Smoky Mountains Information: Your Smokies News: LeConte Center

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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Schedule for Day 5 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 in Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smokies

It is a bright cold clear day as day 5 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 is about to start at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge to a packed house. The scenery in the Great Smoky Mountains national park with yesterday's fresh snow may be beautiful, but this is another day not all of the guided hikes may be able to take place again.

Just minutes ago the Gatlinburg Bypass was plowed and sanded enough to reopen As Little River Road and Newfound Gap Road remain closed due to snow and ice, but here inside the LeConte Center on Teaster Lane it's warm and cozy and the free programs taking place all day would keep any outdoor enthusiast satisfied enough to stay inside.

Today’s packed Wilderness Wildlife Week schedule includes such favorites as another limited class on The Art of Dowsing being presented by Charlie Monday, the Appalachian Music Concert. Presented by Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers and Hiking the 900 miles of Trails in the GSMNP presented by Judy Bryant.

Wed, January 28th 2015 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule

9 to 10am: Restoring the Whooping Crane to the Eastern Flyway Slide Presentation. Presented by Ken Dubke. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9 to 10am: Hosting Hummingbirds. Presented by Regina Garr. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
9 to 10am: LIMITED SPACE! The Art of Dowsing. Presented by Charlie Monday. Limit 30. Participants join Charlie to see if they have the gift of dowsing. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
9 – Noon: LIMITED SPACE! Painting a Smoky Mountain Waterfall. Presented by Dick Ensing. Limit 16, ages 18+. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
9:30 to 10:30am: History of Bays Mountain Park. Presented by Rhonda Goins and taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
10 to 11am: HERITAGE! Flyin’ Bullets and the Resplendent Badge. Presented by Ersa Rhea Noland Smith. Join Mrs. Smith as she shares the riveting account of her father, Sheriff Ray C. Noland’s years in office in Sevier County. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
10 to 11am: Wonderful Waterfalls Slide Presentation. Presented by Bill Carter. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
10 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Hiking Mt. Whitney in One Day. Presented by Jim Pader. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
10 to 11:30am: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Booger: A Tall Tale of the Mountains. Presented by Mary Phillips. Limit 60, ages 5-10. Participants join Mary as she tells the story of about a firefly, a boy named Booger and his faithful cat, Stinker. Kids learn to use the Great Smoky Mountain Wildflower guide book. Program meets curriculum standards for science, literature, life skills and art. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
10 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Ancient Rhythms: Learn to Play the Native American Flute. Presented by Megan Griffin. Limit 30, must bring own flute. If participants do not have one, educational Native American flutes can be purchased for a small fee from Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center’s booth. Taking place in the LeConte Hall North.
10:30 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! How to Start an Herb Garden. Presented by Judy Felts. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
10:30 to 11:30am: The Spirits of Cades Cove Video Presentation. Presented by GSMNP Park Ranger Mike Meldrum. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
11 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! 900 Miles and Then Some: Hiking the Trails of GSMNP. Presented by Judy Bryant. Join Judy as she discusses keeping a hiking journal and answers questions about hiking all the maintained trails of GSMNP. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
11 – Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Paint Your Own Watercolor Notecards. Presented by Melanie Fetterolf. Limited to 15 people ages 12+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Horace Kephart Monologue. Presented by Will Rabert. Join Will as he portrays Horace Kephart, author of "Our Southern Highlanders," hiker and explorer of the Smokies, as well as a founder of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Restoring the Mighty American Chestnut to its Native Range. Presented by Tom Saielli. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Off the Beaten Path: An Up-close Look at the Obed Wild and Scenic River National Park. Presented by Veronica Greear. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
11:30 to 12:30pm: Appalachian Music Concert. Presented by Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers. Attendees will enjoy this special bluegrass performance and have fun by getting up and clogging with the Appalachian Cloggers! Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
Noon to 1pm: Audubon and His Birds of America. Presented by Stephen Lyn Bales. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
Noon to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Carving and Painting an Owl, Part Two. Presented by Don Taylor. Limited to 10 people, two day session. Participants must bring own sharp carving tools and paint brushes. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
12:30 to 1:30pm: HERITAGE! The Story of Greenbrier Cove. Presented by Glenn Cardwell. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Whittle a Mountain Flower. Presented by Jacki Proffitt. Limited to 10 people ages 16+ who must bring own sharpened pocket knife. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Making a Hand Broom for Decoration. Presented by David Ogle. Limited to 10 people ages 16+. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
12:30 to 1:30pm: Never to Young, Never Too Old. Presented by W.C. and Glenna Julian and Tammie and Olivia Browning. Join the Julians and Brownings as they discuss how no one is ever to young or too old to work on a backyard habitat. They will also provide encouragement for attendees to certify their backyards with National Wildlife. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
1 to 2pm: To Niagara and Back by Waterfall Slide Presentation. Presented by Bill Carter. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Books, Blue Jeans and Basketball. Presented by a Panel featuring Gwendell Cody, Donna Allen and Ron Rader with Veta King, Pigeon Forge Public Library, interviewer. Join former Pigeon Forge Grammar School students as they reminisce about the old white building on the hill. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
1 to 2pm: HERITAGE! Smoky Mountain Ballads and Songs. Presented by Boogertown Gap a YourSmokies favorite. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
1 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Walking the Via Tolosana and More in France. Presented by Olga Pader. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
1:30 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Adventures of an African Game Ranger. Presented by Don Richards. Join Don as he shares stories of personal adventures while leading wilderness trails in big game country of South Africa. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
1:30 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Sail On, Honeybee: Adventures in the Bee Yard. Presented by Doug Elliott. Join master storyteller, harmonica wizard and longtime beekeeper Doug Elliott as he tells outlandish tales from the world of bees and beekeeping. Learn from Doug practical advice on how to treat a bee sting, catch a bee swarm and also what to do if you are way up high in a tree and 50,000 bees fall on your head! Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
2 to 3pm: It’s Puppy Time at Bays Mountain. Presented by Rick and Rhonda Goins. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
2 to 3pm: LIMITED SPACE! The Art of Dowsing presented by Charlie Monday. Limit to 30 Participants who will join Charlie to see if they have the gift of dowsing. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
2 to 3pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Garbage Pizza. Presented by Keep Sevier Beautiful. Limited to 25 people ages 8+ who will learn about solid waste disposable options comparing Sevier County to the United States. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! KIDS’ TRACK! Natural Treasures of the Obed: Use Your Senses to Discover Natural Features of the Park. Presented by Veronica Greear. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
2:30 to 3:30pm: HERITAGE! History of the Old Mill District: From the Original Settler to the Present Day: Jimmy Edge. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
2:30 to 3:30pm: String Band Music of Our American Roots. Presented by Lost Mill String Band. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
3 to 4pm: Ranger Family Recollections. Presented by Joe Kelley and Sons. Join Joe and his sons as they share experiences of life in a ranger station. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! The History and the Stories of the Cherokee in the Smokies. Presented by Jon Elder. Join Jon, a fifth generation Sevier County resident and member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, as he shares the history and some Indian folklore of the earliest inhabitants of the Smoky Mountains. From the earliest traces of the Cherokee presence to the first encounters with Europeans to the removal and rebirth of the Eastern Cherokee tribe, Jon will share his family history and stories of growing up "on both sides of the mountain." Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Birds of Prey: History and Biology of a Variety of Live Birds and Prey. Presented by David Haggard. Live birds including a Bald Eagle, hawks and owls. Meet and learn about these fascinating birds! Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Adventure Course Team building at Bays Mountain Park. Presented by Mark Kilgore. Join Mark as he discusses the Bays Mountain Park Adventure Course and what elements it has to offer and how they work on teamwork, leadership, trust and stamina. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Life Circle of Butterflies. Presented by Lois Worthington. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
3:30 to 4:30pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Pioneer and Historical Toys. Presented by Roy Henson. Limited to 20 participants ages 10+ who will join Roy as he instructs them on how to make historical style toys pioneers would have had in days gone by. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
3:30 to 4:30pm: Learn to Play Spoons and Washtub Bass. Limited to Boogertown Gap. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
4 to 5pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Historic Photographs. Presented by Steve Cotham. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
4 to 5pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Gardens, Weeds and John Barleycorn: Celebrating the Culture in Agriculture. Limited to Doug Elliott. Join master storyteller, harmonica wizard Doug Elliott as he celebrates all things agriculture related in story and song. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
4 to 5:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Drawing to Identify Trees. Presented by Maurice Edwards and William Hurst. Limit 12 participants ages 18+ who will join a professional botanist and an artist to draw tree parts toward the goal of species identification. Bring own art supplies and plant material or use instructors’ pencils, paper and subject matter. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! The Cemeteries of the Smokies. Presented by Dr. Gail Palmer. Join Dr. Palmer as she discusses the various cemeteries of the Smokies. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
4:30 to 5:30pm: HERITAGE! The Civilian Conservation Corps: FDR’s Tree Army. Presented by Bill Deitzer. Join Bill as he discusses the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) which built several of our national parks including the Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks. Bill will cover the why, the who and the results of this unique corps of 1930’s young men. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Conservation of America’s Birds: History and Modern Issues. Presented by Dana Ripper. Join Dana as she discusses extinct native birds and the conservation issues facing birds today. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! How Bear Cubs Learn to Be Bears. Presented by Kathy Sherrard. Join Kathy as she illustrates the differences of black bear cubs living in the wild to those rehabilitated at Appalachian Bear Rescue. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
4:30 to 6pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Workshop for Teachers to Utilize Storytelling and Booger’s Tall Tales in the Classroom. Presented by Mary Phillips. Limit 30. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
5 to 6pm: LIMITED SPACE! Beginners Acoustic Guitar Workshop. Presented by Tony Thomas. Limit to 10 participants must bring own acoustic guitar. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
5:30 to 6:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! The Blue Mountains Sing of Rivers, Old Men, Trails, and Trout. Presented by Ron Rader. Join Ron, a Pigeon Forge native son, and hear his boyhood chronicles as he and his friends come of age in the 1940s and 1950s era as they roam in yesteryear’s Pigeon Forge, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Elkmont and beyond. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
5:30 to 6:30pm: Appalachian Music Concert. Presented by Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers. Attendees will enjoy this special bluegrass performance and can even get up and clog with the Appalachian Cloggers! Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
6pm: Friday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups in the Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
6:30 to 7:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Giving Bears a Second Chance: Rehabbing Black Bears. Presented by Coy Blair. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
7:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! The History of the University of Tennessee’s Internationally-Recognized "Body Farm". Presented by Dr. Bill Bass. Join Dr. Bass as he discusses the history of the original "Body Farm" founded at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Schedule for Day 4 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 in Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smokies

As day 4 of Wilderness WIldlife Week kicks off in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee the Parkway is slick with just a light dusting of snow, however major Great Smoky Mountains national park roads such as Newfound Gap, Cherokee Orchard and Laurel Creek to Cades Cove are all closed due to ice and snow so the best place to be is nice and warm in the LeConte Center on Teaster Lane in Pigeon Forge.

Stay warm and dry today and enjoy some great programs for free such as music by Boogertown Gap, exploring the Wild World of Animals by Knoxville Zoomobile and being a Junior Bear Curator for Appalachian Bear Rescue. Great learning, great fun, and it is all free!

Don't forget to take a stroll through the exhibition hall and say hi to our friends from Friends of the Smokies!

Some of today’s guided hikes and tours may not take place due to the weather.

Tues, January 27 2015 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule

9 to 10am: Green Power Providers. Presented by Lucas Harkleroad. Join Lucas as he discusses producing electricity with renewables, energy efficiency and grid tie systems. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
9 to 10am: Restoring Tennessee’s Nesting Osprey Slide Presentation. Presented by Ken Dubke. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Rocks and Stones: Actual and Art. Presented by Pat Thomas. Join Pat as she compares rock formations to the art of watercolor marbling stone patterns as art reflects life. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Medicinal Gardening Good for You and the Earth! A Discussion of Medicinal Herbs, Both Cultivated and Native, as Well as Their Uses. Presented by Dana Ripper Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Who’s Nesting in Your Nestbox? Presented by Regina Garr. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
9:30 to 10:30am: Bringing Sustainable Development to Badly Developed Kenya. Presented by Don Richards. Join Don as he describes how environmental degradation on the shores of and in Lake Victoria in Western Kenya has happened, as well as the effects on the people and remedies. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
9:30 to 10:30am: LIMITED SPACE! The Art of Dowsing. Presented by Charlie Monday. Limited to 30 participants who will join Charlie to see if they have the gift of dowsing. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
9:30 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Potholder Loom Weaving. Presented by Sherry Mummert. Limit 10, ages 10+. Participants will join Sherry as she teaches them by using cotton loopers, a square potholder will be woven on a small loom. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
10 to 11am: HERITAGE! Meet Mr. Herbert Clabo. Presented by Herbert Clabo with Veta King, Pigeon Forge Public Library, interviewer Join Mr. Clabo as he shares stories of living more than 100 years in the Great Smoky Mountains and Roaring Fork. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
10 to 1pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Studio Lighting Workshop for Photographers of All Experience Levels. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Limited to 20 people ages 16+. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
10:30 to 11:30am: Awesome ’Possum: The Natural History of the Opossum. Presented by Lynne McCoy. Join Lynne as she discusses the history of the opossum and shares a special DVD. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
10:50 to 11:50am: Energy, Effort and Passion: Volunteering in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by Christine Hoyer (a YourSmokies favorite!). Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
11 – Noon: Keeping Your Forest Healthy. Presented by Glenn Taylor. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
11 – Noon: Arches Along the Way: Arches and Natural Bridges Along Tennessee’s Trails. Presented by Keith Garnes. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
11 – Noon: KIDS’ TRACK! Wild World of Animals. Presented by Knoxville Zoomobile. Live animal show! Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Vintage Postcards of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by Adam Alfrey. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Painting Violets on a Sweatshirt or T-Shirt. Presented by Lois Armstrong. Limited to 10 people each of whom must bring own white t-shirt or sweatshirt. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
Noon to 1pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Homeowners’ Guide for Preventing and Controlling Invasive Plants. Presented by Leon Bates. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
12:15 to 1:15pm: Identifying Local Birds of Prey. Presented by Stephen Lyn Bales. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! From Rugs to Hugs: My Adventures with Bears. Presented by David Whitehead. Join David as he recounts his adventures with bears from an early age to more than 30 years as a wildlife biologist in Tennessee. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
1 to 2pm: Waterfalls of Tennessee Slide Presentation. Presented by Bill Carter. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Over in the Holler. Presented by Ruth Carr Miller. Join Ruth as she shares short stories of mountaineers who lived between the hills and hollers of these Great Smoky Mountains. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
1 to 2pm: LIMITED SPACE! The Art of Dowsing. Presented by Charlie Monday. Limit to 30 participants who will join Charlie to see if they have the gift of dowsing. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
1 to 2pm: Reverend Dr. John Burnett, Founder of Pittman Community Monologue. Presented by Will Rabert. Join Will as he portrays Reverend Dr. John Burnett, the founder of Pittman Center school, clinic and churches in the mountains. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
1 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Carving and Painting an Owl, Part One. Presented by Don Taylor. Limit to 10 people, two day session. Participants must bring own sharp carving tools and paint brushes. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
1:30 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Managing Tennessee’s Wildlife: Successes and Failures. Presented by Daryl Ratajczak. Join Daryl as he discusses how managing Tennessee’s wildlife is an ongoing struggle full or ups and downs. Hear about TWRA’s greatest successes and hardest struggles past and present. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
1:45 to 2:45pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Historic Rugby, Tennessee: Where Nature and History Collide. Presented by Michael Harris. Join Michael as he discusses the history and preservation of this restored Victorian village that was founded in 1880 by British author and social reformer, Thomas Hughes. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! For Love of the Smokies: Hiking the Trails of GSMNP. Presented by J.L. Stepp. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! In Presence of the Elders. Presented by Donald Wells. Join Donald as he discusses what can be learned from tribal elders he has interviewed and filmed regarding their loss of culture, as well as about their spirituality and wisdom. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
2 to 3pm: HERITAGE! Music and Songs of the Smokies. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
2 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Make an Appalachian Mountain Corn Shuck Doll. Presented by Anne Freels. Limited to 8 people. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
2:30 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Bays Mountain: A Walk in the Park. Presented by Rhonda Goins. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
2:30 to 4pm: LIMITED SPACE! Intermediate and Advanced Hammer Dulcimer. Presented by Tim Sime. Limit to 20 people participants who must bring own instruments. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Early Pigeon Forge: The Start of Something BIG video presentation! Presented by Veta King, Pigeon Forge Public Library. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Winter: A Time of Nature Observation. Presented by Joel Zachry. Join Joel as he provides entertaining narration in nature’s winter treasures, including landscapes, plants and animal signs. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
3:15 to 4:45pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Who, What and Where of the Matter. Presented by Kathy Gwinn. Join Kathy as she tells attendees stories behind some of the most loved and remembered people, places and events in our country. As listeners, you get to answer the who, what and where of each story. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
3:30 to 4pm: LIMITED SPACE! Beginning Clogging Lessons. Presented by J.K. and Doris Patton. Limited to 20 people. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
3:30 to 4:30pm: Survival Lessons Learned in an Aircraft Accident. Presented by Joe Taft. Join Joe as he relates practical survival lessons appropriate for any situation he learned in a multi-engine A.F. aircraft accident in the Atlantic Ocean. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! The Uses of Essential Oils in Household Products. Presented by Alison Houston. Limited to 10 people ages 16+ will learn to make a household cleaner to take home with them. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
3:30 to 5pm: Civil War in the West, 1864-1865. Presented by Jack Carman. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
4 to 5pm: Civil War Medical: Medicine of 1860s. Presented by Bill Walker. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
4:15 to 4:45pm: LIMITED SPACE! Beginning Clogging Lessons. Presented by J.K. and Doris Patton. Limited to 20 people. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Great Smoky Mountains History You May Not Know. Presented by Joe Kelley. Join retired NPS Ranger Joe Kelley as he shares little-known facts about events, plans and occurrences in the Smokies. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Beauty and the Beast: A Photographic Introduction to Hillwalking in Scotland. Presented by Andy Drinnon. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
4:30 to 5:30pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Animal Olympics. Presented by Mike Meldrum. Limited to 30 Participants who will join Mike as they compete in a program that tests animals abilities with humans. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
4:45 to 5:45pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Be a Junior Bear Curator for Appalachian Bear Rescue. Presented by Kathy Sherrard and ABR’s K-8 Education Team. Limited to 20 Kids ages 5 to 12. A YourSmokies Favorite! Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
5 to 6pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Down the Grand Canyon on a Raft: The Ultimate Camping Trip Video Presentation. Presented by Mark Evans. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
5 to 6:30pm: HERITAGE! Smoky Mountain Inhabitants and Their Music. Presented by Boogertown Gap (a YourSMokies favorite!) Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
5:15 to 6:45pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The History of Greenbrier: People, Homesites and the Establishment of GSMNP. Presented by Mike Maples. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
5:30 to 6:30pm: Bears, Boars and Bulls: A Wild Life with the Smokies Critters! Presented by retired park ranger Kim Delozier. Join Kim as he shares stories (some funny, others exciting and a couple scary ones, too) of managing wildlife of the Smokies over a 32-year career as a wildlife biologist. A YourSmokies Favorite. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
5:45 to 6:45pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Winter Birds and Wintering Waterfowl of East Tennessee. Presented by Randy Hedgepath. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
6pm: Thursday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups in Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
6:30 to 7:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Dragonflies of Tennessee. Presented by Marty Silver. Join Marty as he discusses all things dragonfly and damselfly related. This session discusses how dragonflies are indicators of the health of our nearby environments and will provide participants information on how to observe, photograph and identify these amazing insects. Also, learn how you can be involved in their protection. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
7pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Store Britches: A Play Celebrating Our Appalachian Heritage: Directed by Sabrina Gray. This special historical comedy was written by Gatlinburg’s own Lula Mae Ogle and was performed for the first time in 1936. For three seasons in the 1930’s, Store Britches was utilized as a special fundraiser for the Gatlinburg Weaver’s Club. Some 80 years later, the play has been rediscovered and is produced by the Gatlinburg Garden Club as a fundraiser for the Lucinda Oakley Ogle cabin. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
7:30pm: Slow Jam. Presented by Tony Thomas and Friends. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Schedule for Day 2 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 in the Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smokies

Sunday, January 25th 2015

As day 2 of the 2015 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge starts, guests can look South and up from where it takes place at the LeConte Center on Teaster Lane toward the Great Smoky Mountains to see the more than 1 inch of snow along the peaks and higher elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains that just feel this weekend with more along the way today.

Though there will be lots of exciting programs to take place today for Wilderness Wildlife Weeks second day in Pigeon Forge both inside and outside. Even with the snow, it looks as though none of the guided hikes for Wilderness Wildlife Week will have to be canceled today due to snow even though Newfound Gap Road US441 is closed due to snow and ice.

So if you are in the Smokies today, beat the cold and come on down to the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge Tennessee for an entire day of learning experience and fun - for free!

8 to Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Turn Your Photography Into Art Workshop. Presented by Karen Jones. Limit 15, ages 16+. Participants must bring own laptop with PhotoShop for step-by-step demonstration of various techniques to reinterpret photos into artistic creations. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9 to 10am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Blooms, Birds and Butterflies. Presented by Tom and Pat Cory. This educational and entertaining photography workshop focuses on flowers, butterflies and birds, some of Tom and Pat’s favorite subjects. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Section Hiking the Appalachian Trail. Presented by Bill and Sharon Van Horn.Join Bill and Sharon as they share their experiences on section hiking the Appalachian Trail. Since 2005,they have hiked the A.T. completing it in 2013. Topics covered will include transportation, resupply, trip planning, equipment and off-trail experiences. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
9:30 to 10:30am: LIMITED SPACE! Making a Gemstone Bracelet. Presented by LaDonna Twyman – Limit 8, ages 18+. Participants join LaDonna as she instructs them on how to make a gemstone toggle bracelet to take home with them using semi-precious stones, silver toggles and spacer beads. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
9:30 to 10:30am: Sunday Morning Sing Along. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
9:30 to 11:30am: World-Class Stream Smallmouth Bass. Presented by Greg Ward. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 3.
9:30 to Noon: Great Photography with Any Camera, Cell Phone or Tablet. Presented by Rich Iceland. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
9:30 to 12:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Basket Making. Presented by Theresa Tyler Limit 8. Participants will join Theresa as she teaches them the Appalachian art of basket making. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
10 to 11am: The Building of Fontana Dam in the Wilderness Slide Presentation. Presented by Bob Keim a "Dam Kid" Whose Parents Worked There. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
10 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Humor in Rural and Small Town Churches. Presented by Lee Morris. Join Lee as he shares "The Preachments" and describes and demonstrates humorous experiences encountered in rural and small town churches of America. Attendees are welcomed to share, too! Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
10:30 to 11:30am: Working with Wildflowers: A Photographer’s Delight. Presented by Jerry Whaley. Learn how Jerry uses techniques and equipment used to capture the wildflowers of the Smokies along with instruction as to how most images were captured. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
10:30 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Intermediate Bird Identification: Exploring Features of "Problem" Birds Such as Sparrows, Shore birds and Raptors. Presented by Dana Ripper. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
11:30 to 12:30pm: Nature Writing for Love and Money, Part 2: The Practical Tips and More. Presented by Rob Simbeck. Join Rob as he teaches participants more practical tips related to observing and writing about nature. More depth and examples regarding the topics in part one will be discussed in this session. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
Noon to 1pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Knoxville Origins of Japanese Stilt Grass. Presented by Nancy Dorman. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
Noon to 1pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Hawks of the Smokies. Presented by Stephen Lyn Bales. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
Noon to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Photography Hardware Calibration: Get the Most Out of Your Investment. Presented by Colby McLemore. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
12:30 to 1:30pm: HERITAGE! The White Caps and Blue Bills at the Battle of Henderson’s Spring. Presented by Don Williams. Join Don as he recounts one of Sevier County’s most brutal eras of the White Caps and Blue Bills and their epic showdown at the Battle of Henderson Springs in October of 1894. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Dos, Don’ts and Hows of Photographing Birds. Presented by Clay Thurston. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Meanderings of a Silly Man Continue! Presented by Doug Mills. Despite an intrusion of age, and courtesy of The Heartland Series, a silly man continues his meanderings with a camera in hand. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Appalachian Folk Hymn Tunes. Presented by Timothy Seaman. Join Timothy as he reviews the history and musical types of folk hymns from the shape-note tradition, as interpreted with instruments. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own instruments to play and sing a few, too! Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
1 to 2pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Bodacious Cartooning for Kids Workshop. Presented by John Rose. Limit 30, ages 8+. Participants should bring own pencils and note pad to draw along! Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
1 to 2:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Clawhammer Banjo Workshop 2. Presented by Boogertown Gap. Limited to 10 people who must bring their own clawhammer banjo tuned in open G. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
1 to 3pm: Stream-Stocked Trout Fishing. Presented by Greg Ward. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 3.
1:30 to 2:30pm: HERITAGE! Civil War in the Mountains: Bushwhackers, Marauders, Raiders, Conscription and Divided Loyalties at the Homefront. Presented by Chris Tipton. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
1:30 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Bears on the Move: Tennessee’s Expanding Bear Population. Presented by Daryl Ratajczak. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Mindset and Techniques Behind Creating Inspiring Outdoor Photographs. Presented by Daniel Dempster. Join Daniel as he covers what is required to create outdoor images that exceed the ordinary. Topics include techniques, equipment and the mindset that goes hand-in-hand in creating beautiful landscape and nature photographs. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Writing Smoky Mountain Books. Presented by Dr. Lin Stepp. Join Dr. Stepp as she shares information on her life and writing novels based in the Great Smoky Mountains. Her program at Wilderness Wildlife Week is also the official launch site of her newest Smoky Mountain novel, Makin’ Miracles, the seventh book in the Smoky Mountain series. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Heartland Stories of Wild Critters of the Smokies! Presented by Kim Delozier and Bill Landry. Join Kim and Bill as they share and discuss different Heartland Series episodes they worked on together including wild boar, black bears, red wolf, river otters and more. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
2 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Recycle Scraps Into Rag Rugs and Trivets. Presented by Maria Holloway. Limit 15, ages 15+. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
2 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! A Cat Named Stinker. Presented by Mary Phillips. Limit 30, ages 5 to 10. Participants join Mary as she continues the Tall Tales about a firefly, a boy named Booger and his faithful cat, Stinker. Follow the whippoorwill and find out how Stinker got her name and how they all became synchronous friends. Learn the black boogie waltz - draw something and learn to recognize new native plants! Program meets curriculum standards for science, literature and art. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
2 to 3:30pm: HERITAGE! Old Harp Singing. Presented by David Sarten, leader. Listen to hymns brought from the old country and tunes by early American composers as a group of regional Old Harp singers sing shaped notes (do-re-ami…) in four part harmony seated in the traditional square. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
2 to 4pm: Digital Photo Editing Made Easy. Presented by Rich Iceland. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
2:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Perspective in Landscapes. Presented by William Hurst and Maurice Edwards. Limit 12, ages 18+. Participants join Maurice and Williams as they teach understanding of perspective in creating landscape drawings. Learn to apply a number of perspective techniques while creating a landscape drawing in pencil. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! KIDS’ TRACK! The Truth about Pirates. Presented by Captain John Farmer and East Tennessee Pirates Group. Attendees can have their pictures made with two pirates and learn all about pirates as they can see a replica pirate cannon and other pirate weapons. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Flying Housewife. Presented by Rosemary Deitzer. Some fifty years ago Jerrie Mock accomplished what Amelia Earhart could not – to be the first woman to fly solo around the world. Join Rosemary as she presents this remarkable story. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
3 to 4:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Playing Mountain Dulcimer by Ear. Presented by Tim Simek. Limit to 20 Participants who must bring their own mountain dulcimer. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3:30 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! 900 Miles and Then Some: Hiking the Trails of GSMNP. Presented by Judy Bryant. Join Judy as she discusses keeping a hiking journal and answers questions about hiking all the maintained trails of GSMNP. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Understanding the Essentials of Light: A Photographer’s Guide to "Seeing" the Light and Using It To Achieve Your Photographic Intent. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Why is a Fed Bear a Dead Bear?: The Perils of Feeding a Bear. Presented by Joel Zachry. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
4 to 5pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! The Blue and the Grey: Be a Civil War Soldier. Presented by Mike Meldrum. Limit 30 people. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
4 to 5:30pm: Old Time String Band Concert. Presented by Boogertown Gap. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Insect Pollination of Flowers. Presented by Leon Bates. Join Leon as he discusses how insect pollinators ensure biodiversity and stability of our native plant communities. This critical process will be illustrated and discussed. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
4:30 to 5:30pm: Wild Camp Cookery with Horace Kephart. Presented by Ila Hatter. Horace Kephart, author of Camping and Woodcraft, became adept at successful campfire cooking methods. Join Ila as she explains how he did it and what "wild things" he foraged for his "meat and vegetables." Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! A One Man Portrayal of Elkmont’s Uncle Lem Ownby: The Last Living Resident of GSMNP. Presented by Carroll McMahan. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Photography: Art, Documentation, Fun or Profit? Presented by Clay Thurston. Join Clay as he illustrates how photography can be used for art, documentation, fun and for making money. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
5 to 6:30pm: Civil War in the West, 1862. Presented by Jack Carman. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
5:30 to 6:30pm: HERITAGE! The Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier. Presented by Robin Goddard. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
6pm: Tuesday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
6 to 7pm: Lewis and Clark, Part 2: After the Expedition. Presented by Peter and Gudrun Seifert. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
6 to 7pm: HERITAGE! Native American Flute Concert. Presented by Randy McGinnis. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
7:30pm: Slow Jam. Presented by Tony Thomas and Friends. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
7:30pm: SUNDAY KEYNOTE PROGRAM! NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Roughrider and the Tramp: The Last Night Camping at Bridalveil Meadow. Presented by Lee Stetson and Alan Sutterfield. Join John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt as they share rousing stories of bear encounters, wild horses, boat rustlers and passenger pigeons, and reveal how the American wilderness shaped these very different men. Learn how their charismatic and passionate discussions sparked a battle that resulted in the creation of Yosemite as a National Park. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes and Tours for 2015 in the Pigeon Forge TN Smoky Mountains

All the guided hikes and tour for the 25th annual Wilderness Wildlife Week are free and required being signed up the day ahead of time at the LeConte Center as space is limited and in some cases assigned by lottery.

All hikes and programs at Wilderness Wildlife Week are subject to cancellation without notice most of the time due to bad weather.

Sunday, January 25th, 2015

8am-1pm Avent Cabin via Jakes Creek: 3 miles Easy/Moderate
8am-2:30pm Rock House: 6.5 miles Easy/Moderate
8:30am-4pm Albright Grove: 7.5 miles Moderate
8:30am-4pm Little River Trail: 8.5 miles Easy/Moderate
10:30am-4pm Hat Rock via Injun Creek: 4 miles Easy/Moderate
10:30am-4:30pm Off-Trail: Walker Sisters: 5 miles Moderate
6pm-9pm Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Monday, January 26th, 2015

7:30am-4:30pm Rhododendron/Injun Creek: 7 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-Noon Heritage Tour of GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
8am-2pm Cades Cove Heritage Tour by Bus: Easy
8am-3pm Ramsey Cascade: 8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-3:30pm Laurel Falls/Walker Sisters 7.5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-3:30pm Little River 6 miles Easy/Moderate
8:30am-4:30pm Meigs Mountain/Lumber Ridge: 10.6 miles Moderate/Strenuous
9am-11am LeConte Center Bird Walk: 2 miles Easy
10am-3pm Finley Cane to West Prong: 6 miles Moderate
10am-3pm Seven Islands Trail: 3 miles Easy
10:30am-2:30pm US411: Dolly, Bush’s and More Bus Tour Easy

Tuesday, January 27th, 2015

7:15am-12:15pm Photo Safari of the Smokies by Bus Easy
7:30am-2pm Lumber Ridge/Spruce Flats Falls: 8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
7:30am-4pm Homesites of Cades Cove: 6.5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-2pm Elkmont Historic District: 3.5 miles Easy
8am-2pm Sugarland Branch: 4.5 miles Easy/Moderate
8am-3pm Porters Creek: 7.5 miles Moderate
9am-10:30am Birding the Pigeon Forge Greenway: 2 miles Easy
9:30am-4:30pm Dolly’s Sevier County History Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-Noon American Eagle Foundation Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-4:30pm Mystery Hike 5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
12:30pm-4:30pm Bush’s Beans and More by Bus: Easy
12:30pm-4:30pm Heritage Tour of GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
12:30pm-4:30pm Townsend Railroad Museum by Bus: Easy
6pm-9PM Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Wednesday, January 28th 2015

7:30am-5pm Mt. Collins, Sugarlands Mtn, Chimney Tops: 13.5 miles Strenuous
8am-1:30pm Baskins Creek Falls: 6 miles Moderate
8am-2pm Cades Cove Heritage Tour by Bus: Easy
8:45am-3:30pm Lumbering on Cucumber: 7 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8:45am-3:30pm Metcalf Bottoms/Little Greenbrier/Laurel Falls: 9 miles Moderate/Strenuous
9am-10:30am Birding the Pigeon Forge Greenway: 2 miles Easy
9am-2pm Cades Cove Photo Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-2pm Dolly, Bush Beans and Backroads Tour by Bus: Easy
1:30pm-5pm Trillium Gap to Grotto Falls: 3 miles Easy/Moderate
2pm-4pm Tour of Sevier Solid Waste: 2 miles Easy

Thursday, January 29th 2015

8am-3pm Moore Cemetery: 4.5 miles Moderate
8am-3pm Middle Prong/Indian Flats Falls: 7 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-3:30pm AT/Road Prong: 7.2 miles Moderate
8am-4pm Chestnut Top/Schoolhouse Gap: 6.5 miles Moderate
10am-Noon American Eagle Foundation Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-2pm Dolly, Bush Beans and Backroads Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-2pm Heritage Tour of GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
10am-2pm Townsend Railroad Museum by Bus: Easy
10am-5pm Cucumber Trail: 6 miles Moderate
6pm-9pm Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Friday, January 30th 2015

8am-3pm Barnes Sisters: 5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-3pm Old Sugarlands to Twin Creek: 7.5 miles Moderate
9am-10:30am Birding the Pigeon Forge Greenway: 2 miles Easy
9am-4:30pm Little River through Huskey Gap to US441: 6.8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
10am-3pm Bush’s Baked Beans and Historic Dandridge Tour by Bus: Easy
11am-12:15pm Learn Map and Compass Patriot Park Field Test by Bus: Easy
6pm-9pm Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Saturday, January 31st 2015

8am-1pm Elkmont Historic District: 4 miles Easy/Moderate
8am-4:30pm Birding Trip to Cades Cove by Bus: Easy
8am-4:30pm Curry Mountain: Off-Trail: 8.8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8:30am-12:30pm Jr. Docent Family Fun Day: GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
9:30am-2:30pm Bus Tour of Cosby: Easy
10am-2pm Dolly, Bush Beans and Backroads Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-2:30pm Baskins Creek Falls: 3 miles Easy/Moderate

Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 Day 1 in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

The 25th Wilderness Wildlife Week may be starting today on a rainy and dreary day here at the LeConte enter in the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains, but that is not stopping those who are already here from being excited about all the great activities, guided hikes and musical entertainment that will be taking place here for the next week.

The Wilderness Wildlife Week information desk is open here at the LeConte Center located at 2986 Teaster Lane in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee from 7am to 9pm and the preregistration desk for activities with limited space from 7am to 6pm.

The Wilderness Wildlife Week Vendor and Exhibits Hall locate3d in the LeConte Exhibit Hall is open daily from 9am to 6pm except on Saturday, January 31st when it closes at 3pm.

The wilderness Wildlife week schedules that we will be posting every day are subject to change without notice.

Schedule for Day 1 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015:

Saturday, January 24 2015

8 to 9am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Beginning Bird ID. Presented by Dana Ripper. Limited to 20 people ages 16+ who will learn how to identify birds as well as participate in a bird hike. Limited binoculars are available to borrow and each participant will receive a free field guide to take home with them! Taking place in South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9 to 10am: The Appalachian Trail: An Entertaining Adventure. Presented by Jeff Alt. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
9 - 1pm: Nature Photography Workshop. Presented by Kendall Chiles, Daniel Dempster and Tom and Pat Cory. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
9:30 to 10:30am Camera Basics 101: Understanding Terminology and Your Camera Adjustments as Used in the Manual. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Ancient Ways: An Appalachian at Home in Israel and Ireland. Presented by J. Greg Johnson. Join Greg both in Galilee where Jesus walked and also in Ireland where many of our native Scots-Irish ancestors made their path before arriving in America. Taking place in the the LeConte Hall North.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Carve a Wildlife Stamp. Presented by Pat Thomas. Limited to 12 people ages 12+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
9:30 to 11:30am: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Design Your Own Wilderness Wildlife Week Bandana. Presented by Louise Bales. Limited to 20 ages 8+ who will join Louise as she teaches them how to design their own Wilderness Wildlife Week 25th Anniversary commemorative bandana. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
9:30 to 11:30am: Fly Fishing the Smokies. Presented by Greg Ward. Taking place in the the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
9:30 to 1:30pm: Photography Contest On site Take in. Presented by Sherry Lutes and Event Volunteers at the Photography Exhibit. Taking place in the LeConte Hall North.
10 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! A Day in the Life of a Riverboat Captain Power Point Presentation. Presented by Captain John Farmer. See what it is like to be a Captain on a modern sternwheel riverboat. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
10 to 11am: You, Me and the Bears. Presented by Joey Holt. Find out what to do if you live or recreate in bear country, including learning what happens if bears come near your home or campsite. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
10 to Noon: LIMITED SPACE! Introduction to the Mountain Dulcimer. Presented by TNT Dulcimers. Limited to 25 participants. Please bring own dulcimer as only a limited number of loaner dulcimers are available. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
11 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! The Ruddy Pilgrim. Presented by Tyler King doing a character portrayal of a fictional Smoky Mountain settler from Scotland. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
11 to Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Saving Money Using Free and Open Source Software to Edit Your Nature Photos. Presented by Burt Bicksler. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
11 to Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Make A Dreamcatcher Christmas Ornament. Presented by Sue Todd. Limited to 10 people ages 15+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
11 to Noon: Old Time Hymn Singing. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
11:30am: Sunday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
11:30 to 12:30am: Rock Formations of the Smokies. Presented by Harry Moore. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
12:30 to 1:30pm: Sanctuary: Meditations from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by J. Greg Johnson. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Whittle a Mountain Flower. Presented by Jacki Proffitt. Limited to 10 people ages 16+. Participants must bring own sharpened pocket knife. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Hiking in the Highland Firs: Hammered Dulcimer Adventures. Presented by Timothy Seaman. Join Timothy for a music concert celebrating the trees of the Smokies and outdoor recreation in our Parks, with dynamic original compositions and classic folk tunes. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! John Muir and Gifford Pinchot: Shaping Our Value of Conservation and Their Influence on the Civilian Conservation Corps. Presented by Michael and Monique Hodge. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
1 to 2pm: KIDS’ TRACK! Get Your Kids Hiking: Learn How a Few Simple Techniques and Gear Can Make a Hike with Kids of Any Age Safe and Fun. Presented by Jeff Alt and Family. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Black Bear Encounters in the Smokies! What to Do? Presented by retired park ranger Kim Delozier. Join Kim as he explains a black bear behaviors and how to respond to a black bear encounter. Kim will also share some of his bear encounter incidents in the Smokies. Kim is a YourSmokies favorite and always entertains and informs like no one else! Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! The Uses of Essential Oils in Household Products. Presented by Alison Houston. Limited to 10 people ages 16+ who will learn to make a household cleaner to take home with them. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
1 to 2pm: Nature Writing for Love and Money, Part 1: Observing and Writing about Nature. Presented by Rob Simbeck. Join Rob as he teaches you how to think like a writer, as well as journaling, planning, interviewing, writing, editing and even how to deal with editors. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
1 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! What’s Wrong with This Picture? It’s the Little Things That Matter. Presented by Roger Trentham. Join Roger as he discusses what common mistakes photographers make that often ruin what could be great images of nature. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
1 to 2:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Clawhammer Banjo Workshop 1. Presented by Boogertown Gap. Limit to 10 people who must bring their own clawhammer banjo tuned in open G. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
1:30 to 3pm: Lightroom Photo Editing Software: Come Take a Test Drive! Presented by Colby McLemore. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
1 to 3:30pm: Casting a Fly Rod. Presented by Greg Ward. Participants should bring own fly rods for casting demos. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 3.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Anatomy of a Steam Riverboat Power Point Presentation. Presented by Capt. John Farmer. Join Capt. Farmer as he shows the evolution from deep draft sailing schooners to shallow draft steamboats. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Songs of Stephen Foster. Presented by Tony Thomas and Judy Carson. Join Tony and Judy as they perform many of Stephen Foster 150 plus year old compositions that have remained popular. Foster was known as the father of American music and wrote more than 200 songs. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
2 to 3:30pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Booger: A Tall Tale of the Mountains. Presented by Mary Phillips. Limited to 30 kids from ages 5-10 who will join Mary as she tells the story of about a firefly, a boy named Booger and his faithful cat, Stinker. Kids learn to use the Great Smoky Mountain Wildflower guide book. Program meets curriculum standards for science, literature, life skills and art. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
2:30 to 3:30pm: Update on Cougars in the Smokies. Presented by Dr. Don Linzey. Learn about cougar distribution, current range and biology, as well as an update on recent reports and sighting in GSMNP. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
2:30 to 3:30pm: Discovery of the Gray Fossil Site. Presented by Harry Moore. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
2:30 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Making a Hand Broom for Decoration. Presented by David Ogle. Limited to 10 people ages 16+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
2:30 to 4pm: LIMITED SPACE! Drawing to Identify Trees. Presented by Maurice Edwards and William Hurst. Limited to 12 Participants, ages 18+. Join a professional botanist and an artist to draw tree parts toward the goal of species identification. Bring own art supplies and plant material or use instructors pencils, paper and subject matter. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
3 to 4pm: Seasons and Weather: Watching the Smokies Change Video Presentation. Presented by Jerry Whaley. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! An Adventure Along the John Muir Trail. Presented by Jeff Alt. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Introduction to the Hammer Dulcimer. Presented by Timothy Seaman. Limited to 10 people. There will be some loaner dulcimers; however, participants are encouraged to bring their own. Onlookers are welcome to watch. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Forced Removal of the Cherokee in 1838. Presented by Chris Tipton. Join Chris as she discusses the finding of a journal that started a personal rediscovery of one of our nation’s saddest events: The Trail of Tears. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3:30 to 5pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Making Your Nature Images "POP!". Presented by Larry Perry. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
4 to 5pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Mother Nature’s Secret Garden: The Harvest You Didn’t Plant. Presented by Ila Hatter. Join Ila as she shows participants how to safely recognize what "weeds" are edibles. Some "weeds" are more nutritious than domestic vegetables so now you can have a harvest before you plant your garden! Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
4 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Everest...and the People Who Climbed It. Presented by Bill Deitzer. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Entering Photographic Competitions: The Benefits of Entering, Pitfalls to Avoid and the Image Selection Process. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
4:30 to 5:30pm: Our Summer in Alaska. Presented by Carroll and Michelle McMahan. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
4:30 to 5:30pm: A Bodacious Snuffy Smith Chalk Talk. Presented by John Rose. Join John as he discusses his cartooning career and draws some of his comic strip’s most popular characters. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
4:30 to 5:30pm: Learn to Play the Spoons and Washtub Bass. Presented by Boogertown Gap. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
5 to 6pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Hut Hiking in the Alps. Presented by Shannon Harris. Join Shannon as he explains how best to navigate hiking around in the Alps. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
5:30 to 6:30pm: Civil War in the West, 1861. Presented by Presented by Jack Carman. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
5:30 to 6:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Colorful Characters of the Smokies. Presented by Hills-N-Hollows (Join Mike and Kathy Gwinn). Enjoy both story and song some of the snuff-dippin’, fire-spittin’, men and women of the Smokies. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
6pm: Monday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
6 to 7pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Outdoor Photography: Thinking and Shooting Out of the Box. Presented by Harry Dunn. Learn how to view subjects differently, as well as how to use camera functions beyond "Auto" and several "Plan for success" ideas from Harry. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
6 to 7pm: Lewis and Clark, Part 1: Before the Expedition: Presented by Peter and Gudrun Seifert. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
6:45pm: The Scottish Connection to the Smokies and Bagpipe Performance by Bagpiper Charles A. Smith, Commander, TVA Police, retired. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
7pm: Opening Ceremony. Presented by Butch Helton, Ken Jenkins and friends. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
7:45pm KEYNOTE PROGRAM! NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Tramp and the Roughrider: An Evening at Glacier Point: Presented by Lee Stetson and Alan Sutterfield. What did John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt discuss around the campfire in 1903? Witness a live reenactment of this history-altering camping trip in Yosemite as the "Tramp" and the "Rough Rider" engage in lively discussion over the fate of our most wild places and swap stories about their own adventures. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.