MONCKS CORNER, S.C. — A Moncks Corner resident has been selected to join a leadership and educational program focused on one of the nation’s most visited national parks.
Gwen Robbins was named a member of the 2026 Experience Your Smokies class, joining 24 other participants selected for the program centered on Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The new class was introduced Saturday, July 11, during an event at the Lily Barn in Townsend, Tennessee. Robbins is the only member of the 2026 class listed as being from South Carolina, with most participants coming from communities across Tennessee.
Now in its 26th year, Experience Your Smokies provides participants with a behind-the-scenes look at the national park through hands-on educational experiences focused on the work, resources and challenges involved in managing and preserving the Smokies.
Class topics include park wildlife, aquatic life, park management, invasive species, air quality, historic preservation and other issues affecting the national park.
Participants are selected based on their leadership within their communities, interest in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and commitment to stewardship.
The July 11 event drew 96 attendees and included remarks from Lisa Nagurny, a supervisory park ranger at Great Smoky Mountains National Park; newly elected Experience Your Smokies Tennessee Board Chair Daniel Maples; and class coordinator Carla Rafferty.
Experience Your Smokies Tennessee is a collaborative effort between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Resource Education Division and Tennessee gateway communities. The nonprofit program is administered by a volunteer board of directors along with representatives from the national park.
The organization also welcomed three new members to its board of directors: Michael Carroll, Sara Shamblin and Shane Snoderly.
