MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University biology faculty, alumni and supporters are returning to participate in the 48th Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival, set this year for April 30-May 3 at Cedars of Lebanon State Park.

The Center for Cedar Glade Studies at MTSU is co-partnering with Cedars of Lebanon State Park, located six miles south of Lebanon, to hold the festival, which was renamed in 2008 for Vanderbilt cedar glade ecologist and professor Elsie Quarterman.

“The MTSU Center for Cedar Glade Studies will partner with Cedars of Lebanon State Park for the 48th Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Celebration. The four days of events offer opportunities ranging from unique art experiences, hikes, and family-friendly activities that teach about the incredible Cedar Glades in Middle Tennessee,” said Kim Cleary Sadler, MTSU professor of biology education.

Cedar glades are characterized by very thin soil and exposed, rocky patches surrounded by redcedar trees. Cedar glades, which support a variety of plant life, are found in the Midstate in Wilson, Davidson and Rutherford counties. 

Sadler will be joined at the festival by other MTSU faculty, including art professor Erin Anfinson and biology professor Jeff Walck, along with alums Mary Priestley, Melissa Turentine, Todd Crabtree, Sharon Bracy, Matt Niemiller and Jason Allen, who will lead a variety of family-friendly activities throughout the weekend, ranging from hikes to gardening to journaling and more. 

Most events will be held outside, weather permitting. Click here for the 2026 schedule of events. 

Due to space limitations, some events require pre-registration. Others may require a small fee for materials, though most events are free. Click here for more information. 

About Elsie Quarterman

The late Elsie Quarterman was a professor emerita of Vanderbilt University and pioneered cedar glade research in the early 1950s. She did much research at what is now known as the Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade, a 185-acre natural area in Rutherford County, according to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation website.

Quarterman was an advocate for natural area protection throughout her career, and her efforts helped Tennessee become one of the first states in the U.S. to pass legislation protecting natural areas in 1971.

For more information about the festival or about the MTSU Center for Cedar Glade Studies, visit https://glade-center.mtsu.edu or contact Sadler at Kim.Sadler@mtsu.edu or by phone at 615-904-8283.

— DeAnn Hays (deann.hays@mtsu.edu)