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Published six times a year, The TENNESSEE CONSERVATIONIST is dedicated to promoting the mission of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to preserve, protect and wisely use the state's natural and cultural resources.

Subscriptions are $15 for one year; $22 for two years; $30 for three years.

Phil Bredesen
Governor

Jim Fyke
Environment and Conservation Commissioner

Paul Sloan
Environment and Conservation Deputy Commissioner

Louise Zepp
Editor

Jeff Law
Art Director/Designer

Ventrese Louise Hall
Circulation Manager

Melisa Ricard
Administrative Secretary

Mailing Address:
The Tennessee Conservationist
Dept. of Environment & Conservation
Nashville, TN 37243-0440
(615) 532-0060

Nothern Saw-whet Owl
The Northern Saw-whet Owl reaches its southeastern breeding limit in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina.
Photo by Larry Masters

Feature: The Nesting Birds of the Roan Mountain Highlands

Birders and ornithologists enjoy an immense diversity of nesting birds on Roan Mountain. To date there are 188 species of birds recorded on or near Roan Mountain, many of which are known or thought to nest on the mountain. In the featured article “The Nesting Birds of the Roan Mountain Highlands,” author Allan J. Trently examines some of these birds and their habits. Trently now works stewardship ecologist for West Tennessee for the Division of Natural Areas in Jackson. Previously he worked for TVA in Knoxville as a terrestrial zoologist.


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Amphibian populations around the world are declining at an alarming rate. This Amazon Milk Frog is a large species of arboreal frog native to South America where whole species of frogs are disappearing right before our eyes. Photo by Lisa Powers, Froghaven FarmThe Year of the Frog
by Lisa Powers
Leap Year is an ideal time for scientists and conservationist to bring awareness to the major extinction crisis that is affecting amphibians around the world. That is why 2008 has been named “The Year of the Frog,” which is also the title of an article in this issue written by Lisa Powers, a contract biologist of Froghaven Farm in Bon Aqua.

There are currently about 6,308 living species of amphibians known to science. Of these, it is estimated that as many as a third to a half are threatened with becoming extinct in our lifetime, Powers points out in her article. She offers suggestions on what individuals can do to help.

  

A Honey Bee feeds at a hole in a blueberry flower made by a nectar-robbing carpenter bee. by John SkinnerBees and Nature
by Steve Murphree and John Skinner
Bees attract our eye as they visit flowers that also attract our attention due to their bright colors. Bees serve as important pollinators of both natural vegetation and crop plants. In addition to their role as pollinators in agricultural systems, bees are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems. Learn more about bees from the article “Bees and Nature” by Steve Murphree and John Skinner. Murphree is a medical entomologist and professor of biology at Belmont University in Nashville. Skinner is an apiculture specialist and professor of entomology and plant pathology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Also In This Issue:

  • Legacy Parks Foundation Works to Preserve Land in Knoxville and Knox County
  • The Walton Road: An Early Route Across the Cumberland Plateau
  • Whooping Cranes in Bells Bend

In The Next Issue:

  • An Artist’s Perspective of History at Fort Loudoun
  • Trees and Herbs Host Butterflies
  • Gruteli-the Swiss Colony on the Cumberland Plateau

About The Tennessee Conservationist



The Tennessee Conservationist is an award-winning magazine recognized around the country for beautiful photography and engaging, informative articles about Tennessee’s natural and cultural wonders. The magazine fulfills its purpose without receiving a state appropriation as it is totally funded through subscription revenue, non-commercial advertising for Tennessee State Parks and environmental programs plus gifts and donations from supporters. Each bimonthly issue features the high quality photographs and articles the magazine has long been best known for publishing. The Tennessee Conservationist will be marking its 70th Anniversary in 2007, and I invite readers from across the nation to join us in celebrating this true Tennessee treasure.

Jim Fyke
Commissioner