There will be some afternoon bird walks this Saturday (Aug. 7) at the Unicoi County Heritage Museum on the grounds of the National Fish Hatchery in Erwin, TN. Bryan Stevens will lead bird walks on behalf of the Lee & Lois Herndon Chapter of TOS at noon and 3 p.m. Many other artistic and natural events will occur throughout the day, which is being dubbed "Fins, Furs & Feathers." Below is a press release and complete statement for the special event: Nature and artistry will come together from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, for a special event dubbed â??Fins, Furs and Feathersâ?? at the Unicoi County Heritage Museum in Erwin. The museum, located on the grounds of the Erwin National Fish Hatchery, has planned a wide variety of activities reflecting the natural heritage and artistic talent of Unicoi County, according to Martha Erwin, museum curator. Various artists from the Watauga Valley Art League will be on hand to demonstrate their work and their love of natureâ??s colorful canvas. Erwin resident Patsy Reading, vice president for exhibits and chairman for the Leagueâ??s â??Roving Gallery,â?? said several members will be present throughout the day. Reading said artists will exhibit paintings of landscapes, animals, fish and birds found in Northeast Tennessee. Among the artists planning to attend are Rick Hoyle, Jim Stagner, Barbara Jernigan, Joyce Samuel, Janet McPherson and Georgia Bemis, nationally known for her work in pastels. â??The League wants to promote the enjoyment of the arts and the regionâ??s parks,â?? Reading said. Reading will exhibit her own paintings as well as her artwork on gourds. She and other members of the League plan on being present throughout the day to answer questions from the public. The League boasts members from Erwin and Unicoi as well as Johnson City, Greeneville, Bristol, Elizabethton and Gray. â??We currently have 90 members who range in age from 20 to 97,â?? Reading said. Local artist Vera Jones will be making life casts of petsâ?? paws throughout the day. In addition, Pete Wyatt, an official dealing with endangered species for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, will present public lectures. He worked for many years as a wildlife officer in Unicoi County. Officials with the hatchery will discuss the work they do. Members of the Lee and Lois Herndon Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society will lead two bird walks on the grounds of the museum and hatchery as well as along the Pat Alderman Nature Trail. Concessions prepared by Toby Gardiner of Erwin Health Care will be available, and museum tours will be offered for a small fee. The complete schedule of events follows: Meet the Artists â?? 10 a.m. Pete Wyatt, TWRA representative for endangered species â?? 10:30-11:15 a.m. Jon Shell, bagpipes musician â?? 11:15 a.m.-noon. Bird walk with the Lee and Lois Herndon Chapter of TOS â?? noon. Tracy Hoilman, Tennessee Teacher of the Year, storytelling for children â?? 12:30-1:15 p.m. David Ramsey, nature photographer â?? 1:45-2:15 p.m. Tours of the Fish Hatchery by Manager Jack Jones â?? 2:15 p.m. Tours of the Heritage Museum by curator Martha Erwin â?? 2:15 p.m. Lindsay Pate, harp player â?? 2:30-3 p.m. Bird walk with the Lee and Lois Herndon Chapter of TOS â??3 p.m. Pete Wyatt, TWRA representative for endangered species â?? 3:30-4 p.m. Tracy Hoilman, Tennessee Teacher of the Year, storytelling for children â?? 4-4:45 p.m. Meet the Artists â?? 4:45 p.m. â??Fins, Furs and Feathersâ?? is part of the project â??Take a Walk on the Arts Trail: Celebrating Arts and Nature with Events Throughout Northeast Tennessee.â?? The project is a cooperative effort of the Appalachian RC&D Council, Cherokee National Forest, the Johnson City Area Arts Council and the National Endowment of the Arts. For more information, call Erwin at 743-9449 or send an e-mail to: info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Bryan Stevens, Hampton, TN =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. 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