SPRING WILDFLOWERS AND WALKER SISTERS’ HOMESITE 
The wildflowers of spring were a sign that winter had passed and life would be easier for the Walker sisters. Join us for an easy three-mile stroll and learn about both spring flowers and these legends. Two connecting trails will lead us from Metcalf Bottoms to the historic Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse and on to the famed Walker sisters’ homesite. Enjoy the show of spring wildflowers and see the cabin site where the “Five Sisters” lived off the land. Instructors: Joel and Kathy Zachry, both M.S., are husband and wife naturalists with more than 50 combined years of Park backcountry identification and hiking experience.
COURSE #282957 FEE: $49
Sat., April 12, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
(Meet at bridge just inside Metcalf Bottoms Picnic area.)
WILDFLOWERS AND TREES 
Explore the dozens of wildflowers and flowering trees that bring the Smokies to new life each spring. As Shakespeare suggested “…that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet…,” so we will use our sight, smell, touch and taste, as well as folklore, plant uses, and pollinators to give each flower and tree new meaning, and not just a name. We’ll also learn the non-technical basics of wildflower and tree identification as we discover the diversity within several rich forest types along short trails at different elevations. And for children of all ages, whatever critter is found along the way will be examined and discussed. Instructor: Carey Jones is a former Park Ranger naturalist who for 14 years led education programs in the Smokies. Always the seeker and discoverer, his experience and M.A. help glean truths from nature to share with fellow learners. He leads walks for the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage and is the narrator of the new Bird Songs of the Smokies CD set.
COURSE #283909
Sat., April 12, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
(Meet on porch at Park Headquarters bldg.)
FEE: $29 adults and teens
$19 child (ages 6-12)
THE PERFECT HIKE
If you enjoy seeing waterfalls, vistas, old farms and house sites, unique geological features, and great spring wildflowers (we counted more than two dozen on this trip last April), then this is your kind of hike! It is relatively easy – about five miles up and back, and not too steep. About 90 percent of the hike is on old trails, with the rest through open woods to a great overlook. As far as physical exertion is concerned, if you can make the round trip to Alum Cave Bluff and back from the Newfound Gap Road, you should be just fine with this hike. Your guide for the day has worked in GSMNP for more than 30 years as a ranger, interpreter, maintenance employee, and volunteer. If the weather cooperates, this feature-packed trip truly will be “The Perfect Hike.” Instructor: Ron Click.
COURSE #283886 FEE: $49
Sat., April 19, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
(Meet on porch at Park Headquarters bldg.)
SPRING WILDFLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY
If you want to develop your technical and visual skills in plant photography, this workshop is for you! The first part will be spent in classroom demonstrations of techniques. In the second part, we will visit selected wildflower sites to give you an opportunity to apply these skills in the field. You should bring a 35mm or larger format camera with close-up capability, film, and a tripod that can get close to the ground. Emphasis is on film but techniques are useful for digital photography as well. Particular emphasis will be on close-up techniques in color. Instructor: Alan S. Heilman, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus, UT Botany. He has conducted wildflower photography sessions at the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage for more than 35 years.
COURSE #283860 FEE: $49
Sat., April 19, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
(Meet in training room at Sugarlands Visitor Center.)
WATERFALLS: SHARE THE SMOKIES’ WONDERS WITH CHILDREN
Share a waterfall with your child. David Morris and Charles Maynard, co-authors of Time Well Spent - Family Hiking in the Smokies and Waterfalls of the Smokies, will lead adults and children to some of the Smokies’ prized watery gems in the Tremont area covering three to four miles roundtrip. Bring a lunch along to experience the miracle of the mountains and to hear stories of those who once lived in them. Instructors: Charles W. Maynard and David E. Morris are experienced hikers, stargazers, and storytellers.
COURSE #283889
Sat., April 26, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
(Meet at Great Smoky Mountains Institute at
Tremont parking lot.)
FEE: $29 adults and teens
$19 child (ages 6-12)
The apple denotes Knox County Teacher Center approval for in-service credit.
Question? E-mail us at Smoky@utk.edu