Connecting People and Nature Since 1969

In partnership with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, our mission is to deliver experiential learning for youth, educators, and adults through programs that promote self-discovery, critical thinking, and effective teaching, and leadership. We believe that education creates lasting positive change for people and our planet.

From our home in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, our research and residential programs investigate the diversity that sustains all life, develop a sense of place, and cultivate a stewardship ethic that will influence lifelong decision-making.

We all belong in nature.

At Tremont, we deeply believe that connection to place and to each other makes us more whole and our communities more resilient. We succeed in our mission when we facilitate inclusive outdoor experiences that contribute to each participant’s sense of belonging in nature and the Great Smoky Mountains.

We embrace the idea of nature as not that which is untouched by humanity but where life thrives. As such, we have the opportunity to address inequities that prevent individuals from thriving at Tremont. This includes addressing the systemic racism that has resulted in the intentional exclusion of Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized community members from being welcomed or safe in the outdoors, precluding their feelings of belonging in these spaces. 

This work takes planning and intentionality. We accept our responsibility to adjust our policies, teaching practices, and workplace culture to provide equality of access to, and connection with, a healthy natural environment. Our ongoing efforts center on racial equity, yet we understand the intersection of this work with other discrimination based on physical ability, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or ethnic background. 

When we uplift the most marginalized communities, we all become stronger.