The Nickajack Naturalist

Tennessee River Gorge Trust's Jim Brown Announces Retirement - Trust Seeks New Director

 

                  The Tennessee River Gorge viewed from Raccoon Mountain.

  Jim Brown, who has served as Executive Director of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust since 1995, has announced his retirement, effective July 2013.   Read more.

  The Tennessee River Gorge Trust is now searching for a qualified candidate for the challenging task of filling Mr. Brown's shoes as Executive Director.  Read more.   

Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee Features the Cumberland Plateau

                                                                  From nooga.com

  Middle Tennessee and the Cumberland Plateau will be the focus of this years Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee (BRAT), an annual road cycling tour that showcases Tennessee's back roads and state parks.

Read more.     

Note: The link www.thebrat.org in the article doesn't work. Click here instead.

Groups Rally to Protect Virgin Falls

                                                                From knoxnews.com

  Virgin Falls, one of the most distinctive falls in Tennessee, is fed by a stream that emerges from a cave near the top of the falls.  It plunges 110 feet into a sinkhole, then disappears back into the ground.  The 1,551 acre State Natural Area, near Sparta, is not actually owned by the state, but just leased.  A movement is underway to raise money to purchase the site.  Read more.

Trail Running in the Chattanooga Area

                                                               From timesfreepress.com  

Trail running has become a popular activity on the many mountain trails in the Chattanooga area.  Trail runners consider trails to be a healthier and more enjoyable alternative to running on pavement.  

  Read more.

Raptor Experience Provides Up-close Glimpse at Birds of Prey

                                                                         From Nooga.com

  Save Our American Raptors (SOAR), a nonprofit education organization in Trenton, GA which specializes in nonreleasable birds of prey, is offering the "Raptor Experience" as a chance for the public to have a hands-on encounter.    Read more. 

Stringer's Ridge Park to Open by November

                                                                      From The Chattanoogan.com 

The new Stringer's Ridg Park in North Chattanooga, with miles of walking trails and a dramatic view of downtown Chattanooga, is set to open in late October or early November.    Read more. 

Aquatic Ecosystems Imperiled in the Southeast

                                                                     From Nooga.com

  The Southeast is a hotspot for aquatic biological diversity, harboring an abundance of fish, mussel, dragonfly, damselfly, crayfish, amphibian, and aquatic reptile species.  However, the waterways of the Southeast have become some of the most imperiled ecosystems in the U.S..    Read more.  

Chattanooga in Running to be Named Best Outdoor City

                                                                   From Nooga.com

  After being featured in Outside Magazine last year as the "best town ever", Chattanooga is now in the running to be named the best outdoor city by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine.      Read more.