Local nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to attend the 20th annual Wildlife Weekend, hosted by the Bristol, Tennessee Parks and Recreation Department along with the Friends of Steele Creek Nature Center & Park. Organizers of the event have planned a full slate of activities, beginning with a welcome reception at 6:30 PM on Friday, October 13th, followed by a photography show with awards and exhibition of competition entries. At 7:30 PM, Nature Center Manager, Jeremy Stout will present a program on the new Nature Center expansion, which will officially open to the public earlier that afternoon. The weekend resumes on Saturday, October 14th at 8:30 AM. Nature walks and activities will continue through the afternoon highlighting a variety of topics including birds, arthropods, salamanders, snakes, mushrooms, fall flowers, and fossils. Check-in for all hikes will be at the Steele Creek Park Lodge adjacent to the Nature Center, and program participants are encouraged to pack a lunch.
The first Wildlife Weekend was held in 1998, just a few years after the initial opening of the Nature Center, and continues today in its 20th year as a way to showcase the natural history and biodiversity of Steele Creek Park to visitors from throughout the region.
For more information about Wildlife Weekend, including a full schedule of activities, please visit www.bristoltn.org, or call the Nature Center at 423-989-5616. The Nature Center will be closed to visitors until the ribbon cutting for the new expansion on Friday at 3:00 PM.
