Trails & Trilliums Registration to Open Mid-February
The Friends of South Cumberland State Parks (FSC) announces plans for the 19th annual Trails & Trilliums naturalist rally, to be held April 21-23 in Beersheba Springs. Early Bird Registration opens on Feb. 12. This year’s event will celebrate the opening of Tennessee’s 57th state park, Savage Gulf State Park, home to Stone Door, Greeter Falls, Collins Gulf and more; as well as Earth Day and the first statewide conference of the Tennessee Naturalist Program. More information and registration is at www.trailsandtrilliums.org.
Register for guided hikes and AV presentations by 50 top naturalists from across the state, with a Keynote Talk by Deputy Commissioner Greer Tidwell, head of TN State Parks. The new location at the scenic Beersheba Springs Conference Center offers 90 reasonably priced rooms, great food and an ideal spot for a weekend getaway just minutes from Savage Gulf State Park … rocking chairs, fire pits, nature trails and scenic overlooks. Online registration includes options to sign up for lodging and meals.
The weekend begins with Friday Adventures. Join Bran Potter for a Literary Nature Hike at Stone Door, State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath on a wildflower hike in Collins Gulf, or Mary Priestley on a trek from Greeter Falls into the gulf. Or choose a canoe adventure, a walking tour of Beersheba Springs, a hunt for green salamanders at Suter Falls, or a workshop on nature journaling, birding or nature photography.
Saturday and Sunday will offer two full days of activities that include guided hikes, talks, a native plant sale, vendors, and hands-on children’s nature activities. Highlights include a Friday night Hootenanny & Cookout on the front porch of the Beersheba Hotel and Saturday night’s Wine & Wildflowers at the Big Red Barn in Beersheba Springs with barbecue and music by The Sewanee Conglomerate. For night owls, evening programs include a Star Party, a Moth Program, a Night Hike to Stone Door, and a Campfire with Bran Potter.
Contact Event Chair Margaret Matens, <margaretmatens@gmail.com> or Raymond Nance, Volunteer Chair <rcnance45@gmail.com> for more information.