Warner Parks  are some of the hilliest parts of Nashville.  Whereas, in most of Nashville, the hills are rolling and gentle, in the Warner Parks, they are relatively high and steep.  Why is this?  This field trip will try to answer that question.

This virtual field trip is intended for eighth graders. The field part of the trip takes about three hours.  Students will travel partly by van and partly on foot.  This is followed by a debriefing back at school or in the Nature Center, which will interpret and draw lessons from what the students have seen.  This virtual field trip is the outgrowth of an actual field trip developed over the past few years by Pat Holliday of the USGS, Heather Perry of Warner Park Nature Center, and myself.

This field trip has several goals.

• to practice making careful observations of nature and drawing conclusions from their observations.
• to understand how the rock strata exposed in Nashville were deposited.
• to understand the processes by which those strata are being eroded.
• to understand how water interacts with rock and soil to create natural features.

• Notebooks and pens for recording observations
• At least one compass for the group
• A rudimentary hardness kit (at least a steel knife)

How to get to Warner Parks.   the Warner Parks are in Belle Meade, southwest Nashville off of route 100 (West End Avenue).  To get to the starting point, drive south on route 100 past Old Hickory.  The direct entrance to the Nature Center is no longer open.  Drive past the center, enter into the main entrance, and turn left to retrace your steps to the center.

Start your trip at the Nature Center.  The Center has a small exhibit which will introduce your students to middle Tennessee geology.  A copy of the park map ($3) is helpful for finding your way.
 

Navigating the Park

Finding your way to the proper sites in the park can be difficult.  Therefore I will try to guide you step by step, and give you photos, to help you identify the sites.