Rally History
The Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally is in its 37th year, but if it had not been for the efforts of an earlier nature enthusiast, namely Wallace Coffey, we would not be celebrating here again.
In 1975, a Marion group - the Wilderness Road Garden Club - helf a wildflower walk near Grindstone Campground in conjunction with the Mount Rogers Citizens Development Corporation, a group in which Wallace was a member. Wallace began to work on plans to expand this effort, so in May 1977, he conducted a bird walk and salamander search in addition to the wildflower walk. In 1978, the Mount Rogers CDC agreed to abandon the "wildflower tour" and begin the Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally. Wallace worked out the details to bring this program about. At first, the group used the "spike camp" (old Lutheran boarding school) for the program. Speakers and trip leaders would spend the night there at the school.
Even then, the Konnarock Community Association would prepare the dinner ($3 with a $1 registration fee).
Wallace was an editor at the Bristol Herald Courier. The paper owned Smyth County News, so they got tremendous publicity. In addition, they were publicized in the Roanoke Times and on WCYB-TV. They were able to obtain well-known experts to present programs and among those attending were students from all over. There were vans of students from Duke, North Carolina, Radford, Virginia Tech, as well as many other colleges and universities.
During the 1980 program, the floor at the "spike camp" gave way. The next year, the rally was moved to the new community center where it continues to be a significant fundraiser for their organization.
In 1983, because of increased job duties, involvement with numbers church and civic organizations as well as family responsibilities, Wallace resigned from the rally committee. He did continue to attend the rally. He would serve as a field trip leader and presented the 2005 program - "A Lifetime of Bird Study in the Southern Blue Ridge."
Wallace has been editor of the Tennessee Journal of Ornithology, and a director of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. He has won numerous awards including the Virginia Governor's Award for conservation communications. Over the years, he has encouraged many people in nature study in both Virginia and Tennessee and beyond.
So Wallace, from all of us who have attended and worked with the rally over the last three decades, we thank you for the vision you had for the rally and for all the many details and jobs you were able to carry out so the rally flourished and still survives today. You created this event and those of us now involved with the rally will continue your efforts to make sure the rally does not become extinct.