nature calling: visit to the historic Cliff Dwellers

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True cliff dwellers are rare.

The two closest living relatives to the American kestrel are the prairie and peregrine falcons. Both are true cliff dwellers that prefer to nest on rocky outcroppings and search for prey in the lowlands. The smaller kestrels evolved to live closer to terra firma. They are secondary cavity-nesters that seek out hollow trees, abandoned woodpecker holes or even nestboxes that face open fields and meadows for their own nests.

Recently, Doc and I visited the Cliff Dwellers in the Glades community near Gatlinburg, my hometown.

Doc is a non-flighted, state permitted American kestrel that has an injured right wing. He is in my care and under my state education permit, we are required to get out into the world to meet people and raise public awareness of the smallest falcon to live in the Americas, besides Doc likes the outings. They fall under the category of "enrichment" for the highly intelligent raptor. They are used to flying through the region, surveying their domain.

The Cliff Dwellers, 1941

The Cliff Dwellers is the oldest art and craft gallery in Gatlinburg. The historic structure was built in 1933 on the Parkway, the main street of Gatlinburg, by artist Louis E. Jones. It served as his home, studio and gallery until his death in 1958. Longtime visitors to the gateway to the national park recognize the building but perhaps not its current location. In 1995, the building was about to be razed by the new property owner, Smoky Mountain artist Jim Gray saved the structure and moved to its current home. This is a noteworthy accomplishment since the small resort town has lost most of its historic buildings.

Today, the Cliff Dwellers is owned and operated by artists Louise Bales, Sherry Mummert, Pat K. Thomas and Winnie Utterback. (Full disclosure: Louise is my Smoky Mountain cousin.) The gallery showcases contemporary and traditional artwork of over 60 local artists including this naturalist and artist.

Here's where we come full circle with this narrative. They stock and sell my illustrated Natural History notecards. Every notecard sold buys four mice for Doc the injured kestrel.

1 card 4 mice? What could be simpler? Quid pro quo, i.e. "something for something."

Cliff Dwellers. "A very interesting place." Indeed!