Spring Nature Festival at Warrior's Path State Park

Come enjoy a weekend full of outdoor discovery, with “mini-seminars” and guided hikes on a wide range of nature discovery topics, led by expert naturalists from across our region.
Detailed Schedule of Events:
FRIDAY, APRIL 12
6:30 PM    ANIMAL TRACKING AND SIGNS – Our fellow creatures leave a variety of living stories. Learn to read tracks and other signs of wildlife activity. Join Ranger Marty Silver at the Pool Building.
8:00 PM    NIGHT HABITATS WALK – Rangers Marty Silver and Brian Glover of Warriors’ Path will guide us on a night discovery walk. Meet at the Pool Parking Lot and we’ll carpool
 
SATURDAY, APRIL 13
7:30 AM    BIRDING 101 – Enjoy an introduction to the art of birdwatching. Bill Grigsby and other members of Birding Kingsport will share their deep understanding of spring birds. Meet at the Pool Building.
8:00 AM    BIRD WALK – Bill Grigsby and other members of Birding Kingsport will help us understand and identify spring birds and bird behavior. Meet at the Pool Building Porch.
9:00 AM    NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY TALK – Richard Siggins and Jeff Sturgill, expert nature photographers, will give us tips for better photography outdoors. This lecture will be held at the Pool Building.
10:00 AM    PHOTOGRAPHY WALK – Try the skills you learned at the photo seminar, or just enjoy the spring scenery. Richard Siggins will be our guide on this ridgeline hike. Meet at the Pool Parking Lot, and we’ll carpool.
11:30 AM    PLANTS & POLLINATORS TALK – Don Holt Naturalist from Steele Creek Park and Ranger Marty Silver, will acquaint us with spring plants and the butterflies and other creatures that pollinate them. Meet at the Pool Building.
12:30 PM    PLANTS & POLLINATORS WALK – Our guides, Marty Silver and Don Holt, will bring us to a bright display of spring wildflowers and their amazing insect pollinators. Meet at the Pool Parking Lot, and we’ll carpool.
1:30 PM    STREAM ECOLOGY SEMINAR – Expert stream ecologists Gary Barrigar and Cathy Landy will help us discover the incredible life of flowing waters. This lecture will be held at the Pool Building.
2:00 PM    CREEK WALK – Walk through the clear cool waters of Fall Creek, to experience a living community. Wear old clothes and sneakers, and meet Cathy Landy and Gary Barrigar at the Pool Parking Lot. We’ll carpool to the creek.
3:30 PM    GEOLOGY SEMINAR – Jeremy Stout of Steele Creek Park will offer special insights into the importance of those rocks beneath the spring landscape. This lecture will be held at the Pool Building.
4:30 PM    GEOLOGY WALK – Take a walk along a stony river bank, and learn the dynamic stories of a changing land. Start our hike with Jeremy Stout at the Pool Parking Lot.
5:30 PM    “LIFE UNDER LOGS” TALK – Hiding under rocks and logs, there are thousands of fascinating, misunderstood animals in our Tennessee mountains, each with a complex story that helps the entire ecosystem grow. Join naturalist Cade Campbell of Blue Ridge Discovery Center to uncover a world of overlooked, miniature wildlife of the spring forest. Meet at the Pool Building.
6:00 PM    “LIFE UNDER LOGS” WALK –  Join naturalist Cade Campbell on a “Life Under Logs” walk. From springtails to snails, discover new insights into these amazing invertebrates. Meet at the Pool Parking Lot. and we’ll carpool.
7:00 PM    SUNSET WALK – There’s no better place to observe the land than in these old fields and forested ridges. Come watch the evening darken the spring landscape in one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. Hike leaders will be Connie Deegan of Johnson City Parks and Ranger Brian Glover. Meet at the Pool Parking Lot, and we’ll carpool.
9:00 PM    SPRING NIGHT SKIES – Gather beneath the dark sky and learn the lore of the spring stars. Jason Dorfman of Bays Mountain Park will share his knowledge and his astronomical tools. Meet at the Pool Parking Lot. (in case of rain or thick clouds, meet at the Pool Building Porch.)
 
SUNDAY, APRIL 14
9:30 AM    WORSHIP SERVICE – Share uplifting music and an inspiring message with Eric Fieldsand the Worship Team from Grace Bible Church. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or at the Pool Building if it’s raining. (Note – the Chapel is located in the field between the pool parking lot and the main campground.)
10:30 AM    SPRING LANDSCAPES WALK – Reflect on the land’s rich gifts as we hike the high places. Enjoy Sunday morning in the woods with Ranger Marty Silver. Meet at the Pool Parking Lot, and we’ll carpool.