Upcoming Events

Join us at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center to enjoy and learn about native habitats in our region.  We will follow trails in the morning to discover mushrooms and enjoy a guided tour of the native habitat areas established at the BRDC in the afternoon.  You will need to bring lunch and beverage.

Lee Borg will lead the walk 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.

Olivia Jackson, the BRDC program coordinator, will lead a guided tour of a rain garden, wetlands, pond, and nature trails that meander through the campus.  Olivia grew up just outside Shenandoah National Park and spent most of her childhood exploring the great outdoors.  She has a degree in biology and took field classes like herpetology, ornithology, and field botany that sparked her interest in naturalist education.  She developed her skills in naturalist education at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center just outside Albany, New York.  During her time there, her passion for teaching people about the wonders of the outdoors flourished.  She believes that every day is an opportunity to learn something new!

We will also learn how volunteers can help maintain and expand the gardens while learning about them as part of the BRDC Weekly Garden Club.

Participation in this event will be limited to maintain a high-quality experience for all attendees.  WOAH and WCMG members can register starting June 24th, and registration will be available to the public starting July 10th.  You will receive confirmation and more detailed directions by email.

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!