Bales to share wildlife tales in Arboretum program
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We think of raccoons as common animals, but we almost lost them to a fashion craze in the early 1900s.
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Stephen Lyn Bales’ newest book explores the unique plants and animals of our area.
The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will host a free Zoom program, “We Live in a Wonderland: Appalachia,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4.
The program will feature naturalist and author Stephen Lyn Bales, who will discuss his new book exploring the plants and animals of the Appalachian Mountains and their foothills.
Michelle Campanis, education coordinator at the UT Arboretum, will moderate the session.
Bales, who grew up in Gatlinburg at the base of Mount Le Conte, is a longtime East Tennessee naturalist. He said the region is “a lush green Eden filled with thousands of wonders,” ranging from owls in the Smokies to bears, otters and raccoons.
“I have an interesting story about how we almost lost raccoons due to fashion crazes of the last century,” he said.
The event is part of the Arboretum Society’s Nature Supper Club series. Registration is available at utarboretumsociety.org under “Programs.”
The program will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers, and closed captions will be provided.
For more information about Bales’ books, published by UT Press, email him at hellostephenlyn@gmail.com.
The Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center, home of the UT Arboretum, celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024. It is one of 10 UT Institute of Agriculture AgResearch and Education Centers across the state. The UT Arboretum Society will mark its own 60th anniversary in 2025.
