Free, family friendly opportunity to learn about local animals and plants while contributing to science. Join Discover Life in America and the Tennessee Valley Authority for a bioblitz of the East Lakeshore Trail on Tellico Lake.
Water bears, also called tardigrades or moss piglets, are microscopic creatures that live on moss and in aquatic environments. These tiny creatures have captured the imagination of the world because they are practically indestructible. Learn about water bears from Dr. Paul Bartels, who has studies them in the Smokies for years and even named several new water bear species.
BioBlitz @ Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Join DLiA, the USFWS and the Tennessee Valley Authority for this free, family-friendly event where you can be a citizen scientist and learn about the natural wonders found at the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge near Springville, TN! REGISTER HERE What will we do? A […]
Elk are native to the eastern US but were lost in the region due to overhunting. They were reintroduced into the park in 2002 and since then, their numbers have continued to climb. Learn about these incredible animals from Joseph Yarkovich, who studies them in the Smokies.
The park’s herbarium houses thousands of plant specimens and other flora from around the park, from common trees to rare and endangered plants. Janie has been volunteering in the herbarium for decades now and she’ll tell you all about it!
Beetles of the Smokies Victoria Bayless, Curator, Louisiana State Arthropod Museum Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains over 2,600 known beetle species. Victoria Bayless had a hand in discovering many of them through her work with the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI). Learn about the incredible diversity of beetles in […]
Safe Passage: helping wildlife cross the I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Jeff Hunter, National Parks Conservation Association Safe Passage is a coalition of folks working to create safe crossings for wildlife to cross Interstate 40 and other roadways in the Smokies area. It’s also the subject of a book from Great […]
The fascinating world of nematodes Tom Powers, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Largely unseen, nematodes–also called round worms–are tiny creatures and they’re everywhere! Some help recycle nutrients in the soil and water, some are predators, and others are parasites of animals, plants and other living things. Together, they serve many important roles […]
The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage: 72 years of public education in the Smokies Joey Shaw, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is an annual event that draws in thousands of nature enthusiasts (“pilgrims”) to the area to attend expert-guided nature walks, hikes, and informational sessions celebrating the beauty […]
Tremont’s monarch monitoring program in Cades Cove Erin Canter, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont Erin Canter, manager of science literacy and research at Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, will talk about Tremont’s community science program to tag and monitor monarch butterflies as they develop and migrate through the […]