Before 1934 and the establishment of the national park, the Great Smokies were largely depleted of trees and wildlife . Now, almost 90 years later, the mountains have largely recovered.

Join education coordinator Michelle Campanis and naturalist, author Stephen Lyn Bales via Zoom on Thursday, November 2 at 7pm for “Recovered Life of the Great Smokies.”  Stephen Lyn grew up in Gatlinburg and has seen many of the positive changes firsthand. He has witnessed the return of otters, elk, bears, barn owls, peregrine falcons and more.  Join us as we look at the recent natural history of the mountains that now make up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We will discuss what caused the loss and how it has recovered and what we can do to support the continuation of that recovery. 

The November First Thursday Nature Supper Club presentation is hosted by the UT Arboretum Society. We provide the nature, and you learn from the comfort of your home – no dress code or shoes required! This class is free, but you must register at www.utarboretumsociety.org to receive your Zoom link and the recording. Closed captions are available.  For any registration issues please contact Michelle – mcampani@utk.edu.