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Calendar

Smoky Mountains Naturalist Expeditions Camp
July 14 - 24, 2008

Designed for middle-school aged students, Smoky Mountain Naturalist Expeditions is a cut above the traditional summer camp. Participants spend each day exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park with experts and assisting scientists with actual ongoing research. Campers search for salamanders, investigate old growth forests, track black bears, and encounter the occasional timber rattlesnake!
The secrets of the Smoky Mountains are waiting to be discovered.
Finally we cap off each day with a dip in the river, great dinner, and fun evening activities.  It’s a fascinating experience for the budding scientist or nature enthusiast, and a whole lot of fun for everyone. Program lasts from Monday mid-afternoon through the second Thursday morning. 

Cost: $875. Ages 11-13.
Financial aid is available for applications submitted by April 1. Please call 865-448-6709 for details.

Check for updates on the information below ...

THE EXPEDITIONS
Your Naturalist Expedition adventure is in three parts. Each expedition is three days in length and explores a different theme. Each summer is different and never exactly the same as the time before – there’s always something new to learn!

2008 Expeditions are:

EXPEDITION I (Tuesday-Thursday): WHERE THE BIG TREES GROW
Some forests escaped the saws when the Smoky Mountains were logged in the early 1900s. These form some of the most pristine “old-growth” forests in the eastern U.S. with some trees reaching over 600 years in age! We’ll explore some of these ancient forests, measure giant “grandfather” trees, and bask in their cool, deep shade.

EXPEDITION II (Friday-Sunday): NOCTURNAL NATURE
Become a creature of the dark in this exploration of nighttime. We’ll study the role eyesight plays in the animal world. We’ll visit a limestone cavern and go on night hikes. We’ll stay up late one night to enjoy a variety of fun, safe nighttime activities including astronomy and calling for coyotes and owls – all under a full moon!

EXPEDITION III (Monday-Wednesday): FRONTIER DAYS
Naturalists on their early expeditions had to do everything by hand. We’ll practice navigation skills using a map and compass. We’ll harvest our own food at a working organic farm. And we’ll cook (a few!) of our own meals over an open fire and learn a few skills and crafts of early pioneers.

A typical day in camp for Expedition I (Where the Big Trees Grow):


Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
9275 Tremont Road - Townsend, TN 37882
(865)448-6709
site last updated July 3, 2008