Tennessee Wild Blog

As thousands of Tennesseans await reintroduction of the Tennessee Wilderness Act by Senator Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Wild is raising awareness about this important bill with an amazing piece of art created by local artist Hollie Berry.  For the past year, Berry has been drawing what she calls "DEW"dles in the wet grass in Coolidge Park in downtown Chattanooga.

Through the use of time lapse photography employed by Chattanooga based video company Fancy Rhino, and aided by beautiful footage from videographer David Madison, Tennessee Wild has captured Berry performing her magic... with a message! Checkout Hollie drawing an amazingly realistic Blue Ridge Two-Lined Salamander in the morning dew. Afterward, please take action to support the Tennessee Wilderness Act.

To celebrate Earth Day 2013, Tennessee Wild will be participating in a series of festivals around the state. Staffed primarily by volunteers, the Tennessee Wild displays will feature information about the Tennessee Wilderness Act; a federal bill that upon passage will permanently protect 19,558 acres of the Cherokee National Forest as federal wilderness.

Today, our parters at the Pew Environment Group released a new video urging Americans to ask Congress to pass the Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2011. With less than 3 weeks remaining before the 112th Congress adjourns, time is running out for wilderness! Please take a moment to watch this inspiring video of footage from the Cherokee National Forest, and then TAKE ACTION!. The video features a cameo from our business supporters at the Tellico Kats Deli in Tellico Plains, and photos from Bill & Laura Hodge and Jerry Greer Photography.

Back on August 21, 2012 Tennessee's largest daily paper, The Tennessean published a hard hitting editorial entitled 'Tennessee Wilderness Act could make even Congress look good.' This piece took Congress to task for their inability to get anything done, and suggested that they could "get their mojo back" by passing the "no-brainer" Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2011.  We couldn't agree more!

Checkout this brand new video put together by our partners at The WIlderness Society.

When I first came to Tennessee Wild as an intern, I never fancied myself as the lobbying type. I was okay advocating for Lamar Alexander's Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2011 in my community and on my campus, but I was somewhat averse to the idea of actually taking on the duty of lobbying Congress in Washington, D.C..

Very important! Time is running out for some two-dozen wilderness bills pending in Congress, including the Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2011 (S.1090). Together, these pieces of legislation would safeguard more than 2 million acres of our nation’s most amazing wild places, including 19,556 acres in Tennessee.

Our partners at The Wilderness Society recently released a new video featuring Senator Lamar Alexander discussing his Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2011.  Also featured in the video is Tennesse Wild's Director Jeff Hunter, and Bill Hodge from Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS). Take a look!

Twenty six years ago TODAY (Oct 16, 1986) Ronald Reagan signed into law the Tennessee Wilderness Act of 1986.  This law created the Unaka Mountain, Pond Mountain, Sampson Mountain, Big Laurel Branch & Little Frog Mountain Wilderness Areas.

Last year on a beautiful October day, Tennessee Wild's Jeff Hunter led eleven hikers on a walk along the Brookshire Creek Trail in the Cherokee National Forest. This trail is about 20 miles east of the quaint little town of Tellico Plains. While we often lead hikes along this rail, on this day, a producer and cameraman from This American Land joined us for the hike.  

Tennessee Wild has secured funding to hire four paid interns for the Fall 2012 semester. These positions will be located in Knoxville, Nashville, Tri-Cities and Chattanooga. The interns will be responsible for assisting with grassroots outreach in support of wilderness protection in Tennessee. The deadline for applying is August 31.