Get a unique start to your holiday shopping season at this special event featuring Frances Figart, our Smokies Life Creative Director and the author of our newest publication, Word from the Smokies: A Nature Reader.
Frances will share an insider's look from years of stories and read one of her favorite selections from the Smokies Life weekly column, Word from the Smokies, a compilation of news articles and blogs centered on Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The new book features two dozen stories previously published between 2020 and 2025 by regional print media and online; readers can learn about salamanders, owls, otters, mushrooms, sochan, elk, hawks, and a slew of conservation topics that bring the Smokies and its biodiversity into greater focus.
After the presentation, Frances will stay for a Q&A and a book signing while you enjoy discounted Park Keeper shopping in the retail space.
Guide Frances Figart
Activity Rating Easy
Meeting Location Great Smokies Welcome Center, Level 2 (view map)
PLEASE NOTE: This session is located on the second level and will require participants to climb a flight of stairs.
Event Location Great Smokies Welcome Center, Level 2
What to Bring
For this activity:
- Applicable books, including Word from the Smokies: A Nature Reader
About Your Guide
Frances Figart (Fié-gert) directs the Smokies Life team of writers, editors, and graphic designers, weighing in on a growing portfolio of books, periodicals, and creative projects. She launched “Word from the Smokies” in 2020, a column that today appears in several news outlets, written by staff and other regional experts.
Her creative spirit has yielded three books by Smokies Life for younger readers, including in 2024 Camilla and the Caterpillars, inspired by the Homegrown National Park movement catalyzed by Doug Tallamy to support species diversity. Frances’ Mabel Meets a Black Bear (2023) follows twin ten-year-old girls who learn a hard lesson and grow up to become advocates for BearWise behavior. Her 2021 fable, A Search for Safe Passage, chronicles the adventures of a group of animals working together to find an alternative to crossing a dangerous road. The book, appealing to all ages, won Publication of the Year in 2022 from the Public Lands Alliance and gives voice to her concern for animal well-being.
“Although it sounds cliché, I love my job—and that’s largely due to the people I work with,” said Frances. “From my staff to our directors to the CEO, board, and other park partners, everyone puts their love of this park first, which means that collaboration just comes naturally.”
Required Reading
Event Disclaimer
This information has been designed to be as accurate as possible; however, all programs are subject to change for multiple reasons, including weather. Participation in Branch Out events is open to individuals aged 18 years and above.
Questions?
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Member Fee $20
This fee applies to up to two Park Keepers per household.
Non-member Guest Fee $60
Park Keepers are invited and encouraged to bring along a guest who has not yet joined the Smokies Life membership community. This fee includes admission to this event and a year-long Park Keeper membership for the non-member guest.