Wildlife Photograph

Paul James writes new book

Monday May 17, 2010
Ijams legacy documented in photo-rich volume


Any good book tells a story that's worth telling. In the case of Ijams Nature Center, authored by Executive Director Paul James, it's our story. The Ijams story.

Most people who visit the nature center are completely unaware of our roots: the family of H.P. and Alice Ijams. We like to refer to them as Knoxville's original "green" family and for good reason. The outdoorsy pair dedicated their lives to nature and environmental education, raising four daughters: Elizabeth, Jo, Mary and Martha to be good stewards of the earth. The family of six were good environmentalists, long before that term was even part of our lexicon. They built ponds, planted gardens, constructed woodland trails and set up bird boxes, creating habitat and turning the family's 20 acres into a wildlife sanctuary. A refuge that still exists today.

But the Ijams family did more than live in Thoreauian seclusion in their idyllic, private Walden, they were also active in the community, especially in the growing new Girl Scout and garden club movements, plus they were very involved in the establishment of the local bird club and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

One of my favorite photos in the book was taken on Saturday, July 19, 1925 on top of Mt. LeConte. The entire Ijams family, all six of them, sit in the middle of a large group of campers that included members of the newly established Smoky Mountain Hiking Club. The occasion? It was the first weekend of a permanent camp on that mountain, a presence that eventually led to the building of Mt. LeConte Lodge still in operation 85 years later.


Paul did an excellent job of research, pulling together almost 200 historic photographs that captures our long history. Ijams Nature Center is one of the "Images of America" series by Arcadia Publishing. This is a story worth telling, and it's on sale in the Ijams gift shop on Tuesday, May 18.

-By Stephen Lyn Bales

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