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Published six times a year, The TENNESSEE CONSERVATIONIST is dedicated to promoting the mission of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to preserve, protect and wisely use the state's natural and cultural resources.

Subscriptions are $15 for one year; $22 for two years; $30 for three years.

Phil Bredesen
Governor

Jim Fyke
Environment and Conservation Commissioner

Paul Sloan
Environment and Conservation Deputy Commissioner

Louise Zepp
Editor

Jeff Law
Art Director/Designer

Ventrese Louise Hall
Circulation Manager

Melisa Ricard
Administrative Secretary

Mailing Address:
The Tennessee Conservationist
Dept. of Environment & Conservation
Nashville, TN 37243-0440
(615) 532-0060

Photo by Nancy Schelin.
Photo by Nancy Schelin.

July - August 2009

Feature: Tennessee State Parks Campground Hosts Chip in to
Enhance Your Stay

By Louise Zepp

Media outlets around the country report that camping is on the upswing these days and Tennessee State Parks has many camping options for you. Some folks have found a way to make their camping experience last longer by volunteering to be campground hosts. The featured article “Tennessee State Parks Campground Hosts Chip in to Enhance Your Stay” by Tennessee Conservationist  Editor Louise Zepp tells the story of state parks campground hosts and how they serve to make camping more enjoyable.

Copperhead. Photo by David Haggard.
Copperhead. Photo by David Haggard.

Valuable Venom and Precious Poison
by Lisa Powers
Someone of the opinion that “the only good snake is a dead snake” may one day owe their life to a snake, according to contract biologist Lisa Powers of Bon Aqua, a frequent contributor to The Tennessee Conservationist.

“We are just beginning to explore the potential of the many chemicals and compounds that compose animal venom and poison,” Powers says. Powers points out that the only manufacturer of an FDA-approved pit viper snake antivenom in the U.S. operates out of Brentwood.

  
Monarch Butterfly on a Whorled Sunflower. Photo by Christopher G. Brown
Monarch Butterfly on a Whorled Sunflower. Photo by Christopher G. Brown.

Sunflower Serendipity
by Jennifer R. Ellis
The Whorled Sunflower is an extremely rare plant that has a remarkable history in Tennessee starting with its discovery almost 117 years ago. It was lost from science for most of the 20th century, then rediscovered and is now being studied by scientists.

In the article “Sunflower Serendipity,” Jennifer R. Ellis, a research associate at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, writes about research on the Whorled Sunflower underway at Vanderbilt University.

Also In This Issue:

  • American Chestnut Tree: Its Decline and Restoration
  • Mushrooms and Fungi in Middle Tennessee
  • Casebearing Leaf Beetles Create Their Own Building Materials

In The Next Issue:

  • History Hayrides
  • Every Child Outdoors
  • Co-Existing With Web Weavers

About The Tennessee Conservationist



The Tennessee Conservationist is an award-winning magazine recognized around the country for beautiful photography and engaging, informative articles about Tennessee’s natural and cultural wonders. The magazine fulfills its purpose without receiving a state appropriation as it is totally funded through subscription revenue, non-commercial advertising for Tennessee State Parks and environmental programs plus gifts and donations from supporters. Each bimonthly issue features the high quality photographs and articles the magazine has long been best known for publishing. I invite readers from across the nation to experience this true Tennessee treasure.

Jim Fyke
Commissioner