The Nickajack Naturalist

Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area Expands

TennGreen Land Conservancy

                                                                                       (Photo: Kelli Lewis / TennGreen)

This May, TennGreen Land Conservancy and partners celebrated the future expansion of Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area (SNA), made possible through the acquisition and transfer of 227 acres along Stewart Creek Gorge. The Allardt Land Company is generously donating the Stewart Creek Gorge property to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s State Natural Areas program.
 
This significant land contribution, spearheaded by TennGreen, will not only expand the popular Pogue Creek Canyon SNA, located adjacent to Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, but will also protect sensitive habitat, increase outdoor recreation opportunities, and add to TennGreen and partners’ conservation impact in the area.

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Conservation Spotlight: Top Ten Trail Successes

TennGreen Land Conservancy

Dry Creek Headwaters (Big Bottom).             (Photo: Tom Wood / TennGreen) 

In Tennessee, we’re lucky to have thousands of miles of trails to explore, from scenic footpaths in the Great Smoky Mountains to historic lands in West Tennessee. Through the support of its members, TennGreen Land Conservancy has protected many properties for parks and trails over the years. Here are ten of our favorite TennGreen-conserved trail properties benefiting people and wildlife across the state and beyond!

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John Bilderback Joins the Team at Thrive Regional Partnership

Thrive Regional Partnership

Thrive Regional Partnership welcomes John Bilderback aboard as the new Program Director for the Natural Treasures Alliance.

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Green Access: Talking with Dawson Wheeler

Day Fire Podcast

                                              (Image: Day Fire Podcast)

Clint sits down with Dawson to discuss the importance, the benefits, and the struggles centered around green spaces, parks, and cities. Dawson spent decades building a successful outdoor apparel and gear retail business AND as an avid outdoor adventurer. With that, he believes, there comes a responsibility to support and champion causes that help bring opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors to everyone - no matter where they live. In this episode they discuss the environmental, health, and economic impact of supporting and developing parks and green spaces.

Listen in.

Molting Geese Can Cause Frustration

The Chattanoogan

Canada geese.                                                    (Photo: Axel Brunst/USFWS)

The Canada goose thrives in a variety of habitats, including such areas as neighborhood ponds, office complexes, city parks and other developed areas. This ability to habitat-adapt sometimes brings them near people. This closeness can be frustrating for homeowners and property managers when geese begin to molt in the summer, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division.

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Report Published on the Economic Potential of the Tennessee RiverLine

Brad Collett - Tennessee RiverLine

                                                                                                       (Photo: TN RiverLine)

The Tennessee RiverLine Partnership has announced the publication of a report detailing the potential economic impacts of the Tennessee RiverLine and ten key components to water trail success.  

 

Catalyzing economic development and entrepreneurship in river communities and across the region is a cornerstone of the Tennessee RiverLine vision. Propelled by an estimated increase in use of the Tennessee River by an additional 800,000 resident and visiting paddlers annually, this report quantifies the Tennessee RiverLine’s economic impact in terms of increased spending, job and income growth and increases in local and state sales tax revenues in communities along the river in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee.

 

Ultimately, these anticipated outcomes and the additional economic impacts identified in this report will enhance the overall quality of life for residents of river communities and across the Tennessee River Valley, positioning river communities to attract and retain businesses and skilled workers.

 

Realizing this aspirational growth in river use and these economic impacts will require sustained, purposeful effort and strategic investment by partners across the region. These efforts and investments are outlined in the report as ten key components to water trail success. It will also require a renewed commitment to our shared responsibility to ensure a culture of safe river use and to inspire active resource stewardship.  

 

The study was completed by researchers at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, and made possible by the investment of our principal partners, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Tennessee Valley Authority.

 

The economic potential of the Tennessee RiverLine is within our reach. With your support, we will exercise the power of partnerships to realize the vision for North America’s next great regional trail system and all the benefits it promises future generations.  

 

Brad Collett

Director, Tennessee RiverLine

Associate Professor, UT Department of Plant Sciences

Faculty, UT School of Landscape Architecture

 

• Download the Report

 

                                                                                                   (Image: TN RiverLine)

• Experience the Tennessee RiverLine

 

 

Construction Begins on New Staircase at Greeter Falls

Friends of South Cumberland

                             (Image: Friends of South Cumberland)

As part of an FSC-led effort to improve the main access trail to Greeter Falls, in Savage Gulf, construction will begin within the next month on a new trail staircase, the first of two that will ultimately be added to the Greeter Falls Access Trail. The staircase structure will be built with lumber, but with metal stair treads for extra traction and durability.

To learn more about this, a nature play area opening on the Meadow Trail, and more at South Cumberland State Park, read FSC's July Trail Tracker newsletter.

Dept. of Interior Announces $279 Million for Parks, Outdoor Recreation

U.S. Dept. of the Interior

                                                                                           (Image: U.S. Dept. of Interior) 

In honor of Great Outdoors Month, the U.S. Department of the Interior recently announced $279 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia for outdoor recreation and conservation projects. 

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South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Opening at Sterchi Farms Trailhead - June 26

NOOGAtoday

On Sun., June 26, a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the fully completed South Chickamauga Creek Greenway will take place at the Sterchi Farms Trailhead. To celebrate, The Trust for Public Land has partnered with local nonprofit The Chattery for a month of events at the Greenway.

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The Chattanoogan

After nearly three decades and almost $16 million, Chattanooga’s South Chickamauga Creek Greenway is finally and fully open.

The winding, multi-modal path loosely follows the South Chickamauga Creek from Riverpoint Park, just southwest of the campus of Chattanooga State Community College along the Tennessee Riverpark, to East Ridge’s Camp Jordan Park - 12 miles in total. 

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Finding Bird Nests

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Eastern Phoebe nest.                          (Photo: Daniel Moss/Macaulay Library) 

Use These 3 Tips to Find Birds Nesting Nearby

Nesting season is in full swing in many parts of the country, and with some stealthy surveillance of your surroundings you may be able to clue in to birds that are actively building a nest, incubating, or feeding young nearby. Learn the top three behaviors to look for that can signal that a bird is nesting nearby, and how you can respectfully observe the excitement of the nesting cycle.

Busting Nesting Myths: Misinformation abounds when it comes to nests and nesting birds—get the straight dirt on some commonly held beliefs from the experts at NestWatch.