Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2015 - 16

C
Country
Roads
Tennessee Creates State Park
with Birding Theme
Broad River, and although the formal
name is Seven Islands, you would be
hard pressed to locate seven islands
nearby. The islands are built up from
three shoals; Wesley Shoal, Seven
Islands Shoal and Tuckahoe Shoal
and vary in number depending on
the height of the river. With a
combination of wetland, woodland
and grassland habitats the park
features more than eight miles of
natural trails, many with views of the
Smoky Mountains. There is also a
primitive campground and a smallboat
ramp.
Seven Islands Birding Park emphasizes natural space and preserved buildings.
AT THE END OF A COUNTRY ROAD
called Kelly Lane, in Knox County,
you'll find Tennessee's newest state
park, the Seven Islands State Birding
Park, a 416-acre place where visitors
may linger freely among hundreds of
bird species. So far, 180 species have
been identified by the birders and
ornithologists who visit this natural
Nirvana.
Seven Islands proper is located
within a meander of the French
Appalachian Trail Game Teaches Best Practices
As Mark Hanf of Marshall, North
Carolina, hiked a portion of the
Appalachian Trail a couple of years
ago, he encountered a shelter strewn
with litter. He cleaned the site and
packed the trash out. First angry, he
soon reasoned that everyone hasn't
had the same type of low-impact
training he's had.
Soon, an idea was sparked: "What
if there was a board game to learn the
best practices for hiking and back16
| BlueRidgeCountry.com
packing on the Appalachian Trail?"
Today, that dream is a reality with
the creation of Thru Hike: The
Appalachian Trail Game. Hanf and his
team received a small grant from the
Appalachian Trail Conservancy to
design a prototype. In July, they put it
on Kickstarter and surpassed their
$10,000 goal within 24 hours.
The board is a map of the entire
trail from Maine to Georgia and each
space represents 100 miles. Players
move forward or back by answering
trivia questions about how to hike the
AT, identify pictures of animals and
plants, and deal with emergency situations
such as a snowstorm or a
sprained ankle.
A portion of proceeds from each
sale goes to the Appalachian Trail
Conservancy to help with trail maintenance.
To learn more or to buy the
game: theATgame.com.
-MARLA HARDEE MILLING
In the late 1800s this park was a
farm, raising corn, peas and tobacco.
The legacy buildings, sporting a
handsome quilt pattern, are included
in the Appalachian Quilt Trail.
Eventually the land gained protection
through the Legacy Parks
Foundation. It was then deeded to
Knox County to manage. In July of
2014, it was officially gifted to the
State of Tennessee, which will
manage it as a low impact, nonconsumptive
outdoor recreation site.
For details: tnstateparks.com/parks/
about/seven-islands
focusonsevenislands.com
-JOHN HARTIGAN

http://www.tnstateparks.com/parks/about/seven-islands http://www.tnstateparks.com/parks/about/seven-islands http://www.focusonsevenislands.com http://www.theATgame.com http://www.BlueRidgeCountry.com

Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2015

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