Wildlife Photograph

From the Ground Up: Ijams in Winter

Monday January 08, 2007
Don't let the cold keep you cooped up. There are beautiful things to see at Ijams. Read about some of them here.

The winter season is special at Ijams. The mornings are cold and silent except for the activity of birds at the feeders and winter active animals.  The meadows are covered in frost and ice ribbons encase the bases of plant stalks.  Ice ribbons occur as plant stalks freeze and moisture is forced out by the contraction of the plant tissues. 

With the leaves off the trees, there are many interesting things to see along the trails.  From the River Trail, you can enjoy views and see the confluence of the Holston and French Broad rivers.  The rivers join one half mile up river from the boardwalk to form the Tennessee River.  Along the Tharp Trace, above Mead’s quarry, there are panoramic views in the cardinal directions.  To the north is downtown Knoxville, to the south is Mount Leconte in the Great Smoky Mountains, to the east is House Mountain and to the west is Vestal.

     Many animals make the park their home for the winter.  Great horned owls can often be heard calling in the late afternoon and morning hours.  New residents to the park are beavers at Toll Creek and their dam can be seen from the Toll Creek boardwalk.  Our neighbors have   reported seeing white tail deer and grey foxes in the vicinity and coots and Canada geese are often seen swimming on the quarry lake.

Winter is colorful with the help of trees and shrubs.  Witch hazel blooms with small yellow flowers.  Winterberry holly, beauty berry and cranberry viburnum hold on to their berries for most of the winter months.  In February Lenten rose and winter aconite plants bloom.

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