Beloved poet Mary Oliver often acclaimed the healing power of trees to soothe and restore the spirit, noting “I would almost say that they save me, and daily”.  Now, scientific research has borne out the myriad health and wellness benefits associated with spending qualitative time in nature, forested areas in particular. Join us to learn more about connecting more deeply to the natural world through Nature and Forest Therapy practices. Deeply rooted in the Japanese concept of Shinrin-yoku, or “forest-air bathing,” Forest Therapy is an evidence-based public health practice considered to be a natural remedy to reduce stress and a pathway to a happier, healthier, and more rewarding life. Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide Nadine Phillips will share more about the background and beneficial results of this relaxing practice and how to invite more nature connection into your everyday life

Birds can be an indicator of the health and biodiversity of the landscapes around us. Our landscape design and management practices can make a big difference in whether birds decide to ignore or explore our built environments.
Part One - Introduction to Bird-Friendly Habitat
• How to make birds disappear
• Native plants are critical for birds
• Types of resources plants provide
• Kestone species
• Invasive plants at a glance
• Improving habitat resources

Part Two - Design Considerations for
Developing Bird-Friendly Habitat
• Ecology lights a path
• Lessons from SITES and hierarchy of
landscape intervention
• Basic habitat structures
• Landscape layers through the lens of ecology
• Amplify resources
• Disturbance

Part Three - Managing Bird-Friendly Habitat
• You might be scaring them away
• Gardening by subtraction
• Realigning management with bird lifestyles
• Building habitat through management

Quarterly Board Meeting 

Core Class for the Certificate in Native Plants.

How do we plant for an uncertain future fueled by a quickly changing climate and drastically altered natural landscape? We will explore a rational and ecological-forward approach to planning and planting for a future that is driven by human-induced climate change and land degradation. Understanding the science of these issues and its implications can help us create resilience for biodiversity, our landscapes, and that natural world with which we co-habit.

Spend a fun afternoon with other native plant gardeners, naturalists, and lovers of nature in this nature journaling workshop. The workshop will be hands-on, low-key, and interactive. It is designed to create community with fellow naturalists, to hone your observational skills, and to record the legacy of your natural history adventures. No art or writing skills are required. We'll embark on fun activities that will help you transcribe the enjoyment, contentment, sense of accomplishment, and inspiration that you receive from your landscapes onto the page.  Please bring a journal with you, preferably with blank pages, and your favorite writing tool. All other materials will be provided.

Wild Ones members are invited to a Symposium Eve dinner at the Farm to Fork restaurant in Ringgold GA.  This annual event is a great opportunity to meet and talk with the speakers who will be conducting the Nature Journaling Workshop that day and presenting at the Symposium the following day.

Symposium Topics and Speakers

Functional Planting: Creating Adaptive Plant Systems
with Thomas Rainer

Inspirations: The Residential Garden in a Post-Pandemic World
with Thomas Rainer

Why the Climate Needs Trees & Why Every Tree Counts
with Janisse Ray

The Fascinating Natural Communities of NW Georgia and SE Tennessee:
From Sandstone Cliffs to Cedar Glades with Dr. Leslie Edwards 

Fungi and Their Relationships with Plants
with Dr. Kristen Wickert

Native Plants for the Vegetable Garden
with Adam Bigelow

Annual Native Plant Sale & Expo

Pawpaws are the largest edible tree fruit indigenous to North America, and recently there has been a resurgence in interest in this native fruit. Learn all about pawpaws- cultivation, propagation, orchard and wild stand management, cultivar recommendations, harvest and post-harvest techniques, processing, value-added products, and marketing.

 Sheri Crabtree is a Horticulture Research and Extension Associate at Kentucky State University, specializing in tree fruits, small fruits, and nuts, particularly pawpaw, persimmon, and blackberry, and other unique niche fruits. Her areas of focus include breeding, variety trials, propagation, value added product development, conducting orchard tours and workshops, and assisting fruit and nut growers from commercial orchards to hobbyists. Sheri has a Bachelors in Horticulture and Master’s Degree in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Kentucky, and has been with Kentucky State University for 22 years

Certificate in Native Plants - Elective Class - Spring Wildflowers Hike with Dr. Richard Clements
Description: The course will explore in depth the ecology, spring wildflowers, and temperate deciduous forest of the North Chickamauga Creek State Natural Area. Topics will include local geology, the forest system, plant interactions, wildflower life histories, and wildflower identification. The class will take place along a 1⁄2-mile trail from the parking lot to the crossing of North Chickamauga Creek, with two short side trips.
Tentative Class Outline
1. Parking Area
a. Cumberland Plateau and Ridge and Valley
b. The Pennsylvanian Period (~320 mya)
c. Ice Age Remnants (~12 kya)
2. Kiosk
a. Environmental Systems
b. The Forest System
c. Temperate Deciduous Forest Structure
d. Spring Ephemerals
3. Side Trip 1: North Chickamauga Creek Edge
a. Sandstone Boulders
b. Parasitic Plants: American Cancer Root (Conopholis americana)
c. Quiet Forest Time
4. Main Trail
a. Commensal Interactions
b. Wildflower Identification
c. Spring Ephemeral Ecology
5. Ecological Shift: Mountain Laurel
a. Limiting Factors
b. New plants
c. Poking Around in the “Laurel Hell”
6. North Chickamauga Creek
a. Acid Mine Drainage
b. The Blue Hole
c. Area History and Management
7. Side Trip 2: Eastern Hemlock Holocaust
a. Hemlock Wooly Adelgids
b. Invasive Exotic Species Primer
c. Where are the Exotic Plants at NCCSNA?
8. Return to Parking Area
a. Wildflower and Plant ID
b. Q & A

Members of TVWO will visit two homeowners to view their landscapes in progress.

Quarterly Board Meeting 

Join us with our special guide botanists/ecologists Alaina Krakowiak and Dr. Joey Shaw. Alaina Krakowiak, BS, MS, recently completed her thesis at Colorado State University after her undergraduate degree at UT Chattanooga unit. She is an avid hiker and botanizer, speaker and author on several papers. Joey Shaw, PhD is a botanist/ecologist and professor of biology at UT Chattanooga unit, hiker, speaker and author, and for 10 years, he has also been the lead organizer for the GSM Wildflower Pilgrimage.

Orchard Knob Reservation, a 2.5 ha branch of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, is a rare remaining example of a previously more widespread xeric limestone prairie habitat within the Ridge and Valley physiogeographic province. It is one of only two sites in Tennessee of the S1 classified Fremont's leather flower. In total, there are at least 8 Tennessee rare plant species present. Four of these rare, state-ranked species should be in bloom and include: Fremont's leather flower (Clematis fremontii), a new species of groundsel/ragwort (Packera nova. sp. - previously thought to be P. paupercula var. appalachiana), Eastern prairie wild blue indigo (Baptisia aberrans), and Eggleston’s violet (Viola egglestonii). The other rare species, glade St. Johnswort (Hypericum dolabriforme) and round fruited St. Johnswort (Hypericum sphaerocarpum) bloom late spring or summer. Another S1 species, the white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides), as well as the unranked, but also rare, Kentucky aster (Symphyotrichum kentuckiensis), will bloom mid to late fall. During the spring, the asters will only be found as new growth from overwintering rosettes.

Several other limestone endemics are established here. We are likely to find hoary pucoon, eastern prickly pear cactus, wild hyacinth, false aloe, nettleleaf sage, small skullcap, wild strawberry, yellow pimpernell, meadow parsnip, whorled milkweed, green milkweed, butterfly milkweed, little and big bluestem grasses, panic and indian grasses, orange coneflower, euphorbia species, grey headed coneflowers, two species of passion vine, hairy sunflower, lespedeza, chinkapin oak, starry rosinweed, obedient plant, and some great history plus civil war monuments.

Previously a site of random herbicide applications, frequent mowing, rare clean up and few if any exotics removal efforts, the Knob is now being recognized for what it is and its potential to shine as an example of a rare remnant ecosystem. As such, park managers and volunteers have been steadily improving the maintenance regime in the past six years to accommodate the ecological and botanical importance and not just visualization of monuments. Many species have recovered due to this annual attention and herbicide restraint, including native warm season grasses and forbs such as the above asters and clematis.

Our guides will discuss their published inventory study of the area as well as the ongoing genetic research into the relationships between other disjunct C. fremontii and its primary populations in a few U.S. prairie states. Alaina will additionally be presenting her work in more depth this fall at our September 11, 2023 free public program.

Join TN Valley Wild Ones members and hike leader, Stephan Eselgroth, MD, for a spring wildflower hike into our newest designated Tennessee state park, Savage Gulf. Dr. Eselgroth has over 20 years of natural and sustainable habitat gardening experience, RainSmart Yard and NWF certifications at his home, and is an active volunteer and hikes manager for our Wild Ones chapter.

Until recently, this was a 15,590-acre designated state natural area, managed by South Cumberland State Park. It now has its own designation as our newest state park and has acquired further acreage. The park is sited at the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau in Grundy and Sequatchie Counties. With sandstone cliffs, hollows and canyons, free flowing rivers, and old growth forests, it is one of Tennessee's most rugged and scenic areas. A beautiful place for those with a love of stunning raw nature, yet it is still close to home. After a short distance of trail through Hemlock and Rhododendron, we’ll trek down to view the 50 foot Suter falls. In the next mile, the trail has altitude changes that will challenge our knees as we descend and our endurance upon return. This trail has a bit of it all with a swinging bridge creek crossing, two waterfalls, a disappearing creek, multitude of native wildflowers, shrubs and trees, with very few invasives, and the trail has rock scrambles, alternating moderate and tough rocky sections, a gulf overlook, plus views of cliffs and rock formations.

Several wildflowers are established here, especially along the 1.5 mile stretch before our turn around point. We are likely to find large white trillium (T. grandiflorum), S. red trillium (T. sulcatum), sweet Betsy (T. cuneatum), prairie trillium, (T. recurvatum), dwarf ginseng, (Panax trifolius), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Dutchman breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), ragworts (Packera anonyma and P. obovata), dwarf larkspur (Delphinium tricorne), Rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), fernleaf phacelia (Phacelia bipinnatifida), wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), waterleaf (Hyrophyllum sp), foam flowers (Tiarella cordifolia), Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum) and plume (Mianthemum racemosum), geranium (G. maculatum), red, yellow and painted buckeyes (Aesculus pavia, A. flava and A. sylvatica), wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis), woodland blue phlox (Phlox divaricata), bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana), several species of sedge, fern, violets, blueberry and viburnum.

Native Plants, Rain Gardens and Reducing Runoff in Your Yard with Casey Dell, Mary Beth Sutton and Rosy Harpe - RainSmart is a collection of programs through the City of Chattanooga’s Stormwater Resources aimed at helping residents to become better educated on best residential land stewardship practices for water quality & stormwater reduction, as well as offering incentives for installing rain barrels, native plantings & rain gardens.

Certificate in Native Plants -Core Class - Native Plant Communities with Mary Priestley & Charlotte Freeman
Overview: Plant Communities is a biology/ecology-based core course required
for the Certificate in Native Plants. It will be an in-person course scheduled for six
hours of instruction and self-study. The course will be a combination of outdoor
observations and PowerPoint presentations. Students will go home with
instructions to adopt a plant community of his/her choosing and using guiding
questions, prepare a report to be returned to the instructors by June 15. The
report must be completed to obtain credit for the course.
Preparing for Class: There is no internet at the venue so your pre-class
assignment will be to watch the following video on Grasslands:
www.segrasslands.org/video This is a video to promote saving grasslands but it
has good information about those communities. You can ignore the solicitations.
Post Class: Your post class assignment will be a study on a plant community of
your choice. Further instructions will be given at the class. This study is required
for credit for the class.

Hike - Kathy Stiles Freeland Bibb County Glades Preserve, the Botanical "lost world"  with Zach Irick

Live via Zoom (link will be provided closer to the time of the program)

Free and open to the public

Birds need food, shelter, nesting sites and nesting materials in order to survive.  Learn how to make simple changes in your garden that will transform it into a year-round haven for birds by providing these essential elements.

 Mary Anne Borge is the Associate Editor for Butterfly Gardener magazine, a publication of the North American Butterfly Association; an instructor and naturalist at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope, Pennsylvania; a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist, and the team leader for Lambertville Goes Wild. Her photographs have been featured in numerous publications. She shares her love of nature through her writing and photography at the-natural-web.org.

Members of TVWO will visit two homeowners to view their landscapes in progress.

Hike - Couchville Cedar Glade State Natural Area with Dennis Horn.

Certificate in Native Plants - Elective Class - Landscape Maintenance and Stewardship with John Magee

It's another installment of our Green Infrastructure Walking Tour Series! Come to Renaissance Park to learn about the environmental benefits of this popular urban greenspace. This is an excellent opportunity to see three examples of green stormwater infrastructure: the green roof, the rain garden/bioretention, and the built wetland. We will also discuss some of the environmental history of the site and current management strategies for various plant communities. Renew your love for this hard-working, dynamic landscape tucked away in the heart of our city. 

Bio:  Lyn Rutherford is a Natural Resource Supervisor for the City of Chattanooga. She manages the City's green stormwater infrastructure as well as other specialized landscapes like pollinator gardens and riparian buffers. She studied biology at Warren Wilson College and has experience with trailwork, invasive plant management, endangered species conservation and research, habitat restoration, residential gardening with native plants, and stormwater management. She is a volunteer for the Tennessee Valley Wild Ones and her labor union SEIU 205.   

We will visit the garden of one of our Chapter members.

Quarterly Board Meeting 

Update on Plant Disease and Tree Health with Benjamine Moore - Get up to date on the latest pests and diseases currently affecting our local trees. We’ll discuss the newer threats that we’re seeing like Redbud Wilt and Laurel Wilt as well as the status of well known pests such as Emerald Ash Borer and Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. You’ll also learn about chemical and non-chemical methods for keeping your trees healthy as well as general tips on tree maintenance.

Description: The course will explore in depth the ecology, late summer flora, and temperate deciduous forest of the North Chickamauga Creek State Natural Area. Topics will include local geology, the forest system, plant interactions, wildflower life histories, and plant identification. The class will take place along a 1⁄2-mile trail from the parking lot to the crossing of North Chickamauga Creek, with two short side trips.

The Flora of Orchard Knob Reservation with Alaina Krakowiak - Orchard Knob Reservation is a 2-block national military park in the heart of Chattanooga, TN. Once overlooked due to its small size and urban location, a detailed floristic inventory revealed that it is a rare prairie remnant home to over 200 species of plants, including numerous species of conservation concern. In this program, you will learn about not only the many plant species found at Orchard Knob, but also Chattanooga’s historical prairies, and how genetics are being used to conserve one of the Knob’s rarest species.

Members of TVWO will visit two homeowners to view their landscapes in progress.

Hike - Harrison Bay State Park, Star walk prairie and Island trails with Mabry Biggs.

Hike - Buggy Top Cave Trail with Dennis Horn

Fall Plant Sale 

Medicinal Plants/Ethnobotany with Christina Gibson

Join Wild Ones Honorary Director Heather Holm as she explores the nesting habitats, life cycles, pollen collection, brood rearing, and general characteristics of some of the most common native bees in eastern North America, while highlighting the pollination of native plants and the mutualism between native plants and native bees.

When creating and managing thriving habitats for native bees, many factors such as seasonal phenology, nesting strategies, and flower preferences must be considered—and with approximately 3,600 species in North America (north of Mexico), there are many unique aspects to keep in mind when managing successful landscapes for bees. 

Description:
For those looking to boost their landscape’s ecological impact, native grasses and sedges offer smart solutions to common landscape challenges. Unlike oceans of mulch and vast expanses of turf grass, native graminoids add biodiversity and increased resilience. These extraordinary plants help preserve and build the soil, manage stormwater, serve animals and insects with
shelter and food, and reduce weed competition. From low-key groundcover to seasonal superstar, their varied habits and unique aesthetic qualities make them essential for looks as well.
Join Shannon Currey for a classroom overview of true grasses, which are in the family Poaceae, along with sedges in the genus Carex and a few other graminoids. We’ll touch on their physiology—including some tips for distinguishing between them—and talk about why they’re helpful for solving landscape challenges. We’ll cover cultural conditions, planting, and management. Then we’ll stroll outside to explore the landscape, apply our tips for identifying
them, and see how the native grasses and sedges are working (or not) on this site.

Quarterly Board Meeting 

A Welcome to members that have joined our chapter in the past year.  An invitation will be sent out prior to the event with exact details, including times and location.  

Hike - Cumberland Trail, North Chickamauga Creek Gorge (Pocket Wilderness) with Zack Irick

Annual Member Meeting

Annual Member Plant Swap

Southeastern Grasslands Conservation in the Chattanooga Region with Zach Irick - Southeastern grasslands are highly imperiled plant communities that support very significant biodiversity. Widespread ecological degradation has limited the distribution of southeastern grasslands to isolated remnants that occur in highly fragmented landscapes. Many of the plant species in southeastern grasslands are globally rare and are at moderate to high risk of extinction. If immediate conservation action is not implemented now, irreplaceable biodiversity may be lost forever. This presentation will overview: (1) the plant biodiversity and ecology of southeastern grasslands; (2) southeastern grassland conservation issues specific to the Chattanooga region; and (3) current Southeastern Grasslands Institute projects working to save southeastern grasslands.

Join us for an enlightening webinar featuring authors, Neil Diboll and Hilary Cox, as they present their latest book, "The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants." This comprehensive compendium is a treasure trove of knowledge for gardeners looking to incorporate native prairie plants into their landscapes. Neil and Hilary will delve into the making and application of this essential guide, sharing rich historical and ecological insights about prairie ecosystems, all while showcasing stunning images of prairie flora. 

Evolution of Flowering Plants
4 hours
This class will be an introduction to Plant Systematics, the study of relationships between plants. We will cover basic flower structure, the development of flowers, and comparison of flowers that exhibit “ancestral” characteristics with those with more “derived” characteristics. We will study representative flowers from a number of flowering plant families. Activities will include developing and using floral formulas; dissecting flowers and fruits; and making simple, accurate drawings. Besides pencil and paper, students should bring some sort of magnifier, a
pair of tweezers, and a small knife or single-edged razor blade. A book that some will want to purchase before or after taking the class is Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel.

Holiday Social Gathering