Twelve thousand years ago, during the last ice age, plants and animals from far north made their way to Tennessee. When the ice retreated, many stayed, living in the unique mountain wetlands of the northeast corner of our state.
Estimated to have once been nearly a thousand acres, these mountain bogs were systematically drained by people who wanted to farm the land. In the end fewer than 10 acres remained. As the bogs disappeared, so did many of the wild things living there.
Today there is an effort underway to right the wrongs of the past. Wild Side Guide Ken Tucker takes us to Shady Valley, where the Nature Conservancy is spearheading an effort to restore one of the most unique natural ecosystems in North America.
