The phrase “Connecting people and nature in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park” is one you’re bound to hear often at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont in Townsend, Tn. It suits the program well as it’s one that relies heavily on the experience of their students in nature.

The education programs provided by the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont celebrate the ecological and cultural diversity of the Smokies, while helping those that seek a greater understanding of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park itself. Through such programs as Wilderness First Responder courses, photo workshops, hiking adventures, and naturalist certification, the Institute is able to carry out its mission.

“Connecting people and nature.” What is the meaning behind it? What’s the Great Smoky Mountains Institute’s common thread? Who do we serve and how does motto connect with our programs?

Questions like these are constantly asked and expounded upon at the Smokies Institute. The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont believes that three strands make up its purpose and include a Sense of Place, Diversity, and Stewardship. These strands weave the thread that flows through each lesson and program offered.

The following are ideas and values that these themes represent:

Sense of Place

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a unique and inspiring place.
• Wild places like the Smokies are important to the health of our planet.
• Each of us is a part of our “home” ecosystem. These same “sense of place” attitudes should be transferred to our home ecosystem.

Diversity

• There is tremendous diversity within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• The Smokies have been and continue to be affected by people of diverse interests and perspectives.
• We can learn much about ourselves by living in a community with people of diverse backgrounds, philosophies, and cultures.

Stewardship

• We have a responsibility for preserving and caring for the Smokies and places like it.
• Preserving places like the Smokies means learning about their problems and working to help.
• Our lifestyle and daily habits can be adjusted to have minimal impact upon the environment.

Tremont 2012 Program Calendar