Upcoming Events

Join Laura Young, the Southwest Regional Steward of the VA Natural Heritage Program, to visit one of the most unique natural areas in Virginia.  The Cedars Natural Area Preserve is home to over 30 rare, threatened, or endangered plant and animal species and communities in southwest Virginia.  It also protects and manages for springs, karst features, caves, and riverbanks that are home to over 60 rare, threatened, and endangered aquatic and cave species.  

The targeted unique landscapes range from rocky limestone above ground karst with cliff break ferns and stone crop to dry, fire-maintained prairie glades loaded with big blue stem, hoary puccoon, yarrow leaved ragwort, and lobelias. We have woodland savannas full of milkweeds, mountain mints, and rattlesnake master that are abundant with butterflies and other pollinators during the summer months. As well as wet, rich, coves full of celandine poppies, Virginia blue bells, spring beauties, and bloodroot.  We'll try to take a glance at a wide variety of different communities in various stages of restoration. 

The Cedars is not a typical preserve in the sense of walking trails and parking areas, it exists for the resources first and the humans second.  Plan to be walking through the forest, potentially on uneven ground, and through vegetation at times. It's recommended to wear long pants and sturdy hiking shoes or boots, and bring trekking poles if they would assist you.  Bug spray and sunscreen are recommended as well as whatever food, water, and weather appropriate clothing items you need to have a good day in the woods. 

Participation in this event will be limited to maintain a high-quality experience for all attendees. WOAH members can register starting May 10th, and registration will be available to the others starting May31th. Register by email to:  [email protected]

The Cedars are about 1 ½ hour drive from Bristol.  Confirmation and directions to The Cedars will be provided to the registrants. by email.

Join Lee Borg at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center to identify and learn about various mushroom species growing there.  Lee is a Virginia Master Naturalist with a passion for edible wild mushrooms.  She retired from software engineering after 36 years, moved to the mountains, and began to notice mushrooms.  Dazzled by the stunning variety of shapes and colors, curiosity drove her to have them identified.  When told she had found a choice edible, something shifted in with her mind about the possibility of obtaining good food from the forest vs. the grocery store.  Lee has now safely consumed over 100 species of wild mushrooms, learned about the trees and plants that support them, and most importantly, how interconnected our natural world is.

We encourage participants to bring a sack lunch and explore the wildlife habitat at the BRDC after the mushroom walk.  Included are a wetland, rain garden and nature trail. 

Participation in this event will be limited to maintain a high-quality experience for all attendees.  WOAH members can register starting June 24th, and registration will be available to the public starting July 10th.  

Register by email to: [email protected]

We are excited to offer a home garden tour by Susan Brown, a WOAH member since 2022.  She has spent 3 years transitioning some of her 12 wooded acres to native plants.  Susan has consulted with Christy Shivell, owner of Shy Vallet Nursery in Fall Branch, TN.  Christy will be joining us to talk about her design and planting of various areas.  Susan has native plants around her house and a new area established with Christy’s help.  There are also 4 sections of a rain garden that run down a slope in front of her house.  An open sloped area has native nut and berry trees and shrubs.

She and her husband have spent many hours eradicating Japanese Stilt grass and Asiatic bittersweet, along with many other invasives.  We can learn a lot from her experiences with this evolving project.

Susan’s list of native plants is impressive.  We believe you will have to see her gardens to appreciate the work she has done over 3 years. 

Location: Members will use email to register for the tour: [email protected] and the address will be provided by email closer to the date.

Join Certified Tennessee Naturalist Jen Skarsaune to explore the flora and fauna of edge habitat at Doe Mountain Recreation Area.  We will learn about native plants in bloom and some of the pollinators that they support.  Jen is a member of the WOAH Chapter.

We will gather at the Doe Mountain Adventure Center before leaving on a 1-mile naturalist guided walk along one of Doe Mountain's trails.  Wear durable footwear and weather appropriate clothing.  The walk will take approximately an hour.  Bring your curiosity, a water bottle and hiking stick.  This is a FREE event. You do not need to purchase a day pass but please complete a waiver if you do not already have a DMRA pass.  https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/w/wvujn19nk2mezbgnmb2ymw/web/

This event is open exclusively to Wild Ones Appalachian Highlands members.  Participation will be limited to maintain a high-quality experience for all attendees.  WOAH members can register via email to: [email protected].  DMRA is about 1 hour’s drive from Bristol.  Confirmation will be provided to the registrants by email.

Date:  Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Time:  6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Location:  Adventure Center, 1203 Harbin Hill Road, Mountain City, TN 37683

From Shady Valley, take US421 to J Shoun Rd and Harbin Hill Rd to the Center.  From Damascus, take TN91 South to Mountain City and TN 67 2.7 miles west to Harbin Hill Road. The Center coordinates are: 36.45635, -81.84616

More info: http://dmra.gov

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!