In 2019, a group from the Hospitality Association Trail Day volunteered at Reflection Riding pulling Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) in our new Playscape area.

In the months since, our staff and volunteers have continued clearing and creating trails to transform the area into a space that our visitors could use for educational purposes. The Playscape features several different ecosystems that we call "pods,” where children can safely explore and play.

This year, many of the volunteers from last year’s Trail Day returned to Reflection Riding and had no idea what to expect. They were amazed to see the improvements that had been made since their last visit!

Now, it was up to them to restore and help re-forest the area that they had previously worked on. They planted 120 Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) in just a few short hours.

These native plants will help offset the recent discovery of laurel wilt, which affects everything in the laurel family but has slightly less effect on Spicebush. Hopefully, this fantastic native shrub can compete with the nasty invasives that are encroaching on the landscape.

Thank you to all the wonderful men and women who contributed their time to the project, and a big thank you to Dr. Martin Cipollini from Berry College for donating the Spicebush. Thanks, too, to the Flying Squirrel and Five Wits for providing food and drinks at the end of each Trail Day.

We can’t wait to see the Spicebush swallowtails that will have a field day in that area!

Fun Facts:

• Volunteers in the Hospitality Association represented their organizations and attractions. Staff from Ruby Falls, the Tennessee Aquarium, the Crash Pad, and many more participated in this annual event.

• Spicebush is the host plant for the Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)

• Spicebush is a multi-stemmed native shrub in the Laurel family that reaches heights of 6'-12' tall

For more information about the Hospitality Association, visit: visitchattanooga.com/hospitality/.

By Hannah Lieffring, Nursery Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator

Hannah is a dedicated field biologist who genuinely loves to explore nature and observe how people interact with the natural world. Having such an extensive volunteer background herself, she hopes to help other like-minded individuals find opportunities volunteering in nature, as well.