John Byrd of CRESO (Submitted photo)
The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will sponsor a talk by the Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization, or CRESO, on Thursday, March 28, at the UT Arboretum Auditorium.
The talk is scheduled from 7 to 8 p.m. March 28. The UT Arboretum is at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.
John Byrd, principal investigator with CRESO, and Fred Holtzclaw are retired high school biology teachers, a press release said. [Read more…]
George L. Heinrich with an adult male alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) in Harris County, Texas. (Photograph by Jordan Gray)
The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society is offering two opportunities to hear renowned turtle expert George L. Heinrich in October as part of a nationwide speaking tour. Heinrich is executive director and co-founder of the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust.
The first opportunity to hear him speak will be at the UT Arboretum Society’s Annual Membership Dinner and Silent Auction. It’s scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. Monday, October 15, at Calhoun’s Event Center at 100 Melton Lake Peninsula in Oak Ridge. Heinrich will be the featured speaker. The public is welcome to attend, and the cost is $30 for members and $35 for non-members of the UT Arboretum Society, a press release said.
Reservations are required for the dinner. To reserve a place or for more information on the annual dinner and silent auction, call Pat Row at (865) 482-9096 or send her an email at [email protected]. Credit cards, cash, or checks will be accepted at the door, the press release said.
“Come enjoy an evening of great food, an interesting presentation, and silent auction,” the press release said. [Read more…]
Pictured above at right is John Byrd, director and co-founder of the Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization, or CRESO. At center is Dr. Matt Allender, DVM (zoo veterinarian from University of Illinois). He operates the Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, or W.E.L. They worked with Boykin Spaniels and Anderson County middle and high school students to collect information about the state’s reptile, the Eastern Box Turtle, at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, June 28, 2016. (DOE photo/Lynn Freeny)
Anderson County middle and high school students contributed to long-term ecological field studies at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, using Boykin Spaniels to help a veterinarian and an education and research program collect information about the state’s reptile, the Eastern Box Turtle.
The Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization, or CRESO, is leading the “turtle hunts” with the students this week, from June 27-30 in Oak Ridge. More than 20 students will participate in the program and experience hands-on field research, a press release said.
Collecting information about box turtles is a priority for CRESO to learn how local human activity is affecting their health and habitat, the press release said.
The Boykin Spaniels involved in the turtle hunt are a dog breed that has an uncanny ability to sniff out turtles. Boykins can swiftly find four to 12 turtles in an hour compared to the human ability of finding one every four hours. The Boykin’s soft mouth and calm, easy temperament ensures the turtles are not harmed. [Read more…]
The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will present a program on wetlands on Tuesday, June 16. This is both a walking and hands-on teaching event, a press release said.
The program is titled “Construction Techniques and the Value of Little Bitty Wetlands.” It’s scheduled from 6-8 p.m. June 16.
The talk will focus on the benefits of small wetlands and how to construct them, the press release said.
Participants will meet at the UT Arboretum parking lot at 901 S. Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge and walk about a quarter mile to the Valley Road Wetlands from the UT Arboretum parking lot. [Read more…]
Five more nature walks are planned this spring on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Reservation with themes of frog calls and bat monitoring, wildflowers and forest growth, bird watching, invasive plants, reptiles, and amphibians.
The frog calls and bat monitoring walk is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 4, and will be concentrated in the ponds around East Tennessee Technology Park. Wade Gefellers and Kitty McCracken of ORNL’s Environmental Sciences Division will demonstrate how local bat populations are monitored and methods to identify local frog populations based on calls. Participants, limited to 25 with children allowed, will meet at the ETTP visitors overlook parking lot at 7 p.m. [Read more…]
