Wildlife Weekend

Park after Dark 2023

Friday, Oct. 13

  • Welcome reception and lecture titled “Creatures of the Night” by Chris Ogle, a Nongame/Endangered Species Biologist for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) at 6 p.m.
  • Awards ceremony for the Wildlife Weekend Amateur Photography Contest

Saturday, Oct. 14

  • Scavenger Hunt (all day) at 9 a.m. A special feature of this year’s event, a digital version of the traditional Wildlife Weekend passport will be included. To participate in this scavenger hunt, download the GooseChase App to a smartphone or tablet and search for Wildlife Weekend or use the code PBMK7K. Create a player profile to begin.
  • Bird Walk at 9 a.m. Hosted by the Bristol Bird Club, bring your binoculars and identify the various species of birds that are active within the park.
  • Bird Banding at 9:30 a.m. Join avian expert Richard Lewis as he captures various birds and bands them for on-going research.
  • Commander's Hike at 10 a.m. Join Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Harvey “Commander” Anderson as he leads a moderate 3-mile hike to various points of interest within Steele Creek Park.
  • Gardening for Wildlife at 11 a.m. Join Gail Dennie as she gives a mini-session on various planting strategies beneficial to various wildlife species.
  • Intro to iNaturalist at 11:45 a.m.  Join Nature Center resident naturalist Lance Jessee as he demonstrates how to use modern technology to identify and report various species using a smartphone and the iNaturalist app. This mini-session is immediately followed by a hands-on demonstration walk.
  • Mike's Mushroom Foray at 12:30 p.m. Join the Nature Center’s fungi fun-guy--Mike Garten—as he discusses the vast fungi located within the park. This mini-session is immediately followed by a “fungi foray” in search of various specimens in-the-wild.
  • Commander's Hike at 1 p.m. Join Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Harvey “Commander” Anderson as he leads a moderate 3-mile hike to various points of interest within Steele Creek Park.
  • Photographing Wildlife at 1:15 p.m.  Join Matt Keller and Lynn Greever of No Boundaries Photography Club, as they discuss techniques for capturing the best wildlife photographs possible. This mini-session is immediately followed by a hands-on demonstration walk.
  • Edible & Medicinal Hike at 2 p.m. Join naturalist Cade Campbell as he discusses various edible and medicinal plants found within our region. This mini-session is immediately followed by a walk/hike in search of various specimens.
  • Frog & Toad Acoustics at 2:45 p.m. Join Steele Creek Park researcher John McMeen as he discusses the latest research within Steele Creek Park. John has been using cutting-edge technology to characterize the park’s frog & toad populations by recording their sounds and digitizing them for “audible identification.” 

Starting at 12 p.m. a series of interactive kiosks will also be available throughout the day to provide educational information about reptiles, fossils, rocks and minerals, owl pellets, bugs, bird skins and skulls, raptors and more.  

As a special treat for young nature lovers, Chippy, the Steele Creek Park mascot, will make an appearance at various activities throughout the day.




 Nature Center and Friends of Steele Creek Logos