Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has proclaimed April 9-17 as Tennessee State Natural Areas Spring Celebration Week. Guests are invited to attend any of the 30 naturalist-led activities of these ecologically significant areas.

“April is a great time of year to explore and enjoy the native wildflowers and other species protected within our state natural areas,” said Roger McCoy, director of Tennessee’s Natural Areas Program. “With so many different events, there is sure to be an outing for all interest and fitness levels. The botanists, zoologists and park rangers who will be leading these excursions look forward to sharing these special places with participants.”

The list of family-friendly events includes guided hikes, canoe floats, bird watching, a butterfly count and more as we celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Tennessee Natural Areas Preservation Act.

Tennessee is fortunate to have 85 state natural areas comprised of more than 122,000 acres that the Act now protects. The Natural Areas Program seeks to include sites that adequately represent all of the natural communities that make up Tennessee’s landscape, including rare, threatened and endangered plant and animal life. Spanning east to west, the state’s natural areas represent some of Tennessee’s best examples of intact ecosystems.

For most events, space is limited and reservations are required. Trips may be canceled in the event of inclement weather. To see the full schedule and RSVP, visit https://tn.gov/assets/entities/environment/attachments/na_springCele2016.pdf.