Summer Retreat 2019
July 26th through 28th
Cedars of Lebanon State Park
You're Invited! The Tennessee Chapter's Middle Tennessee Group invites you to join other Sierra Club members from around Tennessee at beautiful, historic Cedars of Lebanon State Park for a weekend of outdoor activities and indoor entertainment.
Cedars of Lebanon's ecosystem features a landscape of karst formations including limestone sinkholes and caves and one of the largest stands of Eastern red cedars in the United States. The Park has ten miles of hiking trails that range from easy to moderate, a butterfly garden, and a nature center that explores the ecological and cultural significance of the park.
When you arrive at the summer Chapter Retreat Friday evening, check-in at the Group Lodge. Get acquainted with other participants and plan to enjoy the night sky.
The Group Lodge includes two air conditioned bunkhouse wings each with 19 twin size bunk beds, restroom and shower accommodations.
State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath joins us once again to lead an afternoon tour of Jackson Cave and an evening walk in a cedar glade (bring your flashlights for both!).
It will be summertime so you might want to break away for a round on the Park's 18-hole disc golf course landscaped through the Park's cedar woods.
On Saturday evening, we look forward to musical entertainment from the acoustic duo of Antoinette Olesen and Buddy Farler, and special guest award-winning songwriter Susan Shann. If you love outdoor recreation and exploration, and enjoy good music, this is your chance to find out what a Sierra Club retreat is all about.
Cedars of Lebanon State Park is located approximately 31 miles east of Nashville in Wilson County and six miles south of I-40 on U.S. Highway 231 (State Route 10). Click here for a map and driving directions. GPS navigation in your car? Try these GPS coordinates: 36.080048,-86.323934. Look at a map of park trails here or pick up a printed map at the park.
It has a fascinating history, High demand for cedar wood throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries left the area nearly cleared of its timber. Following reforestation and development for jobs, recreation and timber by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s, this land now contains one of the largest public stands of eastern red cedar in the United States. Not true cedars, these trees are actually junipers, a close cousin. Early settlers associated these evergreens with the dense cedar forests depicted in the biblical lands of Lebanon and began calling them 'cedars.' The original park, completed in 1937, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Districts.
News: STATE DEPARTMENTS PARTNER FOR CEDARS OF LEBANON MANAGEMENT
In a June 27 press release, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) is transferring jurisdiction of a portion of the Cedars of Lebanon complex to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). Read the press release here.
Outings with Randy Hedgepath
9:00 AM, Jackson Cave Tour Join State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath for two relaxing and educational outings. First, a trip into the muddy but interesting cave behind the Nature Center. Bring clothes and shoes you don't mind getting muddy. Multiple light sources including a head lamp are recommended.
7:00 pm, Cedar Glade Trail On Saturday evening, join Randy for a stroll on the half-mile Cedar Glade Trail at the Park Office and the half- mile Dixon Merritt Trail at the Nature Center in the cooler hours of the day. We'll be watching for birds, wildflowers, and nature surprises.
Afternoon Movie
3:00 pm, The Nuclear Option
This highly educational documentary asks the question,”What is the future of nuclear power after Fukushima?” There will be a discussion following the screening.
Acoustic Evening
Enjoy a relaxing and musical evening with acoustic duo of Antoinette Olesen and Buddy Farler, a Nashville favorite playing Americana with a pop/folk edge. Making a special appearance will be award-winning songwriter Susan Shann. She integrates her passion for music with her core values of earth-care, social justice and inclusive spirituality, in a way that can positively impact and uplift others. This musical evening bringing Sierra friends together will surely be a weekend highlight!
Meetings
Various TN Chapter Sierra Club committees will meet on Saturday and Sunday - feel free to sit in on any or all meetings or workshop/trainings of interest to you.
The Quarterly Tennessee Chapter Executive Committee Meeting begins at 8:00 AM on Sunday immediately after breakfast. You are invited to sit in and observe. When the meeting adjourns about 1:00 PM, attendees are welcomed to help with cleanup before leaving the Retreat.
What To Bring
- Linens or sleeping bag, pillow, towel
- Stuff for hiking: trail lunches, water bottle, daypack, rain gear • Beverages, flashlight
- For the cave outing: Bring clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting muddy. Multiple light sources including a head lamp are recommended.
Food
Saturday and Sunday breakfasts and a Saturday evening meal are provided. If you register online you may request vegetarian options.
Registration
Register by Friday, July 17, to receive early bird discount. Please click here to register online where you can answer several questions about your preferences. It can post the Retreat on the calendar in your phone and give you driving directions. If you have questions or need help registering, please contact Charlie High at cahigh1722@aol.com or 615-500-5499.
We'll be at the Group Lodge. Registration fee covers your bunkhouse lodging (women's & men's dorms), 2 breakfasts, and Saturday dinner -- pack your own trail lunches. Pay when you check in at the Group Lodge.
The rates are:
- Late registration (after July 17) - $60
- Early Bird Discount (lodging, 2 breakfasts, Saturday dinner) - $50
- First Chapter retreat attendees pay only half (lodging, 2 breakfasts, Saturday dinner) - $25
- Students (lodging, 2 breakfasts, Saturday dinner) -- $15
- Only on Saturday (registration, dinner) -- $30
- Only the Sunday Executive Committee meeting (registration, breakfast, no lodging) -- $10
- Only the Sunday Executive Committee meeting (registration only, no lodging, no breakfast) -- $5
- Child under 16 – No Charge
Bring linens and beverage containers. Participants are responsible for their own lunch on Saturday and Sunday.
Legal Stuff
All Retreat participants will be required to sign the standard Sierra Club outings liability waiver when checking in at the retreat location. Click here to review the waiver form.
Any attendee under the age of 18 not accompanied by parent or legal guardian must have the signed liability waiver and "Medical Treatment Authorization & Consent Form" upon arrival. Both forms can be printed from these links.
Middle Tennessee Group is hosting. For more information, contact Grace Stranch, Middle TN Group Chair, at k.g.stranch@gmail.com or Charlie High at cahigh1722@aol.com or 615-500-5499.
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STATE DEPARTMENTS partner for Cedars of lebanon management