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For more information on the Sequatchie Valley Institute and how to visit, go to svionline.org.
CARTWRIGHT, Tenn. - Carol and Johnny Kimmons wanted an arboretum, but it was going to be costly to have an officially recognized tree garden on their 300-plus-acre oasis known as the Sequatchie Valley Institute.
So instead they innovated, like they have since they began living off this beautiful tract of Sequatchie County land in 1971 and created an arboretum trail.
The new half-mile jaunt through a wooded hillside is marked by 100-plus stakes engraved at their tops with a combination of letters and numbers.
Each stake sits at the base of a different type of tree, and hikers go from tree to tree, guided by a pamphlet that gives information on each species.
From traditional trees like sycamores and oaks to exotic species like bamboo, the trail offers a diverse sampling, including a Floridian plant that American Indians once used to make drinks that would cause their consumers to throw up.
The trail also features fruit and the basic ingredients to modern-day beverages like hops for beer and muscadine grapes for wine, among its most recognizable species.
Carol Kimmons said visitors are "going to learn what each tree is, and eventually we'll put more information about each one on here, too."
Making the trail took some assistance from the whole family, including the Kimmons' son Patrick and a grandchild.
The Sequatchie Valley Institute, which is open to the public on the weekends, has been a family run nonprofit organization since 1991. Johnny and Carol each retired from adjunct science professor roles at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga recently, allowing them to put renewed focus on their land.
They use solar panels to generate electricity and live almost entirely off the land - though they concede their dog Kia's food comes from the supermarket. The Kimmonses also host school groups, hiking and senior citizens clubs, as well as the annual Food for Life event, which was held last weekend.
The new trail is just the Sequatchie Valley Institute's newest tool.
"Hopefully, it will help people learn a lot more about the forest and gain some appreciation for it, too," Carol Kimmons said. "Because a lot of people just see the trees and don't think much else about it."
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.