Upcoming Events

Due to the rainy weather forecast, the paddle/trash pickup event along the Freels Bend Section of the Clinch River, originally scheduled for tomorrow (October 10), has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 31.  

Meet at Clark Center Park boat ramp area and either bring or rent canoe or kayak from Adventures Outdoors at 9:00 am. Paddle across to islands and inlets and upstream a ways to Freels Bend Cabin and back. Pick up trash along the way (put in a couple of canoes) Enjoy birds, shoreline wildflowers and scenery. Wear swimming attire just in case…. Wear sunscreen and sun protection. Life preservers required for all participants.

For those interested in renting a watercraft please reserve through Www.Adventuresoutdoors.com. Rental canoes cost $39 for 3 hours and Kayaks $34. A boat trailer will be available to transport rented watercraft to Clark Center Park. Please complete rental arrangements by 8:30.

Please register for the trip with Sandra Goss at Sandra@sandrakgoss.com or 865-805-1470 or Tim Bigelow at (865) 607-6781 or via email at Bigelowt2@mindspring.com.

Pre-registration by Thursday October 29  is requested.

This activity will be conducted to protect participants from the COVID-19 virus. This event may have to be reconsidered

The Oak Ridge Cedar Barren will again be the site of exotic invasive plant removal as we conduct our fall cleanup, our third and final cleanup of the year.  Located next to Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge, the Barren is a joint project of the City of Oak Ridge, State Natural Areas Division, and TCWP. The area is one of just a few cedar barrens in East Tennessee, and is subject to invasion by bushy lespedeza, leatherleaf viburnum, privet, autumn olive, mimosa, Nepal grass, multiflora rose, and woody plants that threaten the system’s prairie grasses. Our efforts help to eliminate invasives and other shade-producing plants that prevent the prairie grasses from getting needed sunlight.

Volunteers should meet in the Jefferson Middle School Parking lot at 9 a.m., with sturdy shoes, loppers, gloves, and water.  For more information, contact Tim Bigelow at 865-607-6781 or Bigelowt2@mindspring.com.

This activity will be conducted to protect participants from the COVID-19 virus. Please wear masks to the start of the event and during group mingling, and try to maintain a six-foot distance from others whenever possible. This event may have to be reconsidered based on conditions at the time.

This year’s hike will explore the eastern part of the Norris Watershed on primarily woods roads that are not open to vehicles. We will meet in front of Norris Middle School (across from the library near the pavilion) at 9:00 and then caravan to the trailhead along Upper Clear Creek Road. The first leg will be on Arnie’s Trail to Benny’s Trail and then up to Boundary Trail, which we will follow along the con-tour to Forester’s Trail. We will hike down to Belmont Trail and take it up and over the ridge back to Benny’s Trail and then up to Arnie’s Trail and to the start. The hike will go through a variety of forest situations including old reverted fields, mixed mesophotic forest, and small patches of white pine. We will also see the development of forest over time on several areas that were clearcut some 45-50 years ago and one that was cut in 2014. The hike will cover about 4 miles and is rated easy to moderate (see Norris Watershed Trail map at: http://www.cityofnorris.com/id336.html.