Upcoming Events
- TNP at Murfreesboro Parks - Ecology
September 30, 2021
4:00 pm - 8:30 pm - TNP at Murfreesboro Parks - Birds of TN (Class)
October 21, 2021
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm - TNP at Murfreesboro Parks - Birds of TN (Field)
October 23, 2021
7:30 am - 9:30 am - TNP at Murfreesboro Parks - Nocturnal Naturalist
November 4, 2021
4:00 pm - 8:30 pm - TNP at Murfreesboro Parks - Herps
March 17, 2022
4:00 pm - 8:30 pm - TNP at Murfreesboro Parks - Mammals
March 24, 2022
4:00 pm - 8:30 pm - TNP at Murfreesboro Parks - Forbs, Ferns, Fungi
April 7, 2022
4:00 pm - 8:30 pm - TNP at Murfreesboro Parks - Forests
April 21, 2022
4:00 pm - 8:30 pm - TNP at Murfreesboro Parks - Living Waters
May 5, 2022
4:00 pm - 8:30 pm - TNP at Murfreesboro Parks - Final Gathering
May 12, 2022
4:00 pm - 8:30 pm
The inaugural core TNP course held at our newest chapter, Murfreesboro Parks Chapter at Barfield Crescent Park, will begin on September 2nd, 2021. The 275-acre natural area has approximately 5 miles of hiking trails and 9 miles of mountain bike trails. Beginning from the Wilderness Station, the paved path cuts through a hardwood forest that rises above limestone outcrops. This eventually leads to the River Overlook and backcountry campground. Here the trail turns into a dirt path that skirts along the West Fork of the Stones River. Climbing higher towards the peak, there are limestone sinks and a long stone fence that is thought to be Civil War-era. The natural area here is a beautiful example of the Oak/Hickory forest and Karst topography that is so prevalent in Middle Tennessee.
- TNP at Pinecrest - Forests
October 1, 2021
10:00 am - 3:00 pm - TNP at Pinecrest - Birds
October 4, 2021
8:30 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Pinecrest - Geology & Ecology
October 8, 2021
10:00 am - 3:00 pm - TNP at Pinecrest - Group Hike
October 8, 2021
3:00 pm - 6:45 pm - TNP at Pinecrest - Nocturnal Naturalist
October 8, 2021
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Beginning August 16th, 2021 the Tennessee Naturalist Program core course will be offered at our Memphis Chapter at Pinecrest. Pinecrest stretches over 450 acres of various ecosystems. The historic trails and homestead remnants give us a glimpse into the history of Native Americans and early settlers in the Wolf River wetlands and forested uplands of West Tennessee.
- TNP at Bays Mtn - Reptiles & Amphibians
October 1, 2021
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm - TNP at Bays Mtn - Forests
October 8, 2021
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm - TNP at Bays Mtn - Ecology
October 15, 2021
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm - TNP at Bays Mtn - Nocturnal Naturalist
October 22, 2021
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Beginning August 6th, 2021 the Tennessee Naturalist Program core course will be offered at our Bays Mountain Park chapter. Located in Kingsport, Tennessee, Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium is one of the nationÂ’s largest city-owned parks. A 3,550-acre nature preserve featuring a Nature Center with a state-of-the-art planetarium, Bays Mountain Park also offers a 44-acre lake, 40 miles of trails approved for hiking and mountain biking, native animal habitats, adventure ropes course facility with a 300-ft. zip line, gift shop and much more!
- TNP at Discovery Park - Invertebrates
October 2, 2021
8:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Discovery Park - Nocturnal Naturalist
October 23, 2021
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm - TNP at Discovery Park - Geology & Ecology
November 20, 2021
8:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Discovery Park - Birds
January 22, 2022
8:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Discovery Park - Mammals
February 19, 2022
8:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Discovery Park - Reptiles & Amphibians
March 18, 2022
8:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Discovery Park - Forests
April 2, 2022
8:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Discovery Park - Forbs, Ferns, Mosses & More
April 23, 2022
8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Discovery Park of America is a 100,000-square-foot museum sitting on a 50-acre heritage park. The nearby Reelfoot Lake is a unique ecosystem that is incomparable to any other found in Tennessee. It is the largest natural lake in the state and was formed during the 1811-12 New Madrid earthquakes. The lake is 15,000 acres of flooded forests with a mix of cultivated fields, early successional forests, bottomland hardwood forests, cypress swamps, and freshwater sloughs, bayous and marshes surrounding it. It is one of the best locations in Tennessee for bald eagle viewing and visitors can also see golden eagles, pelicans and numerous woodland, wading, and shore birds. During the winter months over 750,000 waterfowl birds can sometimes be seen at one time! The lake ecosystem is also abundant in mammals, amphibians and reptiles including some water snakes that can only be found at Reelfoot Lake.
- TNP at South Cumberland - Reptiles & Amphibians
October 9, 2021
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at South Cumberland - Nocturnal Naturalist
October 23, 2021
5:00 pm - 9:30 pm - TNP at South Cumberland - Geology
November 6, 2021
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at South Cumberland - Possible Bonus Class
January 22, 2022
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at South Cumberland - Mammals
February 5, 2022
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at South Cumberland - Forbs, Ferns & Fungi
March 19, 2022
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at South Cumberland - Invertebrates
April 2, 2022
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at South Cumberland - Living Waters
April 23, 2022
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at South Cumberland - Birds
May 7, 2022
8:00 am - 12:30 pm
South Cumberland State Park is located within four different Tennessee counties: Grundy, Franklin, Marion and Sequatchie. The park is composed of approximately 30,845 acres in nine separate areas and boasts some of the best hiking and backcountry camping in the region.
- TNP at Paris Landing - Becoming a Naturalist
October 9, 2021
10:00 am - 3:00 pm - TNP at Paris Landing - Geology and Ecology
October 16, 2021
10:00 am - 2:30 pm - TNP at Paris Landing - Forests
November 20, 2021
10:00 am - 2:30 pm - TNP at Paris Landing - Mammals
December 11, 2021
10:00 am - 2:30 pm - TNP at Paris Landing - Birds
January 29, 2022
10:00 am - 2:30 pm - TNP at Paris Landing - Nocturnal Naturalist
February 12, 2022
10:00 am - 2:30 pm - TNP at Paris Landing - Reptiles and Herps
March 26, 2022
10:00 am - 2:30 pm - TNP at Paris Landing - Forbs, Ferns, Mosses
April 16, 2022
10:00 am - 2:30 pm - TNP at Paris Landing - Living Waters
May 14, 2022
10:00 am - 2:30 pm - TNP at Paris Landing - Invertebrates & Graduation
June 25, 2022
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Beginning September 25th, 2021 the Tennessee Naturalist Program core course will be offered at our Paris Landing/TNWR Chapter. This chapter, created through a partnership between Paris Landing State Park and the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, joined our program in January of 2020. Paris Landing State Park is an 841 acre park located on the western shore of the Tennessee River, which is dammed to form Kentucky Lake (160,000 acres). Adjacent to the Park, the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 51,000 acres stretched along 65 miles of the Tennessee River. Established in 1945, the refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was created as a conservation area for migratory birds especially wintering waterfowl.
- TNP at Audubon Acres - Ecology & Geology
October 16, 2021
9:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Audubon Acres - Forests
November 13, 2021
9:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Audubon Acres - Nocturnal Naturalist
December 4, 2021
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm - TNP at Audubon Acres - Mammals
January 15, 2022
9:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Audubon Acres - Ferns, Forbs, Fungi
February 26, 2022
9:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Audubon Acres - Ornithology
March 26, 2022
9:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Audubon Acres - Herpetology
April 23, 2022
9:00 am - 1:00 pm - TNP at Audubon Acres - Insects
May 21, 2022
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Beginning August 21st, 2021 the Tennessee Naturalist Program core course will be offered at our Audubon Acres Chapter. This beautiful sanctuary serves as the headquarters of the Chattanooga Audubon Society and features a Visitor’s Center, gift shop, multiple exhibits, including and a timeline museum tracing the human habitation of the property and the Avian Jewels Egg Collection.
Event Phone: 615.370.4672
- TNP at Owls Hill - Ecology & Geology
October 28, 2021
1:00 pm - 5:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Birds
November 11, 2021
7:30 am - 12:00 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Mammals
January 20, 2022
1:00 pm - 5:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Reptiles
February 17, 2022
1:00 pm - 5:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Trail Building (bonus class)
March 12, 2022
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Forests
March 24, 2022
1:00 pm - 5:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Nocturnal Naturalist
April 14, 2022
4:00 pm - 8:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Forbs, Ferns, Mosses
May 5, 2022
1:00 pm - 5:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Living Waters
May 26, 2022
1:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Beginning in August, 2021 the Tennessee Naturalist Program core course will be offered at our Owls Hill chapter. Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary is a 300-acre wildlife sanctuary in northwestern Williamson County, Tennessee. Fossil traces in Ordovician limestone and 300-year-old giant trees, vestiges of the great eastern deciduous forest that once covered Tennessee, are important collections on the site, as are pioneer trees and seasonal wildflowers. The ponds and wetlands provide valuable amphibian habitat, home to more than a dozen species. 125 species of birds have been recorded on site through population surveys performed by the National Audubon Society. Nearly all mammals native to Middle Tennessee are in residence at Owl’s Hill.
Event Phone: 615.370.4672
- TNP at Owls Hill - Ecology & Geology
October 30, 2021
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Birds
November 13, 2021
7:30 am - 12:00 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Mammals
January 22, 2022
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Reptiles
February 19, 2022
1:00 pm - 5:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Trail Building (bonus class)
March 12, 2022
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Forests
March 26, 2022
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Nocturnal Naturalist
April 16, 2022
4:00 pm - 8:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Forbs, Ferns, Mosses
May 7, 2022
9:00 am - 1:30 pm - TNP at Owls Hill - Living Waters
May 28, 2022
9:00 am - 1:30 pm
Beginning in August, 2021 the Tennessee Naturalist Program core course will be offered at our Owls Hill chapter. Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary is a 300-acre wildlife sanctuary in northwestern Williamson County, Tennessee. Fossil traces in Ordovician limestone and 300-year-old giant trees, vestiges of the great eastern deciduous forest that once covered Tennessee, are important collections on the site, as are pioneer trees and seasonal wildflowers. The ponds and wetlands provide valuable amphibian habitat, home to more than a dozen species. 125 species of birds have been recorded on site through population surveys performed by the National Audubon Society. Nearly all mammals native to Middle Tennessee are in residence at Owl’s Hill.
- October 30, 2021
9:00 am - 2:30 pm
Learn about waterfowl biology, and wetland ecology in this exciting new TNP2 course! Students will have 2 hours of classroom time followed by a trip to the heart of the Duck River Bottoms wetland area for a look at wetland habitat, management for waterfowl, waterfowl identification and their conservation needs.