Friday, Oct. 7
- Welcome reception and lecture titled “Pollination in action: Fantastic bees and where to find them” by Gerardo Arceo-Gomez, of East Tennessee State University at 6 p.m.
- Awards ceremony for the Wildlife Weekend Amateur Photography Contest
Saturday, Oct. 8
- Bird Walk at 9:00 a.m.
- Bird Banding at 9:30 a.m.
- Cade’s Insect & Spider Walk at 10 a.m.
- Mike’s Mushroom Walk at 1 p.m.
- Jeremy’s Honeybee Walk at 2 p.m.
- Lance’s Reptile Hike at 3 p.m.
For those interested in enjoying a moderate hike to key points of interest, Harvey Anderson, an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker affectionately known as “The Commander,” will lead a three-mile hike to the highest point in Steele Creek Park at 10 a.m. on Saturday and a 4.5-mile hike to the park’s oldest tree at 1 p.m. A series of interactive kiosks will also be available throughout the day to provide educational information about reptiles, fossils, rocks and minerals, owl pellets, bugs, bird skins and skulls, raptors and more. As a special treat for young nature lovers, Chippy, the Steele Creek Park mascot, will make an appearance at various activities throughout the day.
Also, as a special feature of this year’s event, a digital version of the traditional Wildlife Weekend passport will be included. To participate in this scavenger hunt, download the GoodChase App to a smartphone or tablet and search for Wildlife Weekend or use the code PBMK7K. Create a player profile to begin.
