The Nickajack Naturalist

Tennessee RiverLine - One Million Strong and Growing

Tennessee RiverLine

 

(Oct. 22, 2021)  We’re excited to announce the 2022 cohort of the Tennessee RiverTowns Program. We will welcome Chattanooga, Meigs County, Perry County and Spring City, TN, and Jackson County, AL, to the Tennessee RiverTowns Program.

 

Their enrollment represents sustained momentum and shared belief in the Tennessee RiverLine vision and the benefits it promises, bringing the total number of communities enrolled in the program to 20. These 20 communities include 46 cities and counties, home to more than 1 million people in four states. Together, they are beating heart of the Tennessee RiverLine: centers of energy, enthusiasm and aspiration that will help make this transformative vision a reality. 

 

This milestone would not be possible without the vision, confidence and support of our principal partners, UT Knoxville and Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee RiverLine Partnership, our staff and YOU! For your support and enthusiasm, we are beyond grateful. The Tennessee RiverLine is indeed a demonstration of what we can accomplish together that no one can do alone.  

 

Today, let us pause to celebrate. Tomorrow, we continue our shared journey to realize North America’s next great regional trail system.

 

Brad Collett

Director, Tennessee RiverLine

Associate Professor, UT Department of Plant Sciences

Faculty, UT School of Landscape Architecture

 

Read more about the 2022 Tennessee RiverTowns Cohort

 

Learn about Tennessee RiverTowns Program

Attend an upcoming Tennessee RiverTowns Program event

Read about our Principal Partners, UT and TVA

Learn more about the Tennessee RiverLine, North America's Next Great Regional Trail.

 

 

Tennessee River Gorge Trust: On the Move

Day Fire Podcast

                                         (Image: Day Fire Podcast)

Recently, the Day Fire Podcast crew talked with Rick Huffines and Eliot Berz of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust. The Trust, founded in 1981 —later incorporated in 1986 — is the perfect example of what can happen when a small group of thoughtful citizens come together to change their community for the better. 

Read more and listen in.

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What is the Tennessee River Gorge Trust?   Brianna Williams - NOOGAtoday

You’ve likely heard of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, but have you ever wondered what the trust does, exactly?

NOOGAtoday staff recently took a boat adventure with the nonprofit — on the Tennessee River Gorge, of course — to learn a bit more about what it does and how you can get involved.

Read more.

Tennessee State Parks To Hold Job Fairs for New Lodge at Fall Creek Falls State Park

Tennessee State Parks news release

Tennessee State Parks is hosting a job fair on Friday, Oct. 29 and Friday, Nov. 5 for a variety of positions at the new Lodge Fall Creek Falls, which is nearing completion. The event will be at the lodge beginning each of those days at 9 a.m., and interviews will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Read more.

 

The Naturalist Afield - 10-24-2021

A weekly roundup of nature-related odds and ends from the region and beyond.

DeRonda Hubbard, the Aquarium’s Visitor Services Manager, presented the family with a special gift package and gave them a behind-the-scenes tour.

(Photo: Todd Stailey / Tennessee Aquarium)

• 26 Million and Counting: Visitor Milestone Arrives as Tennessee Aquarium Approaches 30th Anniversary   Thom Benson - The Chattanoogan

The Tennessee Aquarium is swimming, flapping and hopping ever closer to its 30th  anniversary, but in the meantime, there’s another important moment to celebrate in its storied history on the Chattanooga riverfront. Recently, Aquarium staff were delighted to welcome the 26-millionth guest to visit since the doors of the River Journey building opened on May 1, 1992.

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(Photo: Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center)

• American Chestnuts are Making a Comeback   Jacob Fenston - NPR

Once called “the redwood of the east,” the American chestnut was wiped out by blight a century ago. Today, modern science and dedicated volunteers are hoping to help it make a comeback. Blight killed the trees above the trunk, but the root systems live on, and some are still sprouting new growth.  Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center 

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• Wildlife Nation is here!   Defenders of Wildlife

Through the expertise of biologist and conservationist Jeff Corwin and Defenders of wildlife, this new weekly series features amazing animals and conservation heroes from across North America. Episodes air every weekend on ABC stations nationwide.

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• USDA Launches First Phase of Soil Carbon Monitoring Efforts Through CRP Initiative   USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $10 million in a new initiative to sample, measure, and monitor soil carbon on Conservation Reserve Program acres to better quantify the climate outcomes of the program. 

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• Conservation Groups Urge Biden to Boost Existing Programs for 30 by 30 Initiative   Christine Peterson - Outdoor Life

Much like the rest of the world, the U.S. is losing open spaces at an alarming rate, with some estimates showing we lose a football field-sized chunk of natural land every 30 seconds. Our nation is also rapidly losing native animals. More than 50 hunting and fishing organizations recently sent recommendations to President Joe Biden on how to turn it around, a response to Biden’s call to conserve 30 percent of the nation’s land and water by 2030 as part of his recent America the Beautiful initiative.

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Compiled by Bob Butters

Deer Gun Season

                                             (Art: Tom Kelley/USFWS)

While, if you're a hiker or other outdoor recreationalist, you probably should be aware of hunting seasons, it's especially true of deer gun season, due to the high-powered rifles used in that sport. The following deer guns seasons are scheduled in and near the South Cumberland region:

• Tennessee - November 20, 2021 - January 2, 2022. Plus, Young Sportsman hunts October, 30 & 31 and January 8 & 9.
• Alabama - November 20, 2021 - February 10, 2022.
• Georgia - October 16, 2021 - January 9, 2022.

 

• Prentice Cooper State Forest and Wildlife Management Area will be holding managed deer hunts on the following dates. [On these dates the area west of state highway 27 (Suck Creek Road) will be closed to all visitors except licensed hunters. The area east of state highway 27, Edward’s point, will remain open to visitors.] 
• October 28 - 30, 23 - 24
• November 5 - 7, 27 - 30
• December 1 - 2 

TN Div. of Forestry

Links for more information:

• Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
• Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources
• Alabama Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources

 

A Wildlife Haven For People And Pollinators, Fairy Trail Garden Opens on Lookout Mountain

The Chattanoogan

"Fairy Trail Garden is an inviting pollinator and wildlife haven that beckons to each of us to slow down, look deeply into the natural world around us and let nature work her magic," officials said. "A meandering woodland trail, peaceful seating and an airy garden of native sun, shade, meadow and woodland perennials draw residents in for a visit."

Read more. 

Four Under-the-Radar Fall Escapes in the South

Mike Bezemek - Blue Ridge Outdoors

Lula Falls.                                                                 (Photo: Lula Lake Land Trust)

Here are four under-the-radar destinations in the region worth exploring for your fall adventures:

• Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, Tennessee & Kentucky
• Talladega National Forest, Alabama
• Bladen County, North Carolina
• Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga, Tennessee & Georgia

Read more.

Trail Building at South Cumberland, Exploring Savage Gulf North

Friends of South Cumberland

SCSP Ranger Spencer Baxter and volunteer Deb Dreves          (Photo: FSC)
take a break at the site of the new Greeter Falls Access Trail.

• The Friends of the South Cumberland State Park are offering a Trail Building course led by Mike Riter of Trail Design Specialists, a noted authority on sustainable trail design and construction. The four-day course starts Nov. 15; registration closes on October 31st. Class size is limited to the first 16 people who enroll; only a few slots remain! 
• The FSC Trails Team has made good progress on the new access trail just above Greeter Falls, but still needs your help to get this project across the finish line!  
  November is prime trail building time, so please plan to join us on this very much needed improvement to one of the busiest venues in the Park.
• Every trailhead is an adventure! This month, we’re going to visit Savage Gulf North, where backpackers and hikers can experience a 3-day, 2-night adventure to enjoy during the cooler months.

Read about these topics and more in the Friends of South Cumberland's November Trail Tracker newsletter.

The Occasional Waterfall at ‘Sloppy’ Floyd State Park

Steve Hudson - Roswell Herald

Waterfall at 'Sloppy' Floyd State Park.                (Photo: Georgia State Parks)  

Sloppy Floyd State Park is just off US 27 not far south of Summerville and right on Sloppy Floyd Lake Road.

The quarry hike, with a round-trip distance of less than two miles, is not a particularly difficult one. You’ll like it, and so will your kids. 

Read more.

The Naturalist Afield - 10-17-2021

A weekly roundup of nature-related odds and ends from the region and beyond.

(Photo: Defenders of Wildlife)

• Taking Flight: It's Migration Time for These Special Birds   Carol Beidelman - Defenders of Wildlife

With winter approaching, millions of birds are migrating in search of food and nesting locations. Learn more about some of the eye-catching species you may see making their way south!

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• Biden Restores Three National Monuments Slashed by Trump, Including Bears Ears in Utah   Andrew Weaver - Outside Business Journal

Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts—three national monuments threatened under the Trump Administration—have seen their full protections restored, thanks to an executive order from President Biden.

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• Volkswagen Helps with Effort to Conserve Land Within Cherokee National Forest   The Conservation Fund

Volkswagen of America and The Conservation Fund have announced the completion of a multi-year effort to conserve 1,500 acres within the Cherokee National Forest. Volkswagen’s $1.25 million donation to the fund helps provide enhanced protection to water quality and wildlife habitats.   NOOGAtoday

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• UN Declares Access to a Clean Environment a Human Right   Emma Farge - Reuters

The U.N. Human Rights Council has recognized access to a clean and healthy environment as a fundamental right, formally adding its weight to the global fight against climate change and its devastating consequences.

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• Biden Administration Plans to Restore Three Major Provisions of NEPA, a Bedrock Environmental Law   Ella Nilsen - CNN 

The White House Council on Environmental Quality said it plans to restore the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental impact of projects such as the construction of mines, highways, water infrastructure and gas pipelines.

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• What Every Hiker Should Know About Trail Etiquette   Zoe Gates - Backpacker

The trail is your happy place. Here's how you can keep it that way for others, too.

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Compiled by Bob Butters