The Free, Two-day Event Will Promote Shared Learning and Appreciation for the Natural World
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Hunters, anglers, kayakers, hikers, climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts will come together from Sept. 19–20 for the Outdoor Enthusiast Expo at Maryville College. The free event, sponsored in part by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, will celebrate various outdoor activities and encourage conservation.
“We created this expo to connect new and experienced outdoor users, highlight the power of conservation and celebrate the passion that fuels our outdoor lifestyle,” said event organizer Ronnie Cowan, an outdoor recreation Extension specialist with the UTIA School of Natural Resources. “Whether you hunt, fish, paddle, hike or just love the wild places of Tennessee, you will enjoy the expo.”
The event begins Friday with an evening social summit and live music at the Crawford House on the Maryville College campus. The expo opens at 8:30 a.m. Saturday in the same location. It will offer hands-on excursions for deer hunting, fly fishing, backcountry hiking, kayaking and canoeing, and mountain biking. People can also attend sessions on forest meditation, habitat management and outdoor meat cooking. The event will include outdoor skills demonstrations and vendor booths.
“We are excited for this opportunity to collaborate with our partners at the University of Tennessee and to serve as the host site of this expo for fellow outdoor enthusiasts,” Tyson Murphy, director of Mountain Challenge at Maryville College, said. “We all love the natural world. We have just chosen to love it and interact in different ways. This event serves as an opportunity to focus on common ground and how to share not just our love but also our multi-use recreational spaces. There’s plenty of room for us all if we protect these spaces and recognize each other’s right to love them in their own way.”
The expo will feature guest speakers Brian Clifford, director of the Tennessee Office of Outdoor Recreation; Michael Butler, CEO of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation; and Carol Evans, executive director of the Legacy Parks Foundation.
People can find an event schedule and registration information on the expo’s website. Those interested in being a sponsor or vendor can also sign up online.
The UTIA School of Natural Resources focuses on a mastery learning approach, emphasizing practical, hands-on experiences. The school’s faculty, staff and students advance the science and sustainable management of our natural resources through various programs of the UT Institute of Agriculture (UTIA).
UTIA is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.