Events & Recreation
Board Meetings
The public is always welcome to attend meetings of WRC's board of directors, every third Monday night at 6:30 at the Memphis Botanic Gardens. Some meetings are rescheduled around holidays.
Events
Our goal is to offer nearly monthly trips, basically March through December. We take a break during the January and February months.
Note: Canoe trips are a WRC membership benefit and are open only to
WRC members (members can bring one guest). Hikes and other events are
open to both members and non-members. To participate in hikes and canoe
trips, you may be required to sign a release.
Wolf River Conservancy
Activities Schedule
April – September, 2008
Paddle the Wolf River, Bateman Bridge to Moscow
Sunday,
April 27, 2008, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Meet: Parking
lot on Highway 57 east of Feemster Bridge entering Moscow
Enjoy the newly greening, rerouted Wolf River below the Ghost Section. The river channel changed two years ago and now takes you through a mini- ghost section, but with current. The trip is 7 ½ miles, and we usually finish about 3:30 pm. We will meet at the abandoned strip mall on the north side of Highway 57 just east of the Feemster Bridge, the bridge over the Wolf River as you enter Moscow. You will turn left on the first road past the bridge into the parking lot of the empty mall. Please bring water and a picnic lunch.
If you plant to attend, contact Charlie Bright at charliebright@yahoo.com. Also call Wolf River Canoe Trips at 877-3958 if you are renting a canoe.
NOTE: Our canoe trips
are open to WRC members only and require canoe handling skills to
navigate the natural meanders of the wilderness environment of the upper
Wolf River.
Wolf River Clean Up
Sunday, May
4, 2008; 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Meet: Bateman Bridge, 2.5 Miles East of Hwy. 57/76 Junction
in Moscow
Please join the Wolf River Conservancy and the Bluff City Canoe Club as we participate in National River Clean-Up Week by cleaning up our favorite community river. The Bluff City Canoe Club has led this important trip for several years. You need good canoe-handling skills to be effective, so we are limiting this trip to folks that have their own boats. We will paddle from Bateman to Feemster Bridge (approximately 7 ½ miles), cleaning up the launch areas as well. Reach Bateman Rd. 2.5 miles east of the Hwy. 57/76 junction in Moscow. Turn south (right) until you reach Bateman Bridge.
If
you plan to attend, contact Linda Weghorst of the Bluff City Canoe Club
at
lgweghorst@comcast.net.
2008 Summer Lecture Series: The Native Orchids of Tennessee
Monday, May 12, 2008; 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Memphis Botanic Garden,
750 Cherry Road
Bart Jones of the Tennessee Native Plant Society will launch the new Summer Lecture Series: A Naturalist’s Guide to the Mid-South, a joint venture of WRC and the Memphis Botanic Garden. He will give an overview of the 50 orchids native to our state, and tips on growing them yourself.
All speakers begin
at 7:00 p.m. From 6:30 - 7:00 pm, enjoy a hands-on family activity and
short tours of the garden. $4
Admission benefits environmental education programming of both
organizations. Free to WRC & MBG Members.
Spring Ghost River Section Paddle Trip
Sunday, May
25, 2008; 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Meet: Bateman Bridge, 2.5 Miles East of Hwy. 57/76 Junction
in Moscow
This is the one – your chance to experience the Ghost, one of the most beautiful and varied sections of river in the country during the prettiest time of the year. You’ll think you’re on a tributary of the Amazon, rather than 30 minutes from Germantown. You’ll descend through five wetland ecosystems within an 8 1/2-mile section of river. WRC rescued this area in 1995 with the support of members like you. You will reach Bateman Rd. 2.5 miles east of the Hwy. 57/76 junction in Moscow. Turn south (right) until you reach Bateman Bridge. Please bring water and a picnic lunch. This trip always fills up - so call early.
If you plant to
attend, contact Dan Powell at
danpowell53@aol.com. Also call Wolf River Canoe Trips at 877-3958
if you are renting a canoe.
Second Annual “Cycle the Germantown Greenway” Bicycle Ride
Sunday, June 1, 2008, 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Meet: Germantown Greenway Parking Lot, 7250 Wolf River Blvd., between Kirby and Riverdale
Our first ride last year was such a success that we’re repeating it this
June. The cycling distances range from 5 to 50 miles. The main ride
will be in Germantown with an option to ride to Collierville, and the
family ride will be totally on the Greenway. The rides begin and end in
the Germantown Greenway parking lot, where we’ll celebrate the finish
with food and entertainment.
“Cycle the Germantown Greenway,” sponsored by the Temple Israel
Environmental Task Force and the City of Germantown Parks & Recreation
Department, supports the Wolf River Conservancy’s
efforts to make the Wolf River the backbone of an incredible park and
greenway system for our community.
Click here to register at the Memphis Hightailers website.
Click here to download the
registration form.
Registration is
required and payment must be made in advance.
2008 Summer Lecture Series: The Butterflies of Tennessee
Monday, June 9, 2008: 6:30 pm – 8:00 p.m.
Memphis
Botanic Garden,
750 Cherry Road
Rita Venable, Middle
Tennessee Chapter, North American Butterfly Association, will focus on
the beautiful butterflies in your garden and across the state. The
program begins at 7:00 p.m. From 6:30 - 7:00 pm, enjoy a hands-on
family activity and short tours of the garden. $4
Admission benefits environmental education programming of both
organizations. Free to WRC & MBG Members.
Wolf River Driving/Walking Tour of Four Protected Natural Areas
Saturday, June 14, 2008; 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Meet: Wolf River Café, 460 Main St., Rossville; north off Hwy. 57 on Rossville Rd, turns into Main St.
During this walking/driving tour of the middle and upper Wolf River, we will visit four important and beautiful properties that we have protected, three with boardwalks. We’ll start with breakfast at the Wolf River Cafe and then caravan to the nearby William B. Clark Preserve and its boardwalk. We’ll then visit the 740-acre, $1.1 million Briggs tract and hike into its forests and wetlands as far as the conditions and our abilities allow.
Next is the Mineral
Slough Boardwalk on the Ghost River Section of the Wolf, where we’ll
drive through 4 miles of wild forest that would have been lost if we
hadn’t protected it in 1995. Last stop is Johnson Park in
Collierville where we’ll hike their new, ½ mile boardwalk and see one of
the weirs built to prevent the Wolf’s continued head cutting. This weir
is part of the $12.5 million, US Corps of Engineers Wolf River
Restoration Project that will create an 8-mile long, 2,100-acre Wolf
River Wildlife Area bordering Collierville to the north, which includes
this park. Please pack water and a picnic lunch if you plan to do the
full tour. Participants will drive their own vehicles.
If you plan to attend, contact Charles Askew
at:
chaskew@bellsouth.net
2008 Educator Workshops
June 25, 26 and 27th Water Workshops for Educators
June 25th – Project WET (Water Education for Teachers)
9am-4pm
$15.00, Early Registration $10.00
WET participants engage in cooperative, hands-on learning and
leave prepared and inspired to teach about water, in or out of
the classroom! Visit www.projectwet.org.
June 26th – WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands 9am-4pm
$45.00, Early Registration $40.00
WOW! introduces you to basic wetland ecology, including soil,
water, and plants, as well as wetland functions and values
through fun and interactive activities in lesson plan format.
Bring wetlands alive and into the classroom!
Scholarships available (see www.wetland.org).
June 27th – WOW! Facilitator Training 9am-4pm
$40.00, Early Registration $35.00
WOW! Facilitators are able to teach their own WOW! workshops to
educators in their community. Help bring wetland education into
the hands of your fellow educators!
Prior attendance at WOW! for educators required.
Scholarships available (see www.wetland.org).
Early registration deadline: May 15th.
Open to ALL interested adults. Each workshop limited to 25
participants. Lunch, snacks provided.
Workshops sponsored by Wolf River Conservancy, Memphis Botanic
Garden and Environmental Concern, Inc.
Contact Wolf River Conservancy for information or registration.
Canoe Trail Work Trip
Sunday, July 13, 2008; 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Meet: Collierville/Arlington Rd. Bridge
The WRC is undertaking this river trail maintenance/exploration trip to investigate the feasibility of opening a canoe trail through the hazardous logjams and sweepers within the 8 miles of Wolf River from Collierville/Arlington Bridge to Houston Levee Bridge. This land will eventually be protected as a community park managed by Collierville within the 2,100 Wolf River Wildlife Area. This trip is open only to volunteers w/ canoes or kayaks and experience both in maneuvering boats around challenging obstacles and operating hand and chain saws from boats. We will also have to navigate several weirs made of riprap. Please bring water and a picnic lunch.
If you plan to
attend, please contact Mark Babb at
ghostriverrentals@yahoo.com
2008 Summer Lecture Series: Wild Mid-South—Live!
Monday, July 21, 2008: 6:30 pm – 8:00 p.m
Memphis Botanic Garden,
750 Cherry Road
Discover native
wildlife with veteran educator Kate Friedman and a selection of live
animals. Kate is with Mississippi Wildlife Rehabilitation Inc. The
program begins at 7:00 p.m. From 6:30 - 7:00 pm, enjoy a hands-on
family activity and short tours of the garden. $4 Admission benefits environmental education programming of
both organizations. Free to WRC & MBG Members.
Paddle the Wolf River Bateman Road to Moscow Section
Saturday,
July 26, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Meet:
Parking lot on Highway 57 east of Feemster Bridge entering Moscow
Mark Babb and Don Hailey, principals of the new Ghost River Rentals, a new canoe and kayak company in Collierville, are leading this canoe trip on a beautiful 7 1/2-mile section of river upstream of Moscow. Most of this canoe trail is in the shade, which is ideal on a hot summer day. There are two inviting spots for swimming – one about 1/3 of the way down and the other at the Bateman Road access after the trip is completed.
We will meet at the abandoned strip mall on the north side of Highway 57 just east of the Feemster Bridge, the bridge over the Wolf River as you enter Moscow. You will turn left on the first road past the bridge into the parking lot of the empty strip mall.
If you plan to attend, contact Mark Babb at Ghost River Canoe Rentals to rent a canoe or a sit-on-top kayak, or to let him know you plan to bring your own boat. ghostriverrentals@yahoo.com
Paddle Wolf River
Bateman Road to Moscow Section w/ Tennessee Trails
Sunday,
August 17, 2008; 2:00 p.m. – 6:30 pm
Meet:
Parking lot on Highway 57 east of Feemster Bridge entering Moscow
We’ll meet at 2 p.m. for a 7 ½-mile float that will catch the rich afternoon sunlight. Veteran members said last year this was one of most enchanting trips as we watched the setting sun filter through the cypress trees and listened to the Moscow church bells.
We will meet at the abandoned strip mall on the north side of Highway 57 just east of the Feemster Bridge, the bridge over the Wolf River as you enter Moscow. You will turn left on the first road past the bridge into the parking lot of the empty mall.
If you plan to
attend, contact Charlie Bright at
charliebright@yahoo.com. Also, if you need to rent a canoe, call
Wolf River Canoe Trips at 877- 3958.
2008 Summer Lecture Series - Underwater Odyssey: The Amazing Lives of Southeastern Streams
Monday, August 18, 2008: 6:30 pm – 8:00 p.m.
Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry Road
Dr. Mel Warren,
Research Biologist, U.S. Forest Service and one of the nation’s experts
on freshwater aquatic biodiversity, shares a lifetime of discovery with
us. You will never think of fish and mussels the same way again! The
program begins at 7:00 p.m. From 6:30 - 7:00 pm, enjoy a hands-on
family activity and short tours of the garden. $4
Admission benefits environmental education programming of both
organizations. Free to WRC & MBG Members.
Hike to Baker’s Pond and Visit the Hummingbird Festival
Saturday, September
6, 2008; 10:00 a.m.
– 3:00 p.m.
Meet: Citgo gas station, NE corner of Mississippi Highways 72 and Hwy 5
This is a joint WRC-Tennessee Trails hike to the source of the
Wolf River in the Holly Springs National
Forest with an additional adventure perfect for nature enthusiasts of
all ages. We will hike about 2-miles round trip to Baker’s Pond and
then travel to the nearby Strawberry Plains Audubon Center in
Holly Springs, MS, to the Hummingbird
Migration Festival. This event coincides with the peak of the
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds’ southward migration. We will see thousands
of hummingbirds buzzing around the native flowers and feeders found on
the 2,500-acre preserve and watch some being banded. We may even get a
chance to hold one before they are released. We will also visit the
interesting displays of other environmental groups and artisans on the
grounds.
We will meet at the Citgo gas station/store located at the NE corner of
Mississippi Highways 72 and Hwy 5 at 10:00 a.m. (27 miles from Hwy
385/Hwy 72 interchange) and caravan 10 miles farther east on Hwy 72. We
will turn right at Tower Rd. at the abandoned fire tower and then bear
right again to the trailhead. Please bring water; food is available at
the Citgo and the hummingbird festival. Hike will go rain or shine. If
you have questions, contact trip leader Charles Askew at
chaskew@bellsouth.net; otherwise, we’ll see you there!
If you have questions about upcoming WRC hikes, canoe trips and other events please call 901-452-6500 or email wrc@wolfriver.org.
Please Note: We do require that canoe and kayak trip participants be members of The Wolf River Conservancy. Memberships start at $35.
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