Land Trust For Tennessee Inc

TO CONSERVE THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF TENNESSEE'S NATURAL AND HISTORIC LANDSCAPES AND SITES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

CONSERVATION SUCCESS: DURING FISCAL YEAR 2022, THE ORGANIZATION COMPLETED 18 PROJECTS, PROTECTING 2,455 ACRES OF LAND IN TENNESSEE. 17 OF THESE PROPERTIES WERE PROTECTED WITH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, THE ORGANIZATION'S PRIMARY TOOL FOR CONSERVING LAND. IN ADDITION, THE ORGANIZATION ASSISTED A PRIVATE LANDOWNER AND THE STATE OF TENNESSEE WITH A DONATION OF 144 ACRES AS AN ADDITION TO T.O. FULLER STATE PARK IN MEMPHIS. NINE OF THESE 15 PROJECTS ARE LOCATED IN ONE OF THE ORGANIZATION'S TEN CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITY REGIONS (CORS), WHICH ARE THE PRIORITY AREAS ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION'S STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLAN FOREVER TENNESSEE. SEVEN PROJECTS ARE LOCATED IN ONE OF THE TOP TEN FASTEST GROWING COUNTIES IN TENNESSEE. THE PERMANENT PROTECTION OF THESE PROPERTIES RESULTED IN THE PRESERVATION OF 6.6 MILES OF PUBLIC ROAD FRONTAGE AND 8.5 MILES OF TENNESSEE'S RIVERS AND STREAMS. STEWARDSHIP: DESPITE CHALLENGES DUE TO COVID-19, THE ORGANIZATION COMPLETED 100% OF ITS ANNUAL MONITORING OF 394 PROPERTIES THROUGH BOTH IN-PERSON VISITS AND THROUGH SATELLITE IMAGERY. MONITORING IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE ORGANIZATION'S COMMITMENT TO UPHOLD ITS PROMISE OF PROTECTING LAND IN PERPETUITY. DUE TO PEOPLE BEING AT HOME AND ON THEIR LANDS MORE (COMBINED WITH A BOOMING REAL ESTATE MARKET), THE ORGANIZATION'S STEWARDSHIP STAFF SAW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OTHER STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ACTIVITY REQUESTS, APPROVALS, EASEMENT INTERPRETATIONS, AND PROPERTY TRANSFERS. FUNDRAISING SUCCESS: THE ORGANIZATION HAD A STRONG FUNDRAISING YEAR AND WAS ABLE TO MEET ITS ANNUAL FUNDRAISING GOALS. THE ORGANIZATION DEBUTED A NEW MUSIC ON THE FARM FUNDRAISING EVENT IN MAY 2021, WHICH PROVIDED AN ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCE AND DONOR CULTIVATION OPPORTUNITY. THE ORGANIZATION HOSTED ITS ANNUAL ONCE IN A BLUE MOON FUNDRAISING EVENT AT GLEN LEVEN FARM AND ACHIEVED THE EVENT'S HIGHEST SPONSORSHIP REVENUE TO DATE. IN ADDITION, THE ORGANIZATION RAISED $950,000 FOR WALDEN'S RIDGE PARK, A MULTI-USE PARK LOCATED JUST OUTSIDE OF CHATTANOOGA. PARK PARTNERS HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO COMPLETE 11 MILES OF TRAILS ON THE PROPERTY, 4 MOUNTAIN-BIKE SPECIFIC TRAILS, AND 31 BOULDERS FOR CLIMBING. THE PARK IS NEARING COMPLETION AND WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO HAMILTON COUNTY IN LATE 2022. OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT: IN ADDITION TO UTILIZING OUTREACH METHODS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, AND OTHER VIRTUAL PLATFORMS, THE ORGANIZATION HAS ENGAGED IN-PERSON AUDIENCES BY ATTENDING TABLING EVENTS AND HOSTING PROGRAMS AND VOLUNTEER EVENTS AT GLEN LEVEN FARM. THIS INCLUDES VIRTUAL STEAM EXPEDITIONS WITH METRO NASHVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOL 6TH GRADERS, IN-PERSON FIELD STUDIES WITH KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADERS, MONTHLY NATURE HIKES FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE FAMILIES, MONTHLY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, AND STEAM EDUCATION KITS THAT WERE DISTRIBUTED TO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE. GLEN LEVEN FARM: THE ORGANIZATION WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NELSON BYRD WOLTZ LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS TO COMPLETE A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE SYNTHESIS AND COMPREHENSIVE LANDSCAPE PLAN FOR GLEN LEVEN FARM, THE 64-ACRE HISTORIC FARM OWNED BY THE ORGANIZATION SINCE 2006. THE PLANS WILL ALLOW US TO TELL A FULLER HISTORY, EXPAND EDUCATIONAL, OUTREACH, AND REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES, AND TRANSFORM GLEN LEVEN FARM INTO ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRING, RELEVANT CULTURAL LANDSCAPES IN THE SOUTHEAST. WITH THIS PLAN IN HAND, THE ORGANIZATION POISED TO TAKE GLEN LEVEN FARM TO THE NEXT LEVEL.