Beyond Your Backyard- Meet Your Feathered Wildlife Neighbors with Stephen Lyn Bales
Register for Zoom Link and a Copy of the Recording
Thursday, January 8 at 7pm EST on Zoom
We’re all familiar with the birds in our backyards, but you don’t have to venture too far afield to find the species that live hidden in other habitats. Do you want to learn what these species are and where to look for them? Join Michelle Campanis, education coordinator with the UT Arboretum, and Stephen Lyn Bales, naturalist/author, for the First Thursday Supper Club via Zoom on January 8, 7pm EST. In this “habitat hunting” program you’ll learn the amazing array of birdlife that lives and hides nearby your own yard. Prepare to be amazed!
We will explore those birds that prefer the open grasslands – meadowlarks, kestrels, and blue grosbeaks. Cuckoos, buntings, and great horned owls prefer the woodlands. If you are looking for ospreys, eagles, and herons, our abundance of lakes is where they reside. That uniquely odd devil-diver, the pied-billed grebe can be found during winter in lakes, rivers, and wetlands.
The program will be recorded and sent to all who register. Closed captions are available.
This program is co-sponsored by the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society (UTAS) and the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE).
To contact Stephen Lyn Bales or buy one of his UT Press books, email him at hellostephenlyn@gmail.com.
Please contact Michelle at mcampani@utk.edu for any questions or registration issues.
The American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) is our new co-sponsor for our First Thursday Nature Supper Club. AMSE and UTAS are co-sponsoring a new Citizen Science Birding Program which will include monthly guided birding walks at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge and other opportunities to get involved with Citizen Science.
The beautiful Prothonotary Warbler lives and nests along our shorelines. Photo by Betty Thompson.
Guided Bird Walk: Wednesday, December 17th at 8am
Register to Reserve Your Spot
The American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) and the University of Tennessee Arboretum are partnering together to launch a new Citizen Science Birding Program to connect community members with hands-on science, local biodiversity, and ongoing conservation efforts. The December Guided Bird Walk will be held at the UT Arboretum on Wednesday, December 17 at 8:00 am. Please meet at the kiosk outside of the UT Arboretum Visitors Center. This guided walk will be led by Corky Witt and Courtney Beard from the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. The event is limited to 16 participants and registration is required. No pets please. Please wear comfortable shoes, bring hiking poles and binoculars if you wish. There will be a limited supply of loaner binoculars on a first come basis at the hike.
“Bird watching is now North America’s second most popular outdoor activity (second only to gardening).” Says AMSE educator Corky Witt. “There must be something to it—so come out with us and find out why!”
For questions or more information please contact Courtney Beard at cbeard@amse.org or 865-385-6081
Location: 901 S. Illinois Avenue, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830
New Years Day Hike, Thursday, January 1st, 2026
Celebrate the New Year outdoors with family and friends! Start your year out on “the right foot” at our annual guided hike on Thursday January 1st, 2026 at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge. (No pets please). The guided hike is free and no registration is required.
Hikers will gather at 9 am at the UT Arboretum Auditorium where they will be greeted by UTAS members and offered coffee, hot chocolate, and snacks to enjoy around our indoor fireplace. At 9:30 am the group will leave for a guided hike that will last about 45 to 60 minutes. Hikers may join different hike leaders for an easy or a more strenuous hike.
Please wear clothes appropriate for the weather and boots or good shoes for outdoor walking. We aim for this hike to be suitable for all, but the difficulty level of the hike is dependent on individual fitness. Be sure to bring a water bottle to stay hydrated as you hike.
The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society (UTAS) is the arboretum’s volunteer organization and will celebrate its 61st anniversary in 2026. UTAS was formed in 1965 to support and enhance the University of Tennessee Arboretum. UTAS is the longest standing volunteer organization in the University of Tennessee system statewide.
