Archive for the ‘great smoky mountains association’ Category

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Black bear presentation at Sugarlands Visitor Center

Friday, July 9th, 2010
The black bear, the symbol of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will be the topic of discussion at a special presentation at Sugarlands Visitor Center on Saturday, July 24 at 10:00 am.

Kim Delozier, GSMNP wildlife biology supervisor, will bring you up to date on the bear population, the mast situation, the human problem of feeding bears, and what to do and NOT do if and when encountering a bear in the park. Other interesting facts will be covered and you'll be able to ask Kim questions following the program.

This is a very timely topic given the increase in bear sightings and the recent encounter between a visitor and bear in the vicinity of Laurel Falls.

There is no fee for the program, however, the Great Smoky Mountains Association would appreciate a call to register at 865-436-7318, Ext. 222 or 254.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Posted in Kim Delozier, Presentation, Sugarlands Visitor Center, black bear, great smoky mountains association | Comments Off

The GSMA is looking for suggestions

Saturday, April 3rd, 2010
The Great Smoky Mountains Association is in the process of scheduling outdoor activities and they're looking for some input from you on what YOU would recommend for a great outdoor program. What are YOUR interests... including topics for indoor programs?

Birding, history hikes, wildflower walks, salamander forays? Have a favorite trail you'd like to visit again, but with an interpretive guide? The possibilities are endless, limited only to the imagination!

Pass on suggestions by calling Judy at 865-436-7318 ext. 222 or Marti at ext. 254 or e-mail Judy at Judy@GSMAssoc.org. The GSMA can't promise they'll honor your request, but they'll do their best.

You can also use the same contact information if you're interested in volunteering at GSMA or the Wildflower Pilgrimage events. There may be times when a helping hand would be a welcomed asset.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Posted in GSMA, great smoky mountains association, outdoor activities, outdoor programs | Comments Off

Dates set for the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage

Monday, February 8th, 2010
The 60th annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will take place from April 21 thru April 25 this year and will be headquartered at the Mills Conference Center in Gatlinburg. The pilgrimage is a five-day event consisting of a variety of wildflower, fauna, and natural history walks, motorcades, photographic tours, art classes, and indoor seminars.

With over 150 programs available, both outdoor and indoor, there will be topics and hikes to please everyone.

Also included in this year's Pilgrimage will be a "Greener Living Expo", highlighting ways to be more earth-friendly. Indoor programs will feature composting and organic gardening, water pollution and its effect on aquatic life, becoming your own "green grocer", attracting insect-eating birds through gardening, and much more.

To learn more about the Great Smoky Mountains Association's Pilgrimage, please click here (website should be updated shortly). On-line registration will begin March 9 and end April 17. Registration fees are: $40 for one day, $75 for 2 or more days, $10 for students, and children under 12 are free.

For further information about the Pilgrimage or about exhibit space call the GSMA at 865-436-7318, extension 222 or 254.

The Great Smoky Mountains are home to more than 1600 species of flowering plants. If you're more interested in striking out on your own to see some of these, please check out my list of the best trails to hike, when to hike them, and which flowers you can expect to see.

If you can't make it to the Smokies this spring, you can still view a gallery of wildflowers I've put together by clicking here.


Need help identifying wildflowers?

Check out Southern Appalachian Wildflowers. This is an excellent companion to have during wildflower season to help you identify the many flowers you'll be seeing. This field guide features wildflowers from the southern tip of the Appalachians in Georgia and Alabama to the Blue Ridge Parkway and includes Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Please click here for more information.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Posted in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Greener Living Expo, Mills Conference Center, Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, gatlinburg, great smoky mountains association | Comments Off

GSMA Owl Prowl

Friday, January 1st, 2010
The Great Smoky Mountains Association will be holding an Owl Prowl on January 23.

Join former park ranger Butch McDade on Saturday, January 23, for a nighttime adventure into the elusive world of owls.

Participants will meet at the Sugarlands Visitor Center at 7:00 pm.

The GSMA is asking participants to bundle up with winter clothing, wear hiking boots or athletic shoes with tread, and bring flashlights or headlights... maybe even a rain parka, just in case.

Please register in advance by calling 865-436-7318, extension 222 or 254.

There's a small $5.00 fee to help cover the presenter's fee.




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

Posted in Owl Prowl, great smoky mountains association | Comments Off

100th native tree discovered in Smokies

Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Yesterday I received the Cub Report in my email box. This is the monthly E-newsletter from the Great Smoky Mountains Association. The report announced that a new species of tree was recently discovered in the park. Here’s their report:

Park rangers have just discovered the 100th species of tree native to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's a Hop Tree, sometimes called Wafer Ash. Its Latin name is Ptelea trifoliata.

This small tree or shrub of the citrus family has a straight trunk, rarely grows taller than 20 feet, and is a host for Giant Swallowtails and Tiger Swallowtails.

It is found from Canada to Florida, but is nowhere abundant. The name is derived from the fact that its fruit was once believed to be a viable substitute for hops in beer making. The oddball arbor's other claim to fame is that its bark and flowers both have a foul smell.

Besides raising the tally on park biodiversity, it's also a welcome relief for park interpreters and scribes for whom stating "99 species of native trees live in the park," always seemed awkward and slightly inadequate.

The hop trees were discovered on property recently added to the park in a land swap involving TVA and other entities. They are located on the extreme west end near Calderwood Lake and Highway 129.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

Posted in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Hop Tree, Ptelea trifoliata, Smokies, The Cub Report, Wafer Ash, great smoky mountains association, native tree | Comments Off

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