Mammals of the Smokies
November 5, 2027 - November 7, 2027 | Adults | $580
Sorry, this program is FULL. Please email mail@gsmit.org 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.
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.
Registration includes instruction, food, and lodging in our dorm inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Photos by David Bryant, Cindy Herbella, David Huff, Tobie Keown, and Jeremy Lloyd.
Cover photo by David Huff.
Mammals of the Smokies at a Glance
Date: November 5, 2027 - November 7, 2027
Ages: Adults
Location: Tremont’s Smokies Campus
9275 Tremont Road
Townsend, TN 37882
Cost: $580
Registration includes instruction, food, and lodging in our dorm inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Already Registered? Check out the welcome letter for a tentative schedule, packing information, and other essential details for your Tremont program.
Meet the Instructors
Jeremy Lloyd
Jeremy Lloyd has been teaching courses in the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program almost since its inception in 2008. His enthusiasm for Appalachian forests and their inhabitants began in boyhood, blossomed when he began teaching in the Smokies, and deepened further while writing Forest Time: Footnotes to an Outdoor Education, which came out in 2026. He believes that ecology (the study of home) involves experiencing the landscape through the senses, heart, and mind in roughly equal measure.
Wanda DeWaard
Wanda DeWaard has shared Earth Kinship and Outdoor Education with community groups, schools, camps, environmental centers and teacher conferences since 1974. She holds a M.Ed. in Environmental Education and has created and directed youth and family programs all over the United States as well as in Canada and Germany. In the past, she has been Program Director at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and Executive Director for the American Camp Association Heart of the South. Currently, Wanda works as an outdoor program consultant and freelance educator in the Great Smoky Mountains area.
Meet the Instructors
Jeremy Lloyd
Jeremy Lloyd has been teaching courses in the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program almost since its inception in 2008. His enthusiasm for Appalachian forests and their inhabitants began in boyhood, blossomed when he began teaching in the Smokies, and deepened further while writing Forest Time: Footnotes to an Outdoor Education, which came out in 2026. He believes that ecology (the study of home) involves experiencing the landscape through the senses, heart, and mind in roughly equal measure.
Wanda DeWaard
Wanda DeWaard has shared Earth Kinship and Outdoor Education with community groups, schools, camps, environmental centers and teacher conferences since 1974. She holds a M.Ed. in Environmental Education and has created and directed youth and family programs all over the United States as well as in Canada and Germany. In the past, she has been Program Director at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and Executive Director for the American Camp Association Heart of the South. Currently, Wanda works as an outdoor program consultant and freelance educator in the Great Smoky Mountains area.
YOUR HOME BASE IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS
At Tremont, the setting is part of the experience. Nestled inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, our Walker Valley campus is surrounded by forest, mountain streams, and opportunities for discovery around every corner. From shared meals and cozy accommodations to spaces for learning and gathering, get a feel for the place before you arrive.
YOUR HOME BASE IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS
At Tremont, the setting is part of the experience. Nestled inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, our Walker Valley campus is surrounded by forest, mountain streams, and opportunities for discovery around every corner. From shared meals and cozy accommodations to spaces for learning and gathering, get a feel for the place before you arrive.
