From Land Trust for Tennessee
(Photo: Land Trust for Tennessee)
Land Trust for Tennessee is excited to be one of Get Out Chattanooga magazine's new Outdoor Coalition Partners - a group formed to champion the great outdoors! Don't miss a new feature about our work on page 8 linked below. Special shout out to our fellow partners: Rock/Creek, Nantahala Outdoor Center, and Peak Fitness and Physical Therapy.
Mountain Goat Trail Alliance news release
(Photo: MGTA)
From Thrive Regional Partnership
(Photo: Bob Butters)
The Cradle of Southern Appalachia blueprint identifies areas that, if protected, would increase wildlife habitat and would better prepare the region in the face of increasing natural emergencies such as wildfire, flood, and drought. These areas would also improve physical and mental health by providing communities with healthy, public open spaces for people to connect with each other and the outdoors.
A weekly roundup of nature-related odds and ends.
In these stressful times it’s now more important than ever to carve out some “green time”, and gardening for wildlife is a great way to do so.
A National Wildlife Federation article gives tips on how to De-Stress While Helping Wildlife.
A pair of Western Grebes and their chick. (Photo: Melissa Groo)
How do great photographers capture those intimate moments from birds' lives? For award-winner Melissa Groo, the number one skill is getting close to birds without disturbing them. Cornell Lab of Ornithology asked her to share her tips for what she calls the knack of gaining an audience with birds.
From Southern Environmental Law Center:
On the latest season of Broken Ground, launched this week, podcast host Claudine Ebeid McElwain takes listeners to two Southern coastal cities among the most threatened by rising tides: Norfolk, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Through the compelling stories of real people in real places, this season shines a light on how folks are navigating the problem and preparing for the inevitable.
“This season we explored what Southerners are experiencing on a daily basis when it comes to rising tides and stronger storms,” says host Ebeid McElwain. “One of the major things we found during production was that the underlying inequities in our society come rushing to the surface, just like the floodwaters.”
Folks across the South understand the immediacy and inevitability of sea level rise and are determined to take action to meet this crisis head on.
But how much time is left?
When you’re ready to find out, grab your headphones and listen to the latest season of Broken Ground—available today at BrokenGroundPodcast.org.
Compiled by Bob Butters
(Photo: Outdoor Chattanooga)
Outdoor Chattanooga's July newsletter lists 15 popular swimming holes in the Chattanooga region, as well as:
From Day Fire Podcast
Day Fire Podcast recently talked with Tish Gailmard, Director of Wildlife Conservation at Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center. Tish has a 20 year tenure with Reflection Riding and is a Tennessee Wildlife Federation 2016 Conservation Educator of the Year. She is also a Federal Red Wolf Species Survival Plan Management Team member, Red Wolf Task Force Member, Red Wolf Blood Champion.
From the Tennessee River Gorge Trust - July 7, 2020
Another Gorgeous Evening Starts Monday! There is still time to register.
These two events will feature mixology lessons from our cocktail experts along with a food tutorial and online silent auction. Then, enjoy your made at home cocktail and dinner while listening to live music from Ben Friberg and Dave Schwab. We hope you will join us for a fun evening while also learning more about TRGT’s amazing work in the Tennessee River Gorge!
**Attendees will receive 10% off the week of July 12th from Mad Priest and Naked River Brewing. Just show them your confirmation email!**
Date: July 13 & 16, 2020
Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EST
Location: You can login from wherever you’d like!
Dress: Your choice, we just ask that everyone be in clothes
Cost: $30 per login. That’s right, your entire household could watch for just $30 for both nights
Here's what Ricky and Lane Park had to say about the Virtual VIP Preview Party:
"Tennessee River Gorge Trust came up with a creative way to recreate a fundraiser. As co-hosts, we received numerous comments from guests who were thoroughly entertained by the artists description and presentation of their art, and they are looking forward to the upcoming virtual Another Gorgeous Evening."
Bran Potter, professor of geology at the University of the South in Sewanee, is one of many instructors for this year’s Tennessee Naturalist Program, which begins in September and is sponsored by the Friends of South Cumberland. (Photo: FSC)
Registration is now open for the 2020-21 Tennessee Naturalist Program (TNP), sponsored by the Friends of the South Cumberland.
TNP is a series of 10, four-hour classes that are designed to introduce adult learners to the natural history of Tennessee. Graduates join a critical corps of volunteers providing nature education, outreach and service to the South Cumberland State Park.
Classes are scheduled in two semesters, from September to November and February to May, and are usually held on Saturday mornings. The classwork is divided between lectures, hands-on activities and many hours of outdoor immersion. Topics include geology, forests, plants, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, aquatic ecosystems, trail building and interpretation.
The fieldwork portion of the course can be physically demanding, with off-trail hikes on steep hills and rough terrain, and some night activities.
From Tennessee RiverLine Partnership
June 22, 2020
Community leaders and friends of the
Tennessee RiverLine,
Today (June 22), we take a historic step toward realizing the vision for the Tennessee RiverLine by announcing the Tennessee RiverTowns Program.
Tennessee River communities are the beating heart of the Tennessee RiverLine. All Tennessee River communities – counties, cities, towns and consortium thereof - are invited to become a part of North America’s next great regional trail system through this new initiative.
A voluntary, three-stage program, Tennessee RiverTowns cultivates collaboration between Tennessee River communities and the Tennessee RiverLine Partnership in our shared pursuit. Its flexible set of achievable benchmarks and reciprocal support aligns local efforts with the Tennessee RiverLine vision and its guiding principles.
Learn about Tennessee RiverTowns
To become a Tennessee RiverTown, communities must Apply, Enroll, Satisfy Benchmarks and Contribute. The application period begins June 29, and applications will be accepted through August 14, 2020. Communities enrolling as part of the inaugural Tennessee RiverTowns cohort will be announced September 28. Communities unable to apply this year may do so during future annual enrollment periods.
A webinar to introduce the Tennessee RiverTowns Program will be held on Monday, June 29 at 1:00 EST. You can register for the webinar using the button below. In the meantime, you can learn more about the Program by visiting the Tennessee RiverTowns webpage. Please encourage your colleagues, collaborators and fellow Tennessee River advocates to do the same. The webinar recording, along with the Tennessee RiverTowns application packet, will be shared with you the afternoon of June 29.
The Tennessee RiverLine is a journey, not a destination. We look forward to welcoming your community to this the journey as a part of the Tennessee RiverTowns program.
Brad Collett
Director, Tennessee RiverLine Partnership
Associate Professor, UT School of Landscape Architecture
Learn more about the Tennessee RiverLine, North America's Next Great Regional Trail.
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Update: June 29, 2020
Community leaders and friends of the Tennessee RiverLine,
The inaugural Tennessee RiverTowns Program application period is NOW OPEN! Your community is invited to become a part of the Tennessee RiveLine through this voluntary three-stage program. Start your community’s application today by downloading the application here!
Applications will be accepted until August 14, 2020. Communities enrolling as part of the program's inaugural cohort will be announced on September 28.
Our webinar today (June 29) provided an overview of the Tennessee RiverLine vision and the economic, public health and environmental stewardship benefits it offers your community. It also introduced the Tennessee RiverTowns Program, the benefits and support it offers your community and this year’s application timeline. If you missed it, you can click below to watch the full recording.
Watch the Webinar Recording, and Apply Today!
Please share the introductory webinar with colleagues, friends, associates and any interested parties you think may benefit from being involved or learning about Tennessee RiverTowns.
If you are left with any unanswered questions, please send them to info@tnriverline.org. We will respond as soon as possible.
The Tennessee RiverLine is a journey, not a destination. We look forward to welcoming you and your community to this the journey as a part of the Tennessee RiverTowns program.
See you on the river!
Brad Collett
Director, Tennessee RiverLine Partnership
Associate Professor, UT School of Landscape Architecture
A weekly roundup of nature-related odds and ends.
A May 2nd Associated Press article relates how "Bird-watching soars amid COVID-19 as Americans head outdoors."
Georgia Department of Natural Resources has released a video about social distancing at parks.
A National Wildlife Federation article relates how new evidence shows that natural and nature-based systems can reduce risk and damages to protect people and wildlife during floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and periods of extreme heat and drought. Read The Protective Value of Nature.
(Photo: Tennessee Historical Commission)
From the Tennessee Historical Commission's newsletter, The Courier: "This summer the Tennessee Wars Commission, the Tennessee Historical Commission program devoted to preserving the state’s significant military history, will have a hand in saving a highly threatened nine-acre historic site. Known as the Brown’s Ferry Tavern Tract, it is located in the Wauhatchie (Chattanooga) Civil War Battlefield area and richly layered with American history. For two hundred and sixteen years, Brown’s Tavern has stood on this land. The two-story dogtrot log home with huge stone bookend fireplaces was constructed in 1803." Read more.
Compiled by Bob Butters