April 23-27, 2008
The 58th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is coming up at the end of next month, and you need to register here now. On-line and phone registration close on April 14th, after which it’s on-site registration only starting on April 23rd.
This annual 5-day event hosted by the Park and several other groups in the area includes walks, hikes, motorcades, armchair tours (love that!), art classes, and seminars on the wildflower, flora, fauna, and natural history of the area. While most events take place outdoors in the Park, some are presented at locations in and around Gatlinburg, Tennessee. In addition to short hikes and walks, there are also backcountry tours for more seasoned hikers- I’m not there yet.
From my research: Registration is $25 for one day or $40 for two or more days. Some events may charge an additional fee. When you register, if the event number you want is not listed in the drop-down list of numbers, then that event is full. I missed getting into wildflower sketching – I’ll have to be faster next year!
Here are some of the topics that will be covered over the five days of the Pilgrimage: (deep breath) birding, moth and insect walks; wildflower walks and hikes; fern walks; trees of the area; wildflower photography; black bear and wild hog hike; Seasons on the Trail; moss walk; native plant propagation; salamander 
foray (slippery?); Smoky Mountain Spring; backcountry wildflower hike; tree and shrub identification walk; featured wildflower artist reception; Herb Lore of Appalachia; Ecosystems of Insect-eating Bats; nighttime natural history walk; nighttime spider walk (ooo, creepy!); morning bird walk; motorcades; wildflower sketching (full already…); wildflower identification for beginners; Forest and Foods Pharmacy; reptiles and amphibians; bugs and butterflies; fungi and lichens; An Appalachian Evening of Music, Songs, and Storytelling; animal tracking and signs; aquatic insects; exotic plant and wildflower walk; Armchair Tour of Cades Cove.
See what I mean? You simply must register now and sign up for some events. Sure hope I see you there!
Janet@ The Christmas Place
I just had to include this picture of wild turkeys – on my drive in to work this morning, one of these flew across the road right in front of my car as I was about to cross the bridge below Douglas Dam. Aren’t they beautiful?
