Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge nature walks scheduled for April-June

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The 2019 season of Oak Ridge Reservation nature walks continues on Sunday, April 14, with a wildflower and old growth forest walk.

More than 1,100 vascular plants, 72 fish, 34 mammals, and more than 200 bird species have been observed on the U.S. Department of Energy reservation. This year, the public is invited to eight nature walks designed to highlight the rich flora and fauna diversity of the ORR and to demonstrate the work being done to sustainably manage and conserve this resource, a press release said. The series closes with a history talk in August.

Reservations for the following events must be made in advance by noon the Thursday prior to each walk by contacting Tracy Clem at (865) 574-5151 ([email protected]). If weather forces postponement of an event, it will be announced on Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Information Line at (865) 574-9836 (i.e. 574-XTEN) at least two hours before the scheduled start of the walk. Children are allowed on the walks; no pets, please.

Sunday, April 14: Wildflower and old growth forest walk

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Two spring nature walks remain on Oak Ridge Reservation

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Two more nature walks are scheduled this spring on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Reservation.

They include frog calls and bat monitoring on Friday, May 19, and reptiles and amphibians inventory on Sunday, June 4.

Previous walks included wildflower walks on Saturday, April 15, and Sunday, April 23, and a bird walk on Saturday, April 29.

The May 19 frog calls and bat monitoring event runs from 8 until 10 p.m. as participants will visit some small impounded waterbodies along the Freels Bend causeway to learn how Oak Ridge National Laboratory personnel are monitoring local bat populations and how to identify local frog populations based on calls. Nikki Jones and Kitty McCracken will lead the group along a one-mile level dirt and gravel road. A reliable flashlight is recommended as the walk will occur after sunset, a press release said. The walk is limited to 25, and children are allowed.

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Owl Prowl at UT Arboretum on Saturday

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owl

Owl Prowl is Saturday. It’s one of the most popular events offered at the University of Tennessee Arboretum.

Owl Prowl is sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society and the Clinch River Raptor Center. Kathy Strunk and Katie Cottrell, naturalists from the Clinch River Raptor Center, will bring live owls for display and will give information about their natural history, a press release said.

Owl Prowl is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, October 22, at the UT Arboretum, which is at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society has annual Owl Prowl on Saturday

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UTAS Owl Prowl

Katie Cottrell, right, and Kathy Strunk are pictured at an earlier Owl Prowl at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

The Owl Prowl, one of the most popular events offered at the University of Tennessee Arboretum, will again be sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society on Saturday, October 24. It’s at the UT Arboretum, which is at 901 South Illinois Avenue (Highway 62) in Oak Ridge.

Presented by the Clinch River Raptor Center, Kathy Strunk and Katie Cottrell will bring live owls for display and will give information about their natural history, a press release said.

The Raptor Center was started by John Byrd 30 years ago at Clinton Middle School. So far, 2,000 birds have come to the Raptor Center to be rehabilitated. Strunk and Cottrell have shared the responsibility as co-directors of the Raptor Center for more than 25 years, and they have given hundreds of programs in East Tennessee on birds of prey, the press release said. [Read more…]

Owl Prowl at UT Arboretum tonight

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Owl Prowl

The annual Owl Prowl is at the University of Tennessee Arboretum tonight (Saturday, October 25).

It’s one of the most popular events at the Arboretum, a press release said. It’s sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society.

The Arboretum is at 901 South Illinois Avenue (Highway 62) in Oak Ridge.

Owl Prowl is resented by the Clinch River Raptor Center, and Kathy Strunk and Katie Cottrell will bring live owls for display and will give information about their natural history. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools selects Teacher Leaders

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The Oak Ridge School system has announced its selections for Teacher Leaders for the 2014-15 school year.

The Teacher Leader initiative was conceived and launched as a result of the Tennessee Department of Education’s push to create a differentiated pay scale for teachers in all counties. The department encouraged systems to either adopt a structure where teachers receive pay bonuses based on student test scores and eliminate increases in pay for advanced degrees or years of service, or adopt programs that ask teachers to take on greater responsibilities in schools.

“When presented with the opportunity to reward teachers for their dedicated and outstanding service, we decided not to get rid of our steps and lanes that reward teachers for their time and dedication to the classroom and earning advanced degrees, but rather recognize teachers that step up and take on greater leadership roles around STEM, analyzing data, and reinforcing professional learning communities,” said Bruce Borchers, Oak Ridge Schools superintendent. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society has Owl Prowl on Oct. 26

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Owl Prowl

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have its annual Owl Prowl on Saturday, Oct. 26.

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have its annual Owl Prowl on Saturday, Oct. 26.

The Owl Prowl starts at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at the UT Arboretum at 901 S. Illinois Ave. (Highway 62) in Oak Ridge.

It will start at the Program Shelter with a program presented by the Clinch River Raptor Center, featuring owls found in East Tennessee. Kathy Strunk and Katie Cottrell will bring live birds for display and will give information about their natural history. [Read more…]