE HIGH WATERS COME DOWN IN THE SPRING THAT'S GOT TO BE A ROUGH PLACE TO LIVE.

IT'S GOING TO HAVE A TOUGH LIFE THERE BUT AGAIN IT'S STRUGGLING.

THAT'S WHAT LIFE DOES.

YOU PLAY WITH THE CARDS THAT ARE DEALT TO YOU AND HOPE FOR THE BEST, I SUPPOSE.

THIS CONGLOMERATE REALLY IS ABUNDANT HERE AND IT'S USUALLY GIVEN THE NAME ROCKCASTLE CONGLOMERATE.

AND HARD ROCK COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER ROCKS AROUND HERE.

IT KIND OF CAPS THIS WHOLE AREA.

UH-HUH.

NOW LOOK WHAT WE'VE GOT-- MATERIAL THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT IN AND DUMPED HERE WHEN THE RIVER GETS UP AND WHAT IS THIS BLACK STUFF?

THIS IS KENTUCKY AND THIS IS COAL.

THIS IS COAL, SEDIMENTARY ROCK MADE NOT OF SAND GRAINS OR QUARTZ PEBBLES BUT BODIES OF PLANTS; ROUNDED, NOT ANGULAR, BUT ROUNDED BY THE FLOW OF THE WATER.

TUMBLED DOWN THROUGH.

WE'RE ALMOST TO THE FALLS.

OH, MY GOODNESS.

LET'S GET A CLOSER LOOK.

YEAH, LET'S GET UP CLOSE TO THEM.

♪♪ CUMBRLAND FALLS-- WOW, LOOK AT THE THE CUMBERLAND FALLS THEY'RE EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN WRITTEN OR SAID ABOUT THEM.

OH, THEY'RE GLORIOUS.

AND LOOK AT THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WATER THAT'S COMING OVER THE TOP THERE.

SO MUCH POWER IN THAT WATER.

CRASHING DOWN AND SENDING UP ALL OF THAT MIST AND WHEN THE LIGHT'S JUST RIGHT-- AND IT IS FROM WHERE WE'RE STANDING-- YOU CAN GET TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A RAINBOW THERE.

WATER DROPLETS IN THE AIR REFRACTING THE LIGHT AND GIVING US THOSE BEAUTIFUL COLORS.

BOY, THAT IS NICE.

ALSO, ODDLY ENOUGH THIS, THE ONLY DOCUMENTED PLACE IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE WHERE A MOONBOW OCCURS.

ON A FULL MOON ON A VERY CLEAR NIGHT YOU'LL SEE AN ARCH OF WHITE LIGHT.

THAT'S A SPECTACULAR VIEW.

TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF WATER.

THE CUMBERLAND RIVER REALLY IS DOING AN INTERESTING THING HERE BECAUSE IT'S COMING OVER THAT ROCKCASTLE CONGLOMERATE.

IT CAN'T WEAR IT AWAY VERY RAPIDLY BUT THE ROCKS UNDERNEATH-- THE SHALES AND THE SANDSTONES-- ARE ERODED AWAY MORE RAPIDLY AND SLOWLY BUT SURELY AFTER YOU CUT AWAY YOUR SUPPORT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE TOP, JIM?

IT FALLS UNDER, IT CAVES UNDER.

IT CAVES IN AND THE WATERFALL THEN MOVES BACK UPSTREAM.

WATERFALLS ARE CONTINUING TO WORK THEIR WAY UP THE CUMBERLAND RIVER HERE AND UP OTHER STREAMS.

WELL, WHAT CREATES THESE POCKETS THAT WE FIND UP HERE ON THE TOP?

ROUNDED AREAS, VERY DEEP.

WELL, WHEN THE WATER GETS UP IN THE SPRINGTIME WHEN THERE'S EXTRA WATER, THE RIVER'S WIDER WATER COMES ROARING THROUGH HERE WEARING AWAY A LITTLE BIT.

IT'S CARRYING ROCKS WITH IT, SEE, AND IT TUMBLES IN AND EVERY NOW AND THEN EVEN ON THIS CONGLOMERATE YOU HAVE SOFTER AREAS AND YOU GET ROCKS TRAPPED IN THEM AND WATER SPINS THOSE ROCKS AROUND AND FORMS WHAT ARE CALLED POTHOLES.

AND YOU SEE A PRETTY NICELY ROUNDED SHAPE AND WHEN YOU FIRST SEE IT, YOU MIGHT THINK SOME HUMAN HAS WORKED A LONG TIME TO GET THAT SCRAPED OUT.

REALLY THAT IS JUST A NATURAL FORMATION CAUSED BY ROCKS WEARING AWAY-- ROCK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT SOFTER THAN ROCK IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CONGLOMERATE.

BUT THIS CAP OF HARD ROCK IS REALLY WHAT MAKES THE WATERFALL FORM.

CAN WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT FROM FURTHER DOWNSTREAM?

THERE'S A NICE VIEW RIGHT ON DOWN THE TRAIL SO WHY DON'T WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT FROM THERE?

THESE TRAILS ARE SO NICE.

IT MAKES DANGEROUS AREAS REALLY VERY SAFE AND VERY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.

THOUSANDS OF FOLKS COME TO VISIT THIS AREA WHICH IS ONE OF KENTUCKY'S MOST VISITED NATURAL ATTRACTIONS.

AND THAT WATERFALL REALLY, TO ME REMINDS ME OF NIAGARA IN THE WAY THAT IT LOOKS-- TREMENDOUS WIDTH ON IT THE GREAT AMOUNT OF WATER FALLING.

AND FROM THIS ANGLE YOU CAN SEE THE WAY THE ROCK UNDERNEATH THAT HARD CAP HAS BEEN SCOOPED OUT 20, 30 FEET PROBABLY.

THE AREA WE WERE STANDING ON A MOMENT AGO HAS BEEN SCOOPED OUT UNDERNEATH AND THAT SETS UP THE CAP ROCK TO FALL AND THE WATERFALL TO MOVE BACK UPSTREAM.

SOME GEOLOGISTS SAY THAT THE FALLS AT ONE TIME WERE MAYBE 40 MILES DOWNSTREAM.

GOOD POSSIBILITY.

WATER NOT ERODING AWAY VERY RAPIDLY ABOVE THAT CAP ROCK BUT ONCE YOU BREAK THROUGH IT LOOK HOW DEEP IT IS AND HOW WIDE AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE'S THAT SPRAY SETTING UP THE RAINBOW AND THE MOONBOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT AGO.

BEAUTIFUL.

AND THEN JUST TURN AND LOOK DOWNSTREAM AND YOU SEE THE REMNANTS OF THOSE OLD WATERFALLS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A MOMENT AGO CAP ROCK THAT'S TILTED DOWN TELLING US THAT THE WATERFALL USED TO BE DOWN THERE SLOWLY WORKING ITS WAY BACK UP.

TAKES A LOT OF TIME, BUT NATURE'S REALLY NOT IN A HURRY.

WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GEOLOGIC TIME YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GREAT AMOUNTS OF TIME.

THE RIVER HAS MADE THIS A VERY SCENIC AREA.

AND THE RIVER HAS SET THIS THING UP TO BE VERY DIVERSE ANIMAL- AND PLANTWISE.

SO WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF DIVERSITY AT THIS PARK AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE WATER IS HERE THE CUMBERLAND RIVER CREATING THE VALLEY MAKING THE SLOPING HILLSIDES AND THE REST.

OF COURSE, KENTUCKIANS AND VISITORS FROM ALL OVER HAVE TO THANK T. COLEMAN DU PONT FOR BUYING THIS PROPERTY IN 1930 OR SO AND GIVING IT TO THE STATE OF KENTUCKY.

AND IT BECAME A STATE PARK IN 1932 AND A GREAT PLACE TO COME VISIT.

NOW, CUMBERLAND FALLS STATE PARK HAS BEEN REALLY SUPER FOR US.

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME AND SEE IT FOR YOURSELF.

AND JOIN US AGAIN ON THE NEXT NATURE SCENE.

♪♪ [Captioning sponsored by THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Captioned by The Caption Center WGBH Educational Foundation] ♪♪ NATURE SCENE IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM: AND: