Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification: Plants (May 6-8)

Our "Plants Class" family on a trail walk in GSMNP

I know I've mentioned this program in a previous post, but I just wanted to give some of you a little more information on the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program(SANCP). This certification program is a series of 8 x 2 1/2 day classes which are taken at the Tremont Institute in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.(Here is the link for more specifics on the classes. http://www.gsmit.org/sancp.)
Upon completion of the program graduates receive a certificate from the University of Tennessee, documenting the 100+ hours of study and class time dedicated to earning the certificate....so that is the background.

With the completion of the Plants class this past weekend, I am now halfway through the program, and my goal is to have 7 of the 8 classes completed by the end of this calendar year. Over the course of the weekend, we keyed trees, group-guided some wildflower walks with some impromptu interpretation, discussed "fern sex"(which is fascinating) and just generally learned a lot about the "green wall out there." Learning in a place like the Smokies can feel daunting, as a result of its bio-diversity....but you just have to keep everything in perspective. You can't learn everything in a weekend, but each class covers a different subject area and provides a great base of knowledge from which to grow. Though some of the weekends have been pretty intense, with a lot of material is packed into a short amount of time, I can honestly say that I can't think of too many other ways I would rather spend my free time(okay I'd rather be fly-fishing, but that is about it).  The quality of instruction is top-notch as the staff of the Tremont Institute and local experts come to help instruct and guide each class. It is really a unique experience to truly immerse yourself in learning about such a wonderfully unique and bio-diverse area.  If you are within driving distance of the Smokies, and have the interest,  I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend checking out this program. It is really pretty special and I can't wait to get down there in July for 2 more classes!

With Thankfulness and Appreciation....Greg (J.A.A.N.)