Spring is here, and Outdoor Murfreesboro invites the community to step outside and experience the natural world right in our own backyard.
Earth Week Outdoors, running Monday through Friday, April 20–24, is a mostly-free week of guided outdoor adventures put together by Outdoor Murfreesboro and a dedicated group of local conservation partners.
This year’s theme—Greenways, Blueways, and Flyways: Finding Nature in an Urban Setting—asks us to look a little closer at the city we already live in. The rivers, wetlands, and green corridors woven through Murfreesboro are alive with things most of us walk right past. Earth Week is a chance to slow down and actually see them.
“Not only is Murfreesboro in the heart of Middle Tennessee, it’s in the heart of one of the coolest ecosystems on the planet,” said Outdoor Murfreesboro’s Natural Resources Assistant Coordinator Lauren May, the driving force behind Earth Week. “There are plants and animals native to this area that are found in few other places, and some that are found only in Tennessee’s Inner Central Basin, right outside our door. In April, the glades, barrens, and wetlands around us explode with wildflowers and wildlife.”
What makes Earth Week Outdoors special isn’t just the activities, it’s the people behind them. Outdoor Murfreesboro has assembled an impressive lineup of local naturalists, scientists and educators who bring genuine depth to each outing. These aren’t generic nature walks, they are led by people who care deeply about Middle Tennessee’s ecological heritage and want to share it with their neighbors.
So what’s on the schedule? Quite a lot, and there’s something here for just about everyone.
The week spans land, water, and sky, with activities ranging from creek-critter hunting and kayak paddling to nighttime bat walks and cedar glade hikes. Whether you want to get your hands dirty planting native species at a community garden, spot migrating birds at Murfree Spring on Earth Day morning, or float a stretch of the Stones River by kayak, there’s a way in.
All of these events are free (save for the kayak paddle, which runs $15), registration is required, and spots fill up fast. Most events cap between 10 and 20 participants, which means the experience is intimate and personal rather than crowded. Rain dates are in place for every event, so weather is no reason to hold off on signing up.
Activities Include:
Monday, April 20
10 a.m. – Crazy Cool Creek Critters
1 p.m. – Low-Head Dams of the Stones River Watershed
Tuesday, April 21
7 a.m. – Birds & Blooms at Jordan Farm
1 p.m. – Greenway Gambol with TennGreen
Wednesday, April 22
7 a.m. – Visit a Flyway Rest Stop—Birding at Murfree Spring
7 p.m. – Wetland Night Life at Murfree Spring
Thursday, April 23
9 a.m. – Planting a Native Garden
1 p.m. – Kayak Paddle Down the Stones River
Friday, April 24
9 a.m. – Tree ID and Forest Health on the Barfield Crescent Park Tree Trail
1 p.m. – The Glades and Barrens of Overbridge State Natural Area
For full event descriptions, age requirements, and registration links, visit murfreesborotn.gov/2692.
The organizations and experts behind Earth Week Outdoors are doing this work year-round, restoring native habitats, monitoring water quality, tracking wildlife and managing natural areas. Participating in Earth Week is a way to support that work, to learn from the people doing it, and to become a more informed, more engaged resident of this place. The more people who understand and value Murfreesboro’s natural assets, the better chance those assets have of being around for the next generation.
