Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center: Upcoming Programs

Upcoming Events & Programs

S-S-Snakes Alive!
Date/Time: Saturday, February 18, 2012 - 10:00am to 11:30am
Cost: CA&NC Members - Free; Non-Members - Free with paid admission

Join CA&NC naturalist, Kyle Waggener, for an introduction to our resident snakes. How can a snake climb a tree? What do snakes eat? Find out the answers to these and other slithery questions. The stars of this program include the corn snake, king snake, garter snake, and the pine snake. Snake skins, reptile eggs, and other artifacts will be available for viewing. Guests are welcome to spend the rest of the day exploring the CA&NC property. Please register to reserve your spot - (423) 821-1160 ext. 0.

Volunteer Opportunity: Invasive Plant Removal
Date/Time: Sunday, February 19, 2012 - 9:00am to 1:00pm
Limit: Approximately 8 Volunteers

Volunteers will assist caretaker Jeffery Hunter in removing invasive plants. Long pants, sleeves and layers are recommended. Volunteers should bring a bag lunch. We will provide snacks. Contact Mary Katherine Harper at (423) 821-1160 ext. 105 for more information, or to sign up for this volunteer opportunity.

Volunteer Opportunity: Invasive Plant Removal
Date/Time: Saturday, March 3, 2012 - 9:00am to 1:00pm
Limit: Approximately 8 Volunteers

Night Hike
Date/Time: Friday, March 9, 2012 - 6:30pm to 9:00pm
Cost: CA&NC Members - $7 Adults, $5 Kids (ages 10-11); Nonmembers - $9 Adults, $7 Kids (ages 10-11)
This is an easy 2 mile hike around the Reflection Riding Loop.

Join Jeff Hunter, Resident Caretaker, in a series of night time adventures. Participants will discover the night time wonders of the forest hiking on the trails at Reflection Riding. Each hike will be a unique experience as new trails will be discovered each evening. All hikes except for the June 2 date will conclude with a campfire and marshmallow roast. This program is designed for participants 10 years old and up. Pre-registration and prepayment are required. Please call (423) 821-1160 ext. 0 to reserve your spot.

Scout Day 2012
Date/Time: Saturday, March 10, 2012 - 9:00am to 4:00pm
Cost: Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in uniform - FREE; One adult per scout will receive 1/2 off admission. All other adults/children will be charged regular admission.

Calling all Girl and Boy Scouts! Help us kick off our new Scout programming by celebrating Scout Day, March 10, 2012. Scouts in uniform can enjoy a day exploring the Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center for FREE. One adult per scout will also receive 1/2 off admission. Upcoming scout program information will be available on the day of the event. For more information, please call (423) 821-1160 ext. 0.

Durham Mine Site Fossil Dig
Date/Time: Saturday, March 17, 2012 - 10:00am to 1:00pm
Cost: CA&NC Members and LLLT Stewards - $8 Adults, $4 Children; Nonmembers - $11 Adults, $6 Children

CA&NC naturalist, Kyle Waggener, will conduct a fossil collecting program at the Durham Mine site located in the Lula Lake Land Trust. This site is probably the best place in Georgia for collecting fern fossils. Bring digging tools, hammers and flat chisels, buckets or cardboard flats and newspaper to wrap the specimens. Bring a snack and water bottle, too. We will meet at CA&NC for a brief orientation and then caravan to the mine site. This is a very popular program and space is limited. Pre-registration and prepayment are required. Call (423) 821-1160 ext. 0 to reserve your spot.

Flint Knapping with Jumping Bull (Jon Kinsey)
Date/Time: TBA - 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Cost: CA&NC Members - $20; Nonmembers - $25
This program is appropriate for adults who are 16 years old and up.
Class size limited to 10 participants.

Flint knapping - the art of making arrowheads, knife blades, and such - is coming to the CA&NC. The purpose of the class is to learn the basics of a nearly-extinct art. Participants will leave with a finished product and a desire to keep the craft alive. The class will include basic information on the history of knapping, proper angle and technique, beginner's tools, and the material to create an arrowhead. Pre-registration and prepayment are required. Please call (423) 821-1160 ext. 0 to reserve your spot.

Jon Kinsey (Jumping Bull) of mixed Cherokee and French decent has been performing various Native American arts and crafts for several years. From knapping to pipe making and many arts in between, he attempts to produce usable yet beautiful art in the ways of the ancestors.

Marie Humphreys Spring Wildflower Festival and Native Plant Sale
Date/Time: March 30 to April 1, 2012 - During Regular Operating Hours
Cost: Free with Paid Admission

This year we will have guided walks identifying the native flora with regard to its historical and therapeutic significance, a couple of longer hikes exploring Reflection Riding, some interesting talks on a variety of gardening and botanical subject, live folk music, a native plant photography contest, door prizes every hour, and hundreds of native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers for sale. A plant list and a full schedule of events will appear in the newsletter and on our website www.chattanoogaanc.org/plantsale.

Night Hike
Date/Time: Friday, April 6, 2012 - 7:00pm to 9:30pm
Cost: CA&NC Members - $7 Adults, $5 Kids (ages 10-11); Nonmembers - $9 Adults, $7 Kids (ages 10-11)
Participants will hike the Susan's Curve loop.

Wake Up With the Birds
Date/Time: Saturday, April 7, 2012 - 7:30am to 10:00am
Cost: CA&NC Members - FREE; Nonmembers - Free with paid admission

Rise and shine for an early morning boardwalk tour with our bird watching experts - CA&NC Naturalist, Kyle Waggener, and members of TOS. You may spot woodpeckers, summer tanagers, scarlet tanagers, and various migrant warblers. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring binoculars for a relaxing stroll along the boardwalk and through the grounds of Reflection Riding. Please call (423) 821-1160 ext. 0 to register. Space is limited.

Tennessee Naturalist Programs
Date/Time: Varies: April 10 - September 22, 2012
Cost: CA&NC Members - $225; Nonmembers - $250 (Program fees include tuition, field guides, and other materials.)
Registration Deadline: March 30, 2012. Please call (423) 821-1160 ext. 0 to register.

The Tennessee Naturalist Program (TNP) is an educational training course designed to introduce the natural history of Tennessee to interested adults. Graduates join a critical corps of Tennessee Natualist volunteers providing education, outreach, and service dedicated to the appreciation, understanding, and beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities. For more information, contact Kyle Waggener at (423) 821-1160 ext. 112. View the complete schedule.

Wake Up With the Birds
Date/Time: Saturday, April 14, 2012 - 7:30am to 10:00am
Cost: CA&NC Members - FREE; Nonmembers - Free with paid admission

Storytelling & Scavenger Hunt
Date/Time: Saturday, April 14, 2012 - 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Cost: CA&NC Members - Free; Nonmembers - Free with Paid Admission

Join us this spring for an exciting scavenger hunt with stories about Chief Dragging Canoe, the Lookout Valley, the Civil War, and the Trail of Tears and their connection to the Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center lands. Jennifer Crutchfield, Editor of The Chattanooga Parent Magazine, and Author of Chattanooga's Landmarks: Exploring the History of the Scenic City, will use local landmarks to tell stories that take families on a journey of the exciting and sometimes bloody history of the Scenic City. Jennifer shares her stories about Chattanooga history with students at HCDE schools and other family venues, inspiring families to explore their city while making their own history with their children. The book will be on sale in the gift shop if you would like to have a signed copy. Please call (423) 821-1160 ext. 0 to reserve your spot.

Wake Up With the Birds
Date/Time: Saturday, April 21, 2012 - 7:30am to 10:00am
Cost: CA&NC Members - FREE; Nonmembers - Free with paid admission

Bird Banding Demonstration
Date/Time: Saturday, April 21, 2012 - 7:30am to 12:00pm
Cost: CA&NC Members - FREE; Nonmembers - Free with paid admission

Join Dr. David Aborn, Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences at UTC, for a morning of bird banding. Watch a scientist at work as these winged creatures are captured in a mist net, identified, weighed, sexed, and checked for body fat. A small, metal, numbered band is attached to the bird's leg. All the details about this bird are recorded and then the bird is released back into the wild. It is fascinating to have an up-close encounter with our resident birds and the migratory birds that are traveling through. Registration is not required.

Wake Up With the Birds
Date/Time: Saturday, April 28, 2012 - 7:30am to 10:00am
Cost: CA&NC Members - FREE; Nonmembers - Free with paid admission

Night Hike
Date/Time: Friday, May 4, 2012 - 7:30 to 10:00pm
Cost: CA&NC Members - $7 Adults, $5 Kids (ages 10-11); Nonmembers - $9 Adults, $7 Kids (ages 10-11)
Discover Nelson's Upslope and the curvy path along Lookout Creek.

Wake Up With the Birds
Date/Time: Saturday, May 5, 2012 - 7:30am to 10:00am
Cost: CA&NC Members - FREE; Nonmembers - Free with paid admission

Guided Canoe Trip to Williams Island
Date/Time: Saturday, May 5, 2012 - 8:30am to 5:00pm
(Rain date - Sunday, May 6, 2012)
Cost: CA&NC Members - $30; Nonmembers - $35

Canoes will leave from the Paddler's Perch at CA&NC for a 3-hour paddle down Lookout Creek and into the Tennessee River, arriving at Williams Island for lunch and a hiking tour to an archeological site, wetland, and organic farm. This will be an ideal time to see migratory birds in the area as well. Bring water for the day and lunch to eat on the island. This trip is limited to 8 canoes. Participants must be over 12 years and have experience paddling. Please call (423) 821-1160 ext. 0 to register.

Wake Up With the Birds
Date/Time: Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 7:30am to 10:00am
Cost: CA&NC Members - FREE; Nonmembers - Free with paid admission

Bow-drilling Workshop
Date/Time: Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 1:00pm to 3:30pm
Cost: CA&NC Members - $12; Nonmembers - $16

Spend an afternoon learning the basic friction fire method of bow-drilling. Participants will learn to identify proper raw materials and how to construct a bow-drill set. Learn the basics of this beginner-friendly fire art and primitive skill. All pieces of the bow drill set constructed in the workshop will be yours to keep. Please wear comfortable shoes and clothes that can get dirty and pack along a water bottle. This workshop is designed for participants 14 years-old and up. Space is limited. Pre-registration and prepayment are required. Please call (423) 821-1160 ext. 0 to reserve your spot.

Nature at Night
Date: Friday, May 25, 2012
Cost: CA&NC Members - $7 Adults, $5 Seniors & Kids (4-11); Nonmembers - $10 Adults, $7 Seniors & Kids (4-11)

Programs are as follows:
Blacklighting for Insects - Ongoing throughout the evening with Julia Gregory and Bill Hailey, educators from the Tennessee Aquarium
Frog Walk - 8:00pm to 9:00pm - Explore our habitat and learn to identify frogs by sound
Owl Prowl - 9:00pm to 10:00pm - Hoot like a pro to call in our resident owls.
Night Sky Viewing - 10:00pm to 11:00pm - Be a star gazer and explore the night sky.

Pre-registration and prepayment are required. Participants have the choice of one or all the programs. Please call (423) 821-1160 ext. 0 to reserve your spot.

Night Hike
Date/Time: Saturday, June 2, 2012 - 8:00pm to 10:30pm
Cost: CA&NC Members - $7 Adults, $5 Kids (ages 10-11); Nonmembers - $9 Adults, $7 Kids (ages 10-11)
National Trails Day - Challenge yourself on the moderately strenuous Bradford Williams Trail. This hike is approximately 5 miles.

Bat Watch
Date/Time: Friday, June 8, 2012 - 7:15pm to 9:30pm
Cost: CA&NC Members - $9 Adults, $5.50 Seniors & Kids (4-11); Nonmembers - $12 Adults, $7 Kids (4-11)

Meet at CA&NC for an informative power point presentation about bats. We will then car caravan to the Nickajack Cave, home to more than 60,000 endangered bats. There is a short walk to the viewing platform. As the sun sets, the tiny gray bats wing their way out of the cave to feed on insects. Bring a flashlight and wear comfortable walking shoes. This is a very popular program and space is limited. The price includes a required parking fee at the Maple View Parking area. Pre-registration and prepayment are required. Please call (423) 821-1160 ext. 0 to reserve your spot.