Join us on Saturday, March 23rd, for our annual Bird of the Year Celebration at Seven Islands State Birding Park! This year we will be celebrating the Northern Cardinal, one of the most recognizable and beloved birds in our area. We will have a craft to do, special merchandise, and more!

Sturgeonfest 2023

Join us for Sturgeonfest 2023! There will be vendors, exhibitors, and more to experience. This event is FREE to attend, but please note we are sold out for reservations to place a baby sturgeon in the river.

When: Saturday, October 7th, 2023 from 10 AM – 2 PM

Where: The Seven Island State Bird Park Boat Ramp

We also want to say THANK YOU to all of our event sponsors!

Presenting Sponsor

Heron Sponsors

Towhee Sponsors

Meet at: Bluebird Barn

Price: $3

REGISTER FOR EVENT

*Registration is required for this event! This event is recommended for kids ages 8-12.*

Biocubes are a great way to learn about biodiversity! Biodiversity is the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. With biocubes, we can study a small area to see how many types of plants and animals we can find!

Biocubes are a fun and interactive way to study biodiversity in ecosystems! They are a small, cubic structure that allows one to study biodiverity in a single cubic foot. Guests will learn what biodiversity is, why it is important, and how to study their own biocube "ecosystems!"

By looking for life in these small areas, guests can see how their ecosystems are structured and how diverse the world around them is! Each guest will build their own biocube with materials provided and bring them home to continue their studies!

Please meet at the Bluebird Barn at the beginning of this event. We will move to the outdoor classroom once all parties have arrived. 

If you have any quesstions about this event, please TEXT or EMAIL the contacts provided! I am unavailble to answer phone calls during most of the week!

Meet at: Bluebird Barn

Price: $3

REGISTER FOR EVENT

***Registration is REQUIRED for this event!***

Birding is so fun, but there is always so much to learn! Seasonal Interpreter Ashlyn is new to birding too, but would love to teach you the basics! There are many tips and tricks to learning birds, and some are so silly you could never forget them! We will be learning some basic ID skills including both sight and calls.

This event is open to youth of all ages! Guardians do not have to register themselves if tagging along.

We will be meeting at the Bluebird Barn at 9:00 where we will have a brief introduction before beginning! Binoculars will be provided to anyone who needs them! 

We will take a walk down the Bobwhite ADA trail, across the bridge, and to the Island Loop for this event! 

**For any questions concerning this event, please EMAIL or TEXT the contacts provided. I am unavailable to answer phone calls most of the week.**

Meet at: Bluebird Barn

Price: $10

REGISTER FOR EVENT

***Pre-Registration is REQUIRED for this event. Please click REGISTER FOR EVENT to reserve your spot!***

Girl Scouts Love State Parks is an annual event that takes place all across the United States and is aimed at getting scouts into the outdoors on the same weekend. This year, Ranger Stephanie will be guiding a 2.75 mile night hike out to the island at Seven Islands State Birding Park. Participants will learn about what really happens at Seven Islands after dark and what kind of wildlife lurks around the trails. Hiking at night might seem scary to some people, because of the assortment of sounds coming from the darkness, glowing eyes staring at you from the fields, or not being able to see the trail as well. Participants will learn what adaptations some animals have for being active at night, and we'll try to find critters along the way with these adaptations. The outdoors at night doesn't have to be scary, but it can be full of unexpected surprises that you can learn to appreciate and understand, and maybe make things a little less scary. 

Registration for this program is $10 per person. Participants are encouraged to bring flashlights or headlamps with them, but please remember to use them only as necessary. Your eyes will adjust to the low light conditions and you'll find yourself not needing a light for most of the hike. Please bring plenty of bottled water for yourself for the hike as it can get hot even when hiking at night. Proper footwear for walking/hiking is recommended. Participants should plan on meeting Ranger Stephanie at the Bluebird Barn near the main entrance to the park off of Kelly Lane at 8:00PM. If you have any questions about this program please contact Ranger Stephanie at stephanie.mueller@tn.gov or 865-333-8270. 

Meet at: Bluebird Barn

Price: $6

REGISTER FOR EVENT

***Pre-Registration is REQUIRED for this program. Please click REGISTER FOR EVENT to reserve your spot!**

Girl Scouts Love State Parks is an annual event that occurs all over the United States and is aimed at getting Girl Scouts into the outdoors on the same weekend. This year, Ranger Stephanie will be guiding a group nature hike at Seven Islands State Birding Park. Girl Scouts and their families will be able to learn fun facts about the birds, wildlife, plants, and trees found at Seven Islands and even learn how to identify birds by their songs. If you have ever wanted to ask a park ranger anything about nature or being a park ranger then this would be a great opportunity. The hike will be approximately 3.0 miles round-trip and cover the Bobwhite ADA Trail, Island Loop Trail, Seven Islands Loop Trail, and a section of Kelly Lane Greenway. The terrain will be paved for the section along the Bobwhite ADA Trail, but the rest of the trails are grass or dirt. This will be an easy-moderate difficulty hike. 

Registration is $6 per person. Participants should plan on meeting Ranger Stephanie at the Bluebird Barn at the main entrance off of Kelly Lane at 9:00AM. Please bring plenty of bottled water with you for the hike since the temperatures can get hot quickly these days. Please wear appropriate footwear for walking/hiking. If participants have their own binoculars they are encouraged to bring them, but some will be available to borrow if needed. If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact Ranger Stephanie at stephanie.mueller@tn.gov or 865-333-8270. 

*** Registration is REQUIRED for this event!***

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Come explore the French Broad River on the banks of Seven Islands! We will see what kinds of critters can be found in the water! Guests will be given nets to catch crayfish, small fish, or any other animals we may find! 

We will meet at the Bluebird Barn at 1:00. We will have a brief introduction and talk about safety before we head to the water. We will walk along the Bobwhite ADA trail to the bridge where we will play and learn!

Please dress children in clothes you don't mind getting wet/muddy. Something to change into afterwards may come in handy. 

Lifejackets are not required for this event and cannot be provided. If you would prefer your child to wear one, please bring one along. 

***Guardians are required to come along on this event since water is involved, but adults do not have to register themselves.***

If you have any questions about this event, please TEXT or EMAIL the contacts provided! I am unavailable to answer phone calls during most of the week!

Meet at: Bluebird Barn

Price:

$0 / Youth

$3 / Adult

REGISTER FOR EVENT

***Registration is required for this event!***

Join Seasonal Ranger Ashlyn to learn about the different habitats within Seven Islands! Seven Islands is home to over 200 species of birds annually! The habitat diversity is one way we make this possible. Seven Islands has managed grasslands, woodlands, marshes, and wetland areas. Each performs as their own ecosystem and supports different kinds of wildlife.

On this hike, we will talk about what makes each habitat so important, what kinds of animals we may find, and why we may not see the same animals in other areas! We will also talk about the birds and other wildlife we see along our way.

We will also focus on the grasslands, why they are important for birds, and what techniques are involved in managing them! 

We will meet at the Bluebird Barn before we begin the event. Then we will walk along the ADA Bobwhite trail, across the bridge, and to the Island Loop. 

*If you have any questions concerning this event, please EMAIL or TEXT the contacts provided. I am unavailable to answer phone calls most of the week!*

Meet at: Bluebird Barn

Price: $0 / Person

$5 / Donation

$10 / Donation

$20 / Donation

REGISTER FOR EVENT

Come join the University of Tennessee Bird Club on a birding hike around Seven Islands. This is a great way for birders caught between the older and younger crowds to hang out with like-minded folk and search for some amazing birds. The walk is for anyone regardless of skill level, so beginning birders and experts alike are encouraged to come out!

Please come prepared for the weather and ready to walk around 2-3 miles. Bring water, binoculars*, and good hiking shoes. There are a limited number of spaces available, so pre-registration is required. 

*Binoculars are available to borrow upon request. Please contact clare.dattilo@tn.gov with any questions. 

This is a free program, but please consider making a donation to the park. Your donations help us to protect and create habitat for the birds in the park. 

Meet at: Bluebird Barn

Price: $12

REGISTER FOR EVENT

***Pre-Registration is REQUIRED for this program. Please click REGISTER FOR EVENT to reserve your spot!***

Seven Islands State Birding Park is proud to share this one-of-a-kind experience with park visitors. Banding sessions provide fascinating opportunities to get up close and personal with wild birds. This banding session is led by master bander, Mark Armstrong, Seven Islands staff, and a group of dedicated volunteers.

Group size is limited to 25 persons, so reserve your spot early!

Visitors should arrive at the Bluebird Barn at 8:00 am sharp. A guide will meet you at the barn to lead you on an easy ~1 mile hike to the banding site. 

Please remain with your guide, as he/she will be available to answer any questions that you may have regarding the research, birds, or the park. Every banding session will produce different results as migrants and resident birds move through their life cycles. It is recommended that you wear good walking shoes or boots, weather-appropriate clothing, and we suggest you bring along water and a snack. Dogs are not allowed during banding sessions. Bird safety is of the utmost importance.

If you have questions regarding this program, please contact Ranger Clare at clare.dattilo@tn.gov or call the park at 865-407-8335

Seven Islands State Birding Park

Meet at: Bluebird Barn

Price: $5 / Child

Nature journaling is a fun way to keep track of your observations in nature. We will do some activities to inspire your nature journaling and learn some techniques for drawing the birds you see. You don't have to be an artist, you just need to be curious about the world around you!

This program is part of our monthly Kid's Birding Club for ages 8-12. Everyone is invited to join us and first time particpants will get a birding journal to keep track of your sightings!

We will meet at the Bluebird Barn and take a very short walk to our outdoor classroom in the shade on Hickory Ridge. Please bring water, a notebook with blank pages, a pencil, and colored pencils (optional). 

Meet at: Bluebird Barn

Price: $8

*Pre-registration is required for this event.*

There are over 12,000 species of moths in North America. In honor of of National Moth week, we will be searching for and identifying these nocturnal pollinators at Seven Islands State Park. Participants of all ages are welcome at this event, but you must be ready to stay up late! We will be setting up special lights near the Bluebird Barn and using a bait on nearby trees to attract moths. While we are waiting for the moths to visit, Ranger Clare will share interesting facts and fun stories about moths and other nocturnal creatures. 

We will have to walk short distances to search for moths, but there will be minimal hiking during this event. You are welcome to bring snacks, chairs, and flashlights.