"Spring Thing" Nature Festival at Long Hunter State Park

Long Hunter State Park in Hermitage will hold its annual Spring Thing nature festival on Saturday, April 13th.

This free event will feature nature-themed activities for the whole family, including a wild edibles program, bird walk, scavenger hunt, butterfly slideshow, cedar glade hike, live animal show, a honeybee presentation and more. There will also be booths by the Friends of Long Hunter State Park, Tennessee Parks & Greenways Foundation and other local organizations.

The event is sponsored by The Friends of Long Hunter State Park.

For more information, visit https://www.friendsoflonghunter.com

See below for the complete schedule of events.

Early Morning Bird Walk
8:00am - 9:30am - Starts at Park Office
Join Richard Connors, a Nashville photographer and naturalist with over 20 years of experience, for an early morning bird walk. Richard will help us see and hear the many birds that are up and tweeting during the morning hours. We will be identifying both local and migratory species by sight and sound. What a wonderful way to start a day!
 
Storybook Trail Scavenger Hunt
Between 10:00am - 11:45am - Starts at Storybook Trail at Couchville Lake Parking Lot
Follow along the story book trail while you read the story but also hunt for the many items on the scavenger hunt list. Perfect for pre-school to elementary age kids who will love the cute prizes given to all that participate. This is a short 1/4-mile trail. Start any time after 10:00 am and finish up at your own pace.
 
Wild Edibles
10:00am - 12:00pm - Starts at the Park Office
Back by popular demand, Sharen Bracy - author, speaker, gardener and beekeeper - will change your ideas about what you can eat in the great outdoors. Join Sharen in the meeting room for some basic info, then follow her outside as she leads the group around the office area to search for wild edibles.
 
Live Animal Show by NHECM
12:00pm - 1:00pm - Shelter by Couchville Lake Parking Lot
Guess who's coming to visit Long Hunter?! Natural History Educational Company of the Midsouth (NHECM), is back with us for one of our most popular programs. NHECM programmer Shawna Adams will bring a variety of wild animals and reptiles for us to learn about, see and maybe even touch.

Honey Bees and the TSP Honey Bee Project
1:00pm - 2:00pm - Park Office
Learn about general beekeeping and more specifically about the Tennessee State Park Honey Bee from Chris Warren, Deputy Director of TDEC's Office of Talent Management and a veteran beekeeper. The Honey Bee Project is an exciting undertaking in several Tennessee state parks. The Honey Bee project promotes the survival of honey bees while also improving the pollination of native plants. The project also provides the opportunity to collect honey and bee wax from the hives.

Cedar Glade Hike
1:00pm - 2:00 pm - Starts at Cedar Glade Parking Lot on South Mt. Juliet Road
Come celebrate mid-spring at Long Hunter State Park at nearby Couchville Cedar Glade State Natural Area. Join Brian Bowen, retired TDEC Natural Areas Program Administrator, for an easy 1.5-mile walk through some high-quality examples of open glades, grass-dominated prairies, and limestone forests. This spring time walk should be perfect for seeing the numerous wildflowers blooming there including some species rarely seen elsewhere. Brian will discuss Middle Tennessee cedar glades, their origins, unique species, and influences that maintain their open condition. Participants may wish to bring water and use bug spray for the afternoon walk through the glades.
 
Beautiful Butterflies: Lecture and Hike
2:00pm - 3:00pm - Starts at Park Office
Rita Venable, butterfly expert and author of the highly popular book Butterflies of Tennessee, will share her expertise on butterflies and delight us with her magnificent photographs