* Upcoming events involving our company NEST – Nature Education Society of Tennessee:

Click on any provided links to receive more information about the following events:

* Oct. 11, 2025: Conservation in Action Expo at Barfield Crescent Park, Murfreesboro, TN. Visit with natural resource professionals from more than 20 natural resource-focused agencies and organizations about the work that they do, shop for native plants for your garden, learn about Central Basin ecology, take a hike with a naturalist, watch a demonstration, and discover local citizen science projects and volunteer stewardship opportunities — all in one place! We will have a booth at the event (please stop by and say hello!), and Leslie Anne will be leading a Fall Backcountry Foray nature hike at 10 a.m.

* Oct. 18, 2025: We will be joining TennGreen Land Conservancy for a nature hike at Lamar Cedar Glade (private property) at 10 a.m. For more info or to RSVP, contact TennGreen Land Conservancy.

​* Feb. 16, 2026: Jason will give a presentation for the Rutherford County Master Gardeners on how to create and maintain a tree trail/arboretum. This event takes place at 6 p.m. at the Rutherford County Extension Services building at 315 John R. Rice Blvd, Murfreesboro, TN. This event is free and open to the public. 

​* March 17, 2026: Leslie Anne and Jason will give a presentation on rare and unique spring wildflowers of the cedar glades for the Tennessee Native Plant Society at 6:30 p.m. For more info and to access the Zoom seminar link, visit TNPS – Springtime in the Cedar Glades.

​* March 28, 2026: Leslie Anne will be leading a Birding Hike for Spring Nature Day at Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park. The free hike begins at 10 a.m. For more info or to sign up, go to Spring Nature Day – Birding Hike.

​* April 7, 2026: Leslie Anne and Jason will give a presentation for the Wilson County Master Gardeners on cedar glade plants and ecology. More details coming soon.

​* April 17, 2026: NEST will be teaming up with TennGreen Land Conservancy for a hike at Lamar Cedar Glades and Woodlands in Rutherford County. This private site features many rare plant species, including Glade Phlox, Tennessee Milk Vetch, and Limestone Fameflower. For more info or to sign up, go to Lamar Cedar Glades Hike.

​* April 22, 2026: NEST will have booth at “Table Talk for the Earth” at Middle Tennessee State University from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Several other organizations will be in attendance as well. Stop by and see us! More details coming soon.

​* April 22, 2026: Leslie Anne and Jason will lead a Wetland Night Hike at Murfree Spring for Outdoor Murfreesboro’s Earth Week Outdoors event. The evening hike begins at 7 p.m. and will focus on the bats, moths and frogs of Murfree Springs. For more info or to sign up, visit Wetland Night Hike at Murfree Spring.

​* April 30-May 3, 2026: NEST will lead two hikes for the Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival which takes place at Cedars of Lebanon State park and various state natural areas. NEST will have a booth set up at the Cedar Lodge all day on Saturday the 2nd. On Sunday the 3rd at 10 a.m., Leslie Anne will lead a hike at Mount View State Natural Area, which is the site where Elsie Quarterman rediscovered the Tennessee Coneflower. More info and sign up at Discovery of the Coneflower Hike. On Sunday the 3rd at 6:30 p.m., Jason will lead a nightjars hike at Vesta Cedar Glade State Natural Area to search for nighthawks, chuck-will’s-widows and whippoorwills. More info and sign up at Nightjars: Birds of Mystery.

​* May 14, 2026: Leslie Anne and Jason will give a “Spring Wildflowers of the Cedar Glades” presentation for the Master Gardeners of Davidson County. This event takes place at 6:30 p.m. at Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Ed Jones Auditorium, 416 Hogan Rd, Nashville, TN 37220. This event is free and open to the public.

​* June 8, 2026: Leslie Anne and Jason will be presenting an educational program for the Nature Explorers Camp at Stoney Creek in Williamson County. More details coming soon.

​* September 1, 2026: Leslie Anne and Jason will give a presentation on the cedar glades of Middle Tennessee for the “Lunch and Learn” program in Crossville, Tennessee. More details coming soon.

​More program announcements coming soon!

 

* Division of Natural Areas list of hikes: 2026 Natural Areas schedule of events

* Tennessee State Parks calendar: TSP Upcoming Events

* In 2007 I started the Long Hunter Mega-Hike, where participants attempt to hike all of the park’s trails — about 26 miles — in a single day. This foolish event happens every October. Here’s a bit more info: Long Hunter Mega-Hike

* A Long Hunter Mega-Hike video created by my talented, nature-loving friend Melinda Loy Bell: 2011 Long Hunter Mega-Hike

* Speaking of mega-hikes, the Barkley Marathons (also held in Tennessee) is the granddaddy of them all. Here’s a nice piece on the race and its creator, the one and only Lazarus Lake: Good Luck, Morons: Lazarus Lake & His Impossible Race

* Long Hunter’s story trail was the first in Tennessee State Parks and was created by my wife, Leslie Anne: Long Hunter debuts Reading Ranger Story Trail

* One of my favorite annual events at Long Hunter is the Lost Loon Triathlon. Here’s the lowdown: Wild Side TV: Lost Loon Triathlon

* Click on links for upcoming hikes arranged by these organizations: Tennessee Trails Association, Nashville Hiking Meetup, Part-time Adventurers of Tennessee, Tennessee Hiking Group and Mt. Juliet/Wilson County Hiking & Outdoors.