Emily Jackson Receives National Award
We are thrilled to share that Emily Jackson, Lead Naturalist at Reflection Riding, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Garden Club of America’s Elizabeth Abernathy Hull Award. This prestigious national award recognizes individuals who are making a meaningful impact on the environmental education of youth, and Emily’s work exemplifies that spirit in every way.
Plant This, Not That
Popular landscaping plants often include non-natives and invasive species that do not benefit ecosystems (sometimes even causing extreme harm!). We’d like to share several native alternatives that support our Southern Appalachian habitat and bring beauty to your space!
Tackling Invasives, One Training at a Time
Ethan Brincefield, Invasive Species Specialist, attended Invasive Species Ambassador Training with Invasives Free USA and Wild Spotter at Lake Guntersville State Park. This conference was a great opportunity to network and make connections with fellow weed whackers, along with helpful tips for boosting community involvement.
Mountain Laurel
The Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is a beautiful broadleaf evergreen home to the slopes of the Appalachian Mountains. In late spring, the cup-shaped flowers open to reveal hues of white and dusky pink.
Meet Ailani and Kayla, Our Summer Camp Co-Directors!
Meet our Summer Camp Co-Directors—Ailani Ramirez-Pineda and Kayla Reeves, our creative experts behind this year’s season of adventure! Both directors discovered their love for nature at a young age and now aspire to share their passion with the next generation. Read on to learn all about Ailani and Kayla’s outlook and vision for this summer…
Florida Flame Azalea
The Florida Flame Azalea (Rhododendron austrinum) is a striking deciduous shrub with vibrant, fiery blooms that ignite in early-to-mid spring. The plant attracts many kinds of pollinators—from hummingbirds to bees!
For the Love of Red Wolves
Our Learning and Engagement Specialist Tish Gailmard recently attended a Red Wolves Gala at Battle Academy. Inspired by the animal’s story, the Second Grade class created artwork and heartfelt gifts to benefit American Red Wolf conservation. Read on to learn more about this special event.
Virginia Bluebell
The Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica) is a herbaceous perennial wildflower. These flowers share the first blooms of the season and beckon early pollinators, such as long-tongue bees and hummingbirds.
Sharing the Love of Nature
Every weekend at Tremont is packed full of learning and community. Our team of Lead Naturalists—Ailani, Kayla, and Emily—recently journeyed to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont to partake in Skills for Sharing Nature on February 14-16, 2025. Emily Jackson, lifelong learner and botanist, shares their experience.
Trillium, Woodland’s Bloom
The Trillium is an icon of Southern Appalachia. A plant of many names (Wakerobin, Toadshade, Wood Lily, and more), Trillium spp. accounts for nearly 50 species in the family Melanthiaceae. As a woodland spring ephemeral, this plant shares some of the first blooms of the year!
Eastern Hemlock, True to Appalachia
The Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) has a quiet resilience like none other. These gentle giants reside in sheltered cove forests of the Appalachias and promote their local communities through temperature regulation, shelter, and food availability. Read on to learn about the biggest threat to their population.
Explore Nature This Summer
Summer Camp 2025 registration is open to the public! Come out to the Best Outdoor Summer Camp in Chattanooga for the adventure of a lifetime!
Where Do Insects Go in the Winter?
Discover where insects go in the winter and why we should protect them. Without pollinators, our agricultural supply suffers.
Gratitude for the Natural World
From our team to you: Thank you! 2024 was a year of progress for the natural world through conservation and environmental education. We’re excited to move forward into a new year of reconnecting our community with nature.
American Mistletoe
American Mistletoe (Phoradendrum leucarpum) is a broadleaf evergreen that continues to shine past the holiday season. Often a symbol of love and peace in the human world, this plant serves a much more complicated role in ecology.
Steward the Next Generation
Some places grow more precious with each generation. For multiple generations, the Oehmig family has discovered Reflection Riding as their sacred space.
Restore: Nurturing Nature's Next Generation
This year, we witnessed how a single field trip can spark a lifelong journey in conservation. For Jahore Vann, a junior at The Howard School, that spark has grown into a blazing passion for environmental stewardship through our Native Landscape Apprenticeship program.
Renew: Nurturing the Connections with Wildlife
At Reflection Riding, our commitment to environmental stewardship is renewed daily through the healing and nurturing of local wildlife. This vital work cares for individual animals and strengthens the delicate web of life that sustains our entire ecosystem. Wildlife Naturalist Brianna Taylor embodies this mission of renewal, forging deep connections with both the animals in her care and the natural world that we all share.
Thriving Gardens: All-New Native Plant Resource
We’re excited to introduce Thriving Gardens, an all-new regional plant guide created by Thrive Regional Partnership and Homegrown National Park. From residents to business owners to community leaders and educators, Thriving Gardens is your ultimate resource for selecting resilient, wildlife-friendly plants in our tri-state region of northeast Alabama, northwest Georgia, and southeast Tennessee.
Reflect: Finding Purpose in Land Stewardship
At Reflection Riding, we often pause to consider what it means to truly reflect in nature. Few stories capture this essence better than that of David Riall, whose connection with our campus began during the isolating days of COVID-19 and has blossomed into a profound relationship with nature and land conservation.