Mar 19 Thursday
Search for tadpoles, salamanders, and frogs while learning about their biology and ecology. Smokies Life Branch Out event. Cades Cove Orientation Shelter, Townsend, Tenn. Cost: For Park Keepers, $45; To join and attend, $85 (Park Keeper basic membership $40 + event registration $45). Info – SmokiesLife.org/branch-out-events or email: membership@smokieslife.org.
Mar 20 Friday
Join us March 20th at Dogwood Gallery as we dive into one of the most urgent questions we currently face as creative professionals: How and when (or if) to use AI in our work.
We’ll talk about AI with an expert—not as a replacement for your creative genius—but in ways that are both ethical and make sense.
Joseph Cadotte, Game Designer and Editor at Innovative Learning Solutions, will be on hand to discuss the appropriate and ethical uses of AI for creative professionals and answer your burning questions.
Joseph’s a sought-after speaker and lectures on AI adoption in the arts and education throughout the country. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Washington and a BA in English from the University of Michigan.
Mar 24 Tuesday
Discover the basics of backpacking and hiking, from what to put in your pack to wildlife etiquette, then put those lessons to use on a guided 3–5 mile hike. Smokies Life Branch Out event. Great Smokies Welcome Center, Townsend, Tenn. Cost: For Park Keepers, $45; To join and attend, $85 (Park Keeper basic membership $40 + event registration $45). Info – SmokiesLife.org/branch-out-events or email: membership@smokieslife.org.
Apr 01 Wednesday
TennGreen Land Conservancy’s sixth annual Hike-a-Thon is taking place during the entire month of April 2026. This month-long competition is free to register and supports the protection of our lands and waters—where people and nature can thrive.
While the Hike-a-Thon benefits Tennessee nature, participants can adventure and compete from anywhere in the world. The event includes numerous individual and team competitions for hikers, paddlers, trail runners, climbers, off-road bikers, nature photographers, and more. The Hike-a-Thon welcomes everyone, whether you're an experienced outdoor adventurer or simply looking for a fun way to spend more time outside.
So many incredible prizes are up for grabs this year! Thanks to generous conservation partners, Hike-a-Thoners can win big—think an Eddyline Kayak, a year of Bongo Java coffee, plus hiking gear and gift cards galore. You’ll also have chances to win unforgettable outdoor experiences, from guided fly fishing with Hellbender Outfitters to a tri-toon boat rental at Wildwood Resort & Marina, or adventure passes to Cumberland Caverns, Foggy Bottom Canoe & Kayak, or the Tennessee Aquarium.
Proceeds from the Hike-a-Thon benefit TennGreen Land Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit and the oldest accredited statewide land conservancy in Tennessee.
Apr 02 Thursday
Apr 03 Friday
Apr 04 Saturday
Apr 05 Sunday
Apr 06 Monday
Apr 07 Tuesday