University of Tennessee Arboretum Archives

Asian garden specialist to introduce dry landscape gardens Thursday at UT Arboretum

Posted at 11:08 am January 21, 2019
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

Martin McKellar will speak on dry landscape gardens at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Submitted photo)

Martin McKellar will discuss dry landscape gardens at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Submitted photo)

Artistic designs raked in fine gravel around carefully placed boulders offer peaceful settings for contemplation gardens. Known as karesansui (pronounced car-uh-san-swee), the dry landscape gardens are a centuries-old tradition in Japan but rare in the United States.

Soon, however, Oak Ridge will have its own karesansui garden. As landscaping begins around the International Friendship Bell Peace Pavilion in Oak Ridge, the Japanese karesansui gardens will lend a distinctive and contemplative element to the Oak Ridge landmark.

Introducing the gardens to Oak Ridge will be Martin McKellar, retired from the University of Florida International Center and now a volunteer as the Asian garden specialist at the university’s Harn art museum. He will present a public talk at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 24, on “Dry Landscape Gardens around the World and in Oak Ridge” at the University of Tennessee Arboretum auditorium, which is at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The karesansui gardens at the Friendship Bell site will be maintained by volunteers who learn the skills to create the designs and maintain the gardens for the city. McKellar will hold four-hour training sessions for volunteers interested in designing, raking, and taking care of the Oak Ridge karesansui gardens on at 1 p.m. Friday, January 25, and at 8:30 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, January 26. [Read more…]

Turtle expert to be featured at UT Arboretum Society dinner, community event

Posted at 3:10 pm September 27, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

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…]

Reminder: Flatwater Festival, Flatwater Tales this weekend

Posted at 4:15 pm June 1, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Ridge City Ramblers perform at the Flatwater Festival in 2017. (Photo courtesy Flatwater Festival)

Reminder: The second Flatwater Festival presented by the three Rotary clubs of Oak Ridge will be held from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Melton Lake Park.

And the Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival, which will feature three world renowned storytellers, has events on Friday and Sunday. It is the first storytelling festival in the Oak Ridge area.

Organizers said the Flatwater Festival on Saturday will include bands, beer, boat races, and bounce houses; wine, water, and soda; and face painting, food vendors, and fun for all, including corn hole games.

New this year is a team-building regatta featuring up to 20 boats. It will be held from 12:30 to 5 p.m. in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Rowing Association. A “build a boat” race by participants who make their own cardboard boats ahead of time will be held at 5 p.m. [Read more…]

Flatwater Festival announces first storytelling festival in Oak Ridge

Posted at 12:34 pm May 18, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

From left are Bil Lepp, Tim Lowry, and Minton Sparks. (Photos courtesy Flatwater Tales)

Internationally acclaimed storytellers to perform, share laughter and tears, and create memories

The Flatwater Festival in Oak Ridge has announced a major addition to its 2018 schedule: The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival, featuring three world renowned storytellers. This will be an annual event sponsored by the three Rotary Clubs in Oak Ridge, all volunteers, as part of the Flatwater Festival weekend. This is the first storytelling festival in the Oak Ridge area, a press release said.

Bil Lepp, Tim Lowry, and Minton Sparks will perform for this inaugural festival. They have achieved national and international recognition and appear regularly at festivals, including the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, the press release said.

Flatwater Tales kicks off on Friday, June 1, with a three-hour interactive writing workshop, “Create Your Own Story,” with Minton Sparks. The goal is to help participants discover their own stories from their family history and experiences, structure their stories, and share them with others. The workshop is being held in a serene woodland setting at the auditorium in the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge. No previous writing or performing experience is needed, the press release said. [Read more…]

Three Rotary clubs present Flatwater Festival on June 2

Posted at 11:54 am May 18, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Ridge City Ramblers perform at the Flatwater Festival in 2017. (Photo courtesy Flatwater Festival)

Bands, beer, boat races, and bounce houses. Wine, water, and soda. Face painting, food vendors, and fun for all, including corn hole games.

The second Flatwater Festival presented by the three Rotary clubs of Oak Ridge will be held from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Melton Lake Park.

What’s new this year? A team-building regatta featuring up to 20 boats will be held from 12:30 to 5 p.m. in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Rowing Association. A “build a boat” race by participants who make their own cardboard boats ahead of time will be held at 5 p.m.

In addition, the festival at Melton Lake Park is sandwiched between the Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival events on Friday, June 1, at the University of Tennessee Arboretum and Sunday, June 3, at the Oak Ridge Playhouse.

The three-day festival will be a fundraiser for the three Rotary clubs’ community service projects, including four new benches for the Oak Ridge waterfront in 2018, a press release said. [Read more…]

David Haskell, author of ‘Songs of Trees,’ to speak at UT Arboretum tonight

Posted at 12:25 pm April 24, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

David Haskell

Author David Haskell will speak about his new book, “The Songs of Trees: Stories from Nature’s Great Connectors,” in Oak Ridge tonight (Tuesday, April 24).

Haskell, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for an earlier book, will be at the University of Tennessee Arboretum Auditorium from 7-8 p.m. Tuesday. The Arboretum is at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The event is co-sponsored by Strata-G LLC, the UT Arboretum Society, and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, an Oak Ridge-based environmental advocacy organization that offers informative programs and news about environmental issues affecting Tennesseans, a press release said.

Haskell, a British-born American biologist, is an author and professor of biology at Sewanee: The University of the South. Copies of his new book and “The Forest Unseen” will be available for sale at the event from Union Avenue Books, the press release said. He will be signing books purchased at the event before and after his talk. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society has New Year’s Walk on Jan. 1

Posted at 10:27 pm December 20, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society has its Fourth Annual New Year’s Walk at the UT Arboretum at 901 S. Illinois Ave. in Oak Ridge on Monday, Jan. 1, 2018. (Photo by UT Arboretum Society)

If you are overloaded on football, food, and festivities, the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society is offering a great alternative: The Fourth Annual New Year’s Walk at the UT Arboretum on Monday, January 1, 2018.

The arboretum is at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

“Start out the year on the ‘right foot’ by joining the walk that begins at 9:30 a.m. at the UT Arboretum Auditorium, where you will be greeted by fellow hikers and offered coffee, hot chocolate, and snacks,” a press release said. “At 10 a.m. the group will leave for a guided walk that will last about 45 minutes. The hike will follow a forest trail and will visit the Elmore Holly Collection, giving participants the opportunity to see the hollies still covered with berries.

“This is an easy walk on the trails and is suitable for all ages. The Arboretum Society encourages everyone to come out to enjoy an outdoor respite before heading home to watch the bowl games on TV.”

This is a free program offered by the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society. [Read more…]

Learn about Tennessee’s bats at UT Arboretum on Thursday

Posted at 4:05 pm October 29, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy University of Tennessee Arboretum Society

You can learn about the 16 species of Tennessee bats at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Thursday.

Sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society, this family friendly program will be led by Pandy English, the assistant chief of biodiversity for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, a press release said. It’s scheduled to start at the UT Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, November 2.

“We know that bats eat mosquitoes and help pollinate plants, but there is so much more to this mysterious creature,” the press release said.

The program will be at the UT Arboretum Auditorium, which is at 901 South Illinois Avenue. It will include a PowerPoint presentation, bat “show and tell” items, and children’s activities at the end, the press release said. Attendees will learn about bat myths and facts, the characteristics and types of bats in Tennessee, and why bats are one of our most invaluable species. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society has Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, Oct. 21

Posted at 7:36 pm October 17, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s Fall Plant Sale will be held Saturday, October 21, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s Fall Plant Sale will be held Saturday, October 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge.

“Fall is the ideal time to add plants to your landscape,” a press release said. “Beaver Creek Nursery, East Fork Nursery, Riverdale Nursery, Sunlight Gardens, as well as the UT Arboretum Society’s members and friends, will be offering a variety of high quality plants at this sale.”

Cash, checks, and credit cards will be accepted for payment. [Read more…]

Reminder: Emerald ash borer workshop at UT Arboretum this evening

Posted at 9:57 am August 29, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

An ash tree is pictured above in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Tree Board is hosting a workshop focused on the impact of the emerald ash borer in the area. The event, scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, August 29, will provide important information regarding the emerald ash borer for property owners, landscapers, and others involved in the maintenance of green spaces, a press release said.

Ash trees make up a significant percentage of the urban forest in the area and have traditionally been a landscaping staple. Many of these trees in Oak Ridge are already dead or beyond treatment, but a significant number can be saved. At the workshop this evening, experts from around the area will address issues that include the identification of affected ash trees and responses to emerald ash borer infestation, including appropriate treatment. [Read more…]

City tree board has workshop on emerald ash borer on Aug. 29

Posted at 7:58 pm August 6, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

An ash tree is pictured above in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

“Ash trees make up a significant percentage of our urban forest and have traditionally been a landscaping staple,” the press release said. “Many of these trees in Oak Ridge are already dead or beyond treatment, but a significant number can be saved. At the workshop later this month, experts from around the area will address issues such as identification of affected ash trees and responses to EAB (emerald ash borer) infestation, including appropriate treatment.”

Those who attend will learn about these pests and their origin and how they spread across the country, as well as the techniques used in diverse areas ranging from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to urban areas, such as Knoxville and surrounding municipalities. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge will be viewing site for solar eclipse

Posted at 7:58 pm August 2, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Solar eclipse (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge will be a viewing site for the solar eclipse on August 21.

It is estimated that the total solar eclipse in Oak Ridge will last 27 to 31 seconds at approximately 2:33 p.m. EDT August 21, a press release said.

The public is invited to view the eclipse in a clear area above the arboretum’s auditorium, the press release said. Gates will open at 1:30 p.m. for cars to park near the site. Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center staff will direct patrons to walk to the area at the top of the hill.

The public is invited to bring chairs, blankets, and viewing devices, the press release said. Normal arboretum rules will be followed including no pets and no picnicking. People are encouraged to bring water. Restrooms will be available in the auditorium building.

For this first solar eclipse over the continental United States since 1979, Oak Ridge is one of the few cities in the path of totality in Tennessee. [Read more…]