Trails & Trilliums registration just opened - Best hikes go fast!
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MARCH 2026 TrailTracker
Join the Revolution!
NEWS FROM NED
So much is going on that we want to tell you about! For example, we received a grant from OSI to help us strengthen the regional conservation network; we are planning a new event on July 17 (mark your calendars) to introduce the community to Head of the Crow State Park; and it’s almost time to start planning next year’s Every Child in the Parks education field trips.
So much is going on, in fact, that I don’t see how our volunteers have managed to organize another Trails & Trilliums…but they have! And this year's event promises to be one of the best ever, featuring more hikes, new online merch, David Haskell's keynote about his new book How Flowers Made Our World: The Story of Nature’s Revolutionaries, two panels on Saving (More) Great Spaces focusing on the Friends' grant from the Open Space Institute, as well as many wonderful walks, workshops, presentations, and Hands-On Nature activities.
You may register by following the instructions below, but please be sure to read through our website FIRST so that you can learn more about the event and know what to sign up for.
This year’s theme, “JOIN THE REVOLUTION,” is inspired by Haskell’s forthcoming book How Flowers Made Our World: The Story of Nature’s Revolutionaries. Join us for a buffet lunch at 12:15pm on Saturday in Smith Hall and hear his talk.
Due to strong interest, we are increasing the number of guided hikes into the old-growth forest in Savage Gulf, offering this challenging hike several times throughout the weekend.
Note: This is a strenuous hike suitable only for experienced hikers.
To make sure nobody misses a meal, we've included all meals in the ticket prices, including breakfast (Saturday & Sunday), lunch (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday), and dinner (Friday's Hootenanny and Saturday's Wine & Wildflowers). The ticket prices you'll see when you register reflect last year's program prices plus the cost of meals provided by BSA. If you've got a name tag, you've got a meal! (Exception: Student Program Only Pass)
Friday night gets even livelier this year with Cumberland Community Dance providing live Appalachian music and calling for square and contra dancing after the Hootenanny dinner in Smith Hall.
Friends of South Cumberland Parks (FSC) has secured a Catalyst grant through the Open Space Institute’s Appalachian Landscapes Project Catalyst Grant program. The work will involve developing a climate-informed conservation plan to identify priorities for land protection on the South Cumberland Plateau, an area that includes the state parks FSC supports. Two related panel sessions on Saturday set the stage for the work to come.
Fiery Gizzard State Park, Savage Gulf State Park, and Head of the Crow State Park— together form the heart of the South Cumberland, encompassing more than 31,000 acres of some of Tennessee’s most awe-inspiring landscapes.
These places don’t care for themselves.
Trails require hands and tools. Signs must be planned, placed, and maintained. Invasive species threaten the health of our forests. Educational programs that connect people—especially children—to nature depend on dedicated people behind the scenes.
The work continues.
More land remains to be protected. More stories are waiting to be shared.
If these parks have ever brought you peace, joy, or a sense of wonder, this is a simple way to give something back.
Please consider a gift today in support of the places we all cherish.
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