River at Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont; image by Jeaneane Payne
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TOWNSEND, TN — Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont invites everyone to
celebrate its 50th year of Connecting People and Nature at their fourth
annual Spring Open House on Friday, May 24, 2019. The event will be held on
Tremont’s campus from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Admission is free.
This event kicks off their bird-banding season and celebrates national
“Citizen Science Day”. Citizen Science Day is an annual event to celebrate
and promote science done by the public: amazing discoveries, incredible
volunteers, hardworking practitioners and inspiring projects.
Bird banding has been one of Tremont Institute’s most popular citizen
science programs for many years; it provides community members the chance
to get a glimpse of wild birds of the Smokies up close. Nets are set up
around Tremont’s campus as part of a hemisphere-wide project aimed at
understanding bird migration. Tremont faculty members will collect birds
from the nets, record information, band the birds with small identifying
bands, and release them.
In addition to Tremont’s bird banding station, citizen science volunteers
will be onsite to share information about other research projects going on
and how anyone can become a citizen scientist. Tremont and Great Smoky
Mountains National Park staff will be conducting activities for all ages as
an introduction to projects: bird banding, butterfly inventories, phenology
monitoring, soil respiration monitoring, and terrestrial and aquatic
salamander monitoring.
“We strive to rekindle curiosity and wonder in the natural world. That is
the starting point, not only for all scientific inquiry, but for a healthy
and happy life,” says new Tremont Manager for Science Literacy and
Research, Erin Canter. “I am thrilled to be a part of bringing engaging
field science opportunities to life for local communities.”
“In our 50th Anniversary year, we hope to reshape and enhance public
perception of Tremont’s work and mission. In close partnership with the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park and local communities, our programs
continue to have academic outcomes, but research also points to the
benefits of experiences in nature related to physical, mental, and social
health as well,” says Tremont President and CEO, Catey Terry. “We want to
be a resource and gateway to this type of learning for all East Tennessee
students and communities.”
Join us for a fun and educational day in Great Smoky Mountains National
Park. All are welcome.
For more information and to register online, visit gsmit.org.
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont provides in-depth experiences
through educational programs that celebrate ecological and cultural
diversity, foster stewardship, and nurture appreciation of Great Smoky
Mountains National Park. Connecting People and Nature since 1969.