Description: This is a joint outing for TNPS and TCWP. This is a new powerline for our fall wildflower outing. It will require a bit more driving. Hopefully some of the bog orchids will still be in bloom but mostly we will be seeing goldenrods and asters. We will be able to mix driving and […]

Description:  We will walk through a field of ironweed, asters, goldenrods, and other colorful plants. We will discuss plants and the insects that visit them. This field is home for the uncommon Dion Skipper and Southeastern Plains Bumblebee. The walk is considered easy and kid friendly. Meeting Place/Time: We will meet in the parking lot […]

Description: This is a joint outing for Wild Ones, TNPS and TCWP. The Oak Ridge Barrens is a small property that supports at least three Tennessee rare plant species: prairie goldenrod (Solidago ptarmicoides), naked-stem sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis), and Torrey’s mountain mint (Pycnanthemum torreyi). Torrey’s mountain mint is not only rare in Tennessee but considered globally […]

Description:  We will explore the roadsides of northern Decatur County and the wildflowers along the way.  Liatris and goldenrods will be numerous, and we will be on the lookout for barbed rattlesnake-root (Nabalus barbatus), a rare plant in Tennessee. Meeting Place/Time:  Love’s Truckstop off Exit 126, I-40. 10:00 am Central Difficulty:  Easy to moderate Lunch:  […]

Steve Murphree is a Professor of Biology at Belmont University who specializes in Entomology and Ecology Research. He is a frequent contributor of articles about arthropods to the Tennessee Conservationist and has been interviewed about insects by local print, radio and television media. Since coming to Belmont, he has visited many classrooms in middle Tennessee […]