As most of you know the Chimney Tops 2 Fire was reported in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
near Gatlinburg, TN on Wednesday, November 23, 2016. The wildfire began burning in a remote
location (Chimney Tops) of the park in steep terrain with vertical cliffs and narrow rocky ridges
making access to the wildfire area difficult for firefighting efforts. On Monday, November 28,
exceptional drought conditions and extreme winds caused the wildfire to grow rapidly, causing
many new wildfire starts from embers carried miles away and downed powerlines in and adjacent
to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Cobbly Nob Fire was one of these fires. On Wednesday,
December 7 the Sevier County District Attorney announced that two juveniles from Tennessee, who
are not residents of Sevier County, were arrested in connection with the fire. Although these
arrests have been made, the investigation into this incident is still ongoing.
The wildfires in the Smokies have been devasting to people as well as wildlife, and the park
we all love so much. The best way to help is to donate your time and money to the
organizations helping victims and to organizations helping the park recover.
The 100th Anniversary celebration of the National Park Service is
coming to an end, and Discover Life in America (DLIA) is embarking on the
final leg of the Smokies’ All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI).
As we reflect on the enormous success of this project, we look to the future.
While we will continue to refine the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park’s (GSMNP) portfolio of life with information needed for the next
100 years, DLIA has its eyes set on expanding conservation efforts.
These include sharing this ATBI model for understanding regional, national,
and even global biodiversity and fostering awareness. |
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Our model, which you have helped us build, has resulted in:
* * We have identified almost 1,000 species new to science and more than 9,000 new species for the GSMNP. * * |
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What does the future of DLIA hold?
We look forward to:
Your donation is needed now more than ever. Continue to celebrate 100 years of National Park Service excellence by continuing your support for the DISCOVERY of Life! With your help, this ground-breaking work contributes to knowledge about the vast diversity of life on our planet. Your gift is an investment in education, science, and the future of our most beloved places. Please give today. (see end of this newsletter for ways to give) |
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EVENT | DATE |
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Biodiversity Days at Duke | March 2-4 |
Park Science Colloquium | March 23 |
TVA Wild Area Bioblitze At Norris Dam, TN | April 22 |
TVA Wild Area Bioblitze At Chickamauga Dam, TN | April 29 |
Smokies Biodiversity Days | June 16-18 |
Science at Sugarlands | May thru October |
Norton Creek Firefly Celebration | June 2,3 and 4 |
The Salamander Ball | September 24th |
(Cecropia Moth)
16” x 20” Scanned images of species collected during the
Discover Life in America
All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory
$75 Ready for framing - Available on high-quality bright white photo paper or on canvas.
View and order at: http://shopdlia.org/catalog/2
SPECIAL OFFER: return your order with minimum $100 donation – get $15 discount!
Way #1: Direct Donations through Paypal: | Click HERE to donate and become a partner in discovering new species! |
Way #2: while shopping at Kroger: | Kroger shoppers can sign up for "Kroger Rewards"
that will contribute to DLIA every time you shop! Click HERE to sign up. |
Way #3: while purchasing through Amazon Smile: | Amazon will donate to DLIA with every purchase!
Click HERE to sign up and choose Discover Life in America. |
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