Chapters in Tennessee

Long before medicine as we know it existed, the indigenous peoples of the world utilized plants to heal their sick and mend wounds. The Cherokee people, local to our area before the Trail of Tears, viewed plants as helpers; for every illness inflicted upon humanity by the animals they hunted, the plants provided a cure.

Join Ranger Taylor Young from Red Clay State Historic Park to learn about the Cherokees’ relationship with plants, traditional uses, and their cultural significance.

Class Description:

Most of us have grown — or tried to grow — plants from seed. But did you know there’s another way to propagate some of our favorite natives? And do you know how?

With this class, you will!

This half-day, elective course introduces principles and practices of asexual plant propagation — a method of plant reproduction that does not use seeds or spores, but rather a portion of the plant’s vegetative parts, such as stems, leaves or roots.

We’ll explore the science and techniques of vegetative propagation and we’ll gain an understanding of why it is important in horticulture. We’ll also learn how environmental conditions, stock plant health, hygiene practices, and propagation media influence successful outcomes.

The practical portion of the course will focus on stem cuttings and plant division techniques, allowing participants to gain hands-on experience in collecting suitable plant material and producing a batch of cuttings for propagation. Grafting, budding, and tissue culture will also be introduced to provide a broader understanding of propagation systems.

Our instructor will be Kevin Roberts, and our learning classroom will be Overhill Gardens, a native plants nursery in Vonore, Tenn. (And, yes, plant shopping is encouraged before or after the class!!!) 

*Note: Overhill is approximately 100 miles or 2 hrs 10 min from Chattanooga so plan ahead for travel time! Carpooling is also encouraged*

Join us to learn about gardening for reptiles and amphibians, from the big picture to the small details. Topics will include herps, their importance in the ecosystem, their habitat requirements, and their phenology, as well as garden and water feature design, implementation, and maintenance.

Katie Curtis works on the Natural Resources team for the City of Chattanooga, a position she has had since November, 2023. On this team she manages the city’s stormwater using native plants, maintains green infrastructure, removes invasive species, and assists with ecological restoration.

Katie graduated from Warren Wilson College with a BS in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Conservation Biology. During her time at college, she was on the landscaping crew where she learned about sustainable landscaping. Her undergraduate research focused on a translocated population of gopher tortoises in south Alabama. During her college years she volunteered with the WNC Nature Center, providing animal husbandry care for the reptiles and amphibians on display, as well as the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, radiotracking bog turtles. After college, she held a position as a biological field technician, radiotracking copperheads in north-western Alabama, and spent some time volunteering as a docent at the TN Aquarium.

Katie is a giant herp nerd who grew up climbing the fence and behind her yard and exploring the woods beyond, and will not shut up about why snakes deserve love, too. Ask about her frog calls.

Join Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones for our 7-class series in Ecological Gardening, taught by local experts who are passionate personal and professional ecological gardeners. You can attend classes as a series, or as standalone classes. 

This fifth class in the Ecological Gardening Series is all about selecting the right plants for the right place, and how to create a garden with continuous blooms.

A thriving garden can provide beauty and ecological benefits throughout the growing season when plants are chosen thoughtfully. This class will explore how to select native plants that are well-suited to specific site conditions while also creating continuous blooms from early spring through fall. We’ll discuss bloom timing, plant form, and ecological roles—such as supporting pollinators and other wildlife—so your garden is both visually dynamic and ecologically productive. Emphasis will be placed on matching plants to place, reducing inputs, and building plant communities that evolve gracefully over time.

Presenters: Jared Odell, Ecologist, CEO/Founder of Tierra Environmental Consulting and Rosy Harpe, Sustainable Landscape Ecologist and Conservation Manager with WaterWays

Join us on Zoom to hear the wonderful Mary Anne Borge present on the seasonal timing of asters, just as we are beginning to enjoy the beauty of fall asters.