APRIL 24-28, GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE

Transcription

1 APRIL 24-28, GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE

2 PARTICIPATING PARTNERS LOCAL SPONSORS The 68th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage offers 165 programs over four days during the peak of the spring flowering season in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Professionally guided walks and evening presentations explore the region s rich natural and cultural resources. Most programs are conducted on trails in the park while evening talks are presented in the Mills Conference Center. All programs are held rain or shine. The Pilgrimage headquarters is at Mills Conference Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee where participants pick up pre-registration packets, register on-site, attend evening programs, and meet for van departures. HOW TO USE THIS BOOKLET The program booklet lists Pilgrimage programs by date and time. Each description includes starting points (capital letters in parentheses are keyed to a map on pages 29-30), walking distances, trail ratings from easy to strenuous, and registration limits. riving time (T) is from Mills Conference Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee to the meeting site. Popular programs repeated at different times and days are listed as similar programs. An alphabetical index of all program topics and destinations appears on page 23. B E K I N TO O UR GR E AT S M OK Y M OUNTA I NS N AT I ONA L PA R K BACKCOUNTRY HIKE SUGGESTIONS Backcountry hikes will be led by seasoned hikers and interpreters. Safety is paramount. You should be prepared for a long, strenuous day. Carry plenty of water and high-energy food. Your equipment should include functional rain gear, hat, change of socks, fitted broken-in footwear, comfortable backpack, and wicking type fabric clothing. Wear clothing in layers so you can add or remove to adjust to weather changes. Include a small first-aid kit, a small flashlight, and toilet paper. Leave heavy cameras, tripods, radios, and other unnecessary weight at home. Program is held indoors Program is held outdoors Van service is provided Program is in North Carolina Program is led by National Park Service staff Program is led by National Park Service volunteer Pilgrimage leaders have permits to handle plants, fungi, invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians for educational purposes. National Park Service rules prohibit visitors from harming organisms in the Park. PROTECT PARK RESOURCES BY OING THE FOLLOWING: Stay on trails o not pick plant material o not touch salamanders without appropriate hand coverings o not collect any organisms or rocks o not feed wildlife o not use recorded bird songs or calls to attract birds Stay away from all unoccupied buildings in Elkmont Pets are prohibited on most trails Follow the time-honored advice: Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION! Programs that begin at trailheads or other park sites require participants to arrange their own transportation. Vans are provided where trailhead parking is limited. Participants are strongly encouraged to use the free van service when provided. T Program is led by Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont staff Birding program Event held in a fire zone Estimated driving time from Gatlinburg in minutes 2

3 S Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a sanctuary. Plants and animals are fully protected. Regulations prohibit picking and digging plants. Pets are prohibited on most trails. For more details or to learn more about the park, visit Next year s 69th Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage will be posted on flowerpilgrimage.org in the fall. Fire Pink artwork on the cover is by Bob George. Bob s artwork is on display at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts at the Geoffrey A. Wolpert Gallery from March 21 through April 29, Join us for a reception honoring Bob George on April 25th, (select program #37). Refreshments provided. Go to flowerpilgrimage.org for a listing of hotels in Gatlinburg offering rooms at a special discounted rate for pilgrims! O N L I N E R E G I S T R AT I O N Online registration begins on March 1 and ends April 24, 2018 at pilgrimage.org. Participants who register online should check in at the Pilgrimage registration desk at the Mills Conference Center (see maps on pages 25-28) to pick up a packet containing nametag, personal itinerary, and printed program. O N-SITE R E G I S T R AT I O N On-site registration will be held at Mills Conference Center, April 24-28, at the following times: Tuesday 5 PM 9 PM Wednesday Thursday 7 AM 7:30 PM Friday & Saturday 7 AM 1 PM Pre-registered pilgrims can add and change programs at the registration desk. R E G I S T R AT I O N F E E S All events are covered by the following registration fees: Adults $50.00 for one day $75.00 for two or more days Students $15.00 for one or more days (high school/college status will be verified at on-site registration with I) Children under 15 Free (must be accompanied by a registered adult. All children must be registered for programs they are attending.) Refunds are NOT provided and fees will be used as a contribution to help support this event. PA R K I N G Free parking is available for Pilgrimage participants in the municipal parking lot (ONLY) next to the Gatlinburg Fire Station on Reagan rive. See map on page 28 of brochure. Other parking lots scattered throughout Gatlinburg and on Reagan rive charge a parking fee. Unauthorized parking in church and motel parking areas near the Mills Conference Center may result in an expensive towing bill. T- S H I RT S See page 26 for information on purchasing the 68th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage T- Shirts. E M E R G E N C Y I N F O In the event of an emergency, contact 911. To contact someone within the National Park Service, call (865) The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage at Mills Conference Center phone number, (912) , is ONLY active from April 24 28, V E N O R I N T H E M I L L S G A L L E RY The Great Smoky Mountain Association store ( will be open to the public during the following hours: Tuesday 5:00 PM 9:00 PM Wednesday & Thursday 8:00 AM 7:30 PM Friday 8:00 AM 5:00 PM For Local Info: Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 527 Gatlinburg, TN (800) or visit 3

4 P R O G R A M P L A N N E R Use this page to plan your week at the Pilgrimage. Read through the program descriptions on the following pages, then record the program numbers of events you wish to attend here. If your first choice has an attendance limit, list alternate program choices. Remember that popular programs are repeated throughout the week, and a listing of similar programs is included at the end of each program description. Please have this sheet filled out when you arrive if you plan to register on-site. FIRST CHOICE ALTERNATE ALTERNATE FIRST CHOICE ALTERNATE ALTERNATE WENESAY MORNING FRIAY MORNING AFTERNOON AFTERNOON ALL-AY ALL-AY EVENING EVENING FEATURE WILFLOWER ARTIST RECEPTION (FREE AMISSION) BIOLOGICAL IVERSITY ON THE WORL WIE WEB WITH ZACK MURRELL (FREE AMISSION) THURSAY MORNING AFTERNOON SATURAY MORNING AFTERNOON ALL-AY ALL-AY EVENING GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS ALL TAXA BIOIVERSITY INVENTORY UPATE WITH TO WITCHER (FREE AMISSION) 4

5 S W E N E S A Y :00 AM 11:30 PM CAES COVE AT INFORMATION KIOSK BEFORE LOOP ROA ENTRANCE (MM) 2 7:30 AM 11:30 AM CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY 3 CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY 4 TOWNSEN "Y" ON LITTLE RIVER ROA TO BEGIN CARPOOL (FF) Wednesday M O R N I N G P R O G R A M S BIR PHOTOGRAPHY Smoky Mountain Bird Photographer, Barry Spruce, will instruct the group in finding bird subjects among their particular habitat, teach how to have success in approaching these birds, and use their surroundings for more pleasing compositions. After the field walk, we move to the Spruce gallery in Townsend for technical guidance on enhancing compositions. Bring your digital camera and binoculars (no cell phone or ipad cameras please). Limit 15 people. T: 60 min. barrysprucephotography.com Similar programs: 8, 48, 63, 108, 139 BIRING AT SUGARLANS AN COVE HARWOO NATURE TRAIL Tom Howe, former president of the Knoxville, TN Ornithological Society, leads a search for spring migrants and Appalachian specialties at Sugarlands Visitor Center and the Blackthroated Blue Warbler at Cove Hardwood Nature Trail. Bring binoculars and rain gear. Short, easy walks en route. Limit 15 people. Similar programs: 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159 BIRING AT SUGARLANS AN NEWFOUN GAP With naturalist and birder, Jay Sturner, search for spring migrants and Appalachian specialties starting at Sugarlands and ending at Newfound Gap. Bring binoculars and rain gear. Short, easy walks en route. Limit 15 people. Similar programs: 2, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159 BIRING ON SCHOOL HOUSE GAP TRAIL Scan the trees along a stream for Warblers, Vireos, Scarlet Tanager and American Goldfinch, among other species, with Liz omingue, naturalist guide, birder, wildlife biologist and photographer. Bring binoculars, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 12 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 2, 3, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY 8 8:15 AM 11:30 AM SUGARLANS VISITOR CENTER TRAINING ROOM PARK IN 3R LOT ON RIGHT (EE) 9 CHIMNEYS PICNIC AREA (F) WILFLOWER AN WILFIRE WALK: CHIMNEY TOPS The 11/23/16 Chimney Tops 2 Fire originated on the north peak of Chimney Tops, spreading northward into the Sugarlands Valley over the next several days. Follow naturalist, oris Gove, as the trail ascends through an unburned northern hardwood forest with a splendid display of spring wildflowers, ending at an observation platform 1/4 mile from the peaks. Elevation gain 1,400. Strenuous, 3.5 mile walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 45, 89, 135 WILFLOWER WALK: HUSKEY GAP TRAIL Walk the old trail that connected the settlers of Sugarlands Valley and Little River as you view the wildflower displays and homesites along the way. Elevation change: 1,000'. A 2-mile, moderate walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 90, 124, 145 WILFIRE ECOLOGY ONE YEAR LATER Baskins Creek Trail contains areas illustrating different intensity levels of recent wildfire on vegetation and soil. With plant ecologist Greg Schmidt, explore these differences in the burn intensity as it relates to vegetation regrowth one year later. A 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. Similar programs: 46, 59, 88, 106, 134 BEGINNER S PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP See a short visual presentation, then travel outdoors for hands-on instruction in composition and techniques by authors Jack Carman (Wildflowers of Tennessee) and Robert Hutson (Great Smoky Mountain Wildflowers: When and Where to Find Them). Bring a camera and tripod. A 2-mile, easy walk. Limit 20 people. T: 15 min. Similar programs: 1, 48, 63, 108, 139 WILFLOWER WALK: COVE HARWOO NATURE TRAIL Observe abundant wildflowers, including dwarf ginseng and fringed phacelia, in this old-growth forest. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 25 min. Similar programs: 54, 67, 142, 155

6 W E N E S A Y LITTLE RIVER TRAILHEA PAST ELKMONT CAMPGROUN (T) FERN WALK: LITTLE RIVER ABOVE ELKMONT Have you ever seen an adder s tongue? Come see a variety of the park s 25 more common ferns and fern allies. Bring a hand lens. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 10, 99, JAKES CREEK TRAILHEA PAST ELKMONT CAMPGROUN (R) WILFLOWER WALK: CUCUMBER GAP TRAIL Walk through a secondary cove hardwood forest and enjoy the diversity of wildflowers. This trip ascends toward Cucumber Gap, then returns. A 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 68, 125, GREENBRIER ROA TERMINUS AT PORTERS CREEK TRAILHEA 4.5 MILES FROM ROUTE 321 (O) WILFLOWER WALK: PORTERS CREEK TRAIL See abundant wildflowers including painted trillium and many more. Pass old homesteads and a cemetery along this popular trail which leads to an old-growth cove hardwood forest. A 2-3 mile easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 31, 83, 97, 115, 127, 147, :30 AM 11:30 AM TWIN CREEKS GRAVEL PARKING LOT OFF OF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) AQUATIC INSECT IVERSITY WALK Enjoy short walks on different order streams with Park entomologist Becky Nichols. Learn to collect and identify a variety of insects in pristine streams. Easy. Limit 16 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 56, CHIMNEYS PICNIC AREA (F) 13 TWIN CREEKS PAVILION OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) :45 AM 11:30 AM TOWNSEN "Y" ON LITTLE RIVER ROA (FF) EIBLE MUSHROOM WALK Learn the do's and don'ts about recognizing edible mushrooms and their habitat preference with field and culinary mycologists, Brian Looney and Emma Harrower. A 2-3 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 25 min. Similar programs: 119, 161 NATIVE PEOPLE S USE OF NATURE'S GAREN Gather at the cook fire with Native American Karen LaMere (Ho-Chunk) and listen to an oral history which has been passed down through the generations by America s indigenous people. Taste and discover ingenious uses of native plants. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 20, 92, 112 WILFLOWER WALK: QUIET WALKWAY This easy walk from Newfound Gap Road to the river has a rich diversity of wildflowers. utchman's pipe vine and pawpaw are usually in flower along the path. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 44, 60, 91 WILFLOWER WALK: CHESTNUT TOP TRAIL One of the grandest wildflower displays in the Smokies. A 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 15 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 71, 118, :00 PM 4:00 PM CAES COVE CAMPGROUN STORE PARKING LOT (MM) 19 1:15 PM 2:30 PM SUGARLANS VISITOR CENTER PARK IN 3R LOT ON RIGHT (EE) A F T E R N O O N P R O G R A M S BUTTERFLIES IN CAES COVE National Park Service Volunteer Warren Bielenberg and Outdoor Educator, Wanda ewaard have been chasing butterflies in Cades Cove for over 20 years. Join them to explore a variety of habitats to identify butterflies on the wing in Cades Cove. Bring a butterfly field guide, binoculars, water, dress for the weather. Short easy walks en route. Limit 25 people. T: 60 min. Similar program: 111 BIR SKETCHING Chris Myers Wildlife artist Chris Myers discusses ways to capture bird morphology and behavior on paper. Bring your sketchbook, pencils, pens, or watercolors. Limit 20 people. T: 15 min. Meet at Training Room in basement of bathroom facility (see map page 25) /?fref=ts Similar programs: 8, 25, 61, 88 6

7 S W E N E S A Y :15 PM 4:30 PM TWIN CREEKS PAVILION OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) NATIVE PEOPLE S USE OF NATURE'S GAREN Gather at the cook fire with Native American Karen LaMere (Ho-Chunk) and listen to an oral history which has been passed down through the generations by America s indigenous people. Taste and discover ingenious uses of native plants. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 13, 92, LITTLE RIVER TRAILHEA PAST ELKMONT CAMPGROUN (T) BLACK BEAR AN WIL HOG WALK Walk with avid Whitehead, retired Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Manager, as he describes the life history, tracking signs, human impacts, and environmental issues of black bears and wild hogs in the southern Appalachians and GSMNP. A 2-3 mile, easy walk. Limit 20 people. Similar programs: 53, 95, :15 PM 4:30 PM TWIN CREEKS SCIENCE AN EUCATION CENTER OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) 22 GREENBRIER ROA CARPOOL FROM PICNIC AREA, 2.5 MILES FROM ROUTE 321 (N) BECOME A GSMNP CITIZEN SCIENTIST Tennessee and North Carolina are home to approximately 1.5 million dried plant specimens. To make a permanent record of a plant species location and genetic information, a plant is collected, pressed, mounted on a paper sheet, and stored in a herbarium. To make each plant s information available globally, a local and international digitizing effort is underway. This program introduces you to the park s natural history collections which have not been digitized until now. Using the park s plant specimens, you will photograph the plant sheet, record the plant s location information, then upload the data into an international biodiversity database. Your data entry will be available immediately to researchers and conservation workers around the world. We ll show you ways to engage in these efforts from your home. No experience necessary. Limit 10 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 49, 64, 93, 107, 140, 152 WILFLOWER WALK: OL SETTLERS TRAIL Walking through these former homesteads, discover the many wildflowers now growing in the abandoned fields and among the stone chimneys and fences. Elevation change: 200' ascent. A 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 79, PICNIC SHELTER OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 26 PICNIC SHELTER OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 27 NOAH "BU" OGLE PARKING AREA OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (Y) GOING NATURAL IN THE GAREN: WALKER SISTERS CABIN Explore the principles of Mother Nature s aesthetic design in wild landscapes and discover ways to utilize her natural beauty in your garden. Led by Nancy Rennie, a retired landscape designer and horticultural consultant and Margie Hunter author of Gardening with Native Plants of Tennessee. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 20 people. T: 40 min. NATURE JOURNALING Art Stupka and Aaron Sharp were early naturalists who documented the biological diversity of the Smokies by keeping journals. Today s nature journals combine sketching, writing, and mixed media to record observations and reflections. Bring an unlined journal and join Mary Priestley, an avid nature journalist, to make a lasting memory of the Pilgrimage and other natural world experiences. Limit 15 people. T: 40 min. Art supplies can be obtained at Arrowmont School of Art and Crafts. Similar programs: 19, 51, 62, 96 WILFLOWER WALK: NOAH "BU" OGLE TRAIL See a splendid variety of wildflowers and American chestnut tree remnants in the reforested fields of this farmstead. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 47, 94, GREENBRIER ROA CARPOOL FROM FIRST PARKING LOT ON RIGHT, 200 FEET FROM ROUTE 321 (M) 7 TRILLIUMS OF THE SMOKIES WALK Travel with Tom Patrick, botanist with the Georgia Natural Heritage Program and trillium expert, to focus on the biology and diversity of trilliums in the park. Short, easy walks en route. Bring a hand lens. Limit 20 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 77, GREENBRIER RANGER STATION (K) MOSS WALK ALONG INJUN CREEK TRAIL IN GREENBRIER iscover the elegant forms of moss, liverwort, and hornwort and ways to recognize them. Bring a hand lens. A 3-mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 74, 113, 141

8 W E N E S A Y CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY 30 PICNIC SHELTER OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 31 GREENBRIER ROA TERMINUS AT PORTERS CREEK TRAILHEA 4.5 MILES FROM ROUTE 321 (O) 32 1:45 PM 4:30 PM ROCKEFELLER MEMORIAL AT NEWFOUN GAP TO BEGIN CAR SHUTTLE (BB) 33 1:45 PM 5:15 PM EN OF TREMONT GRAVEL ROA (I) SALAMANER FORAY FROM LOW TO HIGH ELEVATION iscover some of the park s 31 species of woodland and stream-side salamanders, and discuss their unique life history. A 1 mile, easy walk. Prepare to get wet and bring a hand lens. Limit 20 people. Similar programs: 61, 117, 165 TREE AN SHRUB IENTIFICATION WALK An introduction to the identification of woody plants. Bring a hand lens. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar programs: 50, 65, 109 WILFLOWER WALK: PORTERS CREEK TRAIL Pass old homesteads and a cemetery along this popular trail which leads to an old-growth cove hardwood forest. See a rich variety of wildflowers including painted trillium and many more. A 2-3 mile, moderate hike. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 11, 97, 115, 127, 147, 154 WILFLOWER WALK: APPALACHIAN TRAIL FROM INIAN GAP TO NEWFOUN GAP Pass from the closed canopy of the old-growth Spruce Fir forest into the open canopy of a pristine Beech Gap forest where early spring ephemeral wildflowers abound. A 1.5 mile, moderate walk. Elevation change 500. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 72, 103 CASCAES AN WILFLOWER WALK ALONG LYNN CAMP PRONG See myriad wildflowers as you stroll past a number of cascades. A 4 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 70, :00 AM 2:00 PM CAES COVE AT INFORMATION KIOSK BEFORE LOOP ROA ENTRANCE (MM) 35 7:30 AM 1:00 PM OCONALUFTEE VISITOR CENTER (Z) 36 9:00 AM 4:30 PM COSBY PICNIC AREA, OFF TN ROUTE 32 HIKER PARKING LOT ON LEFT (H) 37 5:30 PM 7:00 PM ARROWMONT SCHOOL OF ARTS AN CRAFTS (C) A L L - AY P R O G R A M S BIRING ALONG CAES COVE LOOP ROA Walk with naturalist, birder, and musician Keith Watson to look for and listen to the signs of spring in Cades Cove. Stops will include Sparks and Hyatt Lanes, Burchfield Woods (Red-headed Woodpecker), and sewage ponds. Short, easy walk. Bring binoculars and rain gear. Limit 15 people. T: 60 min. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159 BIRING AT OCONALUFTEE AN COLLINS CREEK Birding in open field and rivulet habitats in the Oconaluftee area (Chipping and White-throated Sparrows) and forested streams in the Collins Creek area (Blackburnian and Black-throated Green Warblers) with birder on Hendershot. Bring binoculars, lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Short, easy walks en route. Limit 12 people. T: 60 min. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159 WILFLOWER HIKE: GABES MOUNTAIN TRAIL A 6 mile, moderate hike passing through many wildflower displays and old-growth forests from Cosby Picnic Area past the 90' Hen Wallow Falls and beyond. Elevation change: 1,000' ascent. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 25 people. T: 60 min. Similar program: 164 E V E N I N G P R O G R A M S FEATURE WILFLOWER ARTIST RECEPTION Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is proud to feature Bob George, the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage's Artist of the Year. Bob 's painting, Fire Pink was selected as the image for this year s Pilgrimage brochure, website, and t- shirt. His artwork will be exhibited in the Geoffrey A. Wolpert Gallery from March 21 through April 29, A reception will be held on Wednesday, April 25, 5:30-7:00 pm. Refreshments provided. T: 15 min. No daily Pilgrimage fee or registration required. Open to the public. 8

9 S W E N E S A Y T H U R S A Y :30 PM 8:30 PM CENTER GATLINBURG ROOMS A & B (V) 39 7:30 PM 9:30 PM TWIN CREEKS PAVILION OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) 40 8:30 PM 10:30 PM SUGARLANS VISITOR CENTER PARK IN 2R LOT ON RIGHT (EE) 41 7:30 AM 11:30 AM CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY BIOLOGICAL IVERSITY ON THE WORL WIE WEB: EXPLORATION, INQUIRY AN OPPORTUNITY The general public can add to the world's knowledge of natural history. Zack Murrell will examine opportunities for everyone to participate in efforts to describe and inventory the Earth s biodiversity. New World Wide Web resources are emerging at a rapid pace, offering opportunities for the public to be scientists and explorers. No daily Pilgrimage fee or registration required. Open to the public. Similar program: 82 NIGHTTIME BAT WALK: TWIN CREEKS AREA Follow chiropterologist Gary McCracken and his bat team to capture a bat, listen to their calls in the night, learn about their lives, their niches in the ecosystem and why it is important to preserve them. Short, easy walk. Bring warm clothes and a flashlight. Limit 50 people. T: 10 min. Similar program: 129 OWL PROWL Listen and learn about the flying predator of the night. This 2-hour Owl Prowl is guided by retired Great Smoky Mountains National Park Ranger Arthur "Butch" Mcade. Bring warm clothes and flashlight. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 15 min. Meet at vending/bathroom area. Similar programs: 85, 131 Thursday M O R N I N G P R O G R A M S BIRING AT SUGARLANS AN NEWFOUN GAP Follow Tom Howe, former president of the Knoxville, TN Ornithological Society, to search for spring migrants and Appalachian specialties starting at Sugarlands and ending at Newfound Gap. Bring binoculars and rain gear. Short, easy walks en route. Limit 15 people. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, :30 AM 11:30 AM TOWNSEN "Y" ON LITTLE RIVER ROA TO BEGIN CARPOOL (FF) 43 7:30 AM 11:30 AM TOWNSEN "Y" ON LITTLE RIVER ROA (FF) BIRING ON SCHOOL HOUSE GAP TRAIL. Scan the trees along a stream for Warblers, Vireos, Scarlet Tanager and American Goldfinch, among other species, with birder Jay Sturner. Bring binoculars, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 15 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159 BIRING AT TOWNSEN WYE Explore the Townsend Wye from the perspective of a bird with Tiffany Beachy from Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. We will watch the antics of Northern Rough-winged Swallows by the bridge, check on the Eastern Phoebes who nest along the river, search the banks for little tail-bobbing Louisiana Waterthrushes, and venture up the Chestnut Tops trail to look for and listen to a variety of spring migrants. Bring binoculars, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 12 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159 WILFLOWER WALK: QUIET WALKWAY This easy walk from Newfound Gap Road to the river has a rich diversity of wildflowers. utchman's pipe vine and pawpaw are usually in flower along the path. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 14, 60, 91 WILFLOWER AN WILFIRE WALK: CHIMNEY TOPS The 11/23/16 Chimney Tops 2 Fire originated on the north peak of Chimney Tops, spreading northward into the Sugarlands Valley over the next several days. Follow plant ecologist, Greg Schmidt, as the trail ascends through an unburned northern hardwood forest with a splendid display of spring wildflowers, ending at an observation platform 1/4 mile from the peaks. Elevation gain 1,400. Strenuous, 3.5 mile walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 5, 89, 135

10 T H U R S A Y CITY PARKING LOT BY STATION ON REAGAN RIVE (NN) 47 8:15 AM 11:30 AM NOAH "BU" OGLE PARKING AREA OFF OF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (Y) 48 8:15 AM 11:30 AM SUGARLANS VISITOR CENTER TRAINING ROOM PARK IN 3R LOT ON RIGHT (EE) 49 8:15 AM 11:30 AM TWIN CREEKS SCIENCE AN EUCATION CENTER OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) WILFIRE IN GSMNP ONE YEAR LATER A drought and high winds made the 11/23/16 Chimney Tops 2 Fire more intense than wildfires common to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Join Fire Ecologist Nicole Turrill Welch on a journey into the aftermath of this fire. Learn about its environmental impacts and how this forest is recovering at Baskins Creek Trail one year later. A 1.5 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. Similar programs: 7, 59, 88, 106, 134 WILFLOWER WALK: NOAH "BU" OGLE TRAIL See a splendid variety of wildflowers and American chestnut tree remnants in the reforested fields of this homestead. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 27, 94, 137 POINT AN SHOOT FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY Learn how to improve your wildflower images with a point and shoot camera. Authors Jack Carman (Wildflowers of Tennessee) and Robert Hutson (Great Smoky Mountain Wildflowers: When and Where to Find Them) give hands-on instruction in composition and photo techniques. Bring a point and shoot camera and tripod. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 20 people. T: 15 min. Similar programs: 1, 8, 63, 108, 139 BECOME A GSMNP CITIZEN SCIENTIST Tennessee and North Carolina are home to approximately 1.5 million dried plant specimens. To make a permanent record of a plant species location and genetic information, a plant is collected, pressed, mounted on a paper sheet, and stored in a herbarium. To make each plant s information available globally, a local and international digitizing effort is underway. This program introduces you to the park s natural history collections which have not been digitized until now. Using the park s plant specimens, you will photograph the plant sheet, record the plant s location information, then upload the data into an international biodiversity database. Your data entry will be available immediately to researchers and conservation workers around the world. We ll show you ways to engage in these efforts from your home. No experience necessary. Limit 10 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 21, 64, 93, 107, 140, PICNIC AREA OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 51 PICNIC SHELTER OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 52 LITTLE RIVER TRAILHEA PAST ELKMONT CAMPGROUN (T) 53 8:15 AM 11:30 AM CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY 54 CHIMNEYS PICNIC AREA (F) 55 8:45 AM 11:30 AM ROCKEFELLER MEMORIAL AT NEWFOUN GAP TO RENEZVOUS (BB) TREE AN SHRUB IENTIFICATION WALK An introduction to identification of woody plants. Bring a hand lens. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar programs: 30, 65, 109 NATURE JOURNALING Art Stupka and Aaron Sharp were early naturalists who documented the biological diversity of the Smokies by keeping journals. Today s nature journals combine sketching, writing, and mixed media to record your observations and reflections. Bring an unlined journal and join Mary Priestley, an avid nature journalist, to make a lasting memory of the Pilgrimage and other natural world experiences. Limit 15 people. T: 40 min. Art supplies can be obtained at Arrowmont School of Art and Crafts. Similar programs: 19, 26, 62, 96 FERN WALK: LITTLE RIVER ABOVE ELKMONT Have you ever seen an adder's tongue? Come see a variety of the park s 25 more common ferns and fern allies. Bring a hand lens. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 10, 99, 153 BLACK BEAR AN WIL HOG WALK Walk with avid Whitehead, retired Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Manager, as he describes the life history, tracking signs, human impacts, and environmental issues of black bears and wild hogs in the southern Appalachians and GSMNP. A 2-3 mile, easy walk. Limit 20 people. Similar programs: 24, 95, 138 WILFLOWER WALK: COVE HARWOO NATURE TRAIL Observe abundant wildflowers, including dwarf ginseng and fringed phacelia, in this old-growth forest. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 25 min. Similar programs: 9, 67, 142, 155 WILFLOWER WALK: KANATI FORK TRAIL An exceptional site to see many species of spring wildflowers including painted trillium and Canada mayflower. A 2-mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 73, 116,

11 S T H U R S A Y :30 AM 11:30 AM TWIN CREEKS GRAVEL PARKING LOT OFF OF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) 57 12:30 PM 4:30 PM PICNIC AREA OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 58 1:00 PM 4:30 PM 59 1:00 PM 4:30 PM CITY PARKING LOT BY STATION ON REAGAN RIVE (NN) 60 1:00 PM 4:30 PM AQUATIC INSECT IVERSITY WALK Enjoy short walks on different order streams with Park entomologist Becky Nichols. Learn to collect and identify a variety of insects in pristine streams. Easy. Limit 16 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 17, 150 A F T E R N O O N P R O G R A M S THE WALKER SISTERS' CABIN AN LITTLE GREENBRIER SCHOOL Meet volunteer Frances Hensley at Metcalf Bottoms to take a walk to the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse. There, join long-time school marm Robin Goddard on a stroll back in time to discover the history of the schoolhouse and the famous Walker Sisters. A 3.4 mile, moderate hike. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar programs: 69, 97 HERB LORE OF APPALACHIA Learn about the edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful plants of our area with Ila Hatter, Wanda ewaard, and Brittney Hughes. Short, easy walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 101, 136 WILFIRE IN GSMNP ONE YEAR LATER A drought and high winds made the 11/23/16 Chimney Tops 2 Fire more intense than wildfires common to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Join Fire Ecologist Nicole Turrill Welch on a journey into the aftermath of this fire. Learn about its environmental impacts and how this forest is recovering at Baskins Creek Trail one year later. A 1.5 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. Similar programs: 7, 46, 88, 106, 134 WILFLOWER WALK: QUIET WALKWAY This easy walk from Newfound Gap Road to the river has a rich diversity of wildflowers. utchman's pipe vine and pawpaw are usually in flower along the path. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 14, 44, :15 PM 4:30 PM CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY 62 1:15 PM 4:30 PM TWIN CREEKS PAVILION OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) 63 1:15 PM 4:30 PM CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY 64 1:15 PM 4:30 PM TWIN CREEKS SCIENCE AN EUCATION CENTER OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) SALAMANER MOTORCAE IN THE SMOKIES Travel to a diversity of habitats to discover some of the 30 species of woodland and aquatic salamanders which reside in the park. Short, easy walks en route. Prepare to get wet and bring a hand lens. Limit 25 people. Similar programs: 29, 117, 165 WILFLOWER SKETCHING View wildflowers through the eyes of botanist-artist Maurice Edwards, featured artist at the 2013 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage. Bring your own art materials. Short, easy walk. Limit 12 people. T: 15 min. medwards@netscape.com. Similar programs: 19, 26, 51, 96 WILFLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY MOTORCAE Travel with authors Jack Carman (Wildflowers of Tennessee) and Robert Hutson (Great Smoky Mountain Wildflowers: When and Where to Find Them) to nearby wildflower locations to learn techniques for photographing wildflowers. They provide hands-on instruction and assistance. Short, easy walks en route. Limit 20 people. Similar programs: 1, 8, 48, 108, 139 BECOME A GSMNP CITIZEN SCIENTIST Tennessee and North Carolina are home to approximately 1.5 million dried plant specimens. To make a permanent record of a plant species location and genetic information, a plant is collected, pressed, mounted on a paper sheet, and stored in a herbarium. To make each plant s information available globally, a local and international digitizing effort is underway. This program introduces you to the park s natural history collections which have not been digitized until now. Using the park s plant specimens, you will photograph the plant sheet, record the plant s location information, then upload the data into an international biodiversity database. Your data entry will be available immediately to researchers and conservation workers around the world. We ll show you ways to engage in these efforts from your home. No experience necessary. Limit 10 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 21, 49, 93, 107, 140,

12 T H U R S A Y CHIMNEYS PICNIC AREA (F) 66 CHIMNEYS PICNIC AREA (F) 67 CHIMNEYS PICNIC AREA (F) 68 JAKES CREEK TRAILHEA PAST ELKMONT CAMPGROUN (R) 69 1:45 PM 4:30 PM SUGARLANS VISITOR CENTER PARK IN 3R LOT ON RIGHT (EE) BASIC TREE IENTIFICATION IN THE COVE HARWOO FOREST Take a walk with Park Biologist Glenn Taylor to learn the basics of tree identification in one of the Smokies most diverse forest types. A moderate 1.5 mile walk. Limit 20 people. T: 25 min. Similar programs: 30, 50, 109 WILFLOWER IENTIFICATION FOR BEGINNERS Learn some basic rules for identifying wildflowers. Bring pencil, paper, and hand lens. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 25 min. Similar program: 100 WILFLOWER WALK: COVE HARWOO NATURE TRAIL Observe abundant wildflowers, including dwarf ginseng and fringed phacelia, in this old-growth forest. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 25 min. Similar programs: 9, 54, 142, 155 WILFLOWER WALK: CUCUMBER GAP TRAIL Walk through a secondary cove hardwood forest and enjoy the diversity of wildflowers. This trip ascends toward Cucumber Gap, then returns. A 2- mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 16, 125, 144 HISTORY WALK: FIGHTING CREEK AN FORKS OF THE RIVER Hike with a park ranger to learn the history of these communities and see remnants of days gone by. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 20 people. T: 15 min. Similar programs: 57, :45 PM 4:30 PM ROCKEFELLER MEMORIAL AT NEWFOUN GAP TO BEGIN CAR SHUTTLE (BB) 73 1:45 PM 4:30 PM ROCKEFELLER MEMORIAL AT NEWFOUN GAP TO RENEZVOUS (BB) 74 1:45 PM 4:30 PM ROCKEFELLER MEMORIAL AT NEWFOUN GAP TO RENEZVOUS (BB) 75 7:00 AM 1:00 PM ROCKEFELLER MEMORIAL AT NEWFOUN GAP TO RENEZVOUS (BB) WILFLOWER WALK: APPALACHIAN TRAIL FROM INIAN GAP TO NEWFOUN GAP Pass from the closed canopy of the old-growth spruce-fir forest into the open canopy of a pristine beech gap forest where a display of the early first spring ephemeral wildflowers abound. A 1.5 mile, moderate walk. Elevation change: 500. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 32, 103 WILFLOWER WALK: KANATI FORK TRAIL An exceptional site to see many species of spring wildflowers including painted trillium and Canada mayflower. A 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min. Similar program: 55, 116, 157 MOSS WALK: SUGARLANS MOUNTAIN TRAIL AT MT. COLLINS iscover the distinctive flora of the high elevation mosses and liverworts along the trail. Bring a hand lens. A 1-2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 20 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 28, 113, 141 A L L - AY P R O G R A M S BIRING FROM NEWFOUN GAP TO CLINGMANS OME Join naturalist, birder, and musician Keith Watson to look and listen for spring migrants and Appalachian specialties along Clingmans ome Road. Short, easy walks en route. Bring binoculars, lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 15 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, :45 PM 4:30 PM EN OF TREMONT GRAVEL ROA (I) 71 1:45 PM 4:30 PM TOWNSEN "Y" ON LITTLE RIVER ROA (FF) CASCAES AN WILFLOWER WALK ALONG LYNN CAMP PRONG See myriad wildflowers as you stroll past a number of cascades. A 4 mile moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 33, 120 WILFLOWER WALK: CHESTNUT TOP TRAIL One of the grandest wildflower displays in the Smokies. A 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 15 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 15, 118, :30 AM 1:00 PM CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY BIRING AN WILFLOWER MOTORCAE: SUGARLANS TO CAES COVE Birders on Hendershot and Fred Holtzclaw will stop along the loop to explore birds in the Cove's varied habitats, including pine-and-oak forests, streams and wetlands, and open fields. Short, easy walks en route. Bring binoculars, lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 15 people. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158,

13 S T H U R S A Y F R I A Y :30 AM 4:30 PM GREENBRIER ROA CARPOOL FROM FIRST PARKING LOT ON RIGHT, 200 FEET FROM ROUTE 321 (M) 78 8:30 AM 4:30 PM FIGHTING CREEK GAP (J) 79 8:30 AM 4:30 PM GREENBRIER ROA CARPOOL FROM PICNIC AREA, 2.5 MILES FROM ROUTE 321 (N) 80 8:30 AM 4:30 PM PICNIC AREA OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA TO BEGIN CARPOOL (U) 81 9:30 AM 4:30 PM ABRAMS FALLS PARKING AREA IN CAES COVE (S) 13 TRILLIUMS AN VIOLETS OF THE SMOKIES WALK Travel with botanists Tom Patrick, Georgia Natural Heritage Program; and Rick Phillippe, Illinois Natural History Survey, to focus on the biology and diversity of trilliums and violets in the park. Short, easy walks en route. Bring a hand lens, lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 20 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 23, 114 FOREST FORENSICS Join ecologist Paul urr and botanist Ken McFarland to analyze clues of natural and human induced impacts on trees and forests. The journey will include stops at different vegetation biomes to discuss their distribution on the landscape and evaluate their long-term survival in the wake of factors such as climate change and fire. Short easy walks en route. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 20 people. T: 15 min. WILFLOWER HIKE: OL SETTLERS TRAIL Walking through these former homesteads, discover the many wildflowers now growing in the abandoned fields and among the stone chimneys and fences. Elevation change: 700' ascent. A 6-8 mile, strenuous hike. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 22, 102 WILFLOWER HIKE: MEIGS CREEK AN CURRY MOUNTAIN TRAILS LOOP Numerous species of wildflowers are scattered along this trail as we pass through several wet and dry habitats. An 8.7-mile, strenuous loop hike from Metcalf Bottoms to the Sinks. Encounter sixteen non-bridge stream crossings and waterfalls. Elevation change: 1,400' ascent. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 20 people. T: 40 min. WILFLOWER HIKE: ABRAMS FALLS TRAIL Stroll along this river trail to discover wildflowers like gay wings which flourish in this limestone valley. View one of the Park's more picturesque waterfalls. Elevation change: 500' ascent. A 5 mile, moderate hike. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 25 people. T: 75 min. Similar program: :30 PM 8:30 PM CENTER GATLINBURG ROOMS A & B (V) 83 7:00 PM 9:30 PM GREENBRIER ROA TERMINUS AT PORTERS CREEK TRAILHEA 4.5 MILES FROM ROUTE 321 (O) 84 8:30 PM 10:30 PM TWIN CREEKS PAVILION OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) 85 9:00 PM 10:30 PM MYNATT PARK PARKING AREA OFF OF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA TO BEGIN CARPOOL (X) E V E N I N G P R O G R A M S GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS ALL TAXA BIOIVERSITY INVENTORY UPATE iscover Life in America (LIA), coordinates the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) to catalog every living creature in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In a few short years scientists have discovered an astonishing 986 species new to science, and 9,196 species previously unknown within the Park. Join Todd Witcher, executive director of LIA, as he introduces some of the fascinating new species discoveries. No daily Pilgrimage fee or registration required. Open to the public. Similar program: 38 WILFLOWERS BY LIGHT: SIGHTS AN SOUNS AT NIGHT ON PORTERS CREEK TRAIL Experience the Smokies like the folks who lived there. Join naturalists Annette Ranger and oris Gove on a walk at dusk to the hiker's cabin to enjoy dinner on the porch. Observe wildflowers closing along the trail as night falls. See the sights and listen to sounds of the night wilderness as you eat. Bring your own food and beverage (NOT REQUIRE), warm clothes, flashlight (extra batteries), and hand lens. Moderate, 2 mile walk. Limit 20 people. T: 35 min. BUGS AT LIGHT If you want to see some really cool insects, join entomologist Stylianos Chatzimanolis as he attracts nocturnal moths, beetles and a wide diversity of other insects using a black light. ress warmly, bring a headlamp or flashlight, and hand lens. No trail walking. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar program: 130 NIGHT OWL PROWL Come listen and learn about the flying predator of the night. This 1.5 hour Owl Prowl is guided by naturalists and birders Karen LaMere and Jay Sturner along the Cherokee Orchard Road. Bring warm clothes and flashlight. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 40, 131

14 F R I A Y :30 AM 10:00 AM CAES COVE CAMPGROUN STORE PARKING LOT (MM) 87 7:30 AM 11:30 AM TOWNSEN "Y" ON LITTLE RIVER ROA TO BEGIN CARPOOL (FF) 88 CITY PARKING LOT BY STATION ON REAGAN RIVE (NN) 89 Friday M O R N I N G P R O G R A M S BIRING AT THE EAST EN OF CAES COVE Join National Park Service Volunteer Warren Bielenberg and Outdoor Educator, Wanda ewaard, for a bird walk at the east end of Cades Cove. See and hear birds of the forest and streamside. Birders of all levels welcome. Bring binoculars. A 1.5 mile, easy walk. Limit 15 people. T: 50 min. Note: Warren and Wanda will also be leading the Friday afternoon birding program along the Cades Cove Loop Rd. Register for event #105. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159 BIRING ON SCHOOL HOUSE GAP TRAIL Scan the trees along a stream for Warblers, Vireos, Scarlet Tanager and American Goldfinch, among other species, with Tom Howe, former president of the Knoxville, TN Ornithological Society. Bring binoculars, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 15 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, WILFIRE IN GSMNP ONE YEAR LATER A drought and high winds made the 11/23/16 Chimney Tops 2 Fire more intense than wildfires common to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Join Fire Ecologist Nicole Turrill Welch on a journey into the aftermath of this fire. Learn about its environmental impacts and how this forest is recovering at Baskins Creek Trail one year later. A 1.5 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. Similar programs: 7, 46, 59, 106, 134 WILFLOWER AN WILFIRE WALK: CHIMNEY TOPS The 11/23/16 Chimney Tops 2 Fire originated on the north peak of Chimney Tops, spreading northward into the Sugarlands Valley over the next several days. Follow plant ecologist, Gary Walker, as the trail ascends through an unburned northern hardwood forest with a splendid display of spring wildflowers, ending at an observation platform 1/4 mile from the peaks. Elevation gain 1,400. A 3.5 mile, strenuous walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 5, 45, :15 AM 11:30 AM TWIN CREEKS PAVILION OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) 93 8:15 AM 11:30 AM TWIN CREEKS SCIENCE AN EUCATION CENTER OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) WILFLOWER WALK: HUSKEY GAP TRAIL Walk the old trail that connected the settlers of Sugarlands Valley and Little River as you view the wildflower displays and homesites along the way. Elevation change: 1,000'. An 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 6, 124, 145 WILFLOWER WALK: QUIET WALKWAY This easy walk from Newfound Gap Road to the river has a rich diversity of wildflowers. utchman s pipe vine and paw-paw can usually be seen in flower along the path. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 22 people. Similar program: 14, 44, 60 NATIVE PEOPLE S USE OF NATURE S GAREN Gather at the cook fire with Native American Karen LaMere (Ho-Chunk) and listen to an oral history which has been passed down through the generations by America s indigenous people. Taste and discover ingenious uses of native plants. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 13, 20, 112 BECOME A GSMNP CITIZEN SCIENTIST Tennessee and North Carolina are home to approximately 1.5 million dried plant specimens. To make a permanent record of a plant species location and genetic information, a plant is collected, pressed, mounted on a paper sheet, and stored in a herbarium. To make each plant s information available globally, a local and international digitizing effort is underway. This program introduces you to the park s natural history collections which have not been digitized until now. Using the park s plant specimens, you will photograph the plant sheet, record the plant s location information, then upload the data into an international biodiversity database. Your data entry will be available immediately to researchers and conservation workers around the world. We ll show you ways to engage in these efforts from your home. No experience necessary. Limit 10 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 21, 49, 64, 107, 140,

15 S F R I A Y :15 AM 11:30 AM NOAH "BU" OGLE PARKING AREA OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (Y) WILFLOWER WALK: NOAH "BU" OGLE TRAIL See a splendid variety of wildflowers and American chestnut tree remnants in the reforested fields of this homestead. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 27, 47, GREENBRIER ROA CARPOOL FROM PICNIC AREA, 2.5 MILES FROM ROUTE 321 (N) FERN WALK: GREENBRIER COVE Have you ever seen an adder's tongue? Come see a variety of the park s more common ferns and fern allies. Bring a hand lens. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 10, 52, :15 AM 11:30 AM CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY 96 8:15 AM 11:30 AM TWIN CREEKS PAVILION OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) 97 GREENBRIER ROA TERMINUS AT PORTERS CREEK TRAILHEA 4.5 MILES FROM ROUTE 321 (O) 98 PICNIC AREA OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) BLACK BEAR AN WIL HOG WALK Walk with avid Whitehead, retired Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Manager, as he describes the life history, tracking signs, human impacts, and environmental issues of black bears and wild hogs in the southern Appalachians and GSMNP. A 2-3 mile, easy walk. Limit 20 people. Similar programs: 24, 53, 138 WILFLOWER SKETCHING View wildflowers through the eyes of botanistartist Maurice Edwards, featured artist at the 2013 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage. Bring your own art materials. Short, easy walk. Limit 12 people. T: 10 min. medwards@netscape.com. Similar programs: 19, 26, 51, 62 WILFLOWERS, FOLKLORE, AN HISTORY OF BIG GREENBRIER iscover a diversity of wildflowers and hear stories of days gone by with Park Volunteer Frances Hensley, also known as Granny Frannie. A 3.5 mile, moderate hike. Limit 20 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 57, 69 LAN NAVIGATION WITH MAPS AN GPS FOR BEGINNERS Learn land navigation techniques using maps, compass and pace counts. Also, instructions on how to use your GPS device or smart phone map to record routes, find waypoints and destinations. Bring your GPS device or smart phone and a compass. A 1-2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar programs: 110, 146, CHIMNEYS PICNIC AREA (F) 101 PICNIC AREA OFF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 102 GREENBRIER ROA CARPOOL FROM PICNIC AREA, 2.5 MILES FROM ROUTE 321 (N) 103 8:45 AM 11:30 AM ROCKEFELLER MEMORIAL AT NEWFOUN GAP TO BEGIN CAR SHUTTLE (BB) 104 8:45 AM 11:30 AM PICNIC AREA OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) WILFLOWER IENTIFICATION FOR BEGINNERS Learn some basic rules for identifying wildflowers. Bring pencil, paper, and hand lens. Short, easy walk. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 25 min. Similar program: 66 FOREST FOOS AN PHARMACY Learn about the edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful plants of our area with Ila Hatter and Brittney Hughes. A 3 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar programs: 58, 136 WILFLOWER WALK: OL SETTLERS TRAIL Walking through these former homesteads, discover the many wildflowers now growing in the abandoned fields and among the stone chimneys and fences. Elevation change: 200' ascent. A 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 22, 79 WILFLOWER WALK: APPALACHIAN TRAIL FROM INIAN GAP TO NEWFOUN GAP Pass from the closed canopy of the old-growth spruce-fir forest into the open canopy of a pristine Beech Gap forest where early spring ephemeral wildflowers abound. A 1.5 mile moderate walk. Elevation change 500. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 32, 72 YOGA CLASS AT WALKER SISTERS CABIN Join Michelle Harris and Emily Shaw on a journey to the Walker Sisters Cabin on the Metcalf Bottoms Trail to exercise and relax in this serene environment. Bring an exercise mat or large towel and water. A 4 mile, moderate hike. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar program:

16 F R I A Y :00 PM 4:30 PM CAES COVE CAMPGROUN STORE PARKING LOT (MM) 106 1:00 PM 4:30 PM CITY PARKING LOT BY STATION ON REAGAN RIVE (NN) 107 1:45 PM 4:30 PM TWIN CREEKS SCIENCE AN EUCATION CENTER OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) A F T E R N O O N P R O G R A M S BIRING ALONG CAES COVE LOOP ROA Join National Park Service Volunteer Warren Bielenberg and Outdoor Educator, Wanda ewaard for birding in a diversity of habitats along the Loop Road. Birders of all levels welcome. Bring binoculars. Short, easy walks en route. Limit15 people. T: 60 min. Note: Warren and Wanda will also be leading the Friday morning birding program at the east end of Cades Cove. Register for event #86. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159 WILFIRE IN GSMNP ONE YEAR LATER A drought and high winds made the 11/23/16 Chimney Tops 2 Fire more intense than wildfires common to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Join Fire Ecologist Nicole Turrill Welch on a journey into the aftermath of this fire. Learn about its environmental impacts and how this forest is recovering at Baskins Creek Trail one year later. A 1.5 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. Similar programs: 7, 46, 59, 88, 134 BECOME A GSMNP CITIZEN SCIENTIST Tennessee and North Carolina are home to approximately 1.5 million dried plant specimens. To make a permanent record of a plant species location and genetic information, a plant is collected, pressed, mounted on a paper sheet, and stored in a herbarium. To make each plant s information available globally, a local and international digitizing effort is underway. This program introduces you to the park s natural history collections which have not been digitized until now. Using the park s plant specimens, you will photograph the plant sheet, record the plant s location information, then upload the data into an international biodiversity database. Your data entry will be available immediately to researchers and conservation workers around the world. We ll show you ways to engage in these efforts from your home. No experience necessary. Limit 10 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 21, 49, 64, 93, 140, :15 PM 4:30 PM SUGARLANS VISITOR CENTER TRAINING ROOM PARK IN 3R LOT ON RIGHT (EE) 109 PICNIC AREA OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 110 PICNIC AREA OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 111 PICNIC AREA OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 112 TWIN CREEKS PAVILION OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) AVANCE FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY FOR SLR CAMERA Learn how to improve your wildflower images with SLR. Authors Jack Carman (Wildflowers of Tennessee) and Robert Hutson (Great Smoky Mountain Wildflowers: When and Where to Find Them) give a short visual presentation, then migrate outside for hands-on instruction in composition and photo technique. Bring SLR camera and tripod. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 20 people. T: 15 min. Similar programs: 1, 8, 48, 63, 139 TREE AN SHRUB IENTIFICATION WALK An introduction to identification of woody plants. Bring a hand lens. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar programs: 30, 50, 65 LAN NAVIGATION WITH MAPS AN GPS FOR BEGINNERS Learn land navigation techniques using maps, compass and pace counts. Also, instructions on how to use your GPS device or smart phone map to record routes, find waypoints and destinations. Bring your GPS device or smart phone and a compass. A 1-2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar programs: 98, 146, 156 BUGS AN BUTTERFLIES WALK Walk with entomologist Will Kuhn to discover the diversity and beauty of the largest group of macroorganisms in the park. Bring a hand lens. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar program: 18 NATIVE PEOPLE S USE OF NATURE S GAREN Gather at the cook fire with Native American Karen LaMere (Ho-Chunk) and listen to an oral history which has been passed down through the generations by America s indigenous people. Taste and discover ingenious uses of native plants. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 13, 20, 92 16

17 S F R I A Y GREENBRIER RANGER STATION (K) 114 GREENBRIER ROA CARPOOL FROM FIRST PARKING LOT ON RIGHT, 200 FEET FROM ROUTE 321 (M) 115 GREENBRIER ROA TERMINUS AT PORTERS CREEK TRAILHEA 4.5 MILES FROM ROUTE 321 (O) 116 1:45 PM 4:30 PM ROCKEFELLER MEMORIAL AT NEWFOUN GAP TO RENEZVOUS (BB) 117 1:45 PM 4:30 PM COSBY PICNIC AREA, OFF TN ROUTE 32 HIKER PARKING LOT ON LEFT (H) 118 1:45 PM 4:30 PM TOWNSEN "Y" ON LITTLE RIVER ROA (FF) 119 1:45 PM 4:30 PM COSBY PICNIC AREA, OFF TN ROUTE 32 HIKER PARKING LOT ON LEFT (H) 17 MOSS WALK: INJUN CREEK TRAIL IN GREENBRIER iscover the elegant forms of moss, liverwort, and hornwort and ways to recognize them. Bring a hand lens. A 3 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 28, 74, 141 TRILLIUMS OF THE SMOKIES WALK Travel with Tom Patrick, botanist with the Georgia Natural Heritage Program and trillium expert, to focus on the biology and diversity of trilliums in the park. Short, easy walks en route. Bring a hand lens. Limit 20 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 23, 77 WILFLOWER WALK: PORTERS CREEK TRAIL Pass old homesteads and a cemetery along this popular trail which leads to an old-growth cove hardwood forest. See a rich variety of wildflowers including painted trillium and many more. A 2-3 mile, moderate hike. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 11, 31, 83, 97, 127, 147, 154 WILFLOWER WALK: KANATI FORK TRAIL An exceptional site to see many species of spring wildflowers including painted trillium and Canada mayflower. A 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 55, 73, 157 SALAMANER WALK: COSBY PICNIC AREA iscover some of the 30 species of woodland and aquatic salamanders which reside in the Park. Prepare to get wet and bring a hand lens. Elevation change: 300' ascent. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 60 min. Similar programs: 29, 61, 165 WILFLOWER HIKE: CHESTNUT TOP TRAIL One of the grandest wildflower displays in the Smokies. A 2 mile, moderate hike. Limit 15 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 15, 71, 148 FUNGAL ROLES IN FOREST ECOLOGY Fungi are essential organisms in the nutrient and life cycles within ecosystems. Learn from mycologists Ed Lickey, Coleman McCleneghan, and Andy Methven about fungal biology and its importance in the forest ecosystem. Leaders will also discuss classification and edible vs. poisonous fungi. A 2-3 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people T: 60 min. Similar programs: 12, :45 PM 4:30 PM EN OF TREMONT GRAVEL ROA (I) 121 7:00 AM 1:00 PM CITY PARKING LOT BY STATION ON REAGAN RIVE (NN) 122 7:30 AM 1:00 PM MYNATT PARK PARKING AREA OFF OF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA TO BEGIN CARPOOL (X) 123 7:30 AM 2:00 PM ALUM CAVE TRAILHEA 8.7 MILES SOUTH ON US 441 FROM SUGARLANS VISITOR CENTER (LL) CASCAES AN WILFLOWER WALK ALONG LYNN CAMP PRONG See myriad wildflowers as you stroll past a number of cascades. A 4 mile moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 33, 70 A L L - AY P R O G R A M S BIRING AT SUGARLANS AN COVE HARWOO NATURE TRAIL Naturalist, birder, and musician Keith Watson, leads a search for spring migrants and Appalachian specialties at Sugarlands Visitor Center and the Blackthroated Blue Warbler at Cove Hardwood Nature Trail. Bring binoculars and rain gear. Short, easy walks en route. Limit 15 people. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159 BIRING AN WILFLOWER MOTORCAE: MYNATT PARK TO NEWFOUN GAP Starting at a low elevation, plant and bird naturalists Fred Holtzclaw and on Hendershot guide the group to sites along US 441 to observe a diversity of birds as elevation increases. Short, easy walks en route. Bring binoculars, lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 15 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159 BIRS ON ALUM CAVE TRAIL With naturalist, birder, Jay Sturner, look for Peregrine Falcons, Black-throated Blues, Black-throated Greens, Blue-headed Vireos, and possibly Canada and Blackburnian Warblers. Listen to the signs of spring in the park s middle elevations. Pass through Arch Rock, view the Eye of the Needle, and Alum Cave Bluff. Elevation change A 4.6 mile, strenuous hike. Bring binoculars, lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 15 people. T: 35 min. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159

18 F R I A Y S A T U R A Y :15 AM 4:30 PM 125 8:30 AM 4:30 PM JAKES CREEK TRAILHEA PAST ELKMONT CAMPGROUN (R) 126 9:30 AM 4:30 PM ABRAMS FALLS PARKING AREA IN CAES COVE (S) 127 8:30 AM 4:30 PM GREENBRIER ROA TERMINUS AT PORTERS CREEK TRAILHEA 4.5 MILES FROM ROUTE 321 (O) 128 9:30 AM 4:30 PM MT. STERLING GAP ON OL NC MILES SOUTHEAST OF BIG CREEK TO BEGIN CAR SHUTTLE (W) WILFLOWER WALK: HUSKEY GAP, CUCUMBER GAP TO JAKES CREEK TRAIL AN THE AVENT CABIN CAUTION: VERY PHYSICALLY CHALLENGING! For the experienced hiker only! Join oris Gove, author of Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, on a one way trek on Huskey Gap, Cucumber Gap and Jakes Creek trails to the Avent Cabin. Maximum elevation change 1,500'. A 6 mile, strenuous one-way hike. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. See Backcountry Hike Suggestions on page 2. Limit 20 people. Similar programs: 6, 90, 145 WILFLOWER HIKE: CUCUMBER GAP TRAIL Walk through a cove hardwood forest and enjoy many wildflowers. Along this trail you could encounter painted trillium, utchman's pipe, yellow-wood and pawpaw in flower. Elevation change: 400'. A 5 mile, moderate hike. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 16, 68, 144 WILFLOWER HIKE: ABRAMS FALLS TRAIL Stroll along this river trail to discover wildflowers like gay wings which flourish in this limestone valley. View one of the park's more picturesque waterfalls. Elevation change: 500' ascent. A 5 mile, moderate hike. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 25 people. T: 75 min. Similar program: 81 WILFLOWER HIKE: PORTERS CREEK TRAIL Highlights of this hike include painted trillium, fields of phacelia, old home sites, a cemetery, and old-growth forest. Elevation change: 600' ascent. A 6-7 mile, moderate hike. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 11, 31, 83, 97, 115, 147, 154 WILFLOWER HIKE: LONG BUNK, MT. STERLING, AN LITTLE CATALOOCHEE TRAILS A splendid wildflower show awaits those who venture on these little-traveled trails which lead through a rich, second-growth forest. Elevation change: 1,120' descent. A 5.2 mile, moderate, one-way hike. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, a hand lens, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 25 people. T: 70 min :30 PM 9:30 PM TWIN CREEKS PAVILION OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) 130 8:30 PM 10:30 PM TWIN CREEKS PAVILION OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) 131 9:00 PM 10:30 PM MYNATT PARK PARKING AREA OFF OF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA TO BEGIN CARPOOL (X) 132 7:30 AM 11:30 AM CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY 133 TOWNSEN "Y" ON LITTLE RIVER ROA TO BEGIN CARPOOL (FF) E V E N I N G P R O G R A M S NIGHTTIME BAT WALK: TWIN CREEKS AREA Follow chiropterologist Gary McCracken and his bat team to capture a bat, listen to their calls in the night, learn about their lives, their niches in the ecosystem, and why it is important to preserve them. Short, easy walk. Bring warm clothes and a flashlight. Limit 50 people. T: 10 min. BUGS AT LIGHT If you want to see some really cool insects, join entomologist Stylianos Chatzimanolis as he attracts nocturnal moths, beetles and a wide diversity of other insects using a black light. ress warmly, bring a headlamp or flashlight, and hand lens. No trail walking. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar program: 84 NIGHT OWL PROWL Come listen and learn about the flying predator of the night. This 1.5 hour owl prowl is guided by naturalist and birder Karen LaMere along the Cherokee Orchard Road. Bring warm clothes and flashlight. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 40, 85 Saturday M O R N I N G P R O G R A M S BIRING FROM NEWFOUN GAP TO CLINGMANS OME Jay Sturner leads a search for spring migrants and Appalachian specialties at Sugarlands Visitor Center and the Blackthroated Blue Warbler at Cove Hardwood Nature Trail. Bring binoculars and rain gear. Short, easy walks en route. Limit 15 people. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 133, 158, 159 BIRING ON SCHOOL HOUSE GAP TRAIL Scan the trees along a stream for Warblers, Vireos and Scarlet Tanager with Roger Hedge, Ecologist with Indiana Natural Heritage Program. Bring binoculars, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 12 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 158,

19 S S A T U R AY CITY PARKING LOT BY STATION ON REAGAN RIVE (NN) :15 AM 11:30 AM NOAH "BU" OGLE PARKING AREA OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (Y) 138 8:15 AM 11:30 AM CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY WILFIRE IN GSMNP ONE YEAR LATER A drought and high winds made the 11/23/16 Chimney Tops 2 Fire more intense than wildfires common to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Join Fire Ecologist Nicole Turrill Welch on a journey into the aftermath of this fire. Learn about its environmental impacts and how this forest is recovering at Baskins Creek Trail one year later. A 1.5 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. Similar programs: 7, 46, 59, 88, 106 WILFLOWER AN WILFIRE WALK: CHIMNEY TOPS The 11/23/16 Chimney Tops 2 Fire originated on the north peak of Chimney Tops, spreading northward into the Sugarlands Valley over the next several days. Follow plant ecologist, Chris Fleming, as the trail ascends through an unburned northern hardwood forest with a splendid display of spring wildflowers, ending at an observation platform 1/4 mile from the peaks. Elevation gain 1,400. A 3.5 mile, strenuous walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 5, 45, 89 WILCRAFTING WALK Learn about the edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful plants of our area with Ila Hatter, Wanda ewaard, and Brittney Hughes. Short, easy walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 14, 44, 58, 60, 91 WILFLOWER WALK: NOAH "BU" OGLE TRAIL See a splendid variety of wildflowers and American chestnut tree remnants in the reforested fields of this homestead. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar Programs: 27, 47, 94 BLACK BEAR AN WIL HOG WALK Walk with avid Whitehead, retired Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Manager, as he describes the life history, tracking signs, human impacts, and environmental issues of black bears and wild hogs in the Southern Appalachians and GSMNP. A 2-3 mile, easy walk. Limit 20 people. Similar programs: 24, 53, :15 AM 11:30 AM SUGARLANS VISITOR CENTER TRAINING ROOM PARK IN 3R LOT ON RIGHT (EE) 140 8:15 AM 11:30 AM TWIN CREEKS SCIENCE AN EUCATION CENTER OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) 141 GREENBRIER RANGER STATION (K) 142 CHIMNEYS PICNIC AREA (F) PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP This program starts with a short visual presentation, then goes outdoors for hands-on instruction in composition and photo techniques by authors Jack Carman (Wildflowers of Tennessee) and Robert Hutson (Great Smoky Mountain Wildflowers: When and Where to Find Them). Bring a camera and tripod. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 20 people. T: 15 min. Similar programs: 1, 8, 48, 63, 108 BECOME A GSMNP CITIZEN SCIENTIST Tennessee and North Carolina are home to approximately 1.5 million dried plant specimens. To make a permanent record of a plant species location and genetic information, a plant is collected, pressed, mounted on a paper sheet, and stored in a herbarium. To make each plant s information available globally, a local and international digitizing effort is underway. This program introduces you to the park s natural history collections which have not been digitized until now. Using the park s plant specimens, you will photograph the plant sheet, record the plant s location information, then upload the data into an international biodiversity database. Your data entry will be available immediately to researchers and conservation workers around the world. We ll show you ways to engage in these efforts from your home. No experience necessary. Limit 10 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 21, 49, 64, 93, 107, 152 MOSS WALK: INJUN CREEK TRAIL IN GREENBRIER iscover the elegant forms of moss, liverwort, and hornwort and ways to recognize them. Bring a hand lens. A 3 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 28, 74, 113 WILFLOWER WALK: COVE HARWOO NATURE TRAIL Observe abundant wildflowers, including dwarf ginseng and fringed phacelia, in this old-growth forest. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 25 min. Similar programs: 9, 54, 67,

20 S A T U R A Y LITTLE RIVER TRAILHEA PAST ELKMONT CAMPGROUN (T) 144 JAKES CREEK TRAILHEA PAST ELKMONT CAMPGROUN (R) PICNIC AREA OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 147 GREENBRIER ROA TERMINUS AT PORTERS CREEK TRAILHEA 4.5 MILES FROM ROUTE 321 (O) 148 8:45 AM 11:30 AM TOWNSEN "Y" ON LITTLE RIVER ROA (FF) WILFLOWER WALK: LITTLE RIVER ABOVE ELKMONT Walk up this former logging railroad bed and discover the tenacity of nature in recovering from the massive logging operations which cleared this valley early in the 20th century. Many wildflowers and ferns dot the landscape. Elevation change: 200' ascent. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. WILFLOWER WALK: CUCUMBER GAP TRAIL Walk through a secondary cove hardwood forest and enjoy the diversity of wildflowers. This trip ascends toward Cucumber Gap, then returns. A 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 16, 68, 125 WILFLOWER WALK: HUSKEY GAP TRAIL Walk the old trail that connected the settlers of Sugarlands Valley and Little River as you view the wildflower displays and homesites along the way. Elevation change: 1,000'. A 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 22 people. Similar programs: 6, 90, 124 LAN NAVIGATION WITH MAPS AN GPS FOR BEGINNERS Learn land navigation techniques using maps, compass and pace counts. Also, instructions on how to use your GPS device or smart phone map to record routes, find waypoints and destinations. Bring your GPS device or smart phone and a compass. A 1-2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar programs: 98, 110, 156 WILFLOWER WALK: PORTERS CREEK TRAIL See a wide variety of flowers including painted trillium and many more. Pass old homesteads and a cemetery along this popular trail which leads to an old-growth cove hardwood forest. A 2-3 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 11, 31, 83, 97, 115, 127, 154 WILFLOWER WALK: CHESTNUT TOP TRAIL One of the grandest wildflower displays in the Smokies. A 2 mile, moderate hike. Limit 15 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 15, 71, :45 AM 11:30 AM PICNIC AREA OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 150 1:15 PM 4:30 PM TWIN CREEKS GRAVEL PARKING LOT OFF OF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) 151 1:15 PM 4:30 PM EN OF PARK HEAQUARTERS ROA OUTSIE OF GATE AREA (Q) 152 1:15 PM 4:30 PM TWIN CREEKS SCIENCE AN EUCATION CENTER OFF CHEROKEE ORCHAR ROA (GG) YOGA CLASS AT WALKER SISTERS CABIN Join Michelle Harris and Emily Shaw on a journey to the Walker Sisters Cabin on the Metcalf Bottoms Trail to exercise and relax in this serene environment. Bring an exercise mat or large towel and water. A 4 mile, moderate hike. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar program: 104 A F T E R N O O N P R O G R A M S AQUATIC INSECTS WALK For the veteran, novice, and kid aquatic insect searcher. Entomologist Stylianos Chatzimanolis will show you the most diverse group of organisms on the planet first hand. Bring hand lens and mud shoes. Short, easy walk along streams. Limit 25 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 17, 56 EXOTIC PLANT AN WILFLOWER WALK: GATLINBURG TRAIL Learn to identify exotic plants and their impact on the native flora. A 2-3 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 15 min. BECOME A GSMNP CITIZEN SCIENTIST Tennessee and North Carolina are home to approximately 1.5 million dried plant specimens. To make a permanent record of a plant species location and genetic information, a plant is collected, pressed, mounted on a paper sheet, and stored in a herbarium. To make each plant s information available globally, a local and international digitizing effort is underway. This program introduces you to the park s natural history collections which have not been digitized until now. Using the park s plant specimens, you will photograph the plant sheet, record the plant s location information, then upload the data into an international biodiversity database. Your data entry will be available immediately to researchers and conservation workers around the world. We ll show you ways to engage in these efforts from your home. No experience necessary. Limit 10 people. T: 10 min. Similar programs: 21, 49, 64, 93, 107,

21 S S A T U R A Y LITTLE RIVER TRAILHEA PAST ELKMONT CAMPGROUN (T) 154 GREENBRIER ROA TERMINUS AT PORTERS CREEK TRAILHEA 4.5 MILES FROM HIGHWAY 321 (O) CHIMNEYS PICNIC AREA (F) 156 PICNIC AREA OFF OF LITTLE RIVER ROA (U) 157 1:45 PM 4:30 PM ROCKEFELLER MEMORIAL AT NEWFOUN GAP TO RENEZVOUS (BB) 158 7:30 AM 1:00 PM CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY FERN WALK: LITTLE RIVER ABOVE ELKMONT Have you ever seen an adder's tongue? Come see a variety of the park s 25 more common ferns and fern allies. Bring a hand lens. A 2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 10, 52, 99 WILFLOWER WALK: PORTERS CREEK TRAIL Pass old homesteads and a cemetery along this popular trail which leads to an old-growth cove hardwood forest. See a rich variety of wildflowers including painted trillium and many more. A 2-3 mile, moderate hike. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 11, 31, 83, 97, 115, 127, 147 WILFLOWER WALK: COVE HARWOO NATURE TRAIL Observe abundant wildflowers, including dwarf ginseng and fringed phacelia, in this old-growth forest. Short, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 25 min. Similar programs: 9, 54, 67, 142 LAN NAVIGATION WITH MAPS AN GPS FOR BEGINNERS Learn land navigation techniques using maps, compass and pace counts. Also, instructions on how to use your GPS device or smart phone map to record routes, find waypoints and destinations. Bring your GPS device or smart phone and a compass. A 1-2 mile, easy walk. Limit 25 people. T: 40 min. Similar programs: 98, 110, 146 WILFLOWER WALK: KANATI FORK TRAIL An exceptional site to see many species of spring wildflowers including painted trillium and Canada mayflower. A 2 mile, moderate walk. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min. Similar programs: 55, 73, 116 A L L - AY P R O G R A M S WOO WARBLERS OF THE SMOKIES Join birder on Hendershot to study behaviors, habitats, and songs of this often brilliantly colored family of birds as we search low and mid elevations. Bring binoculars, lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Short, easy walks en route. Limit 15 people. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, :00 AM 2:00 PM ALUM CAVE TRAILHEA 8.7 MILES SOUTH ON US 441 FROM SUGARLANS VISITOR CENTER (LL) 160 8:00 AM 4:30 PM 161 8:30 AM 4:30 PM GREENBRIER ROA CARPOOL FROM FIRST PARKING LOT ON RIGHT, 200 FEET FROM ROUTE 321 (M) 162 8:45 AM 5:30 PM ROCKEFELLER MEMORIAL AT NEWFOUN GAP TO BEGIN CAR SHUTTLE (BB) BIRING ON ALUM CAVE TRAIL Follow naturalist, birder, and musician Keith Watson to Alum Cave. Along the way look and listen for early spring warbler migrants including Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, and possibly Canada and Blackburnian. This trail is great for early Blue-headed Vireos, Veery, and resident Southern Appalachian specialties: Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Winter Wren. At the cave, we'll look and listen for Peregrine Falcons which nest in the area. Elevation change A 4.6 mile, strenuous hike. Bring binoculars, lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 15 people. Limit 15 people. T: 35 min. Similar programs: 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158 BIG TREES HIKE: ALBRIGHT GROVE Hike to one of the most magnificent groves of large, old-growth trees in the park. Pass wonderful displays of wildflowers and an 1889 cabin made of chestnut. Elevation change: 1,600' ascent. A 6.5 mile, moderate hike. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 22 people. FUNGI, LICHEN, AN WILFLOWER HIKE: RAMSEY CASCAES TRAIL Join mycologists Coleman McCleneghan and Andy Methven, and ecologist Gary Walker to discover the rich diversity of wildflowers, fungi, and lichens.. An 8 mile, strenuous hike. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 25 people. T: 30 min. Similar programs: 12, 119 WILFLOWER HIKE: SWEAT HEIFER TRAIL TO KEPHART PRONG After a short 1.7 mile uphill climb, descend from early to late spring wildflower displays as you pass through different vegetation types and rich cove forests. Elevation change: 400' ascent and 2,650' descent. A 7.5 mile, strenuous hike. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min.

22 S A T U R A Y :45 AM 5:30 PM ROCKEFELLER MEMORIAL AT NEWFOUN GAP TO BEGIN CAR SHUTTLE (BB) 164 9:00 AM 4:30 PM COSBY PICNIC AREA OFF TN RT. 32 HIKER PARKING LOT ON LEFT TO BEGIN VAN SHUTTLE TO MARON BAL TRAIL VAN(H) :00 AM 3:00 PM CITY PARKING LOT ON REAGAN RIVE BY WILFLOWER WALK: THOMAS IVIE TO KANATI FORK Walk along Thomas ivide then to a steadily descending route, with vistas of the surrounding ridges. The trail passes through a grove of chestnut tree remnants and hemlock and into a magnificent cove hardwood forest. We ll see many spring wildflowers, including painted trillium, Canada mayflower, and umbrella leaf. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. A 5 mile, strenuous hike. Elevation change: 2,300 ft. descent. Limit 25 people. T: 45 min. WILFLOWER HIKE: GABES MOUNTAIN TRAIL An 8 mile, moderate, one-way hike passing through many wildflower displays and oldgrowth forests from Maddron Bald Trail to Cosby Picnic Area with a visit to 90' Hen Wallow Falls. Elevation change: 1,400'. Bring lunch, water, rain gear, and comfortable walking shoes. Limit 22 people. T: 60 min. Similar program: 36 SALAMANERS OF THE SMOKIES: MI AN LOWER ELEVATIONS Join John Byrd and Floyd Scott, two of Tennessee's eminent herpetologists, on an exploration tour of salamander species diversity at different elevations in the Smokies. Prepare to get wet and bring a hand lens. Short, easy walks en route. Limit 20 people. Similar programs: 29, 61,

23 S Index of Program Numbers for Trails, Hikes, and Meeting Places 23 Abrams Falls 81, 126 Albright Grove Walk 160 Alum Cave 123, 159 Appalachian Trail 32, 72, 103 Aquatic Insects 17, 18, 56, 84, 111, 130, 150 Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts 37 Bat Walk 39, 129 Baskins Creek 7, 46, 59, 88, 106, 134 Bear and Hog Programs 24, 53, 95, 138 Become a Citizen Scientist 21, 49, 64, 93, 107, 140, 152 Big Tree Walks 160 Birding Programs 2, 3, 4, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 75, 76, 85, 86, 87, 105, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 158, 159 Bugs at Light 18, 111 Bugs / Butterflies 18, 111 Cades Cove 1, 18, 34, 86, 105 Cherokee Orchard Area 7, 46, 59, 88, 106, 134 Chestnut Top Trail 15, 71, 118, 148 Chimneys Picnic Area 2, 9, 12, 54, 65, 66, 67, 100, 121, 132, 142, 155 Chimney Tops 5, 45, 89, 135 Cosby Area 117, 119 Cove Hardwood Nature Trail see Chimneys Picnic Area Cucumber Gap Trail 16, 22, 68, 125, 144 Ecology Programs 7, 78, 119 Elkmont 16, 24, 52, 68, 125, 143, 144, 153 Evening Talks 38, 82 Exotic Plants Walk 151 Fern Walks 10, 52, 99, 153 Fire Ecology 5, 7, 45, 46, 59, 88, 89, 106, 134, 135 Fungi Walks 12, 119, 161 Gabes Mountain Trail 36, 164 Greenbrier Area 11, 23, 28, 31, 77, 79, 83, 97, 99, 102, 113, 114, 115, 127, 141, 147, 154, 161 History Walks 57, 69, 97 Huskey Gap 6, 90, 124, 145 Indian Gap 32, 72, 103 Indoor Programs 21, 37, 38,49, 64, 82, 93, , 152 Injun Creek 28, 113, 141 Insect Walks 17, 18, 56, 84, 111, 130, 150 Journaling 26, 51 Kanati Fork Trail 55, 73, 116, 157 Land Navigation 98, 110, 146, 156 Long Bunk Trail 128 Lynn Camp Prong Trail 33, 70, 120 Medicinal Plants Walks 13, 20, 58, 92, 101, 112, 136 Meigs Creek & Curry Mt. Loop 80 Metcalf Bottoms 25, 26, 30, 50, 51, 57, 98, 101, 104, 109, 110, 111, 146, 149, 156 Moss Walks 28, 74, 113, 141 Mt. Collins 74 Mynatt Park 85, 122, 131 Native People s Medicinal Walks 13, 20, 92, 112 Nighttime Outdoor Events 39, 40, 84, 85, 129, 130, 131 Noah "Bud" Ogle Trail 27, 47, 94, 137 North Carolina Walks 32, 35, 72, 73, 103, 128, 157, 162, 163 Old-Growth Forest Walks 78, 160 Old Settlers Trail 22, 79, 102 Owl Prowl 40, 85, 131 Park Service Led Walks 17, 18, 56, 57, 65, 69, 82, 86, 97, 105 Photography Workshops 1, 8, 48, 63, 108, 139 Porters Creek Trail 11, 31, 83, 97, 115, 127, 147, 154 Quiet Walkway Newfound Gap Road 14, 44, 58, 60, 91, 136 Ramsey Cascade 161 Salamander Walks 29, 61, 117, 165 Sketching Workshops 19, 26, 51, 62, 96 Sweat Heifer Trail 162 Thomas ivide Trail 163 Townsend Wye 4, 15, 42, 43, 71, 87, 118, 133, 148 Tree I Walks 30, 50, 65, 109 Tremont Area see Lynn Camp Prong Trail Trilliums of the Park Walks 23, 77, 114 Twin Creeks Area 13, 17, 20, 21, 39, 49, 56, 62, 64, 84, 92, 93, 96, 107, 112, 129, 130, 140, 150, 152 Van Service 5, 6, 14, 44, 45, 58, 60, 89, 90, 91, 124, 135, 136, 145, 160, 164 Wildflower Identification for Beginners 66, 100 Wildflower Walks 5, 6, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 25 27, 31, 32, 33, 36, 44, 45, 47, 54, 55, 60, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81, 83, 89, 90, 91, 94, 97, 100, 102, 103, 114, 115, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 135, 137, 142, 143, 144, 145, 147, 148, 151, 154, 155, 157, 161, 162, 163, 164 Yoga Class at Walker Sisters Cabin 104, 149

24 ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEASTERN BIOLOGISTS (ASB) Promoting biology through research and education for more than 75 years The annual ASB conference brings together more than 800 biologists from across the southeastern U.S. The meeting features a distinguished plenary speaker, special symposia, oral and poster presentations, workshops, networking social events, and more. Our members include faculty, students, researchers, land managers and policy makers, and business professionals with a common interest in biological issues. The topics presented represent the full range of diversity of biological disciplines. JOIN US IN MEMPHIS, TN APRIL 3 6,

25 S Gatlinburg Convention Center Floor Plan Meeting Places for Indoor Programs CENTER INOOR EVENING PROGRAMS: GATLINBURG ROOMS A & B REGISTRATION Gatlinburg Room B Gatlinburg Room A Sugarlands Visitor Center Parking Areas (Q) PARK HEAQUARTERS ROA 25

26 Official 2018 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage T-shirt Available in three colors (natural, silver, and khaki) in both men and women s style T-shirts! This year the 2018 Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage T-Shirts will be ordered and shipped to you through GOTEEZ.COM s virtual online store The online store opens February 16, 2018 and closes April 1, GOTEEZ will ship your order to you two weeks after the closing date. Links to the store appear on the Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage website and registration pages. Order your 2018 Pilgrimage T-shirt today featuring Bob George s Fire Pink before the closing date, April 1, 2018 and wear it at the Pilgrimage! The first shirt costs $23.66 ($17 shirt tax + $5 shipping). Additional shirts purchased in the same order cost $18.66 ($17 shirt tax.) The shipping charge for the first shirt covers shipping for any number of shirts shipped together. XXL and XXXL sizes cost an additional $2 and $3 respectively. To order, visit: SPRING WILFLOWER PILGRIMAGE ONATIONS On the registration page, you will have an opportunity to donate to the Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage. Your gift helps to support registration fees for the 110+ students and children who attend every year at a deeply discounted rate. Thanks for your donation! Their exposure to the wilderness now, can be the seed of stewardship for the future. 26