Spring Wildflowers NaturePod Author
Julie Forkner and Nancy Condon (Narrator too) bring decades of experience and vast knowledge to the subject of spring wildflowers. Both our authors are sought for their expertise and regularly lead wildflower walks. They share with you their wealth of knowledge and true love of these amazing little plants.
Julie Forkner, Author
Julie Forkner
Julie Forkner first fell in love with wildflowers trailing along behind her father as he called out “trillium, trillium” on spring hikes in the mountains of Tennessee. Earning a bachelor’s degree at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC, Julie learned to identify and love native wildflowers. Her love for plants and all things dirt-related eventually landed her in the native plant propagation business, and she urges everyone interested in growing native plants to buy from nurseries that propagate their own stock responsibly. Having recently graduated with a Master’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Julie now gardens and writes in Sweetwater, Tennessee.
Nancy checking in with Peterson
Nancy Condon
Nancy was fortunate enough to grow up in an outdoor-loving family. She fondly remembers leisurely hikes in which Dad would pause to take beautiful photographs and Mom would give a name to everything they saw. The fun was trying to figure out if Mom was telling the truth or not. Gosh darn if the bird book actually showed a yellow-bellied sapsucker!
Soon Nancy’s interest went beyond naming, and discovering anything and everything about nature became a passion. Camping, canoeing and photography were natural extensions and continue to be.
Nancy has a BS in Biology from Hope College in Holland Michigan, where she took every biology class time permitted before graduating in 1982.
She has been an environmental educator ever since, having taught at various venues and states including a residential environmental education center in Texas, a nature center in New York, Science museum in Massachusetts, and a Zoo in Massachusetts. It was at Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont in Tennessee where her love of wildflowers and the Smokies blossomed – excuse the pun. There she was awarded “East Tennessee Teacher of the Year” for 1994. Her fascination of pollination biology took off while there.
During her tenure in the Smokies she made 2 trips to Russia to train national park managers and teachers there in environmental education techniques. With her husband, Tom, Nancy still leads groups of wildflower enthusiasts on trips for a pilgrimage to the Smokies, a spring wildflower paradise.
Nancy and her husband adventurously set out by canoe to paddle across the United States in order to raise awareness about water conservation. The 14-month and 5,000 mile long venture was called, “Paddle for Water”. She encourages young people to take life by the horns and be adventurous.
Nancy now lives in western Massachusetts where she is Vice President of the Springfield Naturalists Club, former conservation director of the local Boy Scout Council, and served for a short time on the Massachusetts Environmental Education Society board. Nancy is the proud co-founder of NaturePods™. Even still, she continues to teach children in the out-of-doors.