Learn by doing at Tremont’s second campus. Hands on the Land is this year’s limited series of practical, place-based programs that turn the Townsend campus into both classroom and workshop. Each program offers a different way to get curious, try something new, and deepen your relationship with the land. Learn more about our plans for the Townsend campus.
Spring rarely arrives all at once. Before the forest turns fully green, the landscape already offers clues that a new season is underway: swelling leaf buds, emerging wildflowers, active insects, new tree growth, and countless other small changes waiting to be noticed.
Spend the day with Tremont Field Programs Coordinator Kathleen Reilly exploring the second campus and learning to recognize these signs of seasonal change. We’ll slow down, look closely, and consider the patterns that help us understand how plants, animals, and the landscape respond as winter gives way to spring. You’ll also use a plant press to preserve part of what you discover, creating a tangible reminder of the day and a new way to continue observing seasonal change at home.
This is an active outdoor program. Participants should be prepared to hike approximately 2–3 miles over the course of the day and spend extended time outside in spring weather. The program is especially well-suited to homeschool groups and families who enjoy exploring and learning together; ages 10 and up are welcome.
Registration includes all materials and instruction. Bring your own lunch.
Photos by Kathleen Reilly, Kristi Tucker, and David Wildemann.
Cover photo by Kristi Tucker.
Meet Your Instructor
Kathleen Reilly
Kathleen Reilly is Field Programs Coordinator at Tremont. She spent the first two decades of her life in the Midwest and graduated from Loyola Chicago with a degree in Environmental Science. The past four years have been spent working at Tremont; teaching school groups, leading backcountry trips, instructing adult programs, and deepening her own knowledge of the Smokies. She has completed the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification program and maintains a Wilderness First Responder certification.
A NEW PLACE TO EXPLORE
At Tremont's second campus in Townsend, the landscape is our classroom. This evolving space offers new opportunities to learn hands-on skills, follow your curiosity, and connect more deeply with the natural world. Whether it's your first visit or you've been following our plans for years, we're excited to share this next chapter of Tremont with you.
A NEW PLACE TO EXPLORE
At Tremont's second campus in Townsend, the landscape is our classroom. This evolving space offers new opportunities to learn hands-on skills, follow your curiosity, and connect more deeply with the natural world. Whether it's your first visit or you've been following our plans for years, we're excited to share this next chapter of Tremont with you.
