Events

REGISTER HERE: https://smokymountains.wildones.org/march-7-2026-weed-wrangle/

Join us for an official Weed Wrangle to protect sensitive spring ephemeral wildflowers! Weed Wrangles are a statewide effort to eradicate invasive plants in our shared spaces—volunteers get a cool pair of Weed Wrangle™ gloves! 

What to Expect:
Wild Ones will have staff on hand to assist in identifying invasive plants. This is a “rain or shine” event, unless there are severe storms predicted (if so, we will notify you.) 

Dress: Comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing that you don't mind getting dirty. 

Refreshments: Wild Ones will provide sustenance to keep our volunteers energized and hydrated throughout the event. 

Equipment:
Tools will be provided, but if you have personal tools you prefer, please label them well and feel free to bring them.

Location:

Dean’s Woods (also known as the Deanbrook Nature Area) is a parcel of land owned by the University of Tennessee. It consists of roughly 20 acres and is situated along Woodson Drive in South Knoxville. Plants that thrive on the site include Canada Violet, Celandine Poppy, Columbine, Dutchman’s Breeches, Golden Seal, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Shortia, Spring Beauty, Squirrel Corn, Virginia Bluebells, and Yellowroot. By removing invasive and unwanted plants, these native wildflowers are given an opportunity to grow without aggressive competition alongside the trails.

Parking: 

Street parking along Germantown Ln. (dead-end road).

Join Joey Santore, creator of Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, for a candid Wild Ones National Webinar examining how inherited garden aesthetics shape native plant landscapes. Drawing on field experience and real ecology, Joey challenges tidy design norms and explores why dense, irregular plant communities are often the most resilient and ecologically sound.

Experience one of Knoxville's most impressive Spring wildflower displays on this guided tour!

Dr. Amanda Benoit of UT Knoxville's Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department will give a FREE guided tour of this amazing natural assemblage of native East Tennessee spring ephemeral woodland wildflowers. Bring something to write on, so you can write down the name of each of the flowers you're sure to want to photograph! Register now, space is limited.

Parking: 

Street parking along Germantown Ln. (dead-end road).

REGISTER HERE: https://smokymountains.wildones.org/march-21-2026-wildflower-walk-at-deans-woods/

Do you wonder “why don't I have more birds, butterflies and fireflies in my yard?”

This information-packed seminar will answer that question and more - and give you specific things to do to increase your enjoyment of your yard by making it "flutter and glow" with activity! Light refreshments provided. Presented by Regina Santore, President, Wild Ones Smoky Mountains.

REGISTER HERE (Zoom link will be emailed upon registration): https://smokymountains.wildones.org/march-25-2026-flutter-glow-seminar/

This volunteer-restored public woodland on the river's edge is a MUST SEE in Spring!

What does an area that was formerly choked with non-native, invasive plants look like a few years after you have removed all of the invaders? See how East Tennessee's wildflowers and native shrubs bounced back with vigor, even after spending more than 25 years covered by invasives. Guided tour for first-time visitors! Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy after the tour. Those who have been to visit before are free to self-guide and ask questions of the volunteers.

This is a Wild Ones Smoky Mountains member event, registration required.

Buy local, native plants - groundcovers, flowers, milkweed, shrubs, and vines - from Wild Ones Smoky Mountains at this annual Spring fundraising event! T-shirts and sweatshirts will also be for sale, as will fine art by Macey Lou Art. Knox County Master Gardeners will be on hand for all your food gardening questions.

Volunteers receive one voucher for a FREE native plant for every hour volunteered toward the Plant Sale, and EIGHT total hours volunteered toward the sale also earns you a FREE Wild Ones Smoky Mountains T-Shirt!

Please contact Janice Lewis ([email protected]) if you are interested in volunteering to help improve our growing space and pot up plants at Old City Gardens (our growing location,) or if you are interested in helping to staff the Plant Sale.

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!