Winter is an excellent time to look for birds. Most of the leaves are gone from the trees and the birds are more visible. There are several bird species that are only here in East Tennessee during the cold weather months because they migrate from farther north or higher elevation to find food. It’s the “Brrrrr-irds of Winter,” our first UT Arboretum First Thursday Supper Club of 2023, January 5 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.
Join Michelle Campanis, education coordinator at the University of Tennessee Arboretum, and naturalist Stephen Lyn Bales via Zoom for an overview of winter species like dark-eyed junco, hermit thrush, yellow-bellied sapsucker, purple finch, winter wren and many more.
The program is free, but registration is required to receive your Zoom link and the recording. Closed captions are available. Register at www.utarboretumsociety.org
To contact Stephen Lyn Bales or buy one of his UT Press books, email him at hellostephenlyn@gmail.com
UT Arboretum plans January 1 hike
Do you get overloaded on football, food and festivities? The UT Arboretum Society is offering a great alternative: start out the year on the “right foot” by joining our New Year’s Hike at the UT Arboretum, 901 S. Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge, on Sunday, January 1, 2023. Please follow the signs for parking up to the auditorium.
We will gather at 9 a.m. at the UT Arboretum Auditorium where you will be greeted by fellow hikers and offered coffee, hot chocolate and snacks. At 9:30 a.m. the group will leave for a guided hike that will last about 45 minutes. The hike will follow a forest trail and will visit the Elmore Holly Collection.
Please wear clothes appropriate to the weather and boots or good shoes for outdoor walking. We aim for this hike to be suitable for all, but the difficulty level of the hike is dependent on individual fitness. Be sure to bring a water bottle to stay hydrated as you hike. Due to ongoing research projects on our grounds, we are unable to allow pets.
This is a free program offered by the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society. No registration is required. For more information contact mcampani@utk.edu.
To learn more about the Arboretum Society, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org or contact mcampani@utk.edu.
Melanie Staten is a public relations consultant with her husband, Vince.