Third TN Naturalists@Ijams class looks at trees

 "I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree," wrote poet Joyce Kilmer. And Ijams Nature Center has trees. 

The 2017 edition of TN Naturalists@Ijams held its third class last Saturday.  

This class was devoted to dendrology, i.e. the study of trees.  

TN Naturalists@Ijams graduate Mac Post, PhD taught the class. Since he retired, Mac has been helping Tiffany Beachy with citizen science at the Great Smokies Institute at Tremont and he oversees the phenology plots at Ijams. 

"Mac was great," said student Lauren Bird. "The class kept asking odder and odder questions about trees and Mac had an answer for every one of them."  


With the off and on rain, it was a fulfilling day to be a tree and a damp day to study trees. This is the fifth year the statewide program has been taught at Ijams. In all, it's 12 classes held once or twice a month until November. After students finish the 40 hours of classes and the required 40 hours of volunteer work, they become certified Tennessee Naturalists.
 
The first May class focuses on mammals.

For a look back at our previous classes, click:

Wildflowers

Introduction

  
- Supplied photos by naturalist student and commercial photographer 
Kristy Keel-Blackmon. Thank you, Kristy!

Redbud

 

Red Oak

Sweetgum