Trillium photo taken by iNaturalist user damanchen during the 2018 Wildflower Pilgrimage iNaturalist Expedition.
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ABOUT THE PILGRIMAGE The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is a 69-year old annual event in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park featuring professionally-guided walks to explore the region's rich natural and cultural resources. More than 800 pilgrims from more than 32 states and several countries joined us in 2018. Our programs included fungi, ferns, wildflowers, trees and shrubs, medicinal plants, insects (terrestrial and aquatic), salamanders and snakes, birds, mammals (bats to bears), birds, journaling, art and photography, and park history. Please note, we will always communicate to you through this website or via your email provided during the registration process. IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND DATES Winter 2018/2019 Leader Registration is NOW OPEN CLICK HERE to register as a leader for the 2019 Pilgrimage Mid-February 2019 - Release of 2019 Program of Events (about 70% of the program stays the same from year to year, so if you are unfamiliar with the WFP, you might check the 2018 info, still available below). Mid-February 2019 - Release of 2019 Official Brochure March 1 opening at 10 am- Pilgrim Registration open and online merchandise sales will begin. 24-27 April 2019 - Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage Inclement Weather Policy: Please note that we have never cancelled, nor will we cancel events, based on weather (unless we are faced with extreme weather events, like tornadoes). The leaders will always be at their respective meeting places and they will communicate and make decisions with you at meeting places regarding modifying the time (e.g., delaying an hour or so), distance, or even location of their events (e.g., from a ridge to lower elevations to avoid lightening). Due to the nature of the Wildflower Pilgrimage, we cannot reschedule and events missed because of weather. Updated 2019 Registration Tips coming soon!
PRICES Pricing for the Wildflower Pilgrimage has remained constant for nearly ten years while the costs to put on this event have increased through this time. While the organizers have worked wonders to hold pricing the same, it is time to increase fees. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to keep costs as reasonable as possible. The fees are listed below. Adults 2 or more days: $100 Adults single day: $75 Students (middle grade to graduate): $30 Children under 12: $5 Special group and class rates are available upon request. Please send requests and questions to Joey Shaw. QUESTIONS? Contact Joey Shaw, Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |
Citizen Science OpportunitiesPlease join our iNaturalist and Notes from Nature expeditions and help gather data on species in the park! iNaturalist
The 2018 Wildflower Pilgrimage iNaturalist expedition was a huge success and generated over 1,800 observations for the park! These observations have been used to create models to better understand the distribution of different species in the park. Please come to the 2019 event prepared to help the Park collect even more data with the iNaturalist app in 2019!
Click here to look back at observations from 2018 Notes from NatureThe Notes from Nature events that we held for the first time in 2018 helped the park to database a significant amount of information from herbarium specimens. We are working to create springtime-specific Notes from Nature Expeditions that will help you brush up on your plant names while at the same time generating much-needed data for the Park! Follow this link to our Notes from Nature Expeditions that include: Tennessee Spring Refreshers Tennessee Invaders 
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LODGING PARTNERS
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The Edgewater at the Aquarium
800-423-9582 Website Rates: from $101 Group Code: Call - Wildflower Pilgrimage |
Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Gatlinburg
865-436-0048 Website Rates: from $169 Group Code: WFP19 Click Here to Book |
EVENT PARTNERS
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ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
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Association of Southeastern Biologists (ASB)
Joey Shaw ASB Past-President University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Zack Murrell ASB Past-President Appalachian State University Ashley Morris ASB President Middle Tennessee State University Ed Lickey ASB Treasurer Bridgewater College Emily Gillespie ASB Member-at-Large Marshall University Shannon Gordon Meeting Planner |
National Park service
Stephanie Sutton North District Resource Education Supervisor Lisa Nagurny North District Resource Education Ranger Arrowmont Bill May Executive Director Great Smoky Mountains Association Lisa Duff Marketing and Membership Director Karen Key Publications Specialist University of Tennessee Knoxville Ken McFarland Department of Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology Pat Cox University of Tennessee Herbarium - TENN |