Mark Fraley Podcast

Historically, before Prohibition, Tennessee had a significant agricultural  industry involved in the production of grapes and wine.  More recently, starting in the mid 1970’s,  a new era of grape and  wine production is developing.  Today we have 65 or so wineries.  Tennessee has a challenging environment for grape growing due to high heat and humidity.  … Continue reading "Wine and Grape Growing Industry in Tennessee, Adam Acampora"

There has been a lot of reporting these days about Water Quality.  The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation warns of consuming fish in certain Tennessee rivers.  Reports of accumulated plastic trash in one Tennessee stream in the Chattanooga area are quite alarming.   However, we have made great progress in improving water quality.  Today, we … Continue reading "Update on Water Quality, Interview with Dr. Matt Heard"

Tennessee in about to embark upon the process of development of a new Comprehensive Plan for Parks and Recreation.  Today we talk with Anne Marshall, Senior Adviser at the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation  about that planning process. TN 2020 Status Review and Update 2015-2020 final

For many years the Tennessee Wildlife Federation has been among the leading organizations advocating for Wildlife and the Environment at the Tennessee General Assembly and  in State Administrative Agencies.  The Federation  has been recognized as one of the top organizations nation wide. And there are important issues: Degradation of habitat,   Invasive Exotic Plants and Animals,  Mining, … Continue reading "Interview with Mike Butler, Tennessee Wildlife Federation"

There is a statewide movement going on to preserve and revitalize the Main Streets and town squares of Tennessee.   One of the prominent leaders in this effort in our guest Kim Parks,  Executive Director of Historic Lebanon, and Manager of the Lebanon Mainstreet  Program.    Kim and Mark discuss the  remarkable success this small city … Continue reading "Tennessee Mainstreet Program, Interview with Kim Parks"

There is an active myth about our historic landscape:  The forest which our ancestors first witnessed was so prominent ,  that a squirrel could travel from the Atlantic to the Mississippi without its’ feet touching the ground.  Not so says Dwayne Estes.  And understanding the facts about the historic landscape and the role of grasslands … Continue reading "Dr. Dwayne Estes, Southeastern Grasslands Initiative"

Community Recreation has come a long way since 1960!  In Nashville,  Tennessee, this is in no small part due to the efforts of our guest Mary Wherry.  The first women to receive the TRPA Distinguished Fellow Award,  Her achievements include the initiative for Nature Study programs in Nashville Parks (which led to the establishment of … Continue reading "Interview With Parks And Recreation Fellow, Mary Wherry"

For the past 40 years our guest Bobby Fulcher has been involved in a quest to seek out and document the wonderful elements of Tennessee Folk Culture.  He initiated the Tennessee State Parks Folklife Program in 1979 and continues today to explore and to promote the music and  ways of life of the authentic Tennessee.  … Continue reading "Interview With Bobby Fulcher, Tennessee State Parks Folklife Program"

Tennessee is just finishing Invasive Plant Awareness Week. Many of  our State Parks have conducted a Weed Wrangle (TM). This is an opportunity for Volunteers to come together and assist the Parks in removal of bush honeysuckle ,privet and other invasives which threaten natural landscapes.  Today’s podcast brings the focus of attention to identification of trees, shrubs and vines … Continue reading "Invasive Plants In Your Backyard, Interview with Mike Berkley"

My guest today is Gail Eichelberger,   Host and author of the Clay and Limestone Blog  (gardening for wildlife with native wildflowers).   Gail is truly one of Tennessee’s  experts on native plants.  Starting with her struggles to attain the garden of her dreams here is Middle  Tennessee, she turned that struggle into a revelation. Native plants have … Continue reading "Gardening with Native Plants, Interview with Gail Eichelberger"