Every year, dozens of nature enthusiasts brave the cold and gather at Roan Mountain for the annual Winter Naturalist Rally.

The rally, presented each year by the Friends of Roan Mountain civic group, serves as a winter celebration of the natural beauty of the Roan highlands, including the beautiful scenery, rare plants, birds, ancient geology and, most importantly, the conservation of all those things that make the Roan highlands so special.
“We are all looking forward to it,” said David Hall, who organizes the Winter Rally. “This will be the eighth Winter Rally; our first was in 2008.”
This year, the rally will be held Feb. 14. Participants are asked to meet at the Roan Mountain State Park Conference Center at 9:15 a.m.
The rally will kick off at 9:30 a.m. with a presentation by Ranger Jacob Young, who serves as the park manager for Roan Mountain State Park, on the park’s natural beauty and also some of the invasive plant life the park staff must combat to keep the park healthy and looking its best.
Marquette Crockett, a wildlife biologist, will be the rally’s second keynote speaker. She serves as the Highlands of Roan Director at the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.
At the rally, Crockett will not only present what’s coming up for the balds and highlands in 2015, but will also discuss new trends in habitat management and ongoing efforts to mitigate the ecological impacts of increasing numbers of visitors to the Roan.
After the presentations by Young and Crockett, participants will sit down to a lunch catered by City Market.
During lunch, Bryan Stevens of the Herndon Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society will give a presentation on some of the area’s feathered residents, sharing some of his own photographs from his bird watching adventures.
After lunch, participants will have a choice of four different hikes to participate in.
“Frosty Levy of East Tennessee State University is going to lead a tree identification hike,” Hall said, adding that Levy is a professor of biology at the university. “That is going to be very interesting.”
Marty Silver, whom Hall described as “a legend with wildlife and children,” will lead an animal tracking hike near the Doe River in the park.
“That is really fun in the snow,” Hall said. “The kids love that.”
While many people may not think of seeing wildlife active during the winter months, Hall said the park is alive with activity and most of it can be found along the Doe River banks.
Acclaimed author and photographer Jerry Greer will lead a hike demonstrating how to capture the beauty of nature during the winter through photography.
Jamey Donaldson, of the Baatany Goat Project, will lead a hike to the alder balds on the Roan. This hike is subject to cancelation in the event of bad weather, Hall said.
The cost to attend the rally programs and a hike is $5 for adults. Children and members of the Friends of Roan Mountain group can participate at no charge. Lunches are available with pre-paid reservation only. The cost for lunch is $7.50 for adults and $4.50 for children 12 and younger.
For more information on the rally, visit the Friends of Roan Mountain website at www.friendsofroanmtn.org or contact David Hall at 423-772-3500 or by e-mail at davetree@charter.net.