25th Anniversary Celebration

DLiA will kick off a year of celebration with free, family-friendly events on Earth Day, April 22, 2023. The organization’s past and present supporters are invited to an open house from 10am to 2pm to celebrate at the Twin Creeks Pavilion in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There will be live music, lunch, tours of the natural history collections, nature programs, and meet and greet opportunities with scientists and park biologists.

An Evening with Doug Tallamy

The celebration will continue into the evening at the Park Vista in Gatlinburg with a reception at 6pm and keynote speaker, Doug Tallamy, at 7pm.

Dr. Tallamy’s books will be available for purchase and a book signing will follow.

A Guide to Restoring the Little Things that Run the World

A recent UN report predicts that as many as 1 million species will disappear from planet earth because of human activities. Many of these are insects and nearly all species at risk rely on insects. Insects have already declined 45% since 1974. The most alarming part of this statistic is that we don’t seem to care, despite the fact that a world without insects is a world without humans! So how do we create beautiful landscapes brimming with life; landscapes that support the pollinators, herbivores, detritivores, predators and parasitoids that run the ecosystems we depend on? Tallamy will remind us of the many essential roles insects play, and describe the simple changes we must make in our landscapes and our attitudes to keep insects on the ground, in the air and yes, on our plants.

Doug Tallamy is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has authored 111 research publications and has taught insect related courses for 41 years. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His books include Bringing Nature Home, The Living Landscape, co-authored with Rick Darke, Nature’s Best Hope, a New York Times Best Seller, The Nature of Oaks, winner of the American Horticultural Society’s 2022 book award. In 2021 he co-founded Homegrown National Park with Michelle Alfandari. His awards include recognition from The Garden Writer’s Association, Audubon, The National Wildlife Federation, Allegheny College, Ecoforesters, The Garden Club of America and The American Horticultural Association.

Tickets are $10 and may be purchased below

The Park Vista

705 Cherokee Orchard Road

Gatlinburg, TN 37738