The Fifth Annual Spring Wildflower Celebration will be held April 3-9 and is sponsored by the Tennessee Aquarium, The Tennessee Wildflower Society, and the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy.
The wildflower classes will be held at the Tennessee Riverpark's Fry Center (the enclosed pavilion) from 6:30 - 9 pm. on Monday, April 3, Tuesday, April 4, and Thursday, April 6. Pre-registration for the classes is encouraged, but not required and walk-ins are welcome.
The cost is $5 per class ($14 for all three) for members of the sponsoring organizations (Tennessee Aquarium, Tennessee Wildflower Society and the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy) and is $7 per class ($20 for all three) for non-members.
Monday's class is "Identification and Usage of our Native Wildflowers" and the instructors are Kurt Emmanuele (wildflower enthusiast), Christine Bock (lead horticulturist at the Tennessee Aquarium), Dr. Don Williams (professor of horticulture at UTK), and Sue Williams (wildflower enthusiast).
Participants will learn how a simple key can be used to identify wildflowers, will receive an introduction to wildflowers that are used for their medicinal value, and will receive insight into designing home landscapes using native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses. Copies of Newcomb's Wildflower Guide will be available for purchase.
Tuesday's class is "Growing and Propagating Native Shrubs" and will be taught by horticulturist Mike Stansberry, owner of Beaver Creek Nursery in Knoxville.
Mr. Stansbury will share expert techniques for propagating native shrubs and demonstrate how home gardeners can construct a mini-greenhouse from a styrofoam cooler to provide the proper environment for successfully rooting cuttings.
Thursday's class is "Wildflower Identification: From Basic to Advanced" and will be presented by Dr. Jerry Faulkner and Dr. Richard Clements, associate professors of biology at Chattanooga State and seasoned leaders on walks at the Wildflower Pilgrimage in Gatlinburg and Chattanooga's Wildflower Celebration.
Participants will review the basic structure, terminology and natural history of wildflowers and build on knowledge gained by learning advanced identification techniques.
Wildflower Evening at the Tennessee Aquarium will be n Friday, April 7, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Tennessee Aquarium and will feature a lovely display of identified wildflowers by the Third District Federation of Garden Clubs, refreshments, lecture and book signing.
Author, illustrator and professional story teller, Laura Martin will give a slide presentation entitled "Tales from the Forest - Myths and Stories of the Southern Wildflowers." The presentation will explore the magical world of wildflower folklore and Ms. Martin will tell stories such as the origin of the strawberry and the legend of the Indian paintbrush.
She will also draw from the rich culture of the Native Americans and the European settlers to discuss various uses of the plants, superstitions, and origin of plant names. A prolific author, Ms. Martin has written five volumes on folklore and a dozen books on gardening and crafts, including Gifts from a Southern Garden published in February.
The Wildflower Evening is free with registration for any of the wildflower classes or walks, otherwise the charge is $5 for members of any of the sponsoring organizations and $10 for nonmembers.
The wildflower walks will be held on Saturday, April 8, (10 a.m. to early afternoon) and Sunday, April 9, (1 p.m. - with the exception of the trail ride by horseback which will begin at 10 a.m. - to late afternoon).
Walks are filled on a first come first served basis. Pre-registration is required. Once registration is received, an confirmation letter and directions to a meeting place will be mailed to participants.
The walks include hiking at a choice of three sites: Audubon Mountain - rated easy, Shakerag Hollow - rated moderate, and Old Stone Fort - rated moderate, canoeing on North Chickamauga Creek (adults only), mountain biking on an old railroad bed from Monteagle to Cowan, the ride is 19 miles round trip, but may be shortened (adults only), and horseback riding along a scenic mountain trail (adults only). Each of the walks will be led by a naturalist or biologist. Participants should bring a lunch and water.
Each walk will be offered on Saturday and Sunday, with the exception of the mountain bike trip which will be offered on Saturday only. The charge for a hike is $5 for members of any of the sponsoring organizations and $7 for non-members. The charge for the mountain bike ride is $5 for members of any of the sponsoring organizations and $10 for non-members. The charge for the canoe trip is $10 for members of any of the sponsoring organizations and $15 for non-members. The charge for the trail ride by horseback is $60 for members of any sponsoring organization ($15 own horse) and $65 for non-members ($20 own horse).
The Wildflower Photography Walk will be led by professional photographers Tom & Pat Cory from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 8. Participants will receive hands-on instruction in the field at beautiful Audubon Acres in East Brainerd.
Using slides, the Corys will share expert techniques in the art of capturing wildflowers on film or video. An Aquarium naturalist will identify the many species of wildflowers. Light refreshments will be provided mid-morning.
The class is limited to 20 participants and a minimum of 10 participants is required. The cost is $15 for members of any of the sponsoring organizations and $25 for non-members.
The Celebration's events will be held rain or shine. Registration for the events can be done by phone, fax or mail through the Tennessee Aquarium, P.O. Box 11048, Chattanooga, TN 37401-2048, by check or credit card.
To register, call (423) 267-FISH or fax (423) 265-2871. The toll-free number is 1-800-262-0695. Payment must accompany your registration. Checks should be made payable to the Tennessee Aquarium. Cancellations must be received no less than two weeks prior to program. A confirmation letter will be mailed including directions to the meeting locations for each walk and class.
Registration for any activity or walk includes an invitation to attend at no cost a special Wildflower Evening at the Aquarium on Friday, April 7, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.