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Our friend David Britton joins us today to discuss his thesis paper on the subject of the Contraband Encampment associated with the Civil War era Union Fort in Clarksville Tennessee.  This encampment had not been the subject of much scholarship  until now. David was able to uncover and explore a trove of documentary materials which reveal a great deal about the lives of African American people and their struggles and  resilience  during the time of war.  These were the records of the Freedmen’s Bureau  and also the widows pension applications filed by the widows of Colored Troops soldiers. This encampment has had a lasting legacy in the formation of neighborhoods in  Clarksville and the lives of African American citizens in that city https://www.markfraley.com/wp-content/uploads/davidbrittononcontribandcampsfina.mp3 Recovering the Celestial City_Britton Thesis updated oct26.pdf   click for pdf of thesis paper The post Interview With Historian David Britton, Fort Defiance/Fort Bruce, Contraband Camp Legacy Episode 131 appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Restoration of grasslands at a regional scale requires reliable sources of abundant seed material for the hundreds of species of plants which are typically  part of a Southern grassland.  Often,  seeds for certain species are underrepresented in the trade.  Seeds, then, must be gathered from plants in the wild and processed before they can be utilized. Our guest today, Kristin Hopkins,  and  her team are about the business of scouting out wild sources for seeds of native grassland plants so that they can be ethically gathered and processed for use.  They are also working with commercial  growers to broaden the menu of what is available in the trade. https://www.markfraley.com/wp-content/uploads/kristinhopkinsseedswithmusic.mp3 The post Interview with Kristin Hopkins, Native Plant Materials Program Manager, Southeast Grasslands Institute Episode 130 appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Believe it or not,  Now is the time to begin planning next years garden! Our guest today is Dr Bieke D Puncochar, PhD.  Bieke is a Child Psychologist by training and profession and in her life outside of work is deeply involved in the Native Gardening movement.  She is one of the cofounders of the Nashville non profit “Neighbors 4 Native Plants” In the effort to make a wide variety of plants available in abundance to Nashville gardeners at a low cost, she has learned how to propagate many species of plants from seed.  She uses a technique called “Winter Sowing”.  This technique takes advantage of the normal life cycle of plants, together with seasonal change, to bring new plants to life under controllable  conditions. Beike and Mark have a chat and share some tips about Winter Sowing. https://www.markfraley.com/wp-content/uploads/BiekePuncosharwitheffectsandmusic.mp3   The post Winter Sowing of Native Plants with Dr Bieke Puncochar, PhD. Episode 129 appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Today we feature Bobby Inman, a native of Roane County Tennessee and now a resident of Falmouth in Cornwall, England.  Bobby is the first American born Town Crier for the Town of Falmouth.  Together with his partner he operates Falmouth Uncovered,  a small business conducting  history oriented  walking tours of the Town.  Bobby is like an Interpretive Ranger, only for a whole town! We talk with  Bobby’s about how he came to be in this uniquely  beautiful area as well as  the landscape  of Cornwall and its remarkable history. https://www.markfraley.com/wp-content/uploads/bobby-inmman-interview-with-music-and-effects.mp3 The post Interview With Bobby Inman, Town Crier, Town of Falmouth, Cornwall, England “Falmouth Uncovered” Episode 128 appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation maintains a list of impaired streams in Tennessee.  Much of the pollution of our streams is caused by agricultural runoff of chemicals and soils into the waterways.  Excess nutrients can deplete oxygen in the water, soils can smother aquatic  life on the bottoms of streams. The Tennessee Environmental Council (TEC) has established a Water Quality Initiative and they are working to rehabilitate impaired water ways. TEC is working with grants from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and with corporate sponsors.  Today we talk to Jordan Young, TEC Director of Field Operations, about this initiative and about an ongoing project to restore Lytle Creek in Rutherford County. https://www.markfraley.com/wp-content/uploads/Jordon-Young-final-edit.mp3 The post Interview With Jordan Young, TEC Chief of Field Operations, Water Quality Initiative Episode 127 appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

From the early 1980s and through the mid 1990’s, Dare Bible was a force to be reckoned with in Tennessee State Parks.  Coming to State Parks from a position as the first Parks and Recreation Director for Trousdale County, she headed the Program Services Section for several years and then served as Middle Tennessee Recreation Program Services coordinator.   She brought many creative programs to the parks. Dare also served in leadership roles in the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association, Resource Management Section as well as being a board member of the Wilderness Education Association. https://www.markfraley.com/wp-content/uploads/Dare-bible-with-intro-and-effects.mp3 Picture thanks to Tennessee State Park Alumni,  Dare in pictured beside Bob Fulcher and Charley Tate The post Interview With Dare Bible, Tennessee State Parks Recreation Program Services, retired, Episode 126 appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Cumberland Mountain State Park, just to the South of Crossville Tennessee, has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988.  The park is a contributing element to the larger Cumberland Homesteads Historic District.  The park represents the heritage of the New Deal era and the work product of the Civilian Conservation Corp.  The wider district represents the legacy of Elenore Roosevelt’s Cumberland Homesteads Project. Recently the Cumberland Mountain Park has  assumed ownership and management of an important collection of buildings which were central to the Homesteads project.  These include the prominent Water Tower and offices which were the early headquarters of the Homesteads. ( see below picture) Today we talk with Park Manager Mark Houston about the Park and the challenges presented with these historic structures now under his purview. https://www.markfraley.com/wp-content/uploads/Interview-with-Mark-Houston-with-intro-and-effects.mp3 Water Tower Museum, looking east The post Interview With Mark Houston, Park Manager, Cumberland Mtn State Park, Cumberland Homesteads Buildings Episode 125 appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Estimates are that 10 to 15 percent of the American population have Irish Heritage.  And, this percentage is much higher in cities like Boston and Chicago.  Many people are exploring their Irish heritage through DNA testing and through travel. Our guest today, Jonathan Smyth, is the author of a book entitled Faith, Hope and Endurance,  Tales of the Cavan Diaspora.  This book is a collection of well researched articles about men and women  who left their home in County Cavan Ireland (often under difficult circumstances) and went on to make their mark on the world.  Jonathan shares several of these stories and we have a conversation about how to make your visit to Ireland meaningful in a more purely personal way. https://www.markfraley.com/wp-content/uploads/Jonathan-Smyth-interview-with-music-and-effects.mp3 https://www.cavanlibrary.ie/services/national-initiatives/creative-cavan/creative-cavan-archive/creative%20cavan%202023/faith-hard-work-and-endurance-jonathan-smyth/ The post Interview With Irish Author Jonathan Smyth, The Cavan Diaspora and Insights Into Irish Heritage , Episode 124 appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Our guest today is Alisha O’Dell, former State Parks  Manager at Reelfoot Lake State Park in Northwest Tennessee.   Alisha has for several years been posting content to social media under the moniker “Boykins-N-Boat”,  all about Reelfoot Lake  and her beloved Boykin Spaniel dogs. We discuss her career in Conservation and her recently launched Podcast called  “Wild Hearts and Home Fires”.    We also hear about  her experiences with  breeding and training champion Boykin Spaniel dogs. https://www.markfraley.com/wp-content/uploads/Alisha-ODell-interview-with-Music.mp3 The post Interview with Alisha O”Dell, Wild Hearts, Home Fires and Boykin Spaniels Episode 123 appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Today we interview Alex Wyss the Executive Director of the Tennessee State Parks Conservancy.  Alex comes to this position after many years of dedicated work with the Nature Conservancy. We discuss the Conservancy’s  ongoing efforts to make Tennessee State Parks more accessible to underserved populations. The Conservancy is presently involved in a major effort to assist in the  restoration of David Crockett Birthplace State Park.  This park was destroyed in the East Tennessee flooding of September 2024.  The have established  the “Go Ahead” Fund, adopting Davy Crocket’s famous motto ” Be always sure you are right, then go ahead!”  This effort is focused on the interpretive exhibits to be installed at the new park visitors center when  complete ( see images below). Here is a link to their Go Ahead Fund:   https://tnstateparksconservancy.org/david-crockett-birthplace-state-park/    https://www.markfraley.com/wp-content/uploads/Alex-Wyss-Podcast-interview-with-effects-and-music.mp3 The post An Interview With Alex Wyss, Executive Director, The Tennessee State Parks Conservancy, David Crockett Birthplace Campaign, The “Go Ahead Fund”, Episode 122 appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.