Cedars of Lebanon to Host Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival May 2-3

LEBANON, Tenn. – Cedars of Lebanon State Park will host the 37th Annual Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival May 2-3. Held in partnership with the Center for Cedar Glade Studies of Middle Tennessee State University, this event will offer visitors an opportunity to learn more about the area through seminars, guided nature walks, exhibits, guest speakers and naturalist displays. All events are free and open to the public.

Dr. Elsie Quarterman is professor Emeritus of Vanderbilt University and pioneered cedar glade research in the early 1950s. Coupled with her extensive research, Dr. Quarterman has been an advocate for natural area protection throughout her distinguished career. Her efforts helped Tennessee in 1971 become one of the first states in the U.S. to pass legislation to protect natural areas.

“Dr. Quarterman’s love and support of Cedars and its surrounding glades, along with her experience as a naturalist, scientist and conservationist, are unmatched,” Park Manager Kenny Daniel said. “We are honored that she has shared her vast knowledge of the area with us over the years.”

The festival will kick off on Friday, May 2 at 1 p.m. at the park’s Assembly Hall for the Center for Cedar Glade Studies’ research roundtable. Friday’s evening program will feature guest speakers, including Cedars of Lebanon Ranger and Naturalist Buddy Ingram and Kim Sadler with the Center for Cedar Glade Studies.

On Saturday, May 3, early risers and bird watchers can enjoy a Bird Walk, beginning at 7 a.m. at the park’s Huddleston Cedar Forest Lodge. Expert birders will lead the walk. Participants are encouraged to bring field glasses and bird books.

Other event highlights on Saturday include several motorcade jaunts to various glades, a family hike, glade geology and cave walks. Saturday evening will include an Owl Prowl and a Frog Frolic at 7 p.m.

Cedars of Lebanon State Park and State Forest are located in the southwestern part of Wilson County within the central basin of Tennessee. Both were established during the 1930s as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s program to resettle people and replant the Cedar trees that had been heavily harvested. The area now contains one of the largest juniper forests in the country. For more information about the park, visit http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/cedars-of-lebanon.

The Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade is a 185-acre natural area in Rutherford County. It is a part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Percy Priest Reservoir and is managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency as a Wildlife Management Area.

For more information about the Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival, please contact the Cedars of Lebanon State Park office at 615-444-4565 or 1-800-713-5180.

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