To view the study area, click here.  To access detailed maps of the individual Sectors, click here.

Why wouldn’t you want to celebrate Halloween in Tran-syl-VA-nia county??! Even Count Dracula comes for blood…

Started by the Chamber of Commerce in 1982, Halloweenfest is celebrating its 28th year! Come downtown to enjoy a day-long street festival. For the sweet tooth, you can start your day off with the Proper Pot Apple/Pumpkin Bake-Off and see who captures the judges’ favor.

The street festival begins at 10:00am. You’ll find plenty of fun for the entire family:  Tiny Tot Pumpkin Bowl, Bi-Lo Cookie Decorating, Face & Hair Painting, Ghoulish Golf, & Spooky Hay Maze!

Families can also compete in the Costume Parade. Costume judging categories include:  Best Infant, Best Comic Character, & Best Storybook Character.

If you haven’t gotten enough of your sweets, join in the Downtown Trick or Treat. Walk by the downtown businesses and street vendors and receive your candies and treats.

The Brevard Rotary Club’s 29th Annual “Flight of the Vampire” 5K Race ends the day at dusk (5:00pm).

Halloweenfest also hosts, the 15th Annual Old Time Music Competition. Musicians can compete in: Junior Fiddle, Folk Song, Lap Dulcimer, Old Time: Banjo, Fiddle, & String Band, Mandolin, and Guitar. The Old Time String Band Competition takes place in the County Courthouse, beginning at 8:00pm. This is one of the few venues in the county where old time mountain music is honored by contemporary musicians.

2010 Halloweenfest Schedule

9:00am – 11:00am The Proper Pot Apple/Pumpkin Bake-Off
The Proper Pot – Judging at 11:00am
10:00am – 6:00pm Street Festival:  Food, Crafts, & Non-Profits
(Downtown Brevard – Main & Broad Street)
10:00am – 6:00pm Family Activities:  Tiny Tot Pumpkin Bowling,
Ghoulish Golf, Spooky Hay Maze, Bi-Lo Cookie Decorating, Face & Hair Painting
10:30am Junior Fiddle Music Competition
(Courthouse Gazebo)
11:00am – 6:00pm Old Time Music Competition
(Courthouse Gazebo)
12:00pm – 4:30pm Count Dracula’s Red Carpet Event
(Water Oak Suites Parking Lot – East Main Street)
1:15pm Costume Parade Judging – TYC
(Downtown Brevard:  Johnson/Jordan St.)
1:30pm – 4:30pm Fall Festival
(First Baptist Church)
2:00pm Costume Parade
(Downtown Brevard)
2:30pm – 3:30pm Downtown Trick or Treat
(Downtown Merchants & Vendors)
3:00pm – 3:30pm Pumpkin Carving Contest
(The Transylvania Times – Judging 3:30pm)
5:00pm Flight of the Vampire 5K Race
Brevard Rotary (S. Gaston near TC Library)
8:00pm – 10:00pm Old Time String Band Competition
(Courthouse:  Large Courtroom) $3 Admission

Other Halloween Activities

10:00am – 5:00pm Scarecrows on the Lawn
(Transylvania Heritage Museum)
7:00pm – 10:00pm “Shock in the Corn” Haunted Maze
Blue Ridge Corn Maze

No dogs allowed on festival grounds, thanks!

No festival would be complete without music. And Brevard offers some of the best in mountain music when the downtown hosts the Old Time Music Competition.

This competition attracts musicians as far as Florida who come not only to compete, but to share with their fellow musicians a musical form that will not be forgotten.

Musicians can compete in several categories!

Schedule of Categories’ Competitions

10:30am Junior Fiddle
1st Place:  $25, 2nd Place:  $15
11:00am Folk Song
1st Place:  $50, 2nd Place:  $25
12:00pm Lap Dulcimer
1st Place:  $50, 2nd Place:  $25
12:45 Old Time Banjo
1st Place:  $100, 2nd Place:  $50, 3rd Place:  $25
2:30pm Old Time Fiddle
1st Place:  $100, 2nd Place:  $50, 3rd Place:  $25
3:30pm Mandolin
1st Place:  $50, 2nd Place:  $25
4:00pm Guitar
1st Place:  $50, 2nd Place:  $25
4:30pm Banjo Finals
5:00pm Fiddle Finals
8:00pm Old Time String Band Competition
1st Place:  $250, 2nd Place:  $150, 3rd Place:  $100
(Courthouse – Large Courtroom)

*Musicians and audience will need to go through Security Check-point,
in order to attend the evening Old Time String Band Competition*

Download an application now!

Thanks to Mary Gordon of Celestial Mountain Music and Lo Gordon of Cedar Mountain Banjos to being the founders of this wonderful event!

Sponsored by Celestial Mountain Music, contact them at 828.884.3575 for more information.

Come catch the hometown spirit – Saturday, July 3rd!

We start off with a bang early in the morning with the 5K/10K Firecracker Run, organized by the Brevard Rotary Club.

During the day, downtown streets are closed to an overflowing crowd. In 2010 Transylvania Community Arts Council hosts its 38th Annual Fine Arts & Craft Showcase. Not only is this a great way to showcase the artists of the region, but what better time to come and shop for those special gifts?!

Our Classic Automobile Show stretches for blocks and delights even the casual aficionado of 1920s to 1970s vintage vehicles. Organized by the Transylvania Cruisers, entertainers like Elvis and the Blues Brothers have been known to show up and croon while you swoon over these classic beauties. Call Jerry Arnold 828-884-3670 with any questions.

The music doesn’t stop with the cars. Our Courthouse Gazebo is center stage for day-long musical entertainment.

Gazebo Entertainment Schedule:
11:00am    Wanda Lu Paxton & Rule 62
12:00pm   The Turning Pointe School of Dance
1:00pm      Lynn Goldsmith & The Jeter Mountain Band
2:00pm      Stepchild
3:00pm      Pyramid Brass
4:00pm      The Park Rangers

Wanda Lu Paxton & Rule 62

Wanda Lu has been a professional singer/songwriter for for nearly 40 years, and has played at hundreds of venues, festivals, and on “Mountain Stage”, a nationally syndicated program out of Charleston, WVA. Over the years, she has opened and worked with folks like Doc Watson, David Holt and Chet Atkins. In 1995, she won a $4000 grant from the North Carolina Arts Council for songwriters/composers, and has been featured in many publications, including Southern Living (May, 1996). Wanda Lu has produced 2 CD’s and been included on numerous compilations over the years, and enjoyed a dual career in radio. Wanda Lu currently works at Brevard’s hometown radio station, WSQL AM 1240, and she loves playing in Brevard!

The Turning Pointe School of Dance

The Turning Pointe School of Dance is Brevard’s only art-based dance school.  We emphasize proper technique and dance vocabulary in a fun, yet disciplined environment.  We offer classes from the beginning to advanced level ages 3-adult including classical ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, hip hop and creative movement.  Thank you for allowing us to share our talents with the community!”

Lynn Goldsmith & The Jeter Mountain Band

Lynn Goldsmith is a singer/songwriter from Transylvania County, NC.  She performs solo for small venues, and with the Jeter Mountain Band for larger events. Her musical sound covers genres from bluegrass to rock, and they can be heard on her “Carolina Girl” CD that was released in spring 2009. Lynn is still writing and plans to release a new CD soon.

Stepchild

Stepchild is a local band with members from Brevard and Hendersonville. Their style of music is classic rock ‘n roll, country, and blues. Started by the drummer, Tim Stalcup of Brevard, it now consists of Myra and Gary Watkins, doing vocals and guitar, Clyde Thompson on lead guitar, and Fred Reidinger on bass. They perform a wide variety of music from the 1960’s to the present.

Pyramid Brass

The Pyramid Brass Quintet was formed December 18, 2001.  They were drawn together because of their love for brass music – using it as an art form to educate and entertain.  They Provide musical programs for all occasions – sacred of secular

The repertoire of the Pyramid Brass has grown to include many arrangements from all musical styles and periods including: The Renaissance, The Romantic Era, Sacred Music, Broadway Musicals, Big Band, Dixieland, Ragtime, Jazz, Marches, Polkas, and Patriotic Music.

Each member is an experienced musician with numerous performances to their credit.

Today is their 159th performance with more than 20 Encore Performances and their 8th consecutive appearance at the Brevard 4th of July celebration.

Current players are: Herb Wolff – trumpet, Bill Shank – trumpet, Erin Yardley – Horn, Keith Poole – trombone, Ian Poole – Tuba.

The Park Rangers

The Park Rangers began as a collaboration in a Brevard basement near the Pisgah National Forest by two neighbors who lived on Park Avenue.  Bill, having grown up through blues revival of the 60s and 70s and Doug, who fell into the cauldron of the blues as a teenager, were both heavily influenced by the music of that era and wanted to journey back through the decades to explore its primitive roots.

They found their groove with local drummer Robert; added brothers Clay (hollow body guitar) and R.I (keyboard), and female vocalist Carol.

These guys riot through the Blues and bounce off the outer edges to Swing, Rock-a-billy & Reggae.

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Downtown Brevard has its own special July 4th Parade. This one is just for children, and they can decorate and ride their favorite bicycles. Children can compete for the Most Patriotic, Most Creative, and the Most Unusual. Everyone wins something! Sponsored by Sycamore Cycles.

Registration – 1:00pm & Parade begins at 1:30pm

If riding in the Bicycle Parade, you must wear a helmet.

2010 Bike Parade Winners:

Most Unusual:
1st – Emma Madrigal
2nd – Benjamin Hargis

Most Patriotic:
1st – Ryan Goldstein
2nd – Julia Grace

Most Creative:
1st – Wayah Keifrider-Posey
2nd – Taegan Gunn

And an important tradition is the reading of the “Declaration of Independence.” During the day’s festivities we take time to reflect on the incredible document created in 1776 that has made so much possible in our wonderful nation.

Flag Raising:  2:30pm- 3:30pm
Declaration of Independence Reading: 3:00pm

And by the end of the evening we are treated to a Fireworks Extravaganza that will leave you wanting to spend the rest of your holidays in the mountains.

Schedule of Events:

Firecracker 5K/10K Run – Brevard Rotary Club

Check-in 6:30am -7:45am, Race begins at 8:00am

South Gaston Street (near Trans. Co. Library)

All Star Pet Show – Humane Society

Registration 9:00am, Judging 9:30am – 11:30am

Silvermont (East Main Street)

38^th Annual Fine Arts & Crafts Showcase – Transylvania Community Arts Council

West Main Street

Classic Car Show – Transylvania Cruisers

West Main Street:  10:00am – 3:00pm

Bicycle Parade – Sycamore Cycles

Water Oak Suites (East Main Street)

Registration 1:00pm, Parade begins 1:30pm *must have helmet

Children’s Activities – STJ Inflatables, face & hair painting & balloon artist!

Bagwell Memorial Flag Raising – Brevard Fire Department & Connestee Fire & Rescue

Main Intersection of Main/Broad Street:  2:30pm – 3:30pm

Declaration of Independence – Elected Officials

Main Intersection of Main/Broad Street:  3:00pm

“Yes, Yes, a Thousand Times Yes” – Brevard Little Theatre (American Legion Hall)

11:00am, 12:30pm, & 2:00pm (Melodrama)

Get out of sun for a while during the Fourth of July Festival and come BOO,  HISS, and CHEER while you enjoy a good ole fashioned American melodrama on July 3 with performances at 11:00 a. m., 12:30 p. m., and  2:00 p. m. at the Brevard Little Theatre housed in the American Legion Bldg. located on Johnson & 55 Jordan Street–just one block over from downtown Main Street.  (Cool drinks and snacks will be available.)

Romance, Betrayl, Money, what more could you want?!?!

All performances are FREE to the public!  Donations are appreciated, however.

Please call 883-2029 for further information.

1st Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest – Be the first to claim Brevard’s coveted new title. $5 entry fee per person.

4:00pm in front of Rocky’s Soda Shoppe (on South Broad Street)

5th Annual Duck Race for Kids– Communities in Schools

Kings Creek (Brevard College):  5:00pm

“Southern Exposure” – WSQL Radio 1240 AM

Courthouse Gazebo:  7:00pm – 9:00pm

Fireworks Extravaganza – Hosted by Brevard College:  9:30pm (Rain Dates:  July 10th or July 11th)

2010 community-wide sponsor partners of the Fireworks Extravaganza:

• Transylvania Tourism Development Authority

• Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce

• City of Brevard

• Heart of Brevard

WSQL Radio 1240 AM Fireworks Music Program – Brevard Piano: 9:20pm – 10:00pm

Ongoing Events:

Arts & Culture Week (June 25 – July4)

Brevard Community Band Concert – July 3rd, 7:30 PM.

The Brevard Community Band and the Transylvania Choral Society will present a special Freedom Celebration Concert. Located at the Porter Center at Brevard College. $10.00/adults, students 18 & younger free. For more information call 828.885.5456

American Legion Celebration - July 3rd, 11:00am – 8:00pm

American Legion Post 88 will host a range of activities on Saturday, July 3rd:  shuffle board, horseshoes, and a free juke box. At 1pm there will be food served, including hamburgers, hot dogs, and side dishes. The public, and especially veterans are invited to attend. The American Legion is located at 55 E. Jordan St.

WSQL Radio 1240 AM – Adopt a Pet Program

On July 3rd the celebration day for the 4th of July, WSQL will be broadcasting live from noon – 3:00pm on the sidewalk in front of Pure Pets. Pure Pets will be the host location for all activity associated with actual pet adoption or donations for pets in the form of money or food.

WSQL will donate 25% of the net proceeds from the sponsors to the three “Rescue” agencies associated with the program.

Sorry…No Dogs Allowed on Festival Grounds – All Star Pet Show only
Pet sitting may be available for out of town visitors
For more information:  Call Pure Pets 828.884.7333

The downtown streets of Brevard are transformed into a magical world of holiday cheer during the Heart of Brevard’s 23rd Annual Twilight Tour.

Our Twilight Tour takes a turn back in time…join us for a  “Christmas by the Campfire”…celebrating mountain traditions.

Instead of streets lined with vendors, each downtown block hosts an open campfire. This is a cozy place to huddle, in between “touring” the different downtown shops and restaurants for their holiday specials.

Around each campfire there are place to sit and warm up. You can participate in a more traditional activity like marshmallow roasting, story telling, ornament making, singing, or watching a children’s Christmas movie. At each campfire there will also be some refreshments to help warm your toes.

The Courthouse lawn will be sparkling with lights. The sidewalks will glow in the light of 1000 luminaries, and school children and community choir musicians will gather at the courthouse gazebo to fill the evening air with holiday song.

Don’t forget to enjoy the courthouse lights and Christmas tree decorations at the Transylvania County Courthouse. Of course, you can’t miss the long-awaited visit with Santa Claus at My Favorite Season.

Come and watch all the floats, fire trucks & emergency vehicles, and classic vehicles of the Christmas Parade at 3:00pm. For more information regarding the Christmas Parade, contact the Chamber of Commerce. 828.883.3700

Distribution of White Squirrel Colonies
Description: Brevard is not the only community to host a white squirrel colony.  There are approximately a dozen other cities with similar populations. The most famous of these is in Olney IL where Dr. John Stencel has been studying an albino population for more than 30 years. These albinos suffer from a mutation in the ability to make the dark pigment melanin. Not only do they have no coat markings but they have pink or blue eyes. Melanin in the eyes helps reduce glare and improves visual acuity. Thus, albinos have impaired vision, a distinct disadvantage for an animal doing “high wire” acrobatics in the treetops. It’s not surprising that the Olney white squirrel has shown signs of decline. The Brevard white squirrel does not suffer from this disadvantage. Besides patches of pigmented hair, they have dark eyes (see Typical Brevard White Squirrel photo below). The only other known colonies with this pattern are either derived from the Brevard population or found in the southeast, especially Florida to which there seems to be a direct connection (more on the Florida connection later).  In preparing this map, I am using a rather “liberal” definition of a colony. Dr. Stencel restricts the use of “colony” to those locations in which at least 20 squirrels (in absolute numbers) are regularly observed to be white variants. Here I list all those communities in which white variants are repeatedly or regularly observed (self-reporting) without any attempt to set absolute threshold numbers since those populations are probably harboring a permanent reservoir of the white-predisposing gene(s). But whatever the definition, there are to my knowledge, no all white colonies of the Eastern Gray Squirrel in North America. I believe that Brevard’s population has both the highest percent white (approximately 1 of every 3 squirrels) and abundance (~ 1,000 white squirrels) of any known colony.

Isolated sightings of white squirrels (usually with dark eyes but no coat markings, a condition known as leucism) occur regularly through out the entire range of the Eastern Gray squirrel. This common mutation seems to be weeded out before it can be firmly established into a so-called colony. For a partial list of such isolated sightings, click here.  (You can also email your sightings to rrglesener@gmail.com).

Typical Brevard White Squirrel
Description: The Brevard white squirrel is not albino. In addition to a mostly white coat, it has dark eyes, a pigmented head patch, and a dorsal stripe that usually expands to form what looks like a saddle in the shoulder area. There is much variation in this pattern but an all white squirrel is extremely rare in this area. The head patch can be solid, horseshoe or doughnut shaped; it may resemble a triangle, a diamond, deer tracks or even a widow’s peak (like Count Dracula). There is some evidence that this pattern is inherited (Burgin: Inheritance of Head Patch Patterns).  For more detail, see the post entitled “What is a White Squirrel?”

Typical Gray Squirrel
Description: Even without the white variant, there is much variation in tree squirrel coat color both locally and regionally. Most are countershaded, with a gray/brown top and near white bottom. The white belly is adaptive in that it makes the squirrel less visible when viewed from below against a light sky. Thus, normal gray squirrels have all white patches on the abdomen while the Brevard white squirrel has pigmented hairs on the forehead and back. The difference between the two is not the ability to make the dark pigment melanin (as is the case in albinos) but rather in the distribution of the different hair colors. It is as if the region normally restricted to the belly has expanded at the expense of the pigmented hairs, confining them to a narrow region along the back. The gene(s) involved is like the conductor of an orchestra; it doesn’t actually make the music we hear (in this case the pigment we see) but it directs the production of music from the orchestra (melanin production by the pigment producing cells). Such genes are called regulator genes. Another theory  (click here) for which there seems to be some evidence in other mammals suggests that this pattern might result from a shortage of melanocytes (the pigment producing cells) which must migrate throughout the body in early development. If the normally dark dorsal surface has a higher priority and/or greater attraction for these cells, the result would be a mostly white squirrel with pigmented patches on the backside, i.e., a Brevard white squirrel. In any case, nothing is known about its inheritance, but circumstantial evidence (rapid increase in frequency) hints that it may be a dominant trait, unlike the recessive condition of albinos.  For more details, see the post “What is a white squirrel?”

White and Gray Siblings
Description: These two squirrels are juveniles of the same age. They were foraging peacefully together. I am almost certain that they are siblings from the same nest. In North America, so-called white squirrels are simply coat color variants of some squirrel species, in this case, the Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Brevard’s white squirrels freely interbreed with the gray variant and have mixed litters that are either gray or white as in this picture but nothing in between. Geneticists call this condition a dimorphism, in this case a color dimorphism similar to variation in eye or hair color in human beings.

This photograph also illustrates the difference in perceptibility between the two variants. Clearly the white variant is easier to see. When squirrels foraging on the ground are frightened, they head to the nearest tree and do a “spread eagle” on the trunk. The gray squirrel blends in and is camouflaged but a white variant sticks out like a “sore squirrel.” They are behaving in a gray squirrel appropriate way. In fact, in every way other than coat color, white squirrels appear to be normal Eastern Gray Squirrels. No differences in behavior have been documented although I have received many causal observations of one or the other being more aggressive at back yard feeders. Gray squirrels who have not encountered the white variant (and vice versa) may behave somewhat “suspiciously” to their counterpart but those that have been raised together show no evidence of ostracizing the other (as the capturers of Melanie feared – see the Melanie section for more information).

If white squirrels are more visible to people, we can assume that they are also more visible to predators. Perhaps, that is one reason why, despite its wide distribution, the white variant is usually found in close association with humans where natural predators are reduced. Domestic pets are a threat though once in their element (trees), squirrels can usually escape with ease. Collisions with cars are probably a more serious threat to squirrels and being more visible may actually be an advantage in avoiding accidents, particularly in a community that values this distinctive animal. I have been told by a number of people “I brake for white squirrels but not gray ones.” They also let white squirrels forage at their bird feeders but shoo away gray ones. Maybe this is why the white variant has increased from a single pair in the 1950’s to close to a thousand in the city today. It may also be true that predators are not genetically programmed to search for white prey or that some, as yet undiscovered, factor correlated with coat color gives them an advantage.

Geographic Distribution of the Brevard White Squirrel
Description: In 1987, I wrote a letter to the Editor of the Transylvania Times requesting people to send me sightings of the Brevard white squirrel outside of the city of Brevard. Later, once the Fall count was established and advertised, I received sightings from people who read articles in a number of regional newspapers. This map shows the compilation of the sightings I received over a twenty-year plus period (for a larger version of this map, click here).  A single asterisk usually represents numerous sighting in that community. You can see that although the white variant began as a pair released on Johnson Street just south of Main in the early 1950’s, they now span an area almost 50 miles in diameter, from west of Cashiers in Jackson County to east of I-26 in Henderson County, from Saluda in Polk County in the south to north of Asheville and Enka/Candler in Buncombe County. However, the distribution is not continuous. While there are large numbers in Etowah and Laurel Park, there are relatively few in between in Horseshoe. This disjunct distribution suggests that much of their dispersal may be human assisted (capture and release; the same way that they arrived in Brevard in the first place). However, it may also be partially accounted for by habitat fragmentation. White squirrels are gray squirrels and gray squirrels are tree squirrels. Tree squirrels depend on trees for food, shelter, and refuge from predators. In areas where trees have been cleared, gray squirrels of either variety are rare (see section on Habitat Fragmentation).

Blank Sector Map and Data Sheet
Description: Besides a roadmap directing them to their assigned Sector, volunteer counters receive a detailed Sector map and data sheet on which to record their observations. Using the map, observers navigate their Sector at a leisurely pace usually taking between 1-2 hours. Upon sighting a squirrel, the volunteer places a “G” (for gray) or “W” for (white) on the map at the approximate location. Since squirrel nests indicate the presence of a resident squirrel, volunteers should slow down and observe more carefully when a nest is seen. Squirrel nests look like big sloppy bird nests and are usually located in forks between branches 15 feet or more above ground (tree cavities also serve as nests but usually can not be seen from the ground). Nests are recorded on the maps with an “N”. Other indications of a squirrel’s presence are hearing any number of various squirrel calls, seeing stripped tree bark, or simply hearing a rustling in the bushes or leaves. Of course, unless a squirrel is seen, we have no idea of its coat color. Squirrel movement can be quite quirky. Sometimes it is hard to tell if you are seeing more than one squirrel or the same one cutting back and forth. This type of error is hard to eliminate but there is no reason to assume it occurs more with one color variant or the other. The data sheet also has places to record behavioral activity, etc. but these are icing on the cake. The bottom line is simply how many white squirrels and how many gray squirrels were observed.

Completed Maps from Sector 19
Description: This is a comparison of the completed maps of all three counts for Sector 19 in 1999. Note how variable the results are for this particular example. This may be due to differences in the observers, weather, date, time of day, or any number of other possible factors. That is why we like to have a least 3 counts for each Sector. Also, count #3 indicates the importance of sample size. If one of the gray squirrels observed had not been seen, the percent white would have jumped to 67%. If one of the whites observed had not been seen, it would have dropped to 33%. The same changes would have had much less effect on the other two counts. Clearly, the more squirrels we observe, the more valid the data are. This is why we average our results. We do this in two ways: (1) by calculating the average of the 3 counts, and (2) by calculating the total white observed over all three counts divided by the total squirrels observed (note: easy to see squirrels may be observed in all three counts). To the extent that the two measures agree, we think they provide an accurate estimate of the true percent white.

Percent White Squirrels by Sector for 2009 Count
Description: This map shows the study area, which is approximately 3 square miles, centered on the Courthouse and basically follows the original city limits. Brevard Middle School is to the north, Brevard High School to the south, Brevard Elementary School to the east, and Brevard Music Center is just to the west of Sector 9. There are 35 Sectors of varying size averaging about 50 acres. The percentages shown for each Sector are for the most recent count in which about 5/7 of the study area was covered. As you can see, there is some degree of variation over the study area indicating that this is not one big homogeneous breeding population. This suggests that habitat fragmentation, possibly due to loss of trees, is already having some effect on dispersal. The highest percentages appear to be along the eastern margins. The combination of a relatively high percent of the white variant and the increased visibility within a park-like landscape make Brevard College (indicated on the map by BC) an ideal place for visitors to see their first white squirrel.

2009 Overall Results
Description: These are the overall results from the most recent count. The average percent white and total percent white are in agreement; both indicating that approximately 1 of 3 squirrels in Brevard are of the white variety. Prior to 2005 that ratio was closer to 1 of 4. We would like to think that this recent increase is real but suspect that some of it may be due to changes in protocol. For instance, in order to encourage volunteer participation, we extended the observation period through December (instead of just October). Although leaf fall made observations easier, the colder temperatures and unavailability of nuts probably meant that there were fewer squirrels out foraging at any given time. We also allowed observers to select a time interval convenient for them. Since squirrels are bimodal in their daily foraging activity with peaks in the morning and afternoon, some observations were probably made during reduced squirrel activity. The effect of sample size on the reliability of estimates was noted in a previous section. Perhaps this accounts for some of the sudden increase, although I think we can safely say that the white variant is doing well at this time.   For more detail results for this and previous years click here.

Bar Graphs of Abundance and Percent White 1997-2009

Description: These two graphs illustrate the most significant result of thirteen years of study. Despite fluctuating widely in abundance (calculated as squirrels observed per individual count*), the estimated percent white has stayed remarkably the same showing, if anything, a slight increase. The twelve-year average is 27.4%. The error bars on the graphs indicate the 95% confidence levels for the true percent. For any pair-wise comparison, if the error bars overlap, the difference is not significant. As you can see, whereas many of the year by year comparisons for abundance are significantly different, very few of the percent-white ones are.

*The Fall squirrel count is not meant to be a census. We know that in the one to two hour period of observation, not all squirrels in a Sector will be out foraging. We also know that many of those out, will not be seen for a variety of reasons. Thus, the squirrel count underestimates the total number of squirrels (there are other methods to estimate total abundance). It is meant primarily as a means to estimate percent white. However, year-to-year comparisons of abundance can be made if one compares squirrels observed per individual count and that is what is shown in the abundance graph.

Melanie
Description: This is a photograph of Melanie (named for her reduced levels of the dark pigment melanin) taken by David Gale formerly of the Back to Nature Animal Rehabilitation Center in Orlando FL. Notice that she is not only white but has the same pigmented markings as the Brevard white squirrels, i.e., dark eyes, head patch, and a dorsal stripe that broadens into a saddle in the shoulder region. Melanie was captured near Disney World and brought to Back to Nature, not because she was injured, but because her capturers feared she would be “picked on” by normal gray squirrels. This concern indicates to me that the white color variant was uncommon in the area. However, when David placed an article in his monthly newsletter about the white squirrels of Brevard NC, I received numerous emails noting similar sightings from the counties surrounding Orlando. They are apparently well established in that area but in low frequency. Since then I have received sightings from Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Sopchoppy, Panacea, Pensacola and regions in between. This is consistent with local Brevard folklore that says our white squirrels are transplants from north Florida. But it also suggests that the color variant may be widespread and native to central and northern Florida (and possibly the low country of South Carolina and Georgia as I have had recent sightings from the greater Charleston area) rather than an escapee from a circus, also part of the folklore. For a detailed presentation of what we do know about the Florida connection, read Barbara Mull Lang’s account (click here).

If, in fact, Brevard’s white squirrels are native to Florida where they occur at low frequency, the question arises as to why they have been so much more successful in their adopted habitat. The woodlands of western North Carolina would seem to favor tree squirrels of all varieties. Perhaps the “Adam and Eve” transplanted from Florida were particularly vigorous for reasons genetically correlated but not directly related to coat color. Apparently, white variants were thriving within the pecan orchard population from which they were taken. The success of Brevard white squirrels transplanted to other areas (Walkertown NC and Yonges Island SC) supports this notion but the determinants of that success remain a mystery. As noted in the White and Gray Sibling section, other than coat color, Brevard white squirrels appear to be normal Eastern Gray Squirrels.

Whatever became of Melanie? David placed her into an open-air, captive colony of white squirrels being maintained at the Tallahassee Museum of History and Science that was established from captured white squirrels from the Sopchoppy area. For more on this topic, click here.

Habitat Fragmentation
Most of us think of our white squirrels as a curiosity. Certainly they bring us recognition and are the source of civic pride. For some, they bring more tangible benefits. As a tourist attraction they are a direct (souvenirs) and/or indirect (food and lodging) source of revenue. Wouldn’t it be a shame if while we were celebrating our unique critters, they were diminishing in number before our very eyes. That alone is reason to monitor their well being.

But there is a more fundamental reason for monitoring not just the white squirrels but squirrels in general. Squirrels live very intimately and harmoniously with humans. One reason for that is that we both share a preference for woodland/woodlot habitats. Not dense forest, but not open prairie, either. Anthropologists have demonstrated that humans prefer a shaded, park-like environment; one with scattered trees through which they can see distant objects approaching. We can speculate on why this should be so but the point being made here is that this preference is exactly the type of environment tree squirrels occupy. Their whole lives center on mature trees for food, shelter, and refuge from predators. When foraging on the ground, they are wary, always alert for possible threats. The further they can see, the further they will forage from their arboreal retreats but never more than a couple hundred yards. They are more abundant in such woodland habitat than dense forest.

Thus, a healthy squirrel population indicates a healthy park-like habitat, the kind of environment that attracted most of us to Brevard and Transylvania County in the first place. Squirrels are indicator species for forested ecosystems in the same way that certain fish and aquatic insects are indicators of good water quality. Economic and social pressures gradually impinge on this environment in ways that are often difficult to detect in the short term. However, decline in our squirrel population could be viewed as an early warning of habitat degradation giving us time to implement remedial action. As can be seen by comparing the city and surrounding forest in this aerial photograph, there has definitely been habitat fragmentation. The forest has given way to woodland/woodlot, our preferred habitat. But do we wish to “progress” further toward a treeless urban landscape. Squirrels can tell us how far we have traveled in that direction.

Over the last twelve years most of the fluctuation in squirrel abundance can be accounted for by variation in food (hard mast). That is a positive observation. On the other hand, the fact that the percent of the white variant differs widely over different parts of the study area, indicates that there are barriers to mobility. Instead of one large interbreeding population, we have a series of semi-isolated sub-populations. Conservation biologists claim that such subdivisions are unhealthy for species preservation. Are we on the verge of impacting our preferred habitat? Monitoring our resident squirrels, both white and gray, is more than just a curiosity and should be promoted.

If you would like to participate in this or related projects please contact the Heart of Brevard (884-3278 and heartexec@comporium.net) or Bob Glesener, Director, White Squirrel Research Institute (862-3231 and rrglesener@gmail.com) for more information.

GLESENER, ROBERT. Associate Professor of Biology, Emeritus, Brevard College. B.S., University of Maryland (Zoology); M.S. (Zoology) and Ph.D. (Biological Sciences), University of Michigan.

 I first heard of Brevard while an undergraduate at the University of Maryland. Southern Appalachia is salamander heaven and I spent my summers in Western North Carolina trail blazing and collecting specimens for a zoology professor. I was hooked. I gave up my prior interest in medicine and psychology and became an ecologist. Even though my research eventually became more theoretical, to this day I cannot resist turning logs and rocks in Pisgah National Forest. The difference is that today I put back everything I catch.

I came to Brevard directly from graduate school at the University of Michigan. My research then dealt with (1) the regional stability of locally unstable predator/prey interactions and (2) the evolution and maintenance of sexual reproduction. During my twenty-six years at Brevard College, I have taught everything from Introductory Biology and Zoology to Ecology and Genetics. Outside the classroom I founded the Commuter Student Association and BC RECYCLES! I also maintained small projects monitoring stream water quality and the salamanders of Moore Cove, Pisgah National Forest.

In 1997, I began a long-term study of Brevard’s white squirrel population, which includes conducting the annual Fall Squirrel Count. Although I have since retired, I continue as Director of the White Squirrel Research Institute under the sponsorship of the Heart of Brevard.   You can contact me at rrglesener@gmail.com   Thanks for your interest (if you could possibly be interested in more about me, click here).

Such squirrels are found over a 50 mile radus in western North Carolina from Cashiers in Jackson County to the west, to Saluda in Polk County to the East, From Travelers Rest in South Carolina to the south, to Enka/Chandler and N. Asheville in Bumcombe County to the north (see regional distribution map).  Squirrels with this pattern are thought to be direct descendants of a pair which had the same markings introduced in Brevard from Florida in the mid 20th Century (see Barbara Mull Lang’s personal account). Whether their wide distribution is due to dispersal or capture-and-release or both is uncertain. At least one population,  in Walkertown NC (north of Winston-Salem), is known to be a transplant from Brevard when former residents moved there; other such introductions are suspected.

Typical Gray Squirrel

The pigmented eyes, which are the same shade as that of  normal gray squirrels, help reduce glare so that the Brevard squirrels have good vision unlike albino squirrels that lack pigment in their eyes. Good vision is essential for an animal that does arboreal acrobatics 40 or more feet above the ground. The hairs of the head patch and dorsal strip are similar to those that cover a much wider region of a normal gray squirrel and help the gray variant blend in with tree bark. The white hairs are similar to those usually confined to the abdomen of gray squirrels (see image to left) and camouflage them against the sky when seen from below. Thus, our white squirrels have pigmented hairs, and gray squirrels have white hairs; its the distribution that’s different.  For more on the comparison see “What is a White Squirrel?”

 The picture to the right shows siblings from the same nest foraging together. Clearly the white sib is more noticeable than his/her brother/sister. When threatened, foraging white squirrels behave just like their grey brethern; they run to the nearest tree trunk and do a spread eagle.  But instead of blending in they stick out like “sore” squirrels.  Why this white variant should be so successful when it presumably is more visible to predators is uncertain. Perhaps, human preference/protection is a factor. If a major source of mortality is road kill, being more visible may actually be benefical, particularly in a community that prides its unique mascot.  It’s also possible that predators, such as hawks, have “search images” that don’t match with white prey. Another possiblity is that the benefit has little to do with coat color, itself;  that the gene(s) effecting this difference in hair distribution is closely linked on a chromosome to some other, at present unknown, gene that imparts increased vigor, improved health, or some other beneficial feature.  One comment regarding this latter possibility is that the white variant is not nearly as common in its native Florida as it is in Brevard (or in transplants from Brevard).  They occur in low frequency throughout central and northern Florida.  However, the white population from the Madison FL pecan orchard from which Brevard’s squirrels are thought to be derived, was flourishing in comparison. This suggests that there may have been something other than just a white coat that gave the Brevard ”Adam and Eve” an advantage.  What ever the reason, it is worth noting that Brevard NC hosts the most abundant, in both percentage and absolute number, population of white squirrels known in North America.

Under the supervision of the Heart of Brevard, community volunteers conducted the 13th Annual Brevard Squirrel Count this past Fall over a three square mile study area centered on the Courthouse.

The Count is not meant to be a true census but rather an estimate of the percentage of the white versus the gray variant of the Eastern Gray Squirrel.

This year’s estimate of 36.7% is the highest yet on record, with the 13 year average being 27.4%. Overall abundance of squirrels, both white and gray, is higher than average but well within the range observed in the past.

The highest percentage of the white variant (88.9%) was observed on the Brevard College campus in the area surrounding Boshamer Gymnasium and the Paul Porter Center for the Performing Arts.

However, the overall abundance of squirrels there is low. The best combination of high percentage and high density (measured in white squirrels per acre) is along the southeast margin of the study area, north of Brevard Elementary School between Elm Bend Road and Outland Avenue.  To see how different Sectors of the study area compare, click here.

Organizers wish to thank the following volunteers: Mountain Sun Community School, Phrank Polsenburg, Susan Parker, Mary Amaudin, Marite Currier, Paula Paddich, Sarah Malmin, Beth Suttles, Anne MacArtney, Shirley Martin, Rebecca Kindred, Julia Batliner, Lauren Weed, Frances Pledger, Elaine Trozzo, Linda and Craig Rodemaker, Bill and Joanne Carroll, Juanelle Burrell and Kathy Roush .

To participate in future counts or in becoming a designated Squirrel Spotter for a neighborhood contact Madrid Zimmerman (828-884-3278; heartexec@comporium.net), Director of the Heart of Brevard, or Bob Glesener (828-862-3231; rrglesener@gmail.com), Director of the White Squirrel Research Institute. 

To veiw more details or results from previous years, click here.

Since the emphasis of this post is on answers to FAQ, I have left it free of illustrations.  However, there are links to appropriate images embedded throughout.  Look for colored text which appear underlined when the cursor points their way.  Most of these are borrowed from other posts at this site.  Questions are italicized and bolded.  Answers are not.I’m planning a trip to Brevard but have a very tight schedule. Where is my best chance to see a white squirrel? The key word in your question is “chance.” We do not keep our white squirrels in captivity.  In fact, there is a city ordinance against that. Like all animals, squirrels have regular patterns of behavior over long periods of time but are very unpredictable at any given moment. Weather, hunger, and seasonality are just a few of the factors that may alter their usual behavior. So is human activity. In other words, there are no guarantees. The best way to ensure seeing one is to stay here for awhile. Although the white variant makes up almost a third of our squirrel population, some regions have none while others have more than half. Taking a look at the most recent results might suggest where to start. A new feature added recently ranks the 35 Sectors of the study area according to percent white and white squirrels per acre (click here for the rankings). But remember that many of these areas are residential with little visibility and/or parking . In addition, while most home owners are proud of their white squirrels, they might be suspicious of strangers walking through. Therefore, I would suggest trying “public places.” Silvermont and Franklin Parks have squirrels but not in large numbers. The best all around location is probably Brevard College which is also easy to find on N. Broad Street just downhill from the courthouse. It offers a large park-like environment with scattered trees for squirrels but yet good visibility for squirrel watchers. Within the campus, itself, the best areas are on the lawns surrounding the main entrance, along the creek, and in the area between the barn and the President’s house. Where ever you go, park the car and walk. The more time you spend on foot anywhere in Brevard, the more likely you are to spot a white squirrel. Happy hunting (with your camera, that is).

How many white squirrels are there in Brevard? First, the Brevard white squirrel is no longer restricted to the city of Brevard. Although released near Johnson and Main Streets (see Barbara Mull Lang’s account) in the early 1950’s they have spread by one means or another to over a fifty mile radius in western North Carolina (see distribution map). The annual Brevard Squirrel Count only covers a 3 square mile area following the original city limits (before any annexations) and is not meant to be a census. Not all squirrels will be out during the one hour count and not all squirrels that are out will be seen by the counter. Thus, the Count, itself, vastly underestimates the number of squirrels but it is, we think, an accurate estimate of the percent white. Using other methods we estimate that there are approximately 3-5,000 squirrels (white plus gray) in the study area. Multiplying that number by the percent determined by the annual count (now approaching 33.3%) we come up with about 1,000 white squirrels. Pretty impressive when you consider that the most other communities boasting white squirrels colonies can claim is a few hundred.

Are white squirrels a separate species? Not unless you live in Thailand or one of the Philippian islands (where all white species of tree squirrels actually exist). In all other cases, including here in Brevard, the white squirrel is simply a coat color variant. That is, they are part of the natural variation occurring in very variable species, in this case the Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensi), which also includes black variants in many parts of its range. Think of all the variation that occurs in our own species such as in eye or hair color; hair color in a squirrel may vary not just from individual to individual but from one part of the body to another.

Do white and gray squirrels interbreed? Yes (if they didn’t, then they would be different species). When it comes to actual mating, coat color is probably not nearly as much a factor as hormonal attraction. Squirrels have two breeding seasons per year, one in winter and one in summer; within those periods, mature females will enter estrus at different times. When a female enters estrus, interested males come from hundreds of yards away and camp out at her “door step” (outside her nest) without every seeing her coat color. Most accounts of “courtship”, itself, are brutal with little opportunity for females to be selective by any means, let alone coat color. Fortunately for her, she is only “receptive” and pursued by males for one day during each breeding period. During that time, she may be impregnated by several different males, none of which help raise the young.

Well, then, are they a separate race of squirrel? The short answer is an emphatic no! The concept of race is controversial in biology. When properly used it is synonymous with subspecies. Being members of the same species, subspecies are theoretically capable of interbreeding. But what has made them different is usually adaptations to different habitats. In other words, they live in different environments and are known as geographic variants and do not ordinarily mate because they do not encounter one another. In some cases, there is a gradual change from one part of a species’ range to another. This is referred to as a cline. Because there is no clear shift from one variant to another, the term subspecies is usually not applied. But if there is a sudden shift, particularly if there is a large geographic gap between them, the separate populations are assigned different subspecies names. None of the above applies to Brevard’s squirrels.

Are the offspring mixed? No, not regarding coat color. The litter may be mixed, that is, some white – some gray, but each individual can be categorized as either white or gray. Of course, what we call white in Brevard also includes a dark head patch and stripe down the back and gray squirrels everywhere have many different colors of hair including brown, black, red, yellow and banded (agouti). They even have a large patch of all white hairs on the belly. So in reality, our reference to white versus gray squirrels actually refers to two different patterns or distributions of hair. But these patterns do not blend together in mixed matings. Offspring almost always have one pattern or the other. In other words, coat color pattern does not blend together like when two different color paints are mixed. Geneticists would say that the genetic predisposition for coat color patterns segregate (separate) during sperm and egg production. The final result depends on which other genes they are recombined with during reproduction.

Are white squirrels albino? Not the Brevard white squirrel. In fact, few of the hundreds of sightings (click here for examples) we’ve received from around the country are true albino  (you can email your sightings to rrglesener@gmail.com). Albino squirrels lack the ability to make the dark group of pigments generally referred to as melanin. Their coats are white and their eyes pink (or blue).  The pigment in the eye of a normal squirrel reduces glare.  Thus, albinos have impaired vision putting these squirrels at risk when leaping from tree limb to tree limb.   But most sightings we receive report squirrels with all white coats with dark eyes. This condition is referred to as leucistic to distinguish it from albinos. Unlike albino squirrels, leucistic ones have normal vision. But in addition to dark eyes, the Brevard white squirrel has patches of pigmented fur so that it is not leucistic either. A typical Brevard white squirrel has a dark head patch and stripe down the back that broadens over the shoulder. The head patch can be solid, horseshoe or doughnut shaped; it may resemble a triangle, a diamond, deer tracks or even a widow’s peak (like Count Dracula). There is some evidence that this pattern is inherited (Burgin: Inheritance of Head Patch). Scattered dark hairs can often be seen all over the back. Thus, they have normal melanin genes but don’t activate them over large parts of their body. It is as if the region of white hair normally confined to the belly of a gray squirrel had expanded at the expense of pigmented regions, compressing the latter to a narrow band on the back.  For more detail, see the post “What are White Squirrels?”

Is the white variant recessive? Albino squirrels are recessive to the normal or wild condition. That means that albinos have to get an albino gene from both parents to be white. If you think about it, that makes sense. Albino squirrels are white because they make no melanin, the pigment responsible for most hair color. The so-called albino gene is really a defective melanin gene (a gene, whose product an enzyme in the melanin pathway, doesn’t work correctly) and if the squirrel gets a double dose of defective melanin genes it will make no pigment, not even in its eyes. They will have pink (due to retinal blood vessels) or blue eyes (due to light refraction). But all it takes is one normal melanin gene and the pigment will be produced in near normal amounts. So a squirrel with one normal melanin gene and one albino gene will appear normal. The albino gene will be masked. That’s what we mean by recessive. The normal melanin gene is said to be dominant over albino. But most white squirrels where ever they are sighted are not true albinos and the genetics are more complicated. Because squirrels can not be bred like fruit flies (they require a small woodlot of mature trees to complete courtship), we have very little data to go by. But the rapid increase in numbers of white squirrels in Brevard since their release in the early 1950’s suggest that either the condition is dominant or the white coat confers some advantage to its bearer (of course, such an advantage may not be coat color itself but some other genetic predisposition that is inherited along with it). Although such squirrels may be very abundant in some areas where they occur, the Brevard variant does not seem to be a reoccurring mutant that pops up again and again here and there, like the leucistic one does. Most known populations of the Brevard type are thought to be have a connection to one another by capture and release. This suggests that it’s genetics are more complicated than that of other white squirrel variants.  For a more thorough analysis of how the Brevard condition arises in the squirrels that bear it and on the inheritance patterns of all the major coat color variants, see the post “What is a White Squirrel?”

How did white squirrels get to Brevard? A pair were trapped in Florida and brought to Brevard as captive “pets” in the late 1940’s. They were then “released” in the early 1950’s. They had then the same markings (head patch and dorsal stripe) that distinguish our Brevard white squirrels today. Once again, I refer you to Barbara Mull Lang’s account (click here) for the details.

Where did the Florida squirrels come from? There is some controversy here. Local folklore says that the squirrels were part of a circus. While traveling through northern Florida, the circus caravan wrecked and the squirrels escaped into a local pecan orchard where they flourished. The circus owners supposedly acquired the squirrels from Hawaii. This is where I became suspicions. Hawaii is an oceanic island with no native terrestrial mammals. As mentioned above, there are species of all white squirrels in Thailand and the Philippines but these are not only different species but in different genera (and distantly related ones at that). The likelihood that such species could be introduced halfway around the world and fully interbreed with the Eastern Gray Squirrel is very remote. There is a much simpler explanation. The squirrels are, indeed, from Florida but they weren’t introduced; they are native Floridians. Sightings of squirrels with similar markings have been reported from Kissimee and Orlando (see Melanie) in central Florida to Jacksonville and the panhandle in northern Florida. Recently, I have received sightings surrounding the Charleston SC area.  Throughout much of this range they are rare but there are some areas where they are unusually abundant such as the aforementioned pecan orchard in Madison FL.  The man who gave the squirrels to Barbara Mull Lang’s uncle was thought to be “harvesting” them for sale.  A story implying an exotic origin may simply have been a marketing ploy.

Do white squirrels have other differences from gray squirrels? None have been documented. In every way other than coat color, white squirrels appear to be normal Eastern Gray Squirrels. They even behave in ways that would be appropriate for a gray variant but not a white one. For example, when approached while foraging on the ground, they will run to the nearest tree and “spread eagle” on the trunk. When a gray squirrel does this, it is camouflaged against the dark bark. But a white squirrel sticks out like a “sore squirrel.” Although I have received many causal observations of one or the other being more aggressive at back yard feeders, these appear to be individual differences in behavior and not characteristics related to coat color. Other differences in size or behavior have been suggested but not documented.

Do white squirrels get picked on? White and gray squirrels that have been raised together show no evidence of ostracizing one another. They forage side by side (see White and Gray Siblings in the post entitled “Overview of Findings”). Non-siblings probably show the same territorial tendencies toward each other, regardless of color, although this has not be fully documented.

During the annual squirrel count, how do you know you aren’t counting the same squirrels over and over? This certainly happens on a number of occasions. But there are ways to reduce its occurrence such as keeping a steady pace and doubling back as little as possible. While tree squirrels do not rigorously defend territories, they do have limited home ranges within which they do most of their foraging. After all, it wouldn’t make sense to cache nuts for the winter in unfamiliar surroundings. Familiarity with escape routes is another reason why squirrels are not going to follow you unless you are luring them with food. Sometimes doubling back is unavoidable and that’s when a little common sense comes into play. On the second pass, don’t count squirrels of the same color unless you see more of them or they are distinctive in size or markings. This will temporarily bias your results but, as mentioned below, will even out in the long run. Even when not doubling back care must be taken. Squirrels are quirky, changing direction and speed frequently. Particularly in brushy or wooded areas it is sometimes difficult to tell if you are seeing one squirrel whirling about or if the first one flushed out another foraging in the same area as often happens. The same rule with the same bias as for doubling back applies. The good news is that there is no reason to assume that counting a squirrel more than once is more likely with one variant or the other. For both it should occur in roughly the same frequency as that variant occurs in that area. Therefore, such errors will “cancel out” and have minimal effect on estimating the percent white which is all the annual squirrel count is intended to do.

How can I get white squirrels to release in my neighborhood? The city of Brevard has an ordinance against trapping or harming white squirrels. The Heart of Brevard and the White Squirrel Research Institute are located withing the city limits and therefore do not participate in such activities and discourage others from doing so as well.

May 29-30, 2010 (over Memorial Day Weekend)

Downtown Brevard

This is the biggest event our county produces to honor our special furry, white critters.

It was recognized as one of the 2009 TOP 20 spring events in the entire southeast region by The Southeast Tourism Society.

We need volunteers for the :

- Information Booth

- Saturday Beer Garden **

- Stage Support

- Squirrel Box Derby

Please contact the Heart of Brevard:

828.884.3278 or email

** We are launching a new beer created by Craggie Brewing Company, just for our favorite critter—the White Squirrel Summer Lager