On Saturday evening, March 2, 2024, Discovery Park of America honored four individuals who, like the museum and heritage park, inspire others to see beyond. Proceeds from the Robert E. and Jenny D. Kirkland Discovery Awards benefit the Kirkland Scholarship Fund that provides free admission for student groups to Discovery Park. The event was attende…

Norma Pruitt is the “Pilot” of the board of directors of the organization that oversees the operations of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission. The multistate organization works collectively to preserve, promote and enhance the scenic, historic and recreational resources of the Mississippi River. In the episode, Pruitt shares some fascinating i…

A collection of 19 sculptures created by Lego artist Sean Kenny will be on display throughout Discovery Park’s 50 acres from May 3 to Sept. 2, 2024. This version of the award-winning traveling exhibition, “Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects® Made with LEGO® Bricks,” sponsored by Leaders Credit Union, was specially curated to enhance a visit to Discovery…

Dr. Elaine Harriss, a professor in the University of Tennessee at Martin Department of Music and recent inductee into the Steinway & Sons Teachers Hall of Fame, has been teaching piano for more than 50 years. She began teaching music as an undergraduate student in Nashville and continued in Monroe, Louisiana where she taught in an all-Black school …

Filmmaker Derek Purvis is the producer-director of the just released action pic “The Ballad of Davy Crockett.” In this episode, Purvis shares a little about the early inspiration that led him to a career in filmmaking along with a few stories that take listeners behind the scenes of his production. Filmed in Tennessee, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett”…

Documentary filmmaker Randall Kendrick grew up in Brownsville, Tennessee in the shadow of The Mindfield, a “you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it” outdoor art installation created by Tennessee outsider artist Billy Tripp. The artist has been constructing a massive steel sculpture for the past 33 years, and is finally setting his sights on retirement. In…

Sean Gasaway is an entertainer who wears many hats. His titles include songwriter, producer, music mogul, record producer, actor and entrepreneur. On this episode, the two-time Native American Music Awards Song of the Year winner shares more about using music to change young lives as education coordinator with the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance a…

Ann Martin is a leader of one of the most unique attractions in the nation, Patti’s 1880’s Settlement in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. A cancer survivor, businesswomen, entrepreneur, and recent TikTok star, she led the organization through a devastating fire, the many negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and now, unprecedented growth. In this episod…

Jeremy Powell, a pastor and teacher in Union City, Tennessee, was born with an autoimmune deficiency that rendered his body incapable of defeating bacterial and fungal infections. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world, Powell contracted fungal meningitis. Given only an 18% chance of surviving the infection, his doctors at the National In…

In this second two-part episode about road and mountain biking in Tennessee, we welcome Rodney McConnell, founder of the popular Ride the Fault Line bike ride. Participants on this ride explore attractions and experiences along the New Madrid Fault Line in Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee in just seven days. This episode is sponsored by O…

We kick off a new year of podcast episodes from Discovery Park with a special two-part look at road and mountain biking in Tennessee. Jenny Veal, rural destination development manager with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, shares more about Bike Tennessee. The initiative will feature four to six curated routes in each of the nine reg…

As chairperson of the Arts Council of Crockett County, Tennessee Sarah Conley champions fine arts in the rural community named in honor of David Crockett. In this episode, she shares details from her journey so far including a childhood in Bells, Tennessee and early theatrical training with nationally acclaimed teacher of high school speech and dra…

Tosha and Chris Gurley’s love story began with their “first child” Jack, a pet black-capped capuchin monkey. After Chris sold his cattle and goats, he decided to buy five buffalo. Next came the zebra, kangaroos and giraffes. It quickly grew from there into what is now Southland Safari in Clarksburg, Tennessee. Along for the ride with Tosha and Chri…

Originally from Memphis, Dr. Yancy Freeman is the new chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Martin. In this episode, we discuss his path back to West Tennessee and the guidance he provides for today’s students. After completing his undergraduate, masters and doctorate from UT Chattanooga, Dr. Freeman served at the university for the past 25 …

“You do not have to be defined by your circumstances, but you’re defined by the choices that you make every single day.” These are words that Miss Volunteer America 2024, Hannah Perrigin, lives by. In this episode, we go back to her beginning where Ms. Perrigin decided she was not going to be another statistic of at-risk youth. You may be surprised…

Obion County resident Kimberly Green Bugg is an award-winning artist and member of the Oneida Nation on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada. She began dancing and competing in Powwows in 1994 as a Southern Traditional Buckskin dancer, a traditional dance among the southern nations, and in 1997, she was selected as the Memphis Powwow Princess…

The Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship on June 12, 2023. The cameras caught Assistant Coach Popeye Jones hugging Finals MVP Nikola Jokic afterward and saying, “Hey! Thank you! Thank you!” In this episode, we sit down with Popeye to not only discuss what he was thinking at that moment but also take a trip down memory lane to where it all starte…

Stacie and Larry Overton visited Tennessee and discovered what Stacie calls “heaven on earth.” After purchasing a farm in Hollow Rock, they embarked on an inspiring journey that resulted in Lavender Kisses Farm. Located between Memphis and Nashville, visitors to the farm can experience fields of lavender, shopping, hayrides and a small herd of shag…

In anticipation of the David Crockett Birthday Celebration at Discovery Park on Sat. August 12, 2023, this special episode features Wade Dillon, a professional illustrator, historian and David Crockett tribute artist. Included in the books he has illustrated is “Davy Crockett from A to Z.” Wade is currently working on a graphic novel based on Crock…

Rev. Brad Barton is the author of the popular young-adult Enchanted Bell Tower series. After spending time in full-time ministry, Brad and his wife Susan, also a minister, traveled the United States in a tiny trailer producing a travel blog and podcast. In this episode, he shares more about his favorite camping spots, the importance of travel to hi…

Marsh Naidoo of Dyersburg, Tennessee is an author, physical therapist, blogger and host of the “Raising Kellan” podcast. Her son, Kellan, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2013. In Marsh’s blog and podcast she shares her journey negotiating the uncharted territory of raising a child with developmental delay. In this episode, Marsh talks about so…

Steve Watkins has spent time as a journalist, capitol hill press secretary, rancher, publisher, marketer, author of two award-winning books and is an excellent chef of “down-home cooking.” His work has garnered him a reputation as a champion of authentic Southern culture. Steve and his wife Dana have recently moved into the Discovery Park neighborh…

Obion County, Tennessee native Philip Jett has released his third book, “Stranded in the Sky: The Untold Story of Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of Infamy.” It tells the fascinating true story of four Pan Am flying clippers with wealthy and affluent passengers on board on December 7, 1941. After the assault on Pearl Harbor, they were st…

Lisa Smartt of Dresden, Tennessee loves to make people laugh. A motivational humorist and writer, she travels nationally speaking to groups on a variety of fun and interesting topics. In her own words, “I'm always open to designing new talks to meet a group's needs as long as they don’t need insight into algebra, organizational skills, map reading …

This week's episode features two guests who have the unique opportunity to impact the lives of young people every single day—Chase Treece, the current youth pastor for Crosswind Church and NWTN Young Life Staff Associate for Union City, Tenn., and Morgan Goodman, the NWTN Young Life Staff Associate for the Martin, Tenn.They both share a passion for…

The popular Cooper family, led by father Josh, recently visited Discovery Park and created content already receiving thousands of views. The family is well known for creating off-beat comedy, under the name Uploads of Fun, which has captured the attention of millions of viewers across various social media platforms. You’ll have to watch their video…

On the morning of Friday, April 5, 1968, West Tennessean Norman Lane, a recent casualty of the Vietnam War, lay in repose in a government-issued casket at the Brownsville, Tennessee Funeral Home. On the same morning, at the R.S. Lewis Funeral Home in Memphis, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lay in repose in a temporary bronze casket. The world knows the…

Get ready to be inspired by this episode with segments recorded at the third annual Robert E. and Jenny D. Kirkland Discovery Awards. At this special annual event, we honored four amazing individuals who, like Discovery Park, believe in the power of leading others to explore and discover. In this episode, 2023 honorees Amy L. Bondurant, Keith Carve…

Are you ready to dive into the fascinating world of baseball history and heritage? In this episode, we sit down with Scott Guyman, the owner of the Fulton Railroaders, as he explores the intersection of baseball, legacy and culture. The Fulton Railroaders is a small-town league that invites players from across the country to play a 40-game schedule…

In this episode, we welcome Powerhouse Athletics owner, Jacob Dublin. We hear about Dublin’s affinity for being a new business owner and a mentor to the young people of West Tennessee. Dublin shares his transition from student to coach and the values he learned from his own experiences as an athlete at Bryan College. He discusses how his belief in …

Museum curator Katie Burke was a key member in the development and design of the Ducks Unlimited Waterfowling Heritage Center located in Bass Pro Shops' superstore in the Memphis Pyramid. Today, she is director of the interactive museum that raises awareness of wetlands and waterfowl conservation, emphasizes the importance of rivers and wetlands to…

Lane Walker is an award-winning educator, writer and outdoorsman. For 25 years, he has dedicated his life to inspiring children to get out of the house and explore the world around them. This devotion, paired with a passion for storytelling, resulted in him becoming the author of award-winning chapter books on topics including hunting, fishing and …

After his wife’s diagnosis with schizophrenia, Jason Pate began learning to process his own grief through the lens of history by diving into the forgotten stories of those who have already passed....In this episode, Pate details his discovery of what it takes to write a biography, his passion for sharing history with his community and the impact an…

Zac Elliott is the founder of Mad Cow Defenses, a firearm customization shop in Union City, Tennessee. In this episode, Elliott discusses his unconventional journey of joining the military and ultimately finding himself inspired to return from California to his hometown and beginning a new venture. He also provides listeners a unique insight into t…

Timothy and Terri Jenkins-Brady and Randy Stark met as three students in the same first-grade classroom in Albuquerque, N.M. Today, they are accomplished professionals who came together to form an organization called Write up the Road Media. In between is a fascinating story of love, friendship and an inspirational journey worthy of a Hallmark movi…

Kevin Adelsberger is the founder and managing partner of Adelsberger Marketing in Jackson Tennessee. In 2019, Adelsberger Marketing sold partial ownership of Alexander, Thompson, and Arnold, CPAs. Kevin lives in Jackson with his wife and business partner Renae and their three children. They are involved members of First Baptist Church, Jackson. The…

The Freedom Forum, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a mission of fostering First Amendment freedoms for all, will be at Discovery Park on Sept. 23 and 24, 2022, for a festival celebrating the First Amendment rights that make our country unique. In this episode, the Freedom Forum’s Cathy Trost, chief engagement officer and senior vice pres…

Sam Thompson first met Elvis Presley in 1972 when his sister Linda began dating the wildly popular entertainer. In this special Elvis Week 2022 episode, Sam shares details of that first meeting at Graceland and how the two went from friends to Sam working full time for the king of rock ‘n’ roll. Sam was already an officer with the Shelby County She…

Self-taught sculptor, Hattie Marshall-Duncan of Jackson, Tenn., turns common household items and found objects that are often overlooked into distinguished masterpieces. Her work is reflective of her African American community and family. At the reception for an exhibit of her work at Discovery Park, Marshall-Duncan shared what inspires her work an…

As the son of James Winchester, a wealthy Tennessee pioneer, entrepreneur and business partner of Andrew Jackson, Marcus B. Winchester had a front row seat to the birth of the volunteer state. In this episode, one of his descendants, Ginger Hadley, shares some of her research that brings to light more about Winchester’s fascinating life, successful…

Lt. Mark Cancia, Corps Officer for The Salvation Army of Jackson, Tenn. is passionate about serving others. Cancia's parents migrated from Haiti looking for new life opportunities and quickly found The Salvation Army. In this episode, Cancia discusses how the different programs and services offered by The Salvation Army allow him to use his abiliti…

From a young age, Connor Rinker spent countless hours among the clouds. His love for aviation was passed down from his father, Mike Rinker, a commercial pilot and renowned aerobatic pilot. In this episode, Connor shares how he applies his passion at the flight training school, Full Stop Aviation, at the Everett-Stewart Regional Airport in Union Cit…

Preston Powell, co-owner of Yukon Outfitters, has been in the sport and outdoor industry for over 20 years. After his gear failed him on a fly fishing trip to the Yukon Territory in Canada, he decided to create a company that would provide great quality outdoor gear at a fair price. Powell spoke with a friend and took the calculated risk to sell hi…

Taylor Wilson’s 18-year-old son, Landon, was hit by a truck while out training for his senior year of baseball. He lost an arm and his leg was severely injured in the accident. There were doubts that he would ever play baseball again. In this episode Taylor recounts his son's inspirational journey back to the pitcher's mound. Through a series of le…

This special episode featuring Kevin Rumley was recorded live at Discovery Park’s recent Military History and Armed Forces Symposium. Rumley has a master’s degree in social work, performs in numerous bands as a drummer and runs the Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court, a program that helps divert veteran offenders from prison to community servi…

Bill Allen was just 18 years old when he began serving in the Navy as a medic during World War II. He was there on D-Day, June 6, 1944, where his ship joined the biggest armada in history carrying soldiers and equipment to storm the beach at Omaha in Normandy, France to liberate Europe from the Nazis. On June 19, 1944, Allen’s ship hit a German min…

Tanya and Scott Melton, owners of Miso Hongry, have been serving southern comfort food in West Tennessee for almost a decade. In this episode, Tanya shares how cooking with her grandmother inspired her to open her own restaurant using the knowledge and skills that were passed down to her. After creating a successful catering business, the Meltons d…

Merry Brown is a writer, speaker, mediator, philosopher and small business owner. After teaching philosophy for over two decades, Brown felt led to focus on conflict restoration and mediation. In this episode, she shares how she hopes to empower employees and businesses to resolve conflicts swiftly and equitably through her business, Third Party Wo…

Dr. Shawn Pitts, founder of Arts in McNairy, is a chiropractor, cultural planner and community arts advocate. Arts in McNairy was founded in 2001 on the principle that participation in the arts is a cornerstone for the development of a healthy community. In this episode, Dr. Pitts shares how his community’s passion for the arts resulted in McNairy …

Roger Sorkin, founder of the American Resilience Project, is an award-winning producer, writer, editor and director. In this episode, Sorkin shares how he uses storytelling to address threats to the future of our planet. In his new film "Farm Free or Die," he is making the issue of climate change more accessible and relatable to everyone with the g…