Kids Meet Owls, Bears, Possums and More at Wilderness Wildlife Week in Great Smoky Mountains

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (December 2011) – "Those Ain´t Teddy Bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park" is one of the entertainingly informative programs aimed directly at youngsters during the 22nd Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., from Jan. 7-14, 2012.

Wilderness Wildlife Week is a salute to the great outdoors, and 20 of its 288 programs and activities are designed specifically for children. Many of the general programs would hold a child´s attention, too.

The "Kids´ Track" programs include "Whoo Did This?" (about all types of owls), "The Smoky Mountain Adventures of Bubba Jones" (a program of hiking and camping tips for kids and adults), a storytelling instruction class, "Batteries NOT Included" (about Appalachian toys and games) and "Photography for Kids and Parents."

The "Kids´ Track" programs are scattered throughout the week, with multiple programs scheduled on Jan. 12 (Thursday) and Jan. 14 (Saturday).

The entirety of Wilderness Wildlife Week is an eight-day extravaganza of seminars, workshops, photography classes, hikes, owl prowls and even musical performances.

"It´s exciting to look at it by the numbers," said Leon Downey, executive director of the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism, which presents Wilderness Wildlife Week free of charge. Last year, guests came from 28 states and Canada.

"We have 240 indoor programs, plus 48 hikes, field trips and owl prowls. That´s 288 in all, and 120 of them are brand new for 2012. There are the 20 programs especially for kids, plus 22 that examine the heritage of the Smokies and more than a dozen photography courses," he said.

Wilderness Wildlife Week, begun in 1990 as a salute to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is a major part of the four-month-long Pigeon Forge Winterfest season. Winterfest 2011-2012 in its entirety is a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event.

More than 150 experts – nature photographers, biologists, raptor rehabilitators, social historians, musicians and just plain folks who grew up in the Smokies – donate their time to lead Wilderness Wildlife Week programs about natural history, wildlife, outdoor recreation, nature photography, conservation efforts and cultural history.

Among the topics: bears in the Smokies, reintroduction of elk to the national park, the Smokies´ logging history, possums, bluebirds, trout fishing, bald eagles, the Civil War in the mountains, fire towers, beginner backpacking, how to raise butterflies and how to play the dulcimer.

"The week is extremely flexible. You can come just for one program, for one day or for the whole week," Downey said.

Wilderness Wildlife Week details are at www.MyPigeonForge.com/wildlife. Information about all aspects of visiting Pigeon Forge is at www.MyPigeonForge.com or by calling toll-free to 1-800-251-9100.