Green Access Talking With Dawson Wheeler

Our ongoing exploration of the Tennessee River corridor reveals new wonders each season. The diverse habitats along the river — from bottomland hardwood forests to limestone bluffs — support an extraordinary array of plant and animal species found nowhere else.

The phenology of spring wildflowers on the Cumberland Plateau continues to shift in response to changing climate patterns. Long-term observers have noted that some species are blooming earlier than in decades past, while others show more variable timing. These observations contribute to a growing database that helps scientists understand how plant communities respond to environmental change.