National Public Lands Day Celebration!
2022-09-24 09:00 (America/New_York) | Oconoluftee Vistor Center, 1194 Newfound Gap Rd, Cherokee, North Carolina, 28719, United States
Join Discover Life in America to “Record life in the Smokies” as part of our Smokies Most Wanted program at Oconoluftee Visitor Center in GSMNP!

Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day is traditionally the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort. It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits. This year, National Public Lands Day falls on September 24, 2022.

Salamander Ball on Wheels 2022
2022-10-07 18:00 - 21:30 | Parkway Drive-in Theatre, Maryville, TN, 2909 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Maryville, Tennessee, 37804
Come one, come all, to the Salamander Ball! Our third annual “Salamander Ball on Wheels” is an appreciation event to thank our volunteers, sponsors and supporters, past and present.Save the date October 7th for an evening of family-friendly fun and our featured movie, The Lorax at the Parkway Drive-in Movie Theater in Maryville, TN!

It’s free, but donations are welcome to support this event!

REI Co-op Class Series: Smokies Most Wanted
2022-10-15 01:00 - 14:00 | REI Co-op Pigeon Forge, 2655 Teaster Ln Suite 310, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, 37863, United States
October 15th at 1pmSmokies Most Wanted: Community Science for the Whole Family

Are you looking for new ways to make family outdoor adventures more fun and educational? In this program, you’ll learn how to use a nature app called iNaturalist to become community scientists! We will teach you and your family how to document the animals and plants you encounter whether you are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park or even in your own backyard. It’s fun, easy, and great for kids and families! (Parent/guardian permission required for kids under 13.)

Register here for October 15th:https://www.rei.com/…/smokies-most-wanted…/318156

Smokies Most Wanted at Sugarlands Visitor Center
2022-10-20 10:00 - 14:00 | Sugarlands Visitor Center, 107 Sugarlands Visitor Center Loop Rd, Gatlinburg, TN, 37738, United States
Join Discover Life in America at Sugarlands Visitor Center to learn about using iNaturalist and the Smokies Most Wanted Program! Help us record life in the Smokies as a community scientist! Use the iNaturalist app to record any animal, plant and other lifeform you find in the National Park. Want to take things up a notch? Look for the 100+ high priority species found in our Smokies Most Wanted Guide.

Science at Sugarlands: Monarchs
2022-10-21 13:00 - 15:00
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 Smokies.

Visit our main Science at Sugarlands page to for more information, registration for this free virtual talk, and recordings of past Science at Sugarlands presentations.

// Cover photo: monarch butterfly on Queen Anne’s lace by Will Kuhn

Conservation on Tap
2022-11-09 19:00 - 20:00 | Albright Grove Brewing Company, 2924 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919
Saving Wildlands & Farms: The Foothills Land Conservancy

The Foothills Land Conservancy’s Executive Director Bill Clabough will highlight the Conservancy’s wide range of conservation successes and partnerships with both individual landowners and public entities.

FLC has assisted in the preservation of over 140,000 acres of mountains, working farms, and rural landscapes in 47 Tennessee counties and across 6 additional states. Local examples include Jarvis Park in Maryville and the Stella Moore Collier Preserve in Knoxville. Stop by and climb on the preservation bandwagon!

Proceeds from this event benefit Discover Life in America, the national park’s biological science and conservation partner. Visit DLiA.org to learn more.

REI Co-op Class Series: Smokies Most Wanted
2022-11-19 13:00 - 14:00 | REI Co-op Pigeon Forge, 2655 Teaster Ln Suite 310, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, 37863, United States
Saturday, November 19th at 1pmSmokies Most Wanted: Opt Outside with iNaturalist “Opt Outside” this year by doing community science! In this program, you’ll learn how to use a nature app called iNaturalist to document the animals and plants you encounter wherever you decide to #optoutside this year. We will also share how you can participate and make the most of iNaturalist, by seeking out specific species in a virtual scavenger hunt in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and how your contributions will help the park better protect its natural resources. It’s fun, easy, and great for all ages! (Parent/guardian permission required for kids under 13.) Register here for November 19th:https://www.rei.com/…/smokies-most-wanted-opt…/318157

Conservation on Tap
2023-01-10 19:00 - 20:30
SMOKY MOUNTAIN BROOK TROUT RESTORATION & BEER

Join long-time Great Smoky Mountains National Park fisheries biologist Matt Kulp for an important update on the Smokies brook trout restoration project, endangered fish recovery effort, and recent large stream surveys. You’ll also hear about fascinating work being done on brook trout genetics, water quality, and yes, where park anglers are catching the most and largest fish. Door prizes for those who pay attention!!!

Proceeds from this event benefit Discover Life in America, the national park’s biological science and conservation partner. Visit DLiA.org to learn more.

Conservation on Tap
2023-02-08 19:00 | Albright Grove Brewing Company, 2924 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919
Conservation on Tap

Wednesday, February 8, 7:00 p.m.

Albright Grove Brewing Company, Knoxville

Wells Holbrook of Team BUSAR (Backcountry Unit Search & Rescue) will present on the volunteers’ role in rescuing lost and injured persons in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He’ll include tips and insights on avoiding disaster during your wilderness travels. Wells has quite the resume: Air Force survival instructor, wilderness EMT/physician assistant, and SAR responder! He likes to encourage safe exploration and interaction with the outdoors and can share knowledge that will help you survive when things go awry.

“As a parent, I could not have spent another night with my son in the woods and was so thankful these men were willing to help him and his friend make it home safely. As a mother, their service was priceless.”

GSMNP Science Colloquium 2023
2023-03-02 09:00 - 16:00
2023 Park Science Colloquium

Tune into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2023 Science Colloquium, presented by GSMNP and DLiA! Learn about a wide variety of scientific topics, from natural history to weather and fire to geology and more, from researchers currently working in the Smokies. Registration is free and open to the public.

Location: Virtual via Zoom

Registration: Registration is free! Just follow the link below. You’ll receive a Zoom link over email that you can use to view the Colloquium on March 2nd. The audience will also be able to ask questions of the speakers following their talks. Speakers DO NOT need to register and will receive Zoom link via email.

Free registration

Schedule and abstracts: The following schedule for 2023 is still in flux, so talks may still get switched around. Abstracts are available at the link below. Check back here for the latest updates.

2023 schedule & abstracts (PDF)

2022 recorded talks (YouTube)

Information for presenters

Submit a talk

Call for submissions: We welcome you to submit a presentation about your research that is either actively taking place in Great Smoky Mountains National Park or that is of significance to the Smokies, and that is at a stage in analysis where a full picture of the research can be presented. Note: due to time constraints, we may not be able to fit all submitted talks. Paul Super will be contacting potential presenters via email about submitting a presentation.

Important dates

December 15, 2022 – deadline to indicate intent to present. Send tentative title and presenter name to Paul Super (Paul_Super@nps.gov)

February 3, 2023 – deadline to submit abstract, final title, and presenter/co-author names and affiliations to Paul Super

Week of February 13, 2023 – presenters will receive a Zoom Webinar invitation via email; meeting registration will be available here for non-presenter attendees

Helpful information

Conference format: The Colloquium will be held virtually via Zoom’s Webinar platform. Presenters will be set as “panelists” on the Webinar, meaning that they can do most of the normal functions of a Zoom Meeting (share video, audio, and screen). Audience members will be able to ask questions and we will help manage questions. We’ll send presenters more information about what to expect closer to the colloquium.

Time slots: Presentation slots will be 12-20 minutes (including time for questions). We will send you a finalized schedule close to the event and will provide more details about the Q&A after each talk.

Presentation format: Slide decks can be in any format (speakers will share their screen via Zoom), however we recommend PowerPoint, PDF, Google Slides or Keynote in wide-format (16:9).

Know your audience: Please note that many in the audience will have advanced degrees, but few will have advanced degrees in your topic, so plan to provide a bit of explanation of technical jargon and stay away from acronyms.

Recording presentations: We plan to record presentations and upload them publicly to our YouTube channel as we’ve done the past few years (view last year’s recordings). Please let Paul Super know if you DO NOT want your presentation to be recorded.

Class Series: Smokies Most Wanted
2023-03-25 10:00 - 16:00 | REI Co-op Pigeon Forge, 2655 Teaster Ln Suite 310, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, 37863, United States
Are you looking for new ways to make outdoor adventures more fun and educational? DLiA will be set up at REI in Pigeon all day on Saturday, March 25th providing hands-on instruction and short classes on how you can use a nature app called iNaturalist to become community scientists!

We will teach you how to document the plants and animals you encounter whether you are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park or in your own backyard. Join us at the top of each hour for instructions on how to set up and use the app, then take a walk outside with us around the store to put what you’ve learned to the test! It’s fun, easy, and great for kids and families!

Free event and no registration necessary!

Conservation on Tap
2023-04-12 19:00 | Albright Grove Brewing Company, 2924 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919
Discover Life in America: Dig Deeper into Our National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park comprises more than 522,000 acres,half of which are in Tennessee and half in North Carolina. The park is themost biologically diverse in the entire U.S. national park system. It’s also themost well-studied, thanks to the ongoing All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory(ATBI). From Discover Life in America—the organization tasked withmanaging the ATBI—Will Kuhn and Todd Witcher will talk about this ground-breaking project, how it helps the park, and some of its most excitingdiscoveries. You’ll also learn how you can get involved including using theiNaturalist nature app to help identify and document life by recording speciesyou encounter in the park and in your own backyard.

Speaker Bios

Dr. Will Kuhn is Director of Science and Research at Discover Life in America. He’s an entomologist and aspiring naturalist, who loves learning about the flora and fauna of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Todd Witcher is Executive Director of Discover Life in America. He’s a biologist, educator, naturalist, and conservationist who’s worked in this field for almost 40 years.

25th Anniversary Celebration
2023-04-22 10:00 - 14:00
Twin Creeks Pavilion in GSMNP

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.

Register for the Open House

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

Tickets for “An Evening with Doug Tallamy

The Park Vista

705 Cherokee Orchard Road

Gatlinburg, TN 37738

Conservation on Tap, May 2023
2023-05-10 19:00 | Albright Grove Brewing Company, 2924 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919
Conservation on Tap

Wednesday, May 10, 2023. 7:00 p.m.

Albright Grove Brewing Company, Knoxville

FREE!

652 Miles of Riverside Bliss!

Call them crazy, but Lila Honaker and Tennessee RiverLine are working to create a continuous system of paddling, hiking and biking experiences along the Tennessee River’s 652-mile reach from Knoxville, TN, to Paducah, KY. Tennessee RiverLine reframes the river, adjacent public lands, and river communities as a 1.2 million acre “river park.” By elevating the region as an international destination for long-distance flatwater paddling and outdoor recreation, the Tennessee RiverLine is a catalyst for economic development, public health, resource stewardship and equitable access to river spaces and experiences.

What’s not to like about that?!

Bioblitz @ Lady's Bluff Trail
2023-05-19 18:00 - 2023-05-20 08:00 | TVA Lady Bluff Trail, 398 Lady's Bluff Road, Linden, Tennessee, 37096
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 at Lady’s Bluff Trail.

Lady’s Bluff Small Wild Area offers views of unique gnarled old cedars, limestone outcrops and sinkholes as well as spectacular views of the Tennessee River and the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge’s Busseltown Unit on the opposite shore. If you are a wildflower hunter, this is a great place to be in the spring.

Two chances to ‘blitz!

Friday, May 19th: 6pm to 10pm Central: Join us for an evening of discoveries…we will continue in the dark, as we will set up a black light to monitor insect populations!

Saturday, May 20th: 8am to 12pm Central: The morning is a great time to look for birds and we will continue to look for other flora and fauna throughout the morning!

REGISTER HERE

What’s a bioblitz?

During a bioblitz, volunteers help document as many kinds of animals, plants and other organisms as we can find in a certain place. It’s also an opportunity for you to be a community scientist, gathering real scientific data, while also learning about the local flora and fauna living around you.

What will we be doing?

Walking the trails, looking for bugs, flowers, salamanders, and anything else we can find. We’ll photograph them with our phones and post pictures to our iNaturalist project. It’ll be a fun morning of outdoor time in a gorgeous natural space and we’ll have experts on hand to guide small groups around the trail and point out interesting facts about the organisms we see.

Afterward you can see what kind of organisms we found by visiting the Lady’s Bluff Trail project on iNaturalist, which will be left up indefinitely. We encourage you to revisit the Lady’s Bluff Trail Project and post what you find! Making iNaturalist observations helps TVA know what’s out there so they can better manage and protect these public lands.

Before the event

Download iNaturalist to your phone (it’s free!)

Follow prompts in the app to create an iNaturalist account

Bring water and some snacks (we’ll also provide water)

Wear weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes for hiking

Meeting Location: Lady’s Bluff Trailhead Parking Lot in Linden, TN 37096

GPS Coordinates to the meeting location: 35.688261 -88.012921

Website: TVA Lady’s Bluff Trail

Fireflies at Norton Creek 2023
2023-06-08 19:00 - 2023-06-11 23:00
Watch the Smokies’ magical fireflies in style! Our annual firefly event is a one-of-a-kind viewing experience. From the comfort of a luxurious private reserve, enjoy food and drink surrounded by gorgeous natural scenery, and witness an incredible display of synchronous and blue ghost fireflies (and other glowing critters) guided by our knowledgeable staff. Four nights to choose from. This is an evening you won’t forget! All proceeds help us at Discover Life in America carry out our mission to understand and conserve the diversity of life in the Smokies. TICKETS AVAILABLE JAN 2ND!

NOTE: This is NOT the synchronous firefly lottery at Elkmont in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is a private fundraising event located on private land adjacent to the park.

WHAT TO EXPECT // TICKET INFO // CANDLELIGHT DINNER // FAQs

Limited tickets for Saturday, June 10th and Sunday, June 11th now available!

A gorgeous venue

Hemlock House

Hors d’oeuvres by Whole Earth Grocery //Luca Pfeiffer

//Luca Pfeiffer

Incredible interior //Luca Pfeiffer

Glow-in-the-dark firefly blankets for sale! //Luca Pfeiffer

A magnificent ravine for fireflies

//Luca Pfeiffer

Fireflies, galore!

Synchronous firefly //Abbott Nature

Light trails of blue ghosts //Abbott Nature

Blue ghost male //Abbott Nature

Blue ghost female //Abbott Nature

Firefly larva //Abbott Nature

Blue glow of fungus gnats //Luca Pfeiffer

Synchronous fireflies’ woodland display //Abbott Nature

What to expect

Location: Norton Creek Preserve, a 3000-acre tract adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains NP, near Gatlinburg, TN. Detailed directions will be sent to ticketholders before the event.

Food is included: heavy hors d’oeuvres by Whole Earth Grocery, including vegetarian options

Drinks are included: local beer as well as wine, sodas, and tea

Includes expert-guided firefly viewing: we’ll point out different firefly species and answer your firefly questions

Light, uphill walking will be involved on paved and gravel surfaces

Rain or shine: we’ll hold the event even if rain is forecast (see FAQs)

No pets allowed

Open to kids 10 and up (ticket required for each child)

More information: ticketholders will receive directions and details via email in mid-May

FAQs: read our list of frequently asked questions for more information

COVID-19 POLICY: We believe in science and things are changing fast with COVID-19! We will follow the latest CDC guidance at this event to keep our guests, staff, and volunteers safe. We will update ticketholders with current information as the event approaches. Please keep in mind that you may be required to wear a mask during the indoor part of the event.

//Luca Pfeiffer

Candlelight DinnerFriday, June 9 at 6:00 pm

Take your firefly experience to the next level with an over-the-top, extravagant evening centered around the Smokies’ famous synchronized fireflies.Earl and Margit Worsham will receive you in their home together with Lee Naughton (DLiA board member) and husband Eugene (Dollywood Company President) for a special dinner and drinks prepared by Dollywood’s own Master Chef.INCLUDES full bar with signature cocktails, special dinner, live auction, and guided firefly viewing. Tickets are $750 per person; quantity is limited.

//Joseph Roberts

//Joseph Roberts

//Joseph Roberts

//Joseph Roberts

//Joseph Roberts

//Joseph Roberts

//Joseph Roberts

What people love about our event

Guided firefly viewing. Our knowledgeable staff will point out different firefly species to you and can tell you what makes each one special.

It’s private. This event is held on private land and we only host around 50 guests per night. Each guest can witness the magic on their own without the crowds.

The venue is magnificent! You’ll love exploring the guest house where we start our event and the gorgeous surrounding property nestled in the Smoky Mountains.

It’s dark. We try to keep things very dark so your eyes can adjust, allowing you to see the wonderful bioluminescence around you. (Don’t worry, we’ve got lights if you need them.)

Four nights to choose from

Thursday, June 8 @ 7pm – $250 per person

Friday, June 9 @ 6pm – candlelight dinner, $750 per person

Saturday, June 10 @ 7pm – $250 per person

Sunday, June 11 @ 7pm – $250 per person

Tickets

Tickets for Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday nights are $250 per person and $750 per person for Friday. Tickets are open to anyone 10 years of age or older (children under 10 are not allowed at this event). Each ticket is for a single night of the event. Tickets for Thursday June 8th, Saturday, June 10th and Sunday, June 11th are currently sold out. Join the waiting list below to be contacted if spots become available. All proceeds from this event support DLiA and our work in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (learn more).

Cancellation policy

Full payment is due at checkout. We will be happy to refund your payment if and only if we are able to fill your slot, up until May 23rd, 2023. After that date, no refunds will be given.

FAQs

Q. Is this event related to the synchronous firefly lottery in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

A. Nope. Discover Life in America is a non-profit partner of the Park; however, this is a private fundraising event that is not associated with the Park’s lottery for synchronous firefly viewing at Elkmont. That is a totally separate event and we cannot answer questions about the lottery, dates for the lottery, or anything else related to it. Information about the lottery can be found at https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/fireflies.htm.

Q. $250 per person seems expensive. Is this event really worth it?

A. We certainly think so! You can expect a lot of value for the ticket price AND you’re supporting Discover Life in America and our important work in the Smokies! There’ll be delicious food, made from scratch by our friends at Whole Earth Grocery, and yummy alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. You’ll get to explore the private venue, which is not open to the public. It’s a gorgeous house made from rough-hewn hemlocks and decorated with birch bark that’s set on a pastoral hilltop right next to the national park. You’ll have one-on-one time with Will Kuhn, our resident entomologist, who will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about the 19 species of fireflies that live in the Smokies. And of course you’ll get to see the magical display of the synchronous fireflies, but not among a crowd in the national park. Rather, you’ll see them in a leisurely, small-group setting with guides to point them out and answer all your questions. We are confident that you’ll enjoy yourself and learn something new!

Q. How do you know the synchronous fireflies will be active?

A. Synchronous fireflies in the Smokies region typically reach their peak activity around the end of May to middle of June; however, this can vary from year to year based on temperature and weather. The Park uses temperature data to plan the dates of their lottery system, typically releasing those dates around late April. We, however, must book the venue for our Fireflies Event a year in advance, so we carefully select a date that falls within the peak season for synchronous firefly activity from previous years. In the nine years that we’ve been doing this event, we’ve never been disappointed.

Q. I can’t find the exact location of this event on your website. Why is that?

A. As the synchronous fireflies have become extremely popular in the Smokies, we don’t post our event location for fear that the public will trespass on the private property of our generous hosts and trample the pristine firefly habitat. Rest assured though: we will contact all ticket holders with detailed directions to the event and other information that you’ll need to know for this once-in-a-lifetime evening.

Q. Where should I stay during the event?

A. Lodging is not included as part of the Fireflies Event; but there are lots of hotel options in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. These are the two closest large communities to the venue and they’re about equal distance from the venue. There are also lots of cabins and small rental properties along “The Spur” (The Spur is a section of the Foothills Parkway connecting Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg; a.k.a. HWY 441).

Q. Are kids allowed at this event?

A. Children 10 years of age or older may attend this event with ticket purchase. Children under 10 years of age are not allowed to attend this event.

Q. Will the event be canceled if rain is in forecast?

A. Nope. The Smokies region gets lots of rain (one of the reasons it’s so rich in fireflies) but it has not affected our firefly viewing. The first part of the event takes places inside, under cover, and the viewing is outside under decent canopy cover. We highly recommend that you bring a light rain jacket in case we get a little rain during viewing. Rain or shine, it’s going to be great!

Q. In the description for this event, you mention “other glowing critters.” What do you mean?

A. There is a veritable menagerie of glowing critters to see at the Fireflies Event! Apart from synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus) and blue ghost fireflies (Phausis reticulata), we’ve seen railroad worms (Phengodes spp.), which are another type of beetle with glowing larvae and adult females, and also fungus gnat larvae (a.k.a. foxfire flies, Orfelia fultoni), which glow faintly blue from seeps on the hillside. We will see some of the region’s 9 other glowing firefly species, too, as we wait for the synchronous and blue ghost fireflies to start their show. We usually find the glowing larvae of a number of firefly species, as well. So much bioluminescence to see and we’ll point glowers out to you as we encounter them!

Q. Other questions?

A. Please carefully read our FAQ for answers to common questions, then ask Todd if you still need help: todd@dlia.org or (865)-430-4757.

Conservation on Tap
2023-06-14 08:00 - 19:00 | Albright Grove Brewing Company, 2924 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919
Making Peace with Bears

Conservation on Tap

Wednesday, June 14, 7:00 p.m.

Albright Grove Brewing Company, Knoxville

FREE!

Do you have bears in your backyard? Bears in your birdfeeders or pet food? Beehives, garden, farm, compost pile, or trash cans? Do you know what to do when you surprise a female bear with cubs in the park? Janelle Musser, Bear Support Biologist for TWRA, and Bill Stiver, National Park Service bear biologist, have answers to all your ‘what if’ bear questions. Come hear about Bearwise tools and techniques that have been proven to help bears and people coexist. Proceeds benefit Discover Life in America and Bearwise!

Bioblitz @ Loyston Point
2023-06-23 18:00 - 2023-06-24 12:00
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 at Loyston Point at Norris Lake.

Two chances to ‘blitz!

Friday, June 23rd, 6pm to 10pm: Join us for an evening of discoveries…we will continue in the dark, as we will set up a black light to monitor insect populations!

Saturday, June 24th, 8am to 12pm: The morning is a great time to look for birds and we will continue to look for other flora and fauna throughout the morning!

See the schedule for the bioblitz below. All sessions led by DLiA’s resident Entomologist, Dr. Will Kuhn, DLiA Biodiversity Program Specialist, Jaimie Matzko and expert Naturalist, Jason Carpenter.

Friday, June 23rd: 6pm to 10pm

6pm Intro to iNaturalist: Learn how to use the free app, iNaturalist to record life and become a community scientist!7pmFinding Fungi: Learn how to find, identify and record fungi, lichens and more!8pmNight Prowl: We’ll look for nocturnal creatures, like owls, bats, fireflies, and we’ll have a limited supply of blacklight flashlights to see what glows in the dark.9pm Blacklighting for “Bugs”: We’ll set up a blacklight to attract all sorts of a wide variety of insects, including moths, aquatic insects, beetles and maybe a few true bugs too.

Saturday, June 24th: 8am to 12pm EST

8am Intro to iNaturalist: Learn how to use the free app, iNaturalist to record life and become a community scientist.9amBirding Basics: We’ll go over how to ID birds by sight and sound by getting out there and observing a variety of birds. Warning, birdwatching can be habit forming!10amPlant and Tree ID: We’ll share some great tips on how to identify a variety of different plants and trees in the area.11amExplore with iNaturalist: Get out and explore on your own with iNaturalist

REGISTER HERE

What’s a bioblitz?

During a bioblitz, volunteers help document as many kinds of animals, plants and other organisms as we can find in a certain place. It’s also an opportunity for you to be a community scientist, gathering real scientific data, while also learning about the local flora and fauna living around you.

What will we be doing?

Walking the trails, looking for bugs, flowers, salamanders, and anything else we can find. We’ll photograph them with our phones and post pictures to our iNaturalist project. It’ll be a fun morning of outdoor time in a gorgeous natural space and we’ll have experts on hand to guide small groups around the trail and point out interesting facts about the organisms we see.

Afterward you can see what kind of organisms we found by visiting the project on iNaturalist, which will be left up indefinitely. We encourage you to revisit the Loyston Point trails and post what you find! Making iNaturalist observations helps TVA know what’s out there so they can better manage and protect these public lands.

Before the event

Download iNaturalist to your phone (it’s free!)

Follow prompts in the app to create an iNaturalist account

Bring water and some snacks (we’ll also provide water)

Wear weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes for hiking

TVA Loyston Point Trails Website

Conservation on Tap
2023-07-12 19:00 | Albright Grove Brewing Company, 2924 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919
Save the Little River!

Conservation on Tap

Wednesday, July 12, 7:00 p.m.

Albright Grove Brewing Company, Knoxville

FREE!

Dr. Andrew Gunnoe, associate professor of sociology at Maryville College and president of the of the Little River Watershed Association, will be speaking about the LRWA’s mission to protect, preserve, and enhance the Little River and its tributaries. Come learn about this amazing river and how you too can become part of the community of people working on its behalf. Proceeds benefit Discover Life in America and LRWA!

Litter River Watershed Association’s mission is to protect, preserve and enhance the Little River and its tributaries through CONSERVATION EDUCATION & RECREATION

Bioblitz @ Deep Creek in GSMNP
2023-07-14 18:00 - 2023-07-15 12:00 | Deep Creek Picnic Pavilion, 2431 W Deep Creek Rd #2027, North Carolina, 28713, United States
Join Discover Life in America and our co-host, Save Our Smokies to celebrate our 25th Anniversary with a bioblitz at Deep Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Free, family friendly opportunity to learn about local animals and plants while contributing to science AND clean up the Smokies!

Two chances to ‘blitz!

Friday, July 14th, 6pm to 10pm: Join us for an evening of discoveries…we will continue in the dark, as we will set up a black light to monitor insect populations!

Saturday, July 15th, 8am to 12pm: The morning is a great time to look for birds and we will continue to look for other flora and fauna throughout the morning!

REGISTER HERE

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Save Our Smokies, Inc is an all volunteer organization that removes litter and graffiti from public lands. We partner with USFS, Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) and local and state parks. Since our founding in 2020, we have been determined to make an impact. The core of our efforts is to bring volunteers together to reduce the negative impact human overuse and destruction has on public lands.

What’s a bioblitz?

During a bioblitz, volunteers help document as many kinds of animals, plants and other organisms as we can find in a certain place. It’s also an opportunity for you to be a community scientist, gathering real scientific data, while also learning about the local flora and fauna living around you.

What will we be doing?

Walking the trails, looking for bugs, flowers, salamanders, and anything else we can find. We’ll photograph them with our phones and post pictures to our iNaturalist project. It’ll be a fun morning of outdoor time in a gorgeous natural space and we’ll have experts on hand to guide small groups around the trail and point out interesting facts about the organisms we see.

Afterward you can see what kind of organisms we found by visiting the on iNaturalist, which will be left up indefinitely. We encourage you to revisit the Deep Creek trails and post what you find! Making iNaturalist observations helps TVA know what’s out there so they can better manage and protect these public lands.

Before the event

Download iNaturalist to your phone (it’s free!)

Follow prompts in the app to create an iNaturalist account

Bring water and some snacks (we’ll also provide water)

Wear weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes for hiking

Join us to “record life and remove litter” with our co-host, Save Our Smokies!

Save Our Smokies

Save Our Smokies, Inc is an all volunteer organization that removes litter and graffiti from public lands. We partner with USFS, Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) and local and state parks. Since our founding in 2020, we have been determined to make an impact. The core of our efforts is to bring volunteers together to reduce the negative impact human overuse and destruction has on public lands.

Conservation on Tap
2023-08-09 19:00 | Albright Grove Brewing Company, 2924 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919
Conservation on Tap: Great Smoky Mountains National ParkWednesday, August 9th at 7pm at Albright Grove Brewing Co. in Knoxville, TN

Ranger and Management Analyst Kendra Straub will brief us on Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s new parking pass system and what revenue it is generating. She’ll also fill us in on trends in park visitation and unveil some findings from the hot-off-the-press visitor use survey. Kendra has been on the front lines over the last several years using research and data to reconcile the park’s surge in visitation with shrinking available funds. If you care about America’s most-visited national park, this is one you won’t want to miss!

Conservation on Tap is a monthly speaker series held the second Wednesday of each month at Albright Grove Brewing Co. All beer sales, at the event, benefit Discover Life in America.

Event is free!

Conservation on Tap
2023-09-13 19:00 | Albright Grove Brewing Company, 2924 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919
Knoxville Legacy Parks is connecting people with nature. By working collaboratively, it is creating a community where people want to live, work and play.

Bioblitz @ Great Smoky Mountains Association's Members Weekend
2023-09-16 10:00 - 16:00
Join us for the Great Smoky Mountains Association’s Members Weekend retreat to learn about local animals and plants while contributing to science. This year’s event will include a bioblitz in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at the Cosby Picnic area led by Discover Life in America!

Register here

What’s a bioblitz?

During a bioblitz, volunteers help document as many kinds of animals, plants and other organisms as we can find in a certain place. It’s also an opportunity for you to be a community scientist, gathering real scientific data, while also learning about the local flora and fauna living around you.

What will we be doing?

Walking the trails, looking for bugs, flowers, salamanders, and anything else we can find. We’ll photograph them with our phones and post pictures to our iNaturalist project. It’ll be a fun morning of outdoor time in a gorgeous natural space and we’ll have experts on hand to guide small groups around the trail and point out interesting facts about the organisms we see.

Afterward you can see what kind of organisms we found by visiting the Cosby Bioblitz project on iNaturalist, which will be left up indefinitely. We encourage you to revisit GSMNP and post what you find! Making iNaturalist observations helps TVA know what’s out there so they can better manage and protect these public lands.

Before the event

Download iNaturalist to your phone (it’s free!)

Follow prompts in the app to create an iNaturalist account

Bring water and some snacks (we’ll also provide water)

Wear weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes for hiking

Community Science Class Series: Birding
2023-10-05 18:00 | REI Co-op Pigeon Forge, 2655 Teaster Ln Suite 310, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, 37863, United States
Join Discover Life in America to learn birdwatching basics. We’ll cover tips on sight and sound ID, using binoculars and how you can contribute valuable community science data with bird observations on the free iNaturalist app! Take a walk in the green space near the REI Co-op to see what birds might be migrating through. A limited supply of binoculars will be available. All ages welcome!

Register for this free class here: https://www.rei.com/…/community-science-with-dlia-birding

Rocky Top BioBlitz
2023-10-12 09:00 - 15:00 | University of TN- in front of Ayres Hall, 1403 Circle Dr, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37916, United States
Join us on the University of TN campus for the Rocky Top BioBlitz—a biological survey focused on identifying as many species as possible in a defined area over a short period of time—from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, October 12. Look for our tent outside Ayres Hall.

During the Rocky Top BioBlitz, participants will walk around campus looking for any kind of life: birds, insects, plants, and even fungi. They will document what they find by taking pictures and uploading them to an app called iNaturalist. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Make sure to download the iNaturalist app before the event!

Get the iNaturalist app.

Download the app. Log in. Try it out.

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iOS

Cane Creek Canyon BioBlitz
2023-10-13 18:00 - 2023-10-14 12:00 | Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve, 251 Loop Rd, Tuscumbia, 35674, United States
Land Trust of North Alabama will host a Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve BioBlitz conducted by Discover Life in America (DLiA), a nonprofit organization out of Tennessee that specializes in biodiversity inventory and conservation, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

A BioBlitz is a citizen science event where participants learn about the plants and animals in a specific place as they look for and document them for research purposes, and we’d like to invite you to be a part of ours! This event is for both newbies and experts as well as amateurs and professionals in the various fields of natural science.

Participants will move through the southern part of the preserve using the iNaturalist app to document observed flora and fauna. There will also be short presentations on a variety of natural science topics conducted by DLiA as well as the Land Trust, Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve regulars, and possibly students and faculty from University of North Alabama. These same people will serve as subject matter experts as participants document their findings.

Event Website

Location: Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve – 251 Loop Rd, Tuscumbia, AL 35674

What to Wear/Bring: Dress appropriately for the weather. This is a rain or shine event, though thunderstorms will cause cancelation. Set up your iNaturalist account in advance. Please note, there is limited (or no) cell service at the preserve.

Registration: Please register to join the bioblitz. You can sign up to attend one or both days. Please register for each day you plan to participate.

Friday, October 13 from 6-10:00 PM

Sign-up

Saturday, October 14 from 8 AM – 12 PM

Sign-up

Conservation on Tap
2023-11-08 19:00 | Albright Grove Brewing Company, 2924 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919
Conservation on Tap

Wednesday, November 8, 7:00 p.m.

Albright Grove Brewing Company, Knoxville

FREE!

If you’ve wondered what actually happens when Congress fails to pass a budget and America’s most popular national park must potentially close, check out this first-of-a-kind panel discussion on the catastrophic impacts to the park, park visitors, park partners, and park neighbors. The talk will feature the executive directors from Discover Life in America, Friends of the Smokies, Great Smoky Mountains Association, and other park partners. Will the park be locking the gates right before the super busy Thanksgiving holiday? Join in and discover some answers.

Proceeds benefit Discover Life in America.

Conservation on Tap
2023-12-13 19:00 | Albright Grove Brewing Company, 2924 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919
Conservation on TapWednesday, December 13, 7:00 p.m.Albright Grove Brewing Company, Knoxville

The Sierra Club in East TennesseeThe Harvey Broome Group

FREE!

Named after Smokies advocate and Wilderness Society Founder Harvey Broome, our local chapter of the Sierra Club has been fighting to preserve wild places, create clean, safe communities, and encourage recycling and clean energy since 1972. The organization is a tenacious watchdog helping protect us from polluters, reckless developers, bad politicians, climate change, and those attempting to degrade our parks and forests. Join Jerry Thornton and others to learn more about our local chapter of the famous Sierra Club and their efforts to address climate change.

Proceeds benefit Discover Life in America, Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s science partner.

Winter Birding Blitz
2023-12-16 07:00 - 13:00
Join us for a Winter Birding Blitz in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Saturday, December 16th from 7am to 1pm. This is a free and family friendly event!

We will be looking and listening for bird activity in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and documenting what we find! This is a great opportunity to do some community science and learn something new!

We will use the free iNaturalist and Merlin Bird ID apps to record our findings, so it’s helpful to download the apps and create accounts, prior to the event.

For more details and to register for free, send an email to Jaimie Matzko at jaimie@dlia.org.

Meet at the Sugarlands Visitor Center in GSMNP. See google maps link below:

Conservation on Tap
2024-01-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Albright Grove Brewing Company, 2924 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919
Conservation on Tap is a monthly series hosted by Albright Grove Brewing Co. to benefit Discover Life in America, Great Smoky Mountain National Park’s biological science and conservation partner.

Stay tuned to see who we are hosting in January!
