TNP Newsletter - September Edition

You Finished the Classes, So Now What?

Tips to Continue the Tennessee Naturalist Mission

by Jere Thompson

Part 1

So you’ve completed your basic Tennessee Naturalist Program core courses and you may be asking yourself, “Now what?”  It is possible that some of you went into the program with a specific goal in mind – to work in a nature center, lead hikes, or become a state park volunteer – while some of you just wanted to expand your knowledge of nature for the sake of learning new things.  A lady in my class admitted that she had no real purpose, that she was a “dilettante” (I had to look that up…it means “a person who cultivates an area of interest without real commitment”) and she just enjoyed learning about nature.  Well, that’s fine and good, but that’s not why most of us spent hours listening to speakers and learning basic fieldwork techniques.  We want to use this information and these skills!  If you had no specific goal in mind or no particular place to apply the information and skills, I hope to provide some tips.

Let’s start with the continuing education component of the program.  If you are anything like me, you realized how much you DIDN'T know when you took the core classes.  The classes opened my eyes to the wonders of our state – animal, mineral and vegetable.  I was hungry to learn more, and I was not disappointed by the plethora of opportunities to satisfy my hunger.  I went through my core classes in Memphis, and it was not difficult to find lectures or workshops on a variety of nature topics for continuing education.  The Wolf River Conservancy, Memphis Botanic Gardens, and other plant and garden clubs provide lecture series and stand-alone talks regularly.  Through attending some meetings of the Memphis chapter of the Tennessee Ornithology Society, I learned a lot more about birds and organizations that support them even if I didn’t become a “birder.”  I moved to Chattanooga in 2019 and found in the newspaper information about lectures on waterway conservation, native plant movements and just about everything else covered in our core course.  

One of the most fertile sources of continuing education has been Tennessee State Parks.  Check the websites of those closest to you and look for ranger-led talks and hikes.  Staff from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation lead hikes through State Natural Areas to view and learn about a variety of flora and fauna - from asters to fireflies and wetland amphibians to birds of prey.  These walks count as continuing education!  Consult “Things to Do” in TDEC’s magazine, The Tennessee Conservationist.  (If you do not currently subscribe, visit tnconservationist.org). Open and read the TNP Newsletter and visit the TNP Facebook page.  You should have no problem finding opportunities to continue your education wherever you are.  

More from Jere in the next newsletter when she discusses volunteerism.  
About Jere Thompson: Jere recently received her Level 6 - 400-hour pin.  She was certified through the TNP Memphis Chapter at Pinecrest, but due to a move is now engaged with Audubon Acres Chapter.

The Friends of South Cumberland State Park Chapter of the Tennessee Naturalist Program has volunteered to host the first Statewide TNP Conference in conjunction with their annual spring naturalist rally, Trails & Trilliums. All TNP chapters are encouraged to make the April 21-23 conference in Beersheba Springs a part of their annual calendar.  This will be a great reunion for students, alumni, and Tennessee Certified Naturalists to gather, learn and share.  MORE information in upcoming newsletters.  Save the dates!

If you have an interest in hosting a future TNP Statewide Naturalist Rally, please speak with Nancy Garden, our State Coordinator.

 

What makes your site unique? 
Since 1962,Pinecrest Camp and Retreat Center has been a place of respite and "wilderness" situated on 455 acres of beautiful hardwoods, fields, and pines. Our location is convenient to students and visitors from both the Memphis and Jackson areas. We are gaining attention as not just a summer camp, but a local center for environmental education. 

The property offers hiking trails of mixed mesic forests, from mature oak-hickory to beech-maple stands regenerating from old farmland.  In winter and early spring, the 1/4 acre ephemeral pool attracts a variety of organisms from marbled salamanders to upland chorus frogs.  A hike to the Overlook provides sweeping views of the Ghost River State Natural Area, part of the Wolf River
Valley, and into the Holly Springs National Forest of Mississippi.  Pinecrest sits on the eastern edge of the Memphis Sands aquifer allowing students to walk the recharge area and visualize the hydrology and geology of the region. 

Pinecrest is unique for West Tennessee in that we actually have some rolling hills and rocks not often found in the region. The hills are carved from the loess soil deposited during the last ice age.  Our meeting spaces offer views into the forest or fields, and our cabins and camping areas offer a place to enjoy a night of natural surroundings.

Nearby, we have access to local swamps, creeks, nature centers, and the botanic gardens which take us on some great adventures for our field trips.  There is so much to love about Pinecrest, and we invite anyone interested in visiting to contact us.

How are you bringing people to nature?
Over the past several years, Pinecrest has increased it's programming from summer camps and retreats to now include public environmental experiences.  Not only did Pinecrest become the new TNP Memphis Chapter location in 2019, we also began offering stargazing, nature hikes, swamp tours, Little Explorers for families with young children, and outdoor field trip opportunities reaching new audiences in West Tennessee and North Mississippi.

How does TNP fit into this picture? 
In 2019, the strategic plan for Pinecrest included the new program director position to develop adult, public, and youth education offerings.  The hiring of the program director led to TNP being moved from within the City of Memphis to Pinecrest, about 45 minutes out of town in the rural Fayette County.  Having the TNP Chapter at Pinecrest allows the Memphis Chapter of TNP to explore more diverse, wild, and uncultivated native environments.

What are examples of how TNP students and alumni are making a difference at your site & in your community? 
Amber Prater, class of 2022, has been volunteering at Pinecrest and around the rural areas around Pickwick Landing State Park.  At Pinecrest, she has assisted with invasive species removal and leading night hikes for youth groups.  At Walker Branch State Natural Area in Harden Co., she assisted the West TN Stewardship Ecologist by removing a lot of trash and old appliances dumped along the parking area and trails.  At Pickwick Landing, she's been giving her time to help inventory and identify the plants of the park.

For Sarah Jordan, class of 2021, 100% of her 70+ volunteer hours has been giving back to Pinecrest. She has helped tirelessly on trail creation and maintenance, removing invasive plants, and providing event assistance with environmental education field trips and our bat box building night.

Denny Baker has spent his volunteer time working with the Germantown Parks and Recreation  removing invasive plants, clearing trails, and improving various sites like the Youth Education Pond and the Bobby Lanier Farm Park. While we have focused on three TNP students, all of us at Pinecrest appreciate the contribution that all TNP volunteers offer to our site.  We look forward to working together for years to come to preserve and grow our education and environmental endeavors, and TNP students and alumni are key.  

Editor's Note: We have almost completed our TNP Chapter highlights.  Watch for our December issue when we focus on the Friends of South Cumberland TNP Chapter.

Due to the loss of suitable classroom space for their Saturday course, the TNP chapter at Cedars of Lebanon State Park is relocating to Long Hunter State Park a few miles away.   Long Hunter opened in 1976 on the shore of Percy Priest Lake within Davidson and Rutherford counties southeast of Nashville.  Chief among Long Hunter's assets is Couchville State Natural Area featuring the characteristic yet rare cedar glades and barrens ecosystems in this part of Middle Tennessee. 

Greg Tomerlin and Margie Hunter remain co-coordinators for the chapter working with park staff and Friends of Long Hunter.  The chapter will continue to represent all students who attended courses at Cedars of Lebanon from 2016 through 2022.   

The 2023 TNP course schedule will be set later this fall with registration opening after the first of the year.  To get on a mailing list for information on the upcoming course, contact the coordinators at tnp.longhunter@gmail.com. 

Volunteer Opportunities & Events

All of our chapters need experienced and knowledgeable volunteers to help fulfill each chapter's mission.  If you are a Tennessee Naturalist Program student or alumni, contact your chapter coordinator for more information on upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Audubon Acres - Chattanooga
https://tnnaturalist.org/chapters/audubon-acres/

Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium - Kingsport
https://tnnaturalist.org/chapters/bays-mountain-park/

Cedars of Lebanon State Park - Lebanon
https://tnnaturalist.org/chapters/cedars-of-lebanon/

Cumberland Mountain State Park - Crossville
https://tnnaturalist.org/chapters/cumberland-mountain-state-park/

Discovery Park of America - Union City
https://tnnaturalist.org/chapters/discovery-park/

Ijams Nature Center - Knoxville
https://tnnaturalist.org/chapters/ijams-nature-center/

Memphis Chapter at Pinecrest - Memphis
https://tnnaturalist.org/chapters/memphis-pinecrest-camp/

Murfreesboro Parks at Barfield - Murfreesboro
https://tnnaturalist.org/chapters/murfreesboro-parks-at-barfield-tnp-chapter/

Owls Hill Nature Sanctuary - Brentwood
https://tnnaturalist.org/chapters/owls-hill-nature-sanctuary/

Paris Landing/Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge - Buchanan
https://tnnaturalist.org/chapters/paris-landing-sp-nwr/

Friends of South Cumberland State Park - Sewanee
https://tnnaturalist.org/chapters/south-cumberland-state-park/

Tennessee State Parks 
Upcoming Events
Check with your Chapter Coordinator to confirm CE opportunities
For more information.

Additional Featured Volunteer Opportunities

Humphreys County River Rescue Saturday, October 1 - 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Humphreys County River Rescue Shoreline Cleanup
For more information
___________


Link to all volunteer opportunities with Southeastern Grasslands Initiative

SGI ask that you always be prepared for insects, sun and thirst. Bring your gloves.

317 College Street, Clarksville
Seed Cleaning - Native Seed Program
September 28 - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
For additional information about SGI click here.

Check with your Chapter Coordinator for volunteer hours certification.