2011 Bartram Trail Conference

William Bartram by Charles Wilson Peale
(courtesy Independence National
Historical Park Collection)

Calling all hikers, nature lovers, gardeners, historians, archaeologists, literary and scientific scholars, botanists, biologists, birders, environmentalists, members of historical and gardening organizations, those with a commitment to historic and environmental education and preservation, and readers:

The Bartram Trail Conference will hold its biannual meeting October 21-23, 2011 in Macon, Georgia. William Bartram, known as America’s first native born naturalist and artist, set out in 1773 on a four-year journey through the southeastern colonies of the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee. His resulting work, Travels, became a piece of classic American literature. The Bartram Trail Conference works to identify and mark Bartram’s journey, to promote interest in developing recreational trails and botanical gardens along his route, and to encourage the study, preservation, and interpretation of his legacy.  The meeting is hosted by Mercer University, Macon State University, and the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences, and is open to all members of the public.

One of the many Bartram Trail markers
found across the Southeast
(courtesy Garden Club of Georgia)

Bartram’s dual love of exploring nature and writing is shared by several UGA Press authors, including Janisse Ray (DRIFING INTO DARIEN) and John Lane (MY PADDLE TO THE SEA), both of whom have new books about paddles on southeastern rivers. Another recent book, WILLIAM BARTRAM, THE SEARCH FOR NATURE'S DESIGN, edited by Thomas Hallock and Nancy E. Hoffmann, expands readers’ view of Bartram through art, letters, and unpublished manuscripts. Ray, Lane, and Hallock, who serves as President of the Bartram Trail Conference, will be at this year’s meeting.

Janisse Ray will hold a pre-conference workshop on Friday, October 21 and will also be reading at the opening event on Friday evening. Panel participants on Saturday, October 22 will include Ray, Lane, and Hallock, as well as UGA Press authors Dorinda Dallmeyer (ELEMENTAL SOUTH), and Philip Juras (THE SOUTHERN FRONTIER). Also on the program are David S. Shields, editor of the Press series Publications of the Southern Texts Society and Sarah V. Ross, Senior Scientific Advisor to the Press.

Members of the Bartram Trail Conference
at the Paynes Prairie stables in October 2009
(courtesy Bartram Trail Conference)

For more information about the conference and registration visit www.bartramtrail.org; options are available for those who only wish to attend part of the conference. For more on Bartram’s journey, check out THE TRAVELS OF WILLIAM BARTRAM, edited by Francis Harper, and AN OUTDOOR GUIDE TO BARTRAM'S TRAVELS, by Charles D. Spornick, Alan R. Cattier, and Robert J. Greene.