It’s time for the 13th Annual Master Gardener Flower & Garden Show
It’s time for the 13th Annual Master Gardener Flower & Garden Show and Sale on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at the Sevier County Fairgrounds from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The Sevier County Fairgrounds are located at 754 Old Knoxville Hwy., Sevierville, TN 37862.
The Sevier County Area Master Gardeners Association and the University of Tennessee Extension Service invite you to attend The Master Gardener Flower & Garden Show and Sale on Saturday, April 22. The event, scheduled from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Sevier County Fairgrounds, will include a vendor marketplace for lawn and garden equipment and supplies, flowers, shrubs, trees, yard art, and more. Ornamental plants, herbs, and fruit and veggies will be available for purchase and Master Gardeners will offer tips on attracting butterflies and bees to your garden, the advantages of beneficial insects, recycling, and local food sources. A tour of the Master Gardner’s Demonstration Garden “The Learning Patch” is sure to bring out a “green thumb” in everyone.
A children’s area will offer delicious and healthy snacks along with interesting crafts designed to spark their interest in gardening.
Admission to the the Master Gardena Flower and Garden Show is $2 for adults with a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Sevier County Food Ministry or $3 without a food item. Kids under 12 are admitted free. Proceeds from the indoor event, held rain or shine, benefit the SCAMGA’s community service programs which include 4-H scholarships.
For more information, visit the Sevier County Master Gardeners Association or call the Sevier County Extension Office at 865-453-3695.
Park celebrates Junior Ranger Day Saturday, April 22, 2017.
Park celebrates Junior Ranger Day Saturday, April 22, 2017. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is gearing up to make some new friends when it celebrates Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, April 22 at Sugarlands Visitor Center, Cades Cove Visitor Center and Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Participants will include “kids” of all ages who want to learn more about exploring and protecting these national treasures.
According to Park Superintendent Cassius Cash, a variety of ranger-led activities will be enjoyed by all members of the family as the community comes together to celebrate the National Parks. Events include ranger-guided walks, historic toy making, talks with a wildland firefighter, creating a personalized bandanna, and an opportunity to learn more about local wildlife through “touch tables” featuring animal skins, skulls and scat.
Special park partners, the University of Tennessee’s Astronomy Department, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, Smoky Mountain Field School, and the National Parks Conservation Association, will be on site to celebrate Earth Day and this year’s upcoming total solar eclipse. The organizations will offer special celestial presentations and activities.
Children can earn a free Junior Ranger badge by completing three specifically planned activities. Older visitors may also participate in a “Not-So-Junior Ranger” program and earn their own patch.
Visitors are reminded to bring water, sunscreen and appropriate footwear. Inclement weather is always a possibility, so include lightweight raincoats or ponchos.
For more info or questions about this event, contact Ranger Joshua Contois at Joshua-Contois@nps.gov. or at 865-436-1252. To find out how you can join parks, programs and partners in celebrating National Park Week go to NPS.gov.
Great Smoky Mountains Spur Clean-Up Day
Lend a hand and help clean-up the Great Smoky Mountains Spur. Photo credit – John Lang
Great Smoky Mountains Spur Clean Up Day Tuesday, April 18, 2017. The Spur is approximately five miles of the foothills parkway connecting Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a scenic stretch often “loved to death” by thoughtless motorists and anglers; and your participation is needed to help remove trash and debris. Last year’s clean-up collected about 19 bags of trash per mile.
The spur clean-up coincides with area Earth Week activities culminating with Earth Day April 22, 2017. Sevier County is proud to join communities around the world in an effort to clean-up the mess left by others. The three-hour event is a joint effort by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Keep Sevier Beautiful Foundation.
“The strong volunteer response is evidence of the commitment by our local residents and businesses to the preservation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park for future generations,” said Jim Downs of the Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Keep Sevier Beautiful provides everything you need to participate with the exception of gloves. Each clean-up team will consist of ten enthusiastic members. Fourteen teams comprised of 85 people collected 97 large bags of garbage during last year’s event. The team that collects the most trash will enjoy a pizza party at Big Daddy’s Pizzeria. All participants will enjoy free ice cream provided by Ben & Jerry’s.
Join the fun and help clean-up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by registering at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. Crews begin work at 9 a.m. and finish at noon. Volunteers are advised to wear sturdy footwear and gloves. The Gatlinburg Welcome Center is located at 1011 Banner Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738. To register in advance visit www.gatlinburg.com or call 865-436-0505. Unregistered eco-minded friends and strangers will also be heartily welcomed on the day of the event!
A 200 foot geyser erupted yesterday in the very heart of Cades Cove
A 200 foot geyser erupted yesterday in the very heart of Cades Cove located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from a sinkhole that officials say has increased in size during recent weeks. Both geyser and sinkhole are possibly related to seismic activity along the New Madrid Fault, said park geologist I. Dig Rocks, adding “the fault produces frequent earth tremors that are usually of no consequence.”
A Representative from the United States Geological Survey said this is not always the case citing early 1800 earthquakes along the fault which caused the mighty Mississippi River to flow backwards creating Reelfoot Lake, a 15,000 acre body of water located in the Northwest corner of Tennessee.
Hundreds of visitors flocked to the area to view the phenomenon first hand; ignoring barricades and venturing dangerously close to the geyser. Concerned park officials are trying to keep them at a safe distance. “We are worried that someone may be injured,” says one official. “We don’t know if this is as big as the geyser will get or if it could blow up and take half the valley with it.”
Local resident Ima Mazed was one of the curious. “I have seen Old Faithful in Yellowstone, but it is nothing compared to this,” she said.