Speakers & Leaders Information

Wildflower Pilgrimage Outdoor Trip Leaders
A. Leon Bates – Retired as an urban forester/horticulturist (Florence, AL) and former senior botanist for TVA, Leon and his wife now reside in Polk County, TN.  He is an avid hiker with the Cherokee Hiking Club, leading nature walks and presenting programs for local conservation groups.  For 15 years, Leon has led wildflower, tree/shrub, and invasive plant hikes at the Pilgrimage.

A. Faye Borthick – Faye is a professor of accountancy at Georgia State University.  Her interests have led her to explore biodynamic native plant gardening.  She also facilitates native plant rescues for the Georgia Native Plant Society.  Faye has led wildflower hikes since 2009.  View her garden at http://bellsouthpwp2.net/b/o/borthick/gardens/#spring2010. 

P.E. (Ed) Bostick – Ed received his Ph.D. in Botany from UNC and is a retired professor of botany with Kennesaw State University in Marietta, GA.  He is interested in edible and medicinal plants, plant geography, endemism, rare plants, and botany-geology relationships.  Ed has been a regular Pilgrimage leader since 1978 on wildflower walks.

Keith Bowman – Keith began leading hikes for the Pilgrimage in 2002 as a University of Tennessee student.  He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forest in Syracuse, NY, studying bryophytes of northern white cedar swamps in New York State.  He leads moss and fern walks.

Jay Carr is a biological science technician with the Park’s wildlife crew and earned a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Management from The University of Tennessee.  After working with Northern bobwhites, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, amphibians, and several other wildlife species, he now focuses mainly on feral hogs and black bears.

Jack Carman – An amateur photographer and wildflower enthusiast, Jack is the author of Wildflowers of Tennessee field guide.  He retired from his day job as an aerospace engineer in 2005.  Jack has participated in the Pilgrimage since 1985 leading photography workshops.

Edward E.C. Clebsch – Ed is Professor Emeritus of botany and ecology from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  He received his undergraduate degrees from UT and his Ph.D. in botany from Duke.  Currently, he works part-time for the Foothills Land Conservancy.  The longest Pilgrimage volunteer, Ed has been part of this annual event since 1953.  He leads wildflower and bird hikes.

Richard Clements – Richard is a professor of biology and environmental science at Chattanooga State Community College and served on the board of the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council for 10 years.  He is interested in the flora of the Southern Appalachians and interior cedar glade habitats.  Richard has led wildflower hikes at the Pilgrimage since 1987 and developed the walk on exotic pest plants. 

Rebecca A. Cook – An associate professor of biology at Lambuth University in Jackson, TN, Rebecca’s interests include plant ecology, population ecology, and the conservation of rare plants.  Rebecca has led plant hikes at the Pilgrimage since 1991. 

Patricia B. Cox – Pat works for Tennessee Valley Authority as the botanical specialist centered on conservation issues with rare plant species and communities and the impacts of nonnative invasive species.  She has a Ph.D. in Botany from LSU.  Pat’s involvements include the park’s All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), Discover Life in America board, president of Association of Southeastern Biologists, Southern Appalachian Botanical Society, and Pilgrimage organizer.  Since 1992, she has lead hikes on ferns, wildflowers, and new this year, invasive species. 

Todd Crabtree – Todd serves as state botanist in Tennessee, monitoring and conducting searches for rare plants across the state as part of the Natural Heritage Program.  He is vice-president of the Tennessee Native Plant Society and indulges in a robust interest in photography.  Todd’s first year with the Pilgrimage was 2010.  He leads wildflower hikes.

Terry M. Crowe – Terry is a career law enforcement officer and an avid naturalist who specializes in outdoor adventure and birding.  He began bird watching in his East Tennessee backyard in 1975.  He has birded primarily on the east coast but has ventured on outings throughout Florida, Arizona, Washington and Oregon.  Terry has volunteered as a naturalist in Maryland and is a frequent birder along the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays as well as Cape May, New Jersey and the Great Smoky Mountains.  Terry has been co-leading birding hikes with his brother Jason Mitchell at the Pilgrimage since 2005.

W. Michael Dennis – Mike is an environmental consultant working on wetlands, threatened and endangered species, habitat management plans, and permitting throughout the eastern United States.  His ties to the Wildflower Pilgrimage go back to 1975 when he was a graduate student in the Botany Department at the University of Tennessee from which he received his Ph.D.  He has led walks on the Kanati Fork/Thomas Divide Trail and tree/shrub identification.

Paul C. Durr – Paul is a wetland scientist with a strong interest in grasses and other grass-like plants.  He has taught several classes in wetland plant identification for the US Army Corps of Engineers and TVA.  He is also a former dendrology instructor at the University of Tennessee, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries. He has participated in 15 Pilgrimage weeks, leading hikes on wildflowers and trees/shrubs.   

Murray Evans – Murray, Professor Emeritus from the University of Tennessee, specialized in the taxonomy of ferns and flowering plants.  He wrote the fern sections for major regional floras (Radford 1968 and Wofford 1989) and the Ferns and Fern Allies of the Smokies guide.  Since 1965, Murray has led fern and wildflower walks at the Pilgrimage.  Each year he and his wife, Dee Montie, travel from Vermont to experience spring in the Southern Appalachians.

Troy Evans is a Forestry Technician for the Park’s Vegetation Management crew, where he serves as crew leader for hemlock woolly adelgid control work.  Troy
earned his B.S. in Biology at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC, and a M.S. in Biology at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY.  His interests are forest ecology, invasive exotic insects and plants, and biodiversity within the Park.

Wilson Francis – Currently an assistant professor of biology at Hazard Community and Technical College in Kentucky, Wilson formerly served as a naturalist with Kentucky State Parks.  He has volunteered with the Pilgrimage for five years and leads wildflower and forest ecology hikes.
 
Brad Free has been an interpretive park ranger for Great Smoky Mountains
National Park for ten years. After several years of blacksmithing, farming, and other living history work at Oconaluftee Visitor Center, he currently works at Sugarlands Visitor Center.

Robin Goddard is retired after 32 years of teaching. Honors include Tennessee Environmental Teacher of the Year and Who’s Who in American Teachers.  She is a VIP costumed interpreter at Little Greenbrier School; portrays Ann Davis, Mother of the Park, in many programs; teaches at Tremont; and was a 75th Anniversary Ambassador for the Park. She also works with the National Parks Community Outreach programs and the Jr. Ranger Program. She has been a VIP since 1969 and received the top President’s Volunteer Call to Service Award from President Barack Obama.

Yolande McCurdy Gottfried – Yolande is a volunteer botanist with the Sewanee Herbarium at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN.  She began volunteering with the Pilgrimage in 1996 leading wildflower hikes.  Yolande plays dulcimer with her husband in local music jams.

Doris Gove – Doris is a semi-retired biologist and writer.  She has written six natural history books for children and three hiking guides, The Smokies Yukky Book, and Great Smoky Mountains Trivia.  She is also a contributor of trail descriptions to the Hiking Trails of the Smokies guidebook.  Doris has been leading all-day wildflower and natural history hikes at the Pilgrimage since 1982. 

Roger L. Hedge – Roger is an ecologist with the Indiana Natural Heritage Program, working with rare species, natural areas inventory and management, and environmental review.  He began his career as an interpretive naturalist with Indiana State Parks.  He has been leading wildflower walks at the Pilgrimage since 2008.  Field botany and birding are his main interests.

Alan S. Heilman – Upon completion of his Ph.D. at Ohio State University in 1960, Alan taught at UT in Knoxville for 37 years and was a member of the Botanical Society of America.  His plant photography has won many accolades in regional and national competitions, including one sponsored by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in 1996.  Alan’s first Pilgrimage was 1961, and he has led photography workshops every year.

Frances Hensley earned a B.S. degree from the University of Arkansas and taught school in Arkansas and Iowa. She is a member of Daughters of the American Colonists, Daughters of the American Revolution, Ossoili, and Blue Star Mothers. She has been a VIP since 1998. Her specialties include bird and wildflower identification with related studies in Europe, Brazil, Mexico and Canada

Fred Holtzclaw – Fred is a high school biology teacher currently working for the Webb School in Knoxville.  He and his wife Theresa are avid hikers (2,500 miles in the Alps!) with interests in plants, birds, and using nature as a classroom.  Fred has volunteered with the Pilgrimage since 1978 leading wildflower and bird hikes.

Dennis Horn – Dennis is an engineer, naturalist, amateur botanist, and wildflower photographer. Charter member and director of the Tennessee Native Plant Society, he is co-editor of their field guide Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians.  Dennis serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee for Rare Plants in Tennessee and received a Certificate of Merit from the state for his conservation efforts.  Since 1982, he has led wildflower and tree/shrub hikes at the Pilgrimage. 

Margie Hunter – Margie is the author of Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee: The Spirit of Place.  She began leading wildflower hikes in 2005.  A graduate of Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont’s Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certificate Program, she is actively studying the natural history of Tennessee, particularly the flora.  Margie is hiking all the trails in the park and blogging about the experience at http://hikinginthesmokies.wordpress.com. 

Robert W. Hutson – An amateur photographer and wildflower enthusiast, Robert is co-author of Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers with Carlos C. Campbell, William F. Hutson, and Aaron J. Sharp.  He has been with the Pilgrimage since 2005 and leads wildflower photography sessions.  Robert has been hiking and photographing in the Smokies for over 50 years.

Kristine Johnson is Supervisory Forester in the Park, where her duties include forest insect and disease management, exotic plant control, ecological restoration and integrated pest management. Prior to the Smokies, she worked as a Ranger on the Blue Ridge Parkway and at Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP, and as a bio science tech for the US Forest Service in Asheville, NC. She has a M. S. degree in forestry from the University of Tennessee, is a past president and current board member of the TN Exotic Pest Plant Council, and has been a Wildflower Pilgrimage leader since 1989.

Carey Jones is a former Park Ranger naturalist who for 14 years led programs in the Smokies. With his M.A., experience, and curiosity he continues to lead walks for local nature groups, including the UT Smoky Mountain Field School and the Wildflower Pilgrimage. He narrates the Bird Songs of the Smokies CD set, and the Naturepods audio tour of Cades Cove, and also plays guitar and sings a bit on tour buses and the streets of Gatlinburg.

Larry Klotz – Larry recently retired as a professor of biology at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania and volunteers as curator of their herbarium and greenhouse.  He performs contract botanical field surveys for the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, National Park Service, and private entities.  With the exception of three years, Larry has volunteered at the Pilgrimage since 1982, leading wildflower and tree/shrub hikes.

Karen LaMere – Karen works as a naturalist/park manager for the Indiana Parks and Recreation Association.  She is Ho-Chunk, a Winnebago Native American and serves as director for the Council for the Interpretation of Native Peoples and is a board member of the National Association for Interpretation.  Karen has led Native American programs and hikes at the Pilgrimage since 2002. 

Gavin R. Lawson – Gavin is an associate professor of biology at Bridgewater College in Virginia.  His scholarly interests are in herpetology, particularly amphibians.  He is currently researching the population genetics of eastern newts in South Carolina and amphibian use of constructed wildlife pools in George Washington National Forest (VA).  Gavin began leading Pilgrimage salamander hikes in 2010.  Interesting note: Gavin’s Ph.D. focused on the evolution and comparative anatomy of the jaw apparatus of pythons. 

Jeannette (Jenny) S. Lellinger – Jenny worked in information technology for the National Geographic Society for 30 years.  In 1996, she received certification as a field naturalist from the US Department of Agriculture’s Graduate School and taught pteridophytes there in 2002 and 2003.  She is a member and past president of the Western Carolina Botanical Club.  Jenny leads mostly fern and some wildflower hikes at the Pilgrimage, beginning in 2004.

Ed Lickey – Ed teaches field botany and mycology as an assistant professor of biology at Bridgewater College in Virginia.  He has been leading backcountry and mushroom hikes at the Pilgrimage since 1997.

Jeremy Lloyd began living and working in the Park in 1996. As a naturalist with Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, he runs hiking programs and summer camps and teaches several courses in the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification program. He is the author of two books: Great Smoky Mountains National Park Pocket Guide & Journal and A Home In Walker Valley: The Story of Tremont.

Hal D. Mahan – Co-owner of The Compleat Naturalist in Asheville, NC, Hal is also an adjunct professor at UNC (Asheville) and Warren Wilson College.  He was a biology professor in Michigan, served as executive director of natural history museums in Michigan, Ohio, and California, and is founding president of the Roger Tory Peterson Institutes in Jamestown, NY.  Hal has been leading bird hikes for the Pilgrimage since 1994.

Laura Mahan – Laura is owner of The Compleat Naturalist (http://www.compleatnaturalist.com) in Asheville, NC, a business specializing in books, tools, and supplies for naturalists at all levels, and serves on the board of Discover Life in America.  With degrees in botany and biology, she is interested in the description and classification of plant communities.  She enjoys teaching others to recognize plants by family characteristics and is adept at identifying birds by song.  Since 1994, Laura has led bird and beginning wildflower hikes at the Pilgrimage.

Bill Martin – Bill is Professor Emeritus at Eastern Kentucky University where he taught biology.  He also served as director of the state’s Division of Natural Areas.  His interests center around eastern deciduous forests – old growth forests and forest succession, health, and change.  He has been a leader annually since 1981 covering old-growth forests (especially Brushy Mountain), wildflowers, and woody plants.

S. Coleman McCleneghan – Coleman is a mycologist and instructor in biology, botany, and lichenology through Appalachian State University and the University of Tennessee Field School.  She also works with amateur mushroom clubs.  Coleman has participated in the Pilgrimage since 2000, leading fungi, lichen, and wildflower hikes as well as long hikes.

Carol Ann McCormick – Carol Ann is assistant curator of the University of North Carolina Herbarium in Chapel Hill and a co-author of GSMA’s Wildflowers of the Smokies guide. With the exception of 1993, when she was 8 months pregnant with her first child, Rose, Carol Ann has been a Pilgrimage leader of wildflower hikes since 1989.  In an unrelated, but fascinating tidbit, she won the Howell Living History Farm Draft Horse Plowing Contest (Novice Division) in 1990!

Roger McCoy – Roger received an MS in Botany from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale and has worked with the Tennessee Natural Heritage Program since 1998.  He searches, monitors, and maps rare plant species and natural communities. A recent addition to the Pilgrimage leader lineup, Roger began helping in 2010 and leads wildflower hikes.

Ed McDowell – Ed is a retired US Air Force aviator and Aerospace Corporation executive.  Interests in gardening and native plants have resulted in leadership positions with Georgia Native Plant Society, Georgia Botanical Society, Georgia Master Gardeners Association, and Cullowhee Native Plants in the Landscape Conference.  A nature photographer and naturalist, Ed has led wildflower and tree/shrub hikes at the Pilgrimage since 2000.

Ken McFarland – Ken is a lecturer in the Division of Biology and manages the research greenhouses and gardens at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  He worked with Dr. Aaron J. Sharp on the Mexican Moss Flora project and researched bryophytes in Central and South America and the southern Appalachians.  Ken is chairman of the Pilgrimage organizing committee and has volunteered since 1976, leading moss walks and the Sunday forest ecology hike.

Mike Meldrum from New Baltimore, Michigan, has been a park ranger for 12 years in Cades Cove with resource education doing visitor programs. Prior to the NPS he worked as robotics technician and consultant for Chrysler Corporation. He is a regular presenter at Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge.
 
Jason M. Mitchell – Jason is an avid birder and field biologist specializing in natural history and ornithology.  He has authored articles on birdlife and worked extensively with great blue herons, shorebirds, neotropical songbirds, game birds, and golden and bald eagles, studying bird ID and distribution in all regions of the U.S.  Jason is currently on special assignment with the Tennessee Valley Authority.  He has led bird hikes for the Pilgrimage since 2004.

Dee Montie – Dee is a retired attorney and experienced Southern Appalachian hiker.  She is a former president of The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club.  As a botany major in college, she developed a lifelong interest in flowering plants and ferns.  Dee has led wildflower and fern hikes, as well as long-distance trail hikes, since 1985.  Each year Dee and her husband, Murray Evans, travel from Vermont to experience spring in the Southern Appalachians.

Fritz Nerding – Fritz currently manages the Garfield Park Botanical Conservatory and Gardens in Indianapolis, IN, having spent 20 years as a park ranger and interpretive naturalist for the city.  He specializes in studying and growing orchids, and works with the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society.  Fritz has accompanied groups of 20 or more people from central Indiana to the Pilgrimage for the past 14 years leading diverse hikes on wildflowers, waterfalls, salamanders, plant folklore, and basic nature photography. 

Becky Nichols, originally from Washington state, has worked in the Park for 13 years as an Entomologist.  She has a doctorate in Entomology from the University of Missouri, with emphasis on aquatic insects. Becky works on aquatic insect monitoring, as well as the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, a large project aimed at discovering all life forms in the Smokies.

Sarah Marie Noble – Sarah Marie is an assistant professor of biology at the University of Mobile and an adjunct professor of chemistry at Spring Hill College.  Her botanical interests are spray zone bryophytes and subaerial algae.  Sarah Marie has lived in many parts of the U.S., from Hawaii and Alaska to Arizona and Alabama. She began leading moss and algae/aquatic organisms walks for the Pilgrimage in 2000.

Raymond Palmer has volunteered in the Park since 1999, serving principally as Visitor Assistant and Outreach Educator, providing information, guiding hikes dealing with park history and natural resources, and assisting in the park library.
Tom Patrick – A botanist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Tom works on the location, conservation, and status of rare plants.  He received a B.S. in forestry and an M.S. in botany in his native New York, then spent several years investigating trilliums, particularly in the Great Smoky Mountains. Wild orchids and inventorying flora in natural areas are also specialties.  Tom has only missed one Pilgrimage since 1975 and leads wildflower and tree/shrub walks including the taxonomy hike into White Oak Sink, a favorite area.

Loy R. (Rick) Phillippe – Rick is collections manager of the vascular plant and mycological collections for the Illinois Natural History Survey, Institute of Natural Resources Sustainability at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.  He also works with the park’s All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory vouchering specimens by watershed.  A native of Illinois, he did his undergraduate work there and received his Ph.D. in botany from the University of Tennessee.  Rick has been with the Pilgrimage since 1975 leading all-day wildflower hikes.

J. Dan Pittillo – Dan is a retired biology professor from Western Carolina University and former curator of their herbarium. He also served many years as director of Highlands Biological Station and the Bartram Trail Society as well as newsletter editor for Southern Appalachian Botanical Society.  Author of numerous professional publications, his interests include regional floras, rare plant distributions, conservation, and land development planning. Dan has led wildflower, fern, and tree/shrub hikes since 2002.

Derick B. Poindexter – A research botanist at Appalachian State University, Derick also serves as project manager for Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC), an organization devoted to making the resources of nearly 222 regional herbaria in the southeast available online.  Derick began leading wildflower and tree/shrub hikes in 2005. 

Larry Pounds – Larry is a botanical consultant with a Ph.D. in plant ecology and specializes in rare plants and habitats.  He is on the boards of the Tennessee Native Plant Society and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning. Larry has worked with the Pilgrimage for 10 years leading all-day wildflower hikes. 

James S. (Jim) Pringle – Jim received his Ph.D. in botany from the University of Tennessee and taught systematic botany and paleobotany at McMaster University and fern systematics at Queen’s University Biological Station, both in Ontario, Canada. He began leading wildflower hikes for the Pilgrimage in 1980 and currently serves as plant taxonomist for the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where he leads wildflower and bird walks and plant identification workshops. 

George Ramseur – Professor Emeritus of biology at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, George’s interests include the local flora, plant community structure and succession (particularly in the spruce-fir forests of the southeast), rare plants, and conservation.  George began leading wildflower hikes for the Pilgrimage in the late 1970s.

Annette Ranger – Annette is a retired high school teacher and continues to work with school children as an elementary science lab instructor for grades K-5 in Georgia, where she designed a hands-on extension of the science curriculum for each grade level.  She has been a regular Pilgrimage leader since 1986 on natural history and wildflower hikes.  In the mid-seventies, she served as a camp counselor with Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont for two years and met long-time local residents.

Bill Redmond – Bill is a native West Tennessean.  He is retired from the Tennessee Valley Authority where he worked in wildlife and other ecological services organizations.  He is currently operating a small cattle farm in West Tennessee and teaching part-time at a local community college.  He received his M.S degree from Auburn University and PHD from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.  He is coauthor of Atlas of Tennessee Amphibians and Atlas of Tennessee Reptiles.

Nancy Rennie – Nancy is a retired landscape designer and horticultural consultant with degrees in botany and ornamental horticulture whose work emphasized the use of native plants.  In addition to operating her own landscape design business, she has worked as grounds manager for a community college and coordinator of grounds/garden volunteers for a nature center.  Nancy and husband John lead wildflower and nature walks twice a year for a lodge in the mountains of western North Carolina. She has lead Pilgrimage wildflower hikes since 1967. 

John Rennie – John is Professor Emeritus of forestry and a member of the former graduate program in ecology at the University of Tennessee. He taught and did research related to measurement and sampling of forest resources with emphasis on the field applications. Since retiring, he and wife Nancy have traveled extensively to national parks and other natural areas throughout the U.S.  John first attended the Pilgrimage in 1969 and has regularly led wildflower hikes since 2000.

Janet Rock has been a botanist for the Park since 1989. She has studied affects of white-tailed deer on vegetation, impacts of ramp harvesting, and population dynamics of ginseng.  Her job focuses mainly on rare plant monitoring and inventories.     

Greg J. Schmidt – Greg works for the USDA Forest Service as a botanist in the Huron-Manistee National Forest.  He received his MS in botany at the University of Tennessee in 1998.  Greg has strong interests in biogeography, plant community/vegetation classification, geology, herpetology, and ornithology among others.  In the last decade, he has participated in six Pilgrimages leading wildflower hikes.

Floyd Scott – Floyd is a professor of biology and principal investigator in The Center of Excellence for Field Biology at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN.  He serves as director of APSU’s David H. Snyder Museum of Zoology and developed Web sites for state amphibians and reptiles -  www1.apsu.edu/amatlas and www1.apsu.edu/reptatlas.  Floyd has led salamander hikes since 1990.

Steven Shaper has been a Bio Science Tech for the Veg Management crew in the Smokies for 8 years. He mainly does invasive exotic plant control, but also coordinates the Cades Cove Meadow Restoration project, Gregory Bald grassy bald maintenance, and other park re-vegetation efforts.  He was born and raised in south TX, has lived in the southern Appalachians since1994, and majored in Environmental Studies at Warren Wilson College. Outside work interests are mountain biking, fishing, kayaking and traditional woodworking.

Allen Sweetser – Allen is retired from the construction business.  He studied forestry at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  Allen and his wife Susan both grew up in Knoxville, visiting the Smoky Mountains throughout their lives.  Both are lifetime members of the Tennessee Native Plant Society and assist with All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory fern surveys in the park.  They have led wildflower hikes at the Pilgrimage since 1998.  Allen has often led backcountry hikes.

Susan Sweetser – Susan is a retired social worker for the State of Tennessee, helping people with disabilities.  Susan and her husband Allen were both raised in Knoxville and have enjoyed the Smokies all their lives.  Both are lifetime members of the Tennessee Native Plant Society and assist with All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory fern surveys in the park.  They have led wildflower hikes at the Pilgrimage since 1998.

David Taylor – David is forest botanist for Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky.  He works with all forest plants from wildflowers and weeds to woody plants, including mosses and rare plants.  David began volunteering with the Pilgrimage in 2002 and leads walks on wildflowers and trees/shrubs.

Paul Threadgill – A professor of biology at Maryville College in Maryville, TN, Paul teaches Introductory Biology, Plant Diversity, Flowering Plants, and Natural History of the Southern Appalachians.  He has interests in seed and seedling ecology, native biennials, and the genus Asarum.  Since 1997, Paul has led wildflower hikes and the Wildflower Identification for Beginners program.

Ken Voorhis has been executive director of Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont since 1984.  He and his staff have developed successful programs that encourage children and adults in the appreciation of the Smokies and their connection to the natural world. Tremont is nationally known and respected, being one of only a few residential environmental education centers within a national park. Ken has been connecting people and nature for over 30 years working in programs in OH, NC, MN, PA, and now TN.  He is also an avid photographer (Smokies Guide to Trees, etc), storyteller, and musician.

J. David Whitehead – David works for Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency as wildlife manager for Tellico Lake and South Cherokee Wildlife Management Areas in East Tennessee.  Prior to joining TWRA, he worked in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with bears and wild hogs, gaining 30 years experience over his career.  Appropriately, he has been leading Pilgrimage bear and hog walks/talks since 2001.

B.E. (Gene) Wofford – Gene is director of the University of Tennessee Herbarium.  He is author of Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Blue Ridge and co-author, along with Edward W. Chester, of Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Tennessee. One of the Pilgrimage organizers, he has been involved regularly since 1970, leading wildflower and tree/shrub hikes.  UT’s Herbarium Web site features images, distribution maps, and other data about Tennessee plants at http://tenn.bio.utk.edu/vascular.

Joe Yarkovich, of Pittsburgh, PA, holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Allegheny College and a Master’s degree in Wildlife Science from University of Tennessee.  He has spent time working with black bears and wild hogs throughout the United States before returning to the Smoky Mountains to manage and research the Park’s reintroduced elk herd.

Wildflower Pilgrimage Indoor Speakers
Wanda DeWaard – Wanda is an outdoor educator/naturalist who has taught Earth Kinship and Environmental Awareness programs since 1974. She has assisted in firefly education and monarch butterfly research for many years. E-mail:  .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Carol Wolfe – A nature photographer now living in Iowa, Carol’s favorite subject is wildflowers, though she also captures the splendor of waterfalls, sunrises, mist embraced ponds and insects. Website: carolwolfe.org; E-mail:  .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Liz Domingue – Liz is a freelance naturalist, educator, wildlife biologist, photographer and writer.  She has conducted research on birds, mammals, reptiles & amphibians and plants.  Founder of Just Get Outdoors, Liz encourages people to do just that… while teaching natural history, environmental awareness and stewardship.

J. D. Sutton – A professional actor, J. D. has enjoyed a career ranging from regional theatre to cabaret and dinner theatre productions. His most recent roles have been in the guise of Thomas Jefferson and 18th century naturalist William Bartram. E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Kara Remington - Kara is an educator/naturalist at Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville. She enjoys educating both children and adults in gaining a greater understanding and respect of the natural world and through Ijams’ Living Clean and Green programs which cover topics such as recycling, organic gardening, air quality and clean energy.  E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Darryl Patton – A master herbalist, Darryl has been gathering and working with medicinal plants for the past 25 years in the Southern Appalachians.  He spent 12 years in apprenticeship with the late Tommie Bass, one of the last of the old mountain herb doctors. He is the author of Mountain Medicine, The Herbal Remedies of Tommie Bass, as well as many articles for newspapers and magazines. He also is in demand as a speaker on alternative medicine and operates a wilderness training school in northern Alabama.  Website: http://www.thesouthernherbalist.com

Kris Light – As a teacher Kris enjoys bringing nature into the classroom and getting her enthusiastic students (children and adults) outside.  Her photography and interests run the gamut from wildflowers to insects, geology and the universe. If it has to do with the natural world Kris’ energetic interest is contagious.  Website: easttennesseewildflowers.com. E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Todd Witcher – Todd is Executive Director of Discover Life in America (DLIA), the main project being the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Website: dlia.org. E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Fred Bradley – A former GSMNP park ranger, Fred has a specialized interest in the mushrooms and slime molds of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Being of Native American descent he has also been a storyteller who brought Native American history to life and has performed at past Wildflower Pilgrimages.

Jeff Alt – Speaker and storyteller, Jeff inspires and entertains audiences with his “life lessons from the trail”.  He is an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker having hiked the 2,160 miles from Georgia to Maine and has also hiked the 210-mile John Muir Trail and trekked thru Ireland.  He is the author of the award-winning A Walk for Sunshine which brings his AT adventures to life. Website:  jeffalt.com. E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Wildflower Pilgrimage Evening Speakers
Wednesday night April 27, 2011
J. D. Sutton – A professional actor, J. D. has enjoyed a career ranging from regional theatre to cabaret and dinner theatre productions. His most recent roles have been in the guise of Thomas Jefferson and 18th century naturalist William Bartram. E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Thursday night April 28, 2011
Scott Dean – Scott left his home in the coalfields of West Virginia and southwestern Virginia to earn a degree in biology at UNC-Ashville with a focus on southern Appalachian flora and fauna.  He has been a walk leader for UNC-Asheville’s annual Wildflower Pilgrimage, led wildlife and wildflower walks, and built cougar and bobcat habitats at the Western North Carolina Nature Center. Scott served as First Vice President of the Friends of the Nature Center and is on the tree board for the Town of Weaverville NC. He also teaches field classes for the Blue Ridge Naturalist program offered at the N. C. Arboretum.  He lives in East Asheville with Zoot (the wonder dog) and Sushi (the spastic cat). 

Friday night April 29 2011
Kelby Ouchley – Kelby retired after a thirty year career as a biologist and land manager of national wildlife refuges for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. He is the author of the recently published book Flora and Fauna of the Civil War An Environmental Reference Guide.  Beginning in 1995 Kelby has been the writer and narrator of the biweekly radio program Bayou Diversity, on public radio station KEDM in Monroe La.  LSU Press will be publishing over 150 of his radio short stories in the upcoming book Bayou-Diversity:  Nature & People in the Louisiana Bayou Country. In recent years, Kelby has been consulting with the Nature Conservancy on a wetland restoration project in Northern Louisiana.  He and his wife Amy live in the woods near Rocky Branch, Louisiana, in a cypress house surrounded by white oaks and black hickories