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What’s Happening...
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HIKES, EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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The 2018-2019 Tennessee Naturalist Class is now full; however, you may still register to get on the 2019-2020 wait list, and to be notified when registration will open next year!
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2018 Goldenrod Gala raises essential funds
for the Friends and the Park
The second annual Goldenrod Gala — a “night out for Nature” and an important fundraiser for the Friends of South Cumberland State Park — went underground on Saturday evening, October 6, 2018.
The Venue This year's Gala took place in the dramatic new performance hall at The Caverns, which is also the now home to the popular PBS television series Bluegrass Underground. This year’s Gala also featured a "silent" version of the very popular Adventure Auction, offering a dozen opportunities to experience unique places in and around South Cumberland State Park. The Evening The 2018 Gala began with a one-of-a-kind Underground Cocktail Reception, with small-batch spirits courtesy of Prichard’s Distillery, artisan beers courtesy of Chattanooga Brewing Company and an excellent selection of wines, courtesy of the Monteagle Inn. An artisan-style buffet dinner followed, crafted by the talented chefs at Ivy Wild Catering. After dinner, Gala Emcee Amy Katcher announced the winners of the 2018 Adventure Auction, and recognized the many companies, organizations and individuals who made the evening possible. (Visit the Goldenrod Gala website to learn more about the outstanding support the event has received.) Next, the after-dinner entertainment got underway, featuring the music and stagecraft of the Grammy-nominated WannaBeatles, who demonstrated their multi-instrumental skills to re-create songs from every part of |
the Beatles' era, making for a consistently full and vibrant dance floor. As part of their lively performance, the WannaBeatles also offered up a special Gala version of "With a Little Help from My Friends":
Still Time to Donate to the Gala Campaign
Even if you couldn't make it to the Gala, there is still time to donate to its purpose -- to generate essential funding for a wide range of Friends’ initiatives on behalf of South Cumberland State Park. |
SPECIAL THANKS TO THIS YEAR'S GOLDENROD GALA PARTNERS:
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Enter our Picture the Park Photo Contest!
Share your most amazing moments and places in the Friends' 2018 ‘Picture the Park’ Photo Contest!
The Friends of South Cumberland, in conjunction with SCSP Ranger Jessie McNeel, invite you to send us your most awesome photos, and support the Park in the process! As long as your photo was taken in South Cumberland State Park, it is eligible -- even old favorites you took years ago! And, you may enter as many entries, in as many categories as you like!
photo: Susan Campbell
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We’ll offer great prizes for the best photos in the following categories:
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We'd like to feature your photos on the Friends' website, printed literature, and in physical products we may offer in exchange for donations to the Friends, or sell in order to raise money for projects we facilitate for South Cumberland State Park. It's your opportunity to support the park in a very real and tangible way, and showcase your awesome photographs at the same time! Thank you for your support of South Cumberland State Park!
You must log in via your Google account in order to use the entry form. One photo per form submission; minimum photo size: 3000 pixels on the longest dimension (wide or tall). Photos not meeting the size requirement will be disqualified. This contest runs until November 1, 2018, at 11:59 pm Central Time. Decisions of the judges are final. Winners will be notified via email, at the address provided with each submitted photo. Winners can pick up their Winner Certificate(s) and prize(s) at the South Cumberland State Park Visitor Center, 11745 US 41 Monteagle, Tennessee 37356-7609, during normal business hours between the date of notification and March 31, 2019. A valid photo I.D. will be required in order to claim your certificate and prize. Sorry, but we cannot ship prizes.
Now’s the time to Volunteer for this fall’s Trail Friends team!
Trail Friends are volunteers who offer Park visitors a cheery welcome and much-needed information about the Park, the natural surroundings, and the specifics of the trails. Trail Friends staff five of the busiest trailheads in the Park, and also walk their assigned trails, answering questions and providing assistance as they go. Thousands of people have been helped by this enthusiastic team of volunteers. The group is accepting new members and on-line training is available now. The Fall Trail Friends season began Sept. 1 and extends on weekends through Nov. 18. Trail Friends will hold a Kickoff Meet and Greet at 3 pm on Sept. 9 at the South Cumberland State Park Visitor Center Pavilion on US 41 in Monteagle. If you're interested in volunteering as a Trail Friend this fall, the time to enroll is NOW! Learn more on our Trail Friends page.
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Trail Friend volunteer Barbara Braswell (right) helping out fall hikers at Savage Gulf.
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View of the Crow Creek Valley from one new overlook on the Sherwood Day Loop Trail.
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Help build the new
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Fourth Graders Connect with Nature in the Park
Those smiling faces say it all ... volunteers with enthusiasm, spunk, stick-to-it-ness, dedication. Their gifts and skill made this year’s 4th grade “Every Child in the Park” field trips a great success.
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As part of the Friends' Every Child in the Park initiative, every fourth grader from Grundy County Schools, plus Monteagle Elementary, got to know the Park during the Friends' annual fall field trip programs, presented this year on October 1st, 2nd 3rd. From rats to rocks to nature play, the 4th graders were inspired and educated and empowered and encouraged to stretch themselves. As one little girl was getting on the bus, she came running back to say she had held both snakes by herself. She exclaimed, "Today made me brave!" The students' plans to come back to explore the exhibits in the Visitors Center and their excitement over the Nature Play Area were so heartening to all who helped put on the event.
Approximately 70 students attended each day. Students rotated among three activities: Geology and Pioneer Life, inside the Visitor Center; Gardening and Nature Play, on the Meadow Trail; and a hands-on Wildlife Program in the picnic pavilion. Students also received their own SCSP Nature Journal, authored by Friends' member and longtime leader, Mary Priestley. Special thanks to Friends' Education and Outreach chair Margaret Matens for organizing what is now a Fall tradition, and an event in which every fourth grader in Grundy County eagerly looks forward to participating! |
Lots of ‘buzz’ at Honey Bee Day!
National Honey Bee Day was celebrated in SCSP on Sunday, August 19 to call attention to the challenges facing honey bees, a principal source of pollinators for the world's food supplies. Tennessee Naturalist and FSC member Nathaniel Mann set up a temporary hive and did bee-keeping demonstrations. Paula Yeatman presented a program for children based on Mary Priestley's book, William's Wildflowers. Emily Heid, a local SCCF/Sewanee VISTA, demonstrated various aspects of the process of pollination and seed production in the new Visitor Center garden.
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1,125 White Fringeless Orchids Documented in Savage Gulf
South Cumberland State Park is home to a number of rare and endangered plants, one of which is the White Fringeless Orchid (Platanthera intergrilabia). The Savage Gulf area of the Park is home to one of the largest remaining populations of these beautiful plants.
Ranger George Shinn reports that park staff, supported by Division of Natural Areas staff, counted 1,125 of the federally-protected plants at a remote site in Savage Gulf, compared to 24 plants at that site last year. That is the highest number ever recorded for that site. They also confirmed a new occurrence of 20 plants in the northeast corner of the site.
Platanthera integrilabia is generally found in wet, flat, boggy areas in acidic muck or sand, and in partially, but not fully shaded areas at the head of streams or seepage slopes. It occurs mainly at elevations between 300 and 2,300 feet above sea level. Despite occurring across a relatively wide geographic range, Platanthera integrilabia is listed as "Near Threatened” because of continuing declines in its area of occupancy and number of plants in each area.
The plant has all but disappeared from North Carolina, where it was once thriving. At last count, there were between 50 and 60 existing subpopulations. 29 subpopulations have disappeared since botanists began monitoring the plant, mainly because of human actions that altered growing conditions, particularly with regard to soil moisture. Population declines plague some subpopulations, and today, many have fewer than 100 plants.
In our area, Platanthera integrilabia flowers from late July through early September. The flower bears an odd resemblance to a monkey’s face; hence, some folks call this the “Monkey Face Plant!” Like many orchids, Platanthera integrilabia has pollen sacs which adhere to pollinators, transferring pollen from plant to plant. The percentage of individuals flowering within a subpopulation is generally very low, which is why the relatively large numbers of flowering plants in Savage Gulf this summer is so encouraging!
Watch the Tennessee Wild Side TV episode about the White Fringeless Orchid.
Ranger George Shinn reports that park staff, supported by Division of Natural Areas staff, counted 1,125 of the federally-protected plants at a remote site in Savage Gulf, compared to 24 plants at that site last year. That is the highest number ever recorded for that site. They also confirmed a new occurrence of 20 plants in the northeast corner of the site.
Platanthera integrilabia is generally found in wet, flat, boggy areas in acidic muck or sand, and in partially, but not fully shaded areas at the head of streams or seepage slopes. It occurs mainly at elevations between 300 and 2,300 feet above sea level. Despite occurring across a relatively wide geographic range, Platanthera integrilabia is listed as "Near Threatened” because of continuing declines in its area of occupancy and number of plants in each area.
The plant has all but disappeared from North Carolina, where it was once thriving. At last count, there were between 50 and 60 existing subpopulations. 29 subpopulations have disappeared since botanists began monitoring the plant, mainly because of human actions that altered growing conditions, particularly with regard to soil moisture. Population declines plague some subpopulations, and today, many have fewer than 100 plants.
In our area, Platanthera integrilabia flowers from late July through early September. The flower bears an odd resemblance to a monkey’s face; hence, some folks call this the “Monkey Face Plant!” Like many orchids, Platanthera integrilabia has pollen sacs which adhere to pollinators, transferring pollen from plant to plant. The percentage of individuals flowering within a subpopulation is generally very low, which is why the relatively large numbers of flowering plants in Savage Gulf this summer is so encouraging!
Watch the Tennessee Wild Side TV episode about the White Fringeless Orchid.
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South Cumberland celebrates 40 years!
On July 1, 1978, South Cumberland State Park was dedicated with less than 10,000 acres. Forty years later, it is the largest State Park in Tennessee, at nearly 31,000 acres. Today, the South Cumberland State Park is visited by nearly 750,000 people each year, and thanks to your support of the Friends, is as wild and spectacular as ever, with new trails and new ways to enjoy the park now available through the hard work of our Friends volunteers!
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Meet the Tennessee Naturalist Program’s South Cumberland Class of 2019!The class series began its 7th year on September 8th as part of the Friends' Education and Outreach initiative. This year, the Friends' offering of the Tennessee Naturalist Program is being ably led by Todd Wright, with help from Ken Beerman.
Photo: Todd Wright |
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Shop Online and help the Park with every purchase!
When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates a portion of your purchase directly to the Friends of South Cumberland! Bookmark this page, and use it whenever you shop at Amazon! 
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Learn more about the newest areas of the Park |
South Cumberland State Park continues to grow at a remarkable pace; it is now officially Tennessee's largest state park, at 30,837 acres. Click on any of these links to learn more about recent land areas that have been protected and added to the park, and what work is underway to make these areas accessible to the public: |
Our Mission:
To aid and assist the South Cumberland State Park management and staff in meeting its objectives, and to inform, educate, engage, and inspire its members and the public to protect, conserve, and enjoy all the resources of the park.
Why Should You Be a Friends Member?
Now protecting more than 30,800 acres, South Cumberland is the largest State Park in Tennessee. Although this is great news, more land, and more visitors, creates new and urgent unmet needs for the park. New trails must be built, and existing trails must be maintained or upgraded. New and expanded parking areas, restrooms, camping and picnic facilities, and directional signage are needed. Invasive pests, like the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, and invasive plants must be controlled. Guided hikes, seminars and historical re-enactments, including programs for area school children, must be prepared and delivered. And, the work of conserving additional environmentally-significant lands is far from complete.
By becoming a member of the Friends, you can help insure that South Cumberland will always be a safe, well-maintained and amazing place to experience world-class natural beauty!
Your Friends membership directly supports the park.
The Friends of South Cumberland is a group of volunteer citizens dedicated to supporting the South Cumberland State Park, at 30,837 acres, Tennessee's largest state park. A 1993 law passed by the Tennessee General Assembly allows state parks to contract with and receive financial assistance from an organized friends group. As a result, private citizens can be involved with and support the park through both volunteer work and financial support.
Funding for the Friends of South Cumberland is derived from individual and corporate memberships and from private donations. Our tax deductible status was approved in July 1994. As a 501(c)3 non profit public benefit corporation, your membership and gifts may be Federally tax deductible. Please join us in supporting and protecting the South Cumberland State Park!
To aid and assist the South Cumberland State Park management and staff in meeting its objectives, and to inform, educate, engage, and inspire its members and the public to protect, conserve, and enjoy all the resources of the park.
Why Should You Be a Friends Member?
Now protecting more than 30,800 acres, South Cumberland is the largest State Park in Tennessee. Although this is great news, more land, and more visitors, creates new and urgent unmet needs for the park. New trails must be built, and existing trails must be maintained or upgraded. New and expanded parking areas, restrooms, camping and picnic facilities, and directional signage are needed. Invasive pests, like the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, and invasive plants must be controlled. Guided hikes, seminars and historical re-enactments, including programs for area school children, must be prepared and delivered. And, the work of conserving additional environmentally-significant lands is far from complete.
By becoming a member of the Friends, you can help insure that South Cumberland will always be a safe, well-maintained and amazing place to experience world-class natural beauty!
Your Friends membership directly supports the park.
- Your membership supports the good work of the Friends of South Cumberland. You will become part of a group working to save great spaces in the South Cumberland and supporting this magnificent park with both funding and volunteer initiatives.
- You will receive the quarterly FSC Newsletter and monthly Trail Tracker emails to keep you updated on Friends and Park issues, events and volunteer opportunities.
- You will be eligible for members-only programs and events, such as the Tennessee Naturalist Program.
The Friends of South Cumberland is a group of volunteer citizens dedicated to supporting the South Cumberland State Park, at 30,837 acres, Tennessee's largest state park. A 1993 law passed by the Tennessee General Assembly allows state parks to contract with and receive financial assistance from an organized friends group. As a result, private citizens can be involved with and support the park through both volunteer work and financial support.
Funding for the Friends of South Cumberland is derived from individual and corporate memberships and from private donations. Our tax deductible status was approved in July 1994. As a 501(c)3 non profit public benefit corporation, your membership and gifts may be Federally tax deductible. Please join us in supporting and protecting the South Cumberland State Park!
