Cedars of Lebanon to Host Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival April 30 – May 1

LEBANON, Tenn. – Cedars of Lebanon State Park will host its annual Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival April 30 – May 1. Held in partnership with The Center for Cedar Glade Studies of Middle Tennessee State University, this event will offer visitors an opportunity to learn more about the area through seminars, guided nature walks, exhibits, guest speakers and naturalist displays. All events are free and open to the public.

 

“We are honored to be hosting this 33rd annual event and excited about the roster of experts on hand during this two-day festival,” said Park Ranger and Naturalist Wayne Ingram. “We have numerous activities and educational opportunities planned for all ages and encourage everyone to join us – rain or shine.”  

 

Dr. Elsie Quarterman was professor Emeritus of Vanderbilt University and pioneered cedar glade research in the early 1950s. Coupled with her extensive research at this site, Dr. Quarterman has been an advocate for natural area protection throughout her distinguished career. Her efforts helped Tennessee in 1971 become one of the first states to pass legislation to protect natural areas in the U.S. 

 

Ingram added that Dr. Quarterman, who will celebrate her 100th birthday later this year, will participate in this year’s festival, leading hikes and sharing her extensive expertise. “It’s an honor to have Dr. Quarterman join us and a privilege to continue to learn from her vast experience as a naturalist, scientist and conservationist.”  

 

The festival will kick off on Friday, April 30, beginning at 1 p.m. at the park’s Assembly Hall for The Center for Cedar Glade Studies’ research roundtable. Friday’s evening program will feature guest speakers State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath and Botanist Dwayne Estes and will highlight the remarkable work of Dr. Quarterman. Beginning at 8 p.m., a reception will follow the evening program and will include light refreshments and traditional glade music by the Wilson Warblers until 10 p.m. Also on Friday evening, there will be an insect-collecting activity on Jovonn Hill and participants should meet at the Cedar Forest Lodge by 9 p.m.  

 

On Saturday, May 1, early risers and bird watchers will enjoy a Bird Walk, beginning at 7 a.m. at the park’s Huddleston Cedar Forest Lodge. Expert birders, including members of Wilson County’s own Tennessee Ornithological Society chapter, will lead the walk. Participants are encouraged to bring field glasses and bird books.  

 

Other event highlights on Saturday include several motorcade jaunts to various glades led by expert guides, including state and park naturalists. Participants are encouraged to contact the park office toll free at (800) 713-5180 for reservations and departure times, as transportation is limited. 

 

Also on Saturday, exhibits in the park’s Nature Center will open at 9 a.m. and close at 4:30 p.m. This year’s exhibits include Edible Natives, Carmen Wildflowers, Reflections in Wildlife, GroWild, Millie Buford Flowers, Tennessee Native Plant Society and the MTSU Center for Cedar Glade Studies. In the Assembly Hall beginning Saturday at 9 a.m., experts will give various talks throughout the day, covering topics such as glade geology, caves and the “underworld” of the glades, gardening with native plants, photography tips, edible native plants, insects of the Glades, along with an amphibians and reptiles program.  

 

Following the dinner break on Saturday evening, the Owl Prowl and Frog Frolic activities will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. and will be led by herpetologists Ray Pope and Danny Bryan. Participants are asked to meet at the Huddleston Cedar Forest Lodge for these two activities.  

 

Cedars of Lebanon State Park and State Forest are located in the southwestern part of Wilson County within the central basin of Tennessee. Both were established during the 1930s as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s program to resettle people and replant the Cedar trees that had been heavily harvested. The area now contains one of the largest juniper forests in the country.  For more information about the park, visit www.tnstateparks.com/Cedars.

 

The Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade is a 185-acre natural area in Rutherford County. It is a part of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Percy Priest Reservoir and is managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency as a Wildlife Management Area. 

 

For more information about the Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival, please contact the Cedars of Lebanon State Park office toll free at (800) 713-5180. An event brochure is attached.  

 

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