Sorry, this program is FULL. Please email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist.

From elusive black bears to darting bats and tiny shrews, the Smokies are home to an incredible variety of mammals — some iconic, some hidden, and all essential to the ecosystem. This weekend course invites you to look beyond fleeting sightings to understand how mammals live, move, and interact with their environment.

Most mammals in the park are nocturnal or naturally wary of humans, so direct encounters are rare. Instead, you’ll learn how to “read the landscape” for signs of their presence. Tracks in the mud, claw marks on trees, scat along a trail, or a faint rustle in the underbrush all tell a story when you know how to interpret them. Along the way, you’ll expand your understanding of mammal biology — including behavior, adaptations, and conservation status — that shape their survival in the Southern Appalachians.

What to expect:

• Field sessions in diverse habitats
• Instruction in identifying tracks, scat, and other field signs.
• Insights into the ecology and natural history of both large mammals (including bears, deer, and wild hogs) and smaller species (such as bats, rodents, and insectivores).
• Discussion of management practices and conservation challenges facing mammals in the Smokies and beyond.

By the end of the course, you’ll leave with sharper eyes and ears for the presence of mammals around you — and a deeper respect for the lives that unfold mostly out of human view.

Registration includes instruction, food, and lodging in our dorm inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

This course is part of Tremont’s Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program, which consists of eight core courses. You have the option to enroll in individual courses or complete all eight to earn certification awarded by the University of Tennessee.

Already Registered? Check out the welcome letter for required readings, a tentative itinerary, and other essential details for your stay.