ASHEVILLE — The theme of our 2024 Creation Care Alliance Symposium is “Sacred Symbiosis: Relationships for Eco-Justice.” Our presentations, workshops and conversations will explore the relationships needed to build and nurture justice for all creation–human and non-human. We’re excited to dive in and learn together! 

Hosted at Montreat Conference Center in Black Mountain, the symposium will begin on Friday, February 2^nd, with a full day of workshops and conversations and will run through Saturday, February 3^rd.

Our keynote speaker, Mary Crow of Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), will speak on the 3^rd.

Unlike past years, Friday and Saturday’s programs are open to all and will not be limited to clergy. We hope you join us! 

Discounts:

• Early-bird discount. Register before December 4^th to receive $15 off both days of the conference. If you attend both days, that is $30 savings!
• Group discount. Groups of three or more people from the same congregation are eligible for the group discount of $10 off both days of the conference. If your group attends both days, that is a $20 discount per person. This offer is open until the close of registration on January 19th. The link for group discounts can be found on the symposium registration page (follow the below link). 
• Student discount. If you are a current student, you can attend the symposium for a fraction of the cost ($20 on Friday and $30 on Saturday). We hope you will join us! 

Bull elk in Cataloochee Valley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Oct. 22, 2009.    anoldent

CLINTON — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) seeks information related to a bull elk illegally poached in Anderson County on Sunday, Oct. 8. TWRA was notified on Sunday that a bull elk had been killed and upon investigation, the entire carcass was located with what appeared to be a wound inflicted by an archery system.

The elk head was taken into custody by officers as evidence and the carcass was taken in for processing to support the Hunters for the Hungry program. Processing was donated by the Campbell Outdoor Recreation Association (CORA).

“Poaching is a serious offense in Tennessee,” said TWRA Officer Caleb Hardwick “The TWRA has been working diligently since 2000 to restore the elk population to a huntable size. Poaching is not only illegal, but it threatens restoration efforts that ensure Tennesseans have the opportunity to legally hunt these animals.”

$3,000 in reward funding was donated by CORA, The Tennessee Wildlife Federation, and the National Wild Turkey Federation Pine Mountain Longbeards Chapter to support the investigation. Rewards are available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the poacher. Information such as the individual’s name or description, vehicle tag number or description, and location of the offense greatly assist the TWRA in apprehending wildlife poachers.

All information received by TWRA is kept in strict confidence. Individuals with information about the poacher can contact the East Tennessee Regional Poaching Hotline at 1-800-831-1174.

Elk harvest is regulated by a quota permit system. The next application period for elk quota hunts is Feb 7-28, 2024. Nineteen quota permits are issued in designated Elk Hunt Zones. A legal deer hunter may harvest an elk incidental to deer hunting on private and public lands open to deer hunting except in Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Scott, and Morgan Counties and except for Big South Fork River Recreation Area.

 For more information about legal elk hunting opportunities in Tennessee including quota hunt application dates and elk hunting units visit www.TNWildlife.org.

Come one, come all to celebrate fall at the second annual Hallo-week at Ijams presented by Ijams Nature Center Oct. 24-29.

Whether you make your own monster, enjoy a night of haunted tales, go on an owl prowl, or visit an enchanted forest filled with tricks and (lots of) treats, there’s something for all ages during the five-day event.

“The fall is an amazing time to be outdoors in East Tennessee,” Ijams Development Director Cindy Hassil said. “Ijams Nature Center created Hallo-week in 2022 to offer everyone an opportunity to get outside and celebrate all the fun and educational things you can do during this time of year. This year’s Hallo-week at Ijams brings back the popular Ijams Enchanted Forest, family pumpkin carving, and night hikes, and features new offerings, such as craft workshops and a Scare Fair market place.”

Tuesday, Oct. 24

A Night of Haunted Tails with the Smoky Mountain Storytellers Association

7-8:30 p.m.

Enjoy an evening of scary, silly, and haunted tales told by members of the Smoky Mountain Storytellers Association as part of the Ijams Sunset Social series.

All Ages; $5 Ages 5-12, $10 Ages 13+

Educational event features opportunities to learn about forest management

OAK RIDGE — The 2023 Woods and Wildlife Field Day will include topics focusing on current research and forest stewardship practices that will help landowners with forest management goals. This field day presented by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is scheduled for October 19, 2023, at the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center and UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge.

“We are excited to share on a variety of topics related to natural resources research and management in Tennessee,” says Kevin Hoyt, director of the Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center. “Not only is the information timely for forest management, but it’s also the perfect time of year to enjoy the fall colors at the center.”

CHEROKEE — Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host a free youth fishing clinic and an Old Time Music Jam at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on Saturday, October 21, 2023. Both events are free and open to the public.

In collaboration with the International Game Fish Association, the park will hold the fishing clinic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Try your hand casting a line for local trout and earn your Junior Ranger Angler badge. Learn about fish conservation and ethical angling practices at fun, interactive stations. All fishing equipment will be provided. The first 25 families will receive a free fishing pole to keep! A valid Tennessee or North Carolina fishing license is required for participants 16 or older. 

The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Tennessee State University have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen research cooperation and provide diverse undergraduate students enriching educational research opportunities at the lab. This collaboration will further cement relationships between the lab and minority serving institutions, encouraging students from underrepresented backgrounds to achieve their professional goals.

ORNL is devoted to accelerating the pipeline of future workforce by offering educationally oriented, mission-aligned STEM student experiences with world-class researchers and staff.

“It is important to foster students’ natural curiosity in STEM education and research,” said Susan Hubbard, ORNL’s deputy for science and technology. “Through ORNL’s partnership with Tennessee State University, we will offer hands-on learning experiences, helping students to develop critical skills and a passion to impact their communities through research opportunities.

“The programs also provide an opportunity for diverse students to learn about how national laboratories work to address complex, pressing challenges. Helping to develop the STEM workforce of tomorrow’s problem-solvers is important to ORNL and the nation,” Hubbard said.

While adhering to Tennessee State University’s curricular requirements, students will gain access to educational programs at ORNL as interns during their undergraduate studies.

“This collaboration will strengthen and support our students’ overall preparation and contributions particularly as it relates to the mission of ORNL and the Department of Energy. Furthermore, this opportunity will broaden TSU’s research capacity and capabilities via access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources at ORNL,” said Quincy Quick, TSU’s associate vice president for Research and Sponsored Programs.

Students will engage in research activities through internship programs in DOE mission areas including renewable energy and materials, neutron scattering, fusion and fission energy technologies, national security research, manufacturing, environmental sciences and computer sciences.

Additionally, interns may have the opportunity to work with ORNL’s premier research facilities such as the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (home of the world’s fastest supercomputer Frontier), the High Flux Isotope Reactor, the Spallation Neutron Source and the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences — all DOE Office of Science user facilities — plus the DOE Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL.

ORNL and TSU will commit to increasing the number of students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fortifying the talent reservoir for workforce development and fostering collaborative mentoring opportunities for students.

For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. — Natori Mason

“Ring of Fire” annular eclipse.  NASA

While most people associate “Ring of Fire” with the great Southern country singer Johnny Cash, it will feature a different beat on Oct. 14 when the “Ring of Fire” annular eclipse will cross North, Central and South America. 

For other locations and more details visit Time and Date.

The moon will pass in front of the sun, and an annular eclipse will be visible over much of the United States and Central and South America. Unlike a total solar eclipse, the moon will not completely block the sun and make day appear like night. It will, however, make the sun appear like a thin ring of fire. The difference between an annular and a total eclipse is that the moon’s orbit varies slightly in it’s distance from Earth. If an eclipse occurs when the moon is at a farther point during its orbit, it will appear slightly smaller and not large enough to cover the sun completely. 

All eclipse-watchers on Oct. 14 will need to use special eye protection — such as eclipse glasses or a specialized solar filter — or an indirect viewing method to safely watch. Such safety measures must be used throughout the entire eclipse, no matter a viewer’s location, as even the small ring of sun visible at the peak of the annular eclipse is dangerous if viewed directly.

Live coverage of the eclipse will air on NASA TV and the agency’s website from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Oct. 14 The public may also watch live on social media accounts on Facebook, X, and YouTube. 

The Cumberland Trail Summit is happening October 19-21, 2023. The Cumberland Trail Summit is an opportunity to showcase our trail communities. The Summit will focus on outdoor recreation, community building and educational programs

The mission of the Cumberland Trails Conference is to provide paid and volunteer labor, equipment, supplies and vehicles to design and construct the Cumberland Trail under the auspices of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

The continued development and construction of the Cumberland Trail is accomplished through a working relationship between the Cumberland Trails Conference (CTC), the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Park, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.  The CTC, private corporations, foundations, individuals and others assist TDEC in raising funds for land acquisition, providing maintenance and further developing the Cumberland Trail.

The Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail State Park operates a professional trail crew mostly in the north sections.

The Cumberland Trails Conference also maintains a professional trail crew that works twelve months a year.  Additional labor comes from thousands of hours of volunteer service provided through the CTC, including through the CTC BreakAway, a college Alternative Spring Break program.

The Cumberland Trail is an extensive foot trail constructed and maintained largely by volunteers from Tennessee and across the nation. The Trail is managed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

Building the Cumberland Trail is a grassroots effort, driven by communities along the trail, government agencies and a broad network of volunteers. This successful private/public partnership is a model often cited to demonstrate the power of volunteerism and public/private partnerships.

When completed, the Cumberland Trail will extend more than 300 miles from its northern terminus in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Kentucky to its southern terminus at the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park located on Signal Mountain just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee.

— Cumberland Trails Conference

Big South Fork celebrates National Public Lands Day 2023 on Saturday, September 23 with a Volunteer Trails Event

ONEIDA — Take part in the National Public Lands Day celebration at the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.  

On this day, the park is looking for volunteers to help build out the last section of the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail.

Interested volunteers should meet at the R.M. Brooks General Store (2830 Rugby Parkway, Robbins TN 37852) on Saturday the 23^rd at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Please wear long pants and sturdy footwear.

Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship and encourages use of open space for education, recreation and health benefits.

For more information visit the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area website or call 423-569-9778.