Upcoming events:

Winter Solstice Celebration, December 21

Seed-Sharing, January 31-February 1

Winter Bird Day, February 22

Star Party, February 29

Winter Schedule 2020

Photo credit Charlie Curry

7311 Highway 100 Nashville, Tennessee 37221 615-862-8555 615-880-2282 (fax) wpnc@nashville.gov wpnc.nashville.gov Warner Park Nature Center is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Percy and Edwin Warner Parks are open 7 days a week from sunrise to 11 p.m.

Warm Up at Warner Park! Whether sunning on the back porch, hiking a trail or visiting the Nature Center museum, it’s easy to find warmth in the Park this winter. - Adult programs this season offer opportunities to learn

about the local forest, mosses, our Greenway system, and climate change.

- Families and people of any age can explore a variety of topics during Saturday iSpys and Nature Center@Night programs.

- Cart tours will be offered throughout winter for folks who have difficulty walking.

- There are many opportunities to visit the old growth of the Hill Forest with a naturalist.

- Bird hikes and banding research will focus on our winter resident birds.

There’s something for everyone at the Park this winter. We’ll see you soon!

Printing made possible by

Contact the Nature Center for ADA accommodations at 615-862-8555.

Cart Tours Continue This Winter We’ll provide warm blankets and a naturalist to drive you into the hills of Edwin Warner Park. These free tours are led specifically for folks who find walking the trails difficult. Call (615-862-8555) or email (wpnc@nashville.gov) to schedule your winter excursion today!By registration on Fridays at 10 & 11 a.m. and Saturdays at 12:30 & 1:30 p.m. or call for an appointment

December FYI Naturalist: The Forest Talk & Walk

Tuesday, December 3 5:30 p.m.

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

Noah Charney grew up exploring the hills around Warner Park and now conducts scientific research on forests around the world. Learn to interpret our changing forests from his perspective. Attend a forest walk on Saturday, December 7, at 9 a.m. Presenter: Dr. Noah Charney

Organic Gardening –Saving Seeds and Planning for Winter

Friday, December 6 10-11 a.m.

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

Discuss how to prepare your organic garden for winter, save and preserve seeds and plan next year’s garden. Bring your questions to this interactive program all about growing a garden organically. Leader: Vera Roberts

iSpy: Scat Saturday, December 7 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Learn about animal scat during this Saturday adventure. This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

Birds and Trees of the Hill Forest

Friday, December 13 10 a.m.- noon

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

Hiking boots and binoculars are a must for this expedition in search of birds amongst the magnificent trees of the Hill Forest. Leaders: Laura Cook and Kim Bailey

Warner Park Cemetery Maintenance

Saturday, December 14 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Age level: Ages 8+ Online registration required

According to Tennessee Code, family cemeteries on public land must be accessible to descendants. Show respect for these families by clearing homesites and graves. Leaders: Paul Fowler and Heather Gallagher

iSpy: The Pelting Zoo

Saturday, December 14 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Use your sense of touch at the pelting zoo during this Saturday adventure. This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

Women’s Workshop: Outdoor Cooking

Saturday, December 14 1-3 p.m.

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

Extend your hiking season into the late fall and winter with warming food choices. We’ll hike and whip-up several lunch options to share in the cooler hiking months. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

Winter Solstice Celebration

Friday, December 20 3-6 p.m.

Age level: All ages Online registration required

Celebrate the changing seasons during our Winter Solstice festival. Participants can create a wreath to take home, roast a s’more, listen to stories and songs of winter, and walk the forest luminary trail as darkness welcomes the winter. Food trucks will be at the event as well. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

Winter StoryWalk® Reveal

Revealed Friday, December 20 during the Winter Solstice Celebration Age level: All ages Registration not required

Bring your little ones and discover the winter book. This is an “on-your-own” activity along the Little Acorn Trail loop. Coordinator: Rebecca Dandekar

iSpy: S’mores and Stories

Saturday, December 21 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Roast s’mores and listen to stories during this Saturday adventure. This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

iSpy: The Quiet Pond

Saturday, December 28 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Explore the quiet pond during this Saturday adventure. This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

Holiday Hill Forest Hike

Saturday, December 28 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Age level: Ages 8+ Online registration required

Celebrate the holidays with rugged hiking over the hills and valleys of the Hill Forest. Leader: Heather Gallagher

Winter Adult Learning Series Attend a free program intended to increase your knowledge of natural history of Warner Park (Find Your Inner Naturalist!) and your awareness of how to minimize your personal environmental impact. Programs begin at 6 p.m. and registration is required. See descriptions within this schedule for more information. 12/3: FYI Naturalist: Forest Talk and Walk with Dr. Noah Charney 1/7: FYI Naturalist: A Moss Talk with J. Paul Moore 1/22: Get to Know Your Greenway System with Greenways for Nashville 2/5: The Climate Is Changing with Dr. Jonathan Gilligan 2/25: FYI Naturalist: Learn the Language of Birds with Rachel Anderson Also check out our other programs for adults: organic gardening, tree twig identification, a Burch Reserve hike and numerous Hill Forest hikes scheduled throughout winter!

January Coffee BEANS

Every Saturday in winter 9:30-11 a.m.

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Enjoy a cup of bird-friendly joe while learning about neo-tropical migratory birds that benefit from this delicious drink. Coordinator: Kassie White

iSpy: Lichens

Saturday, January 4 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Explore lichens when you drop by the Nature Center today. This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

FYI Naturalist: A Moss Talk

Tuesday, January 7 6 p.m.

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

A true pioneer species in middle Tennessee, moss can be found on rocks, fallen logs and even the side of your house! “Moss Man” will share tips on landscaping with moss while showing slides of the many moss yards he has created. Speaker: J. Paul Moore

Families in the Hill Forest

Friday, January 10 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Age level: Ages 8+ Online registration required

Put on your hiking boots and an extra pair of wool socks and join us for a brisk hike at the Hill Forest. Enjoy the undisturbed forest with your family on this scenic hike. Leader: Melissa Donahue

Nature Center at Night! The Nature Center at Night in winter is a totally unique experience! Listen for owls, watch the night sky and hike under the cover of darkness. Drop by between 5:30-7:30 p.m. for a naturalist-led adventure, which will be announced on Facebook the week of the event. All ages are welcome, and registration is not required.

Fridays, January 10 and February 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

iSpy: Feeder Birds

Saturday, January 11 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Learn about birds at your feeders when you drop by the Nature Center today. This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

Become a Nature Center Volunteer

Thursday, January 16 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

We’re looking for more than a few great people interested in becoming Nature Center volunteers! Come to this informational session to learn more about assisting with field trips, feeding the birds, gardening and landscaping, office support, bird research and more. Coordinator: Vera Roberts

Hill Forest Hike

Friday, January 17 1-3 p.m.

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

Experience winter in an undisturbed forest. This rugged, strenuous and off-trail hike is worth every step as we discover beautiful ridgetops and valleys of old beech, oak, sassafras and poplar trees. Leader: Rachel Anderson

iSpy: Tree Bark

Saturday, January 18 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Get to know trees by their bark when you drop by the Nature Center today. This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

Get to Know Your Greenway System

Wednesday, January 22 6 p.m.

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

Nashville has almost 100 miles of Greenway! Join us at the Nature Center to learn how to access the Greenway, the sights and sounds of the Greenway, and the many directions the Greenway can take you. Leader: Greenways for Nashville

Totally Twigs Friday, January 24 9-11 a.m.

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

Fuzzy twigs, yellow buds, heart-shaped leaf scars – these amazing twig details help us identify trees in winter. Through detailed observation and journaling, discover the secret of tree ID as we investigate the twig in it’s amazing entirety! Leader: Rachel Anderson

iSpy: Jumping Animals

Saturday, January 25 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Observe jumping animals when you drop by the Nature Center on today. This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

New Year’s Pullin’ Party

Saturday, January 25 1-4 p.m.

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

Let’s celebrate the Chinese New Year by pulling Chinese privet and other invasive plants that threaten our native forest. Get your hands dirty and join us for a fun workday in the woods. Leaders: Paul Fowler

Homeschool Investigations

Thursday, January 30 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: K-5th grade Online registration required

Engage in science as we explore Warner Park in winter. We will use field tools, journaling and identification guides to make observations and share discoveries. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

Seed Sharing Open House

Friday, January 31-Saturday, February 1 Drop by from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Age level: All ages Registration not required Bring seeds to share and pick up some new ones for your garden during our annual seed swap. Coordinator: Vera Roberts

February iSpy: Winter Survivors

Saturday, February 1 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Let’s search for winter survivors today! This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

The Climate Is Changing

Wednesday, February 5 6 p.m. Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

Jonathan Gilligan, co-author of Beyond Politics: The Private Governance Response to Climate Change, will share creative ideas for reducing carbon emissions that can apply to households as well as businesses. Learn how environmentally friendly actions can reduce global warming and save you money. Leader: Dr. Jonathan Gilligan, professor of Earth & Environmental Science and Civil & Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Nature Center at Night

Friday, February 7 Drop by between 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Visit the Nature Center after dark for amazing adventures. We’ll announce the focus of each Friday on Facebook the week of the program!

iSpy: Life Under the Leaves

Saturday, February 8 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Check out life under the leaves today! This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

iSpy: Daffodils

Saturday, February 15 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Look for ephemeral daffodils peeking through the winter ground. This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

Hill Forest Foray

Thursday, February 20 1-3 p.m.

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

Throw off the winter blues with an invigorating walk on the Hill Forest. This rugged hike traverses uneven terrain and a steep incline but rewards the intrepid hiker with winter vistas and magnificent trees. Leader: Kim Bailey

Winter Bird Banding Day Observe the BIRD research team in action as they trap, band and document resident chickadees, cardinals and woodpeckers as well as other birds who call Warner Park their winter home. In the past, we have inventoried juncos, yellow-belled sapsuckers, winter wrens, brown creepers and purple finches! Perhaps we’ll catch a migrant sparrow or two as well! All ages are welcome and registration is not required. Saturday, February 22, drop in between 9 a.m.-noon

Invasive Plant Removal Join Friends of Warner Parks for a combination trail maintenance/invasive plant control opportunity. We’ll learn to identify common pest plants along the trails and work to combat their spread to beautify and protect our great natural area parks. Adult registration is required. New Year’s Pulling Party, January 25, 1-4 p.m. Hikers Euonymus, February 22, 1-4 p.m.

FYI Naturalist: Learn the Language of Birds

Tuesday, February 25 6 p.m.

Age level: Adults, 13+ Online registration required

Late winter is a perfect time to explore the language of birds. Discover some fascinating differences between songs and calls as we learn to distinguish the sounds of local birds like titmice, wrens, cardinals, sparrows and more. Leader: Rachel Anderson

iSpy: Spring Pollinators

Saturday, February 29 Drop by between 10 a.m.-noon

Age level: All ages Registration not required

Search for spring pollinators today! This open-house program will engage your entire family through hands-on exploration. Leaders: Nature Center Staff and Volunteers

Signs of Spring on the Burch Reserve Hike

Saturday, February 29 1-3 p.m.

Age level: Ages 8+ Online registration required

Search, observe and journal early wildflowers, pollinators, and other signs of spring as the Burch Reserve awakens from winter. We’ll saunter up to the ridge, closely observe and journal along the way. Leader: Rebecca Dandekar

Winter Star Party

Saturday, February 29 7-9 p.m.

Age level: All ages Online registration required

Drop in to view the sky through an astronomer’s telescope! The Star Party takes place at 61 Vaughn Road in Edwin Warner Park. Leaders: Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society and Heather Gallagher

Save the date: An Evening with Margaret Renkl Thursday, March 26, 2020 Nationally recognized New York Times columnist and author Margaret Renkl will be sharing excerpts and insights from her book Late Migrations with our Nashville audience. Check out our website for more information about this amazing opportunity! Pre-registration is required and space is limited.

Warner Park Nature Center

DECEMBER 12/3: FYI Naturalists: The Forest Talk & Walk, 5:30 p.m., Adults, 13+ 12/6: Organic Gardening – Saving Seeds and Planning for Winter,

10-11 a.m., Adults, 13+ 12/13: Birds and Trees of the Hill Forest, 10 a.m.- noon, adults, 13+ 12/14: Warner Park Cemetery Maintenance, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., ages 8+ 12/14: Women’s Workshop: Outdoor Cooking, 1-3 p.m., adults, 13+ 12/20: Winter Solstice Celebration, drop by between

3:30-6:30 p.m., all ages 12/28: Holiday Hill Hike, 1:30-3:30 p.m., ages 8+ JANUARY 1/7: FYI Naturalist: A Moss Talk, 6 p.m., Adults, 13+ 1/10: Family in the Forest, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Ages 8+ 1/16: Become a Nature Center Volunteer, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Adults, 13+ 1/17: Hill Forest Hike, 1-3 p.m., Adults, 13+ 1/22: Get to Know Your Greenway System, 6 p.m., Adults, 13+ 1/24: Totally Twigs, 9 a.m.-noon, Adults, 13+ 1/25: New Year’s Pullin’ Party, 1-4 p.m. Adults, 13+ 1/30: Homeschool Investigations, 10 a.m.-noon, K-5th grade 1/31-2/1: Seed Swap Weekend, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., All ages FEBRUARY 2/5: The Climate is Changing, 6-7 p.m., Adults, 13+ 2/20: Hill Forest Foray, 1-3 p.m., Adults, 13+ 2/22: Winter Bird Banding Day, 9 a.m.-noon, All ages 2/22: Hikers Euonymus, 1-4 p.m., Adults, 13+ 2/25: FYI Naturalist: Learn the Language of Birds, 6 p.m., Adults, 13+ 2/29: Signs of Spring on the Burch Reserve Hike, 1-3 p.m., 8+ 2/29: Winter Star Party, 7-9 p.m., All ages

iSpy Learning on Saturdays!

Naturalists will iSpy every Saturday in winter. These are open-house style programs and open to all ages, so drop by between 10 a.m. and noon.

12/7—Scat 12/14—The Pelting Zoo 12/21—S’mores and Stories 12/28—The Quiet Pond 1/4—Lichens 1/11—Feeder Birds 1/18—Tree Bark 1/25—Jumping Animals 2/1—Winter Survivors 2/8—Life Under the Leaves 2/15—Daffodils 2/29—Spring Pollinators

Explore the Nature Center at Night!

Experience the Nature Center after dark this winter on Fridays. Dress warmly, as we’ll hunt for owls, watch the sunset and hike the trails in the crisp, cool air. The museum will also be open for everyone to visit. Registration is not required, and all ages are welcome.

5:30-7:30 p.m. on

1/10 & 2/7

7311 Highway 100 Nashville, Tennessee 37221 615-862-8555 wpnc.nashville.gov wpnc@nashville.gov