Statements
Mission
Tennessee State Parks Conservancy supports educational programs, health initiatives and special park projects that preserve, protect and enhance natural areas and the 56 state parks across Tennessee.
Background
The Tennessee State Parks system was established in 1937 to preserve and protect the unique natural, cultural and scenic resources across our state. A well-planned and professionally managed system of state parks promotes stronger communities and healthier citizens by providing a safe, low-cost option for families and individuals to enjoy diverse recreational opportunities while simultaneously preserving natural and cultural treasures for future generations to enjoy.But budgets are limited. With a significant backlog of deferred maintenance projects, and the commitment to keeping Tennessee State Parks one of the only state park systems in the country that does not charge an entrance fee, limited funds are available for programs and special park projects that make our state parks even better. The Tennessee State Parks Conservancy was created in June 2016 to serve as a charitable partner of the Tennessee State Parks system, modeled after the National Park Foundation and many nonprofits supporting state park systems across the country. The TSPC works to raise these funds from corporations, foundations and individuals to provide additional support for programs and projects at state parks across Tennessee.
Impact
Our funding priorities include Universal Accessibility, Kids in Parks and Planting for Protection. Universal Accessibility includes acquiring electric all-terrain wheelchairs, accessible boat launches and boundless playgrounds. For Kids in Parks, we cover the cost of transportation and educational materials needed for a classroom to visit a state park. Planting for Protection includes needed native plants and trees that need to be restored to a park or state natural area.
Needs
Like many non-profit organizations, our biggest need is financial support for our programs. Donations are planned for programs like scholarships for children to attend our Junior Ranger camps, funding field trips for students who might otherwise not be able to visit a state park, and building Story Book Trails in our parks across the state. In the long term, we would like to start an endowment to ensure that our programs will continue into the future. In the short term, we want to grow our resources enough to have a robust staff that can raise meaningful dollars to support parks.
CEO Statement
The Tennessee State Parks Conservancy has a special opportunity to increase the impact our Tennessee State Parks has on all Tennesseans. As a supporting organization, we have the ability to raise funds, create programs, and fulfill special projects in the parks-all that draw more residents to nature. Being in nature has proven to positively impact both physical and mental health. It is important for all of us to have an outlet into nature and our State Parks provide a perfect opportunity for everyone to meet that need.
Our major area of focus for 2023 is to break down barriers to state parks that could be physical, cultural or social. We do this by acquiring electric all-terrain wheelchairs, accessible boat ramps and other accessibility tools for the parks and cover the transportation costs for school children to go to parks.
Board Chair Statement
The Conservancy has received many worthy program and project requests that we have been unable to support as a result of our very modest resources. However, in our work, small amounts of funding make a big difference. Through the grant we received in 2018 from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and other private donors, we were able to fund 14 field trips for approximately 1,122 elementary and middle school students (228 more students than the previous year) to visit 11 Tennessee Parks, making a large impact with a modest amount of funding, for which a bunch of school teachers and the Board of the Conservancy are grateful. Thank you for your support! Marlee Mitchell, Board Chair
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Environment - Environmental Education |
| Secondary Category: | Public & Societal Benefit - Public & Societal Benefit NEC |
| Tertiary Category: | Environment - Land Resources Conservation |
Areas Served
Tennessee State Parks are located across the state of Tennessee. If you are a Tennessee resident, you are never more than a one hour drive from a Tennessee State Park.
| TN - Davidson |
| TN |
| TN - Cannon |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Clay |
| TN - Coffee |
| TN - Cumberland |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - DeKalb |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Fentress |
| TN - Franklin |
| TN - Giles |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Houston |
| TN - Humphreys |
| TN - Jackson |
| TN - Lawrence |
| TN - Lewis |
| TN - Lincoln |
| TN - Macon |
| TN - Marshall |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Moore |
| TN - Overton |
| TN - Perry |
| TN - Pickett |
| TN - Putnam |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Smith |
| TN - Stewart |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Trousdale |
| TN - Van Buren |
| TN - Warren |
| TN - Wayne |
| TN - White |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
| TN - Bedford |
