Shopper Blog: Knoxville Bonsai Society growing in the Southeast

SOUTH KNOXVILLE
Knoxville Bonsai Society has grown into one of the largest such groups in the Southeast
Jack Coker, Shopper News
“Bonsai is the art of illusion,” said Gary Teeter, vice president of the Knoxville Bonsai Society. On Oct. 11, the society held its annual show at Ijams Nature Center, a peaceful setting that felt made for the miniature trees and the people who care for them.
Teeter has been practicing the art of bonsai for 25 years. “More people than will admit have an interest in it,” he laughed, standing among rows of tiny forests and gnarled trunks shaped by decades of patient pruning. “I just enjoy plants. And this was a way to be a bit more artistic with it all.”
At home, Teeter tends to about 20 kinds of trees. “They all do different things,” he said. “It’s interesting to learn, manipulate and experience what each tree has to offer.”
Some of the trees begin as seeds, while others are collected in the wild.
“We go on digs as a club, after getting permission, of course,” Teeter said. “We’ll take our shovels, tubs, and go crazy.”
Beyond the dirt and trimming, though, the heart of the Knoxville Bonsai Society is its community. Meetings occur on the second Saturday of each month. Each gathering focuses on a specific topic, such as design, soil composition, wiring or pruning techniques, led by veteran members or visiting professionals. “It’s a really fun, chill group, except for the two weeks before the show when everyone’s asking, ‘Is my tree going to bloom?’”
The Knoxville Bonsai Society was founded in 2001 by a handful of East Tennessee enthusiasts who wanted to study the art together. What began as a small group meeting occasionally has grown into one of the leading bonsai organizations in the Southeast.
Over the years, the society has hosted well-known bonsai artists like Ryan Neil, Warren Hill and Jim Doyle. They’ve helped mentor local growers and elevated Knoxville’s reputation in the national bonsai community. The club also takes part in regional exhibitions in Nashville, Johnson City and Asheville, while hosting two major annual shows here at home: a Winter Bonsai Display in February and a regional Knoxville Bonsai Exhibition every Mother’s Day.
Events like the October show at Ijams highlight seeing nature in miniature and slowing down enough to notice it. Highlights were a 125-year-old redwood tree and an impressive bald cypress.
To learn more or find an upcoming meeting, visit knoxvillebonsaisociety.com.
POWELL
East TN Women Veterans Network members support each other, community
Al Lesar, Shopper News
Once Jessica Hodge left the U.S. Marine Corps in 1999, she needed some help with her mental and physical recovery from her 10-year stint.
Hodge settled in Powell and, after a while, turned to other female veterans who might understand what she had experienced.
“It was 2012 when I went on meetup.com to look for a networking group of women veterans in East Tennessee,” Hodge said.
The initial meeting in 2013 drew 32 women. That group decided to form the East Tennessee chapter of the Women Veterans of America.
But, things changed. The national group went away in 2017. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“We didn’t want the group to go away during COVID, so we turned to Facebook,” Hodge said.
That’s when the group exploded. The pivot to social media sparked a gain of 100 members in two weeks. Six months down the road, another 100 women had joined.
“People found us,” Hodge said. “They didn’t know we were out there. Facebook really connected people. Women continue to find us.”
Today, the East TN Women Veterans Network has 641 members who live or work within a 50-mile radius of Knoxville. The group focuses on events to help the community, as well as its own membership.
First big fundraiser on horizon
Activities like sponsoring a breakfast for veterans one Saturday a month are on the group’s calendar. Once all the food has been served and cleaned up, the ladies will stick around for fellowship.
Philanthropic projects, like packing backpacks to be given away before the start of school and taking a lead in the Wreaths Across America program, are other ways the female veterans make an impact.
Occasional field trips add to the group’s allure for the women involved.
The group has planned its first big fundraiser for Nov. 15, when the East TN Women Veterans Network will present a Crafters Christmas Market at Powell United Methodist Church.
Vendors are still needed for the sale.
“We try to raise money to help offset the costs of activities for our members,” Hodge said. “We’ll have yard sales, sell T-shirts and get donations. But this is the first big one.”
Helping each other together
When the group was first founded, Hodge leaned on fellow U.S. Marine Corps veteran Pearl Rich to help her navigate some choppy waters. A field intelligence analyst, Hodge sustained leg injuries in an explosion. She also dealt with an assault early in her career.
Rich passed away at 84, leaving Hodge as voice of the group.
“Just getting together is a form of mental therapy,” Hodge said. “There are times when I think to myself, ‘Why do this?’ Then, I’ll get a call or an email from someone who will say, ‘I was thinking of (hurting myself) until I got together with everyone.’ That’s why I’m doing it.”
Because of Rich’s contributions, the annual $500 Pearl Rich Women Veterans Scholarship was initiated. It is given to a woman in an ROTC program or a female veteran in school.
For more information on the group or the upcoming craft market, go to etnwomenveterans.com.
KARNS
Good-as-gold Girl Scouts create sensory relief room to earn Silver Awards
Nancy Anderson, Shopper News
Three 12- to 13-year-old members of Girl Scout Troop 20034 from Beaver Ridge United Methodist Church made a big difference to neurodivergent preschoolers at the Knoxville Center for Autism at 7675 Oak Ridge Highway.
Hartley Narron, Karrington Narron and Veronica Parman are all besties who decided to work most of the year to make a sensory relief room for he Knoxville Center for Autism’s littlest clients. It opened with a celebration at the center on Sept. 21.
They worked on the project for nearly 50 hours. The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadet can earn. It recognizes leadership, service and community impact. The project teaches girls how to identify issues they care about, plan and implement a sustainable solution, and make a measurable difference.
While Karrington came up with idea of a sensory room, all three girls worked together to design the room, research what tools to implement, and even visited an assisted living facility with a sensory room.
The girls received a grant worth about $600 from the Girl Scouts to complete the room. They designed the room with plush toys, glow-in-the-dark stars, planets, fidget toys, weighted plush toys and gentle low LED lights. There’s even a popup tent that looks like a spaceship. The girls named it “The Galaxy Room.”
“We’re hoping this room is something Knoxville Center for Autism can use for years and years for their preschool students. They’ve been letting the kids have a sensory break when needed and the room is an important part of their program,” said Veronica.
The mission of Knoxville Center for Autism, which opened in March 2010, is to help children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders reach their full potential. The center does this via specialized therapies and support programs, including the Galaxy Room.
Knoxville Center for Autism found, Sara Gilbert said the room is making a great impact on the kids.
“The kids love the room and it’s been very helpful. They’re really enjoying it and it helps with their social skills to interact with each other and the things in the room.