December 2022

No internet access out on the trail? No problem. Thanks to the generous support of the Trail Pack supporters, Tennessee State Parks visitors can now access offline Avenza trail maps at no cost! The Avenza Maps® app uses GPS location tracking so it works even when you don’t have service. As you hike state park trails, […]

Walking in nature not only lifts the mood and relieves stress, a new study shows it may help some with major depression. TVA maintains over 180 miles of trails for enjoyable, cost-free therapy. Read more. Tennessee Valley Authority (Photo: TVA)

Day Fire Podcast’s Clint and Dawson recently sat down with Savana Keeton. Savana is the Operations Coordinator for the Cumberland Trails Conference. Building the Cumberland Trail is a passion project for the dedicated staff of the CTC. The work is hard and it takes experts to build through the rock gardens and gorges of the Cumberland

Two cameras focus on a bald eagle nest in a tall pine tree near the Cage Center on Berry College’s 27,000-acre campus in northwest Georgia. Nesting activity typically occurs from fall through April–May. The pair began prepping the nest in October and in December laid two eggs, the first on December 13 and the second

Here’s hoping all my readers have a wonderful Christmas and achieve all their dreams for the coming year. Stay tuned for continued developments at the Cumberland Naturalist in 2023. Yours truly, Bob Butters (Photo: Bob Butters)

Tennessee State Parks will ring in the New Year with the annual First Day Hikes on Jan. 1 in parks across Tennessee. The hikes are for all ages and abilities and will be held at nearly all of the 57 state parks. Hikers are also encouraged to enjoy overnight stays at campsites, cabins or lodge

Eagle Awareness Weekends are unique and so special. Created to coincide with Alabama’s Bald Eagle Restoration Program in 1985, steeped in the tradition of birding lore and legend, and led by some of the best conservationists and birders in the field, these Friday through Sunday Lake Guntersville State Park events bring people of diverse backgrounds

The 2023 Trails & Trilliums event is scheduled for April 21 – 23 and will involve celebrating the new Savage Gulf State Park, Earth Day, and the first statewide Tennessee Naturalist Conference. Read about this and more in FSC’s January 2023 TrailTracker newsletter. (Image: Friends of South Cumberland)

Day Fire Podcast’s Clint and Dawson recently sat down with Zach Lesch-Huie and Daniel Dunn. Zach is the Vice President of Programs & Acquisitions and Daniel is the Southeast Regional Manager for the Access Fund. Zach oversees the strategic direction, leadership, and management of Access Fund’s programs, including the Climbing Conservation Loan Program and land trust operations,

For the past decade, Outdoor Chattanooga has hosted a series of free Winter Workshops designed to teach people a variety of outdoor skills in a classroom-based setting. The goal is to inspire and prepare the inner adventurer inside you to get outside and play. Due to the pandemic, we had previously hosted these clinics virtually. However, with