Happenings

Get your garden ready for spring! Choose from a selection of native seeds, perennials, trees, shrubs, grasses and vines. Click here for an inventory list. Quantities are limited. Stock is subject to change. All sales are final. Online Pre-Sale: May 7 - 12 Pre-orders must be picked up on Friday, May 15 b etween 8 am - 2 pm In-Person Event: Saturday, May 16 10 am - 12:30 pm Proceeds benefit

Spring 2026 Naturalist Workshops March Workshop: Beginning Birding Saturday, March 21, 8 - 10:30 am $20 / person Ages 14+ (minors must be accompanied by a registered adult) Get ready for spring migration with this introduction to bird watching and bird identification. Learn the basics of bird identification by sight and sound using a field guide or digital app. This program will also discuss how to choose and use binoculars and how to share your findings with digital citizen science apps like eBird and iNaturalist. Bring binoculars! There will also be a limited number of binoculars to borrow. Participants are welcome to bring field guides or load a digital field guide like Sibley or Audubon on their smartphone. Instructor: Laura Smith, OHNS Staff Naturalist Into The Trees Saturday, May 30, 1 - 3:30 pm $20 / person Ages 14+ (minors must be accompanied by a registered adult) Trees are a crucial part of ecosystems all over the planet. The Standing People not only serve as food, housing, and oxygen producers for innumerable other species, they also have a hand in temperature and water control, soil creation, and many more functions you may never have thought about. You'll learn how to identify local tree species, and find out about their growth and reproduction, their many roles -- and hear about some secrets we're learning about their intelligence and communication! This workshop is part classroom and part field work, so bring your notebook AND your hiking boots. Get ready to make some new friends in the forest! Instructor: Dan DeFigio, Certified Tennessee Naturalist

2026 Family Firefly Hikes June 12 & 19 July 10 & 17 All Hikes: 7 - 8:30 pm $15 Adult ticket (ages 13+) $12 Child ticket (12 and under) Suitable for Ages 4+ Children 2 and under FREE. No strollers or wagons. Children must either walk or be carried. Gate opens 30 minutes before program start. Program begins promptly at noted time. No late entries. Pack dinner and arrive early to picnic on the grounds. Please carry out your trash - we do not have trash cans available. This evening program is designed to introduce young explorers to the wonders of the natural world after dark. Find out what makes owls such good hunters, why a firefly lights up, and how your vision changes in the dark. Meet our owl ambassadors, listen for night sounds, and keep an eye out for nocturnal creatures as we go on a kid-friendly hike through the meadow and orchard. This program includes an easy hike over mostly flat ground with one short hill. Our trails are natural surface and hikers can expect a few spots with uneven terrain. Wear shoes suitable for hiking. Insect repellent is strongly recommended. No flashlights, please!

Kids Ages 3 to 5 and Parents

2026 Full Moon Hikes Strawberry Moon: June 26 Buck Moon: July 31 Sturgeon Moon: August 28 All Hikes: 7:30 - 9 pm $15/person Age 12+ (minors must be accompanied by an adult) Gate opens 1 hour before program start. Program begins promptly at 7:30. No late entries. No exceptions. Pack dinner and arrive early to picnic on the grounds. We are a pack-in/pack-out facility. Join us as we explore Owl's Hill at sunset and enjoy the sights and sounds of day turning to night. We'll listen for owls, coyotes, and night-singing insects. As the stars come out, we'll look for constellations, planets, and even meteors. Meet our non-releasable owl ambassadors and learn about the adaptations that help nocturnal animals survive. Find out what we can expect to see in the sky that night. After that, we'll head out on the trail to look and listen for the wonders of the night. No flashlights, please! Owl Prowl programs include an easy one-mile hike with some gentle uphill and downhill hiking. Our trails are natural surface, and hikers can expect a few spots with uneven terrain. Wear shoes suitable for hiking. Insect repellent is strongly recommended.