Nature

2022 City Nature Challenge Hikes!

Location, Date and Time: Buffalo Mountain Park, 570 High Ridge Road., Harris Pavilion Date: April 29, Time: 10-11:15a.m. Jacob’s Nature Park, 1919 Ocala St., Outdoor classroom Date: April 29, Time 1-2:15 p.m. Willow Springs Park, 1201 Huffine Rd., main parking lot Date: May 2, Time: 10-11:15 a.m. Winged Deer Park, Disc golf parking lot, 204 Carroll Creek Rd., Date: May 2, Time: 1-2:15p.m. Call: 423-283-5821 Ages: All ages Cost: Free Registration: No registration necessary Instructor: Connie Deegan, nature program coordinator Come and use/learn your iNaturalist skills. Use your phone to record observations and make identifications of plants and animals. These will count towards another hopeful win for Johnson City over our challenging city of Knoxville! Enjoy these group strolls as we learn the value of this easy app and the important roll Citizen Science plays.

Getting to Know Buffalo Mountain!

Location: Buffalo Mountain Park, 570 High Ridge Road, Harris Pavilion Call: 423-283-5821 Date: Saturday, May 21 Times: Please arrive 15 minutes before your chosen scheduled hike 9 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Lady Slipper Loop Hike w/stops at Huckleberry & Sunset Point (1.3 miles, moderate, 1 hour & 15 minutes) 9 a.m. Tip Top Hike-White Rock Loop (west) to Tip Top. Return on Fork Knob. (3.3 miles, moderate, 2 hours & 15 minutes) 9 a.m. White Rock Loop (west) with stop at White Rock overlook (4.4 miles, moderate, 3 hours, 30 minutes) 9 a.m. The Noggin to White Rock Overlook with return from top of Tower Ridge (3 miles, challenging, 2 hours & 30 minutes) Ages: All ages for Lady Slipper Loop hike. Families with children 10 and above for all other hikes. Cost: Free Registration: No registration necessary Hike Leaders: Members of the Mid-Appalachian Highland Club, Connie Deegan, nature program coordinator Buffalo Mountain is 725 acres of gorgeous! With hardwood forest, Catbird Creek, beautiful overlooks, spring flowers and more, please consider a hike with a trail guide from the Mid-Appalachian Highlands Hiking Club. From beginner to advanced, meet Johnson City’s mountain and consider membership in the MAHC. Bring pack, water, snacks, TP, camera.

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Location: Buffalo Mountain Park, park below the closed orange service road gate where gravel park road ends Call: 423-283-5821 Date: Aug. 20 Time: 5:45-8:45 a.m. Ages: If you can hike uphill at an average pace, you are good Cost: Free Registration: No registration necessary Instructor: Connie Deegan, nature program coordinator Join us for a sunrise hike on Buffalo Mountain. We will head up at to catch the sunrise at beautiful White Rock overlook. Note: there is a lot of moderate uphill on the front end of this hike! Then we will continue on White Rock Loop to the other side of the park as we make our way back down on this 3.5 mile venture. Bring water, snack, flashlight, and camera if you choose. You never know what we will see. Salamander Hunt

Location: Buffalo Mountain Park, Harris Pavilion Call: 423-283-5821 Date: Aug. 20 Time: 10:30 a.m.-noon Ages: Families Cost: Free Registration: No registration necessary Instructor: Connie Deegan, nature program coordinator We live in the salamander capital! Not of Tennessee, nor the Southeast, the US; but of the World! Salamanders are amphibians like their noisy and better known 'cousins,' the frogs and toads. After a brief discussion, we’ll head to nice, cool Catbird Creek to do some sleuthing and see what we can find.

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