Friends of Radnor Lake
Programs
Budget
$62,600.00
Description
Friends of Radnor Lake, in partnership with the Barbara J. Mapp Foundation, added an 880-foot wheelchair accessible Aviary Education Center at Radnor Lake State Natural Area in 2015. There are seven non-releasable birds of prey in residence and protection at the aviary, all of which were designated as education animals due to injuries sustained in the wild. Friends of Radnor Lake provides financial support for the ongoing management of this program, specifically relating to the care and feeding of the four eagles at the aviary and maintenance of their habitats. After eight years in operation, we have increased the budget to provide a fund for ongoing maintenance of the facility. The bird's habitats must be inspected and maintained for their safety and the safety of our visitors.
Program Successes
Radnor Lake State Park earned the Excellence in Interpretation Award from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in 2023. This award was earned due to the quantity, quality and variety of interpretive programs offered at Radnor Lake, including interpretive programs/tours at the Barbara J. Mapp Aviary Education Center.
Beneficiaries
Adults
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
People/Families with of People with Disabilities
Long-term Success
Support from Friends of Radnor Lake includes high-quality food for the eagles, vet care for all of the animals at the Barbara J. Mapp Aviary Education Center and handler training for park staff. Park staff participate in handler training with a bird-of-prey for one year before they are qualified to present the bird to the public during Open House or Tour hours. This facility is inspected annually by Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency.
Short-term Success
Open House hours continue on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Additional tours are scheduled on based on the availability of park staff. Tour information and registration is available at https://tnstateparks.com/parks/events/radnor-lake/#/?park=radnor-lake.
Special event day tour information for Mack Prichard Day on March 31, Rachel Carson Day on May 27 and American Eagle Day on June 20 can also be found on the TN State Parks Event page.
Program Areas Served
Education, Wildlife Protection
$62,600.00
Description
Friends of Radnor Lake, in partnership with the Barbara J. Mapp Foundation, added an 880-foot wheelchair accessible Aviary Education Center at Radnor Lake State Natural Area in 2015. There are seven non-releasable birds of prey in residence and protection at the aviary, all of which were designated as education animals due to injuries sustained in the wild. Friends of Radnor Lake provides financial support for the ongoing management of this program, specifically relating to the care and feeding of the four eagles at the aviary and maintenance of their habitats. After eight years in operation, we have increased the budget to provide a fund for ongoing maintenance of the facility. The bird's habitats must be inspected and maintained for their safety and the safety of our visitors.
Program Successes
Radnor Lake State Park earned the Excellence in Interpretation Award from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in 2023. This award was earned due to the quantity, quality and variety of interpretive programs offered at Radnor Lake, including interpretive programs/tours at the Barbara J. Mapp Aviary Education Center.
Beneficiaries
Adults
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
People/Families with of People with Disabilities
Long-term Success
Support from Friends of Radnor Lake includes high-quality food for the eagles, vet care for all of the animals at the Barbara J. Mapp Aviary Education Center and handler training for park staff. Park staff participate in handler training with a bird-of-prey for one year before they are qualified to present the bird to the public during Open House or Tour hours. This facility is inspected annually by Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency.
Short-term Success
Open House hours continue on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Additional tours are scheduled on based on the availability of park staff. Tour information and registration is available at https://tnstateparks.com/parks/events/radnor-lake/#/?park=radnor-lake.
Special event day tour information for Mack Prichard Day on March 31, Rachel Carson Day on May 27 and American Eagle Day on June 20 can also be found on the TN State Parks Event page.
Program Areas Served
Education, Wildlife Protection
Budget
$30,500.00
Description
Financial contributions to Friends of Radnor Lake cover the cost of equipment, meals, and support for the 2,000+ dedicated volunteers who donate their time and effort in the park, as well as funding a skilled Volunteer Coordinator to work with the community and park leadership. On the fourth Friday of most months, rangers lead groups of volunteers in projects throughout the park. In addition, volunteer dates which target specific projects (i.e. World Wetlands Day, National Trails Day) are scheduled throughout the year, and school, corporate, and civic groups engage all year. Each year, volunteers help mulch trails, remove invasive plant species, and perform other tasks to maintain the park.
Category
Environment - Environment, General/Other
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Adults
Long-term Success
Volunteers have helped maintain Radnor Lake trails for community enjoyment; wetlands cleanliness for a healthy ecosystem; and invasive-exotic plant removal to allow native plants to grow and thrive for many, many years. Volunteers have also been instrumental in helping park staff repair trails damaged by significant weather events like the flood of 2010, the high wind event in 2020, and the flooding rains in March 2021. Volunteer groups from local schools, corporations and civic groups, as well as community volunteers from Hands On Nashville, engage regularly and tell us how much they enjoy working with Radnor Lake park staff and making a positive impact on the park and trails they love!
Short-term Success
Volunteers have helped prepare the build site for three new bridges at Radnor Lake, clean the wetlands for World Wetlands Day and after episodes of
flooding rains, and are building the Harris Ridge Trail, a trail which will connect a new parking lot on Franklin Road (not yet installed) with the park at Otter Creek Road.
Program Areas Served
Volunteer, Invasive Plants and Native Grasses, Environment
$30,500.00
Description
Financial contributions to Friends of Radnor Lake cover the cost of equipment, meals, and support for the 2,000+ dedicated volunteers who donate their time and effort in the park, as well as funding a skilled Volunteer Coordinator to work with the community and park leadership. On the fourth Friday of most months, rangers lead groups of volunteers in projects throughout the park. In addition, volunteer dates which target specific projects (i.e. World Wetlands Day, National Trails Day) are scheduled throughout the year, and school, corporate, and civic groups engage all year. Each year, volunteers help mulch trails, remove invasive plant species, and perform other tasks to maintain the park.
Category
Environment - Environment, General/Other
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Adults
Long-term Success
Volunteers have helped maintain Radnor Lake trails for community enjoyment; wetlands cleanliness for a healthy ecosystem; and invasive-exotic plant removal to allow native plants to grow and thrive for many, many years. Volunteers have also been instrumental in helping park staff repair trails damaged by significant weather events like the flood of 2010, the high wind event in 2020, and the flooding rains in March 2021. Volunteer groups from local schools, corporations and civic groups, as well as community volunteers from Hands On Nashville, engage regularly and tell us how much they enjoy working with Radnor Lake park staff and making a positive impact on the park and trails they love!
Short-term Success
Volunteers have helped prepare the build site for three new bridges at Radnor Lake, clean the wetlands for World Wetlands Day and after episodes of
flooding rains, and are building the Harris Ridge Trail, a trail which will connect a new parking lot on Franklin Road (not yet installed) with the park at Otter Creek Road.
Program Areas Served
Volunteer, Invasive Plants and Native Grasses, Environment
Budget
$15,000.00
Description
The Junior Ranger Program is a summer internship for high school students. It is an opportunity for students to work with Rangers in the natural area and develop a greater appreciation for the park and its management. For the last 20 years, Radnor Lake has sponsored this internship and our hope is to secure funding to add a fourth week. Each Jr. Ranger session engages twelve to eighteen youth from across the city of Nashville for six-days of education and work that exposes them to environmental stewardship practices, trail building, waterways preservation, and operational needs at the Barbara J. Mapp Aviary Education Center where Radnor houses seven non-releasable raptors, including three American Bald Eagles and one Golden Eagle. Junior Ranger week is a highlight for Radnor Lake staff as they share their knowledge of and passion for the natural world and it's ecosystems, and a tremendous help in maintaining the Natural Area.
Program Successes
Testimony from Junior Ranger participants demonstrates the program's success.
"My time as a junior ranger intern was full of learning, bonding, and exploration. Participating in the program helped me to understand the importance of good citizenship as well as caring and putting in the work to keep the environment healthy and enjoyable. Alongside being taught responsibility, I also formed many wonderful friendships with other junior rangers while working with them. From learning about unique birds, to mulching trails, every activity was captivating. Moreover, the junior ranger program was an experience to remember and certainly the highlight of my summer." - Junior Ranger Lila (2022 and 2023)
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Long-term Success
Despite many long days of physical labor, this program boasts a considerable return rate. Many of the program participants visit the park with family and friends for years following their participation in the program, and are often overheard celebrating their knowledge of the conservation successes at Radnor Lake. The long-term success of the Junior Ranger program is awakening life-long appreciation for the challenges and rewards of restoring and maintaining natural areas for generations of enjoyment.
Program Areas Served
Education, Park Management
$15,000.00
Description
The Junior Ranger Program is a summer internship for high school students. It is an opportunity for students to work with Rangers in the natural area and develop a greater appreciation for the park and its management. For the last 20 years, Radnor Lake has sponsored this internship and our hope is to secure funding to add a fourth week. Each Jr. Ranger session engages twelve to eighteen youth from across the city of Nashville for six-days of education and work that exposes them to environmental stewardship practices, trail building, waterways preservation, and operational needs at the Barbara J. Mapp Aviary Education Center where Radnor houses seven non-releasable raptors, including three American Bald Eagles and one Golden Eagle. Junior Ranger week is a highlight for Radnor Lake staff as they share their knowledge of and passion for the natural world and it's ecosystems, and a tremendous help in maintaining the Natural Area.
Program Successes
Testimony from Junior Ranger participants demonstrates the program's success.
"My time as a junior ranger intern was full of learning, bonding, and exploration. Participating in the program helped me to understand the importance of good citizenship as well as caring and putting in the work to keep the environment healthy and enjoyable. Alongside being taught responsibility, I also formed many wonderful friendships with other junior rangers while working with them. From learning about unique birds, to mulching trails, every activity was captivating. Moreover, the junior ranger program was an experience to remember and certainly the highlight of my summer." - Junior Ranger Lila (2022 and 2023)
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Long-term Success
Despite many long days of physical labor, this program boasts a considerable return rate. Many of the program participants visit the park with family and friends for years following their participation in the program, and are often overheard celebrating their knowledge of the conservation successes at Radnor Lake. The long-term success of the Junior Ranger program is awakening life-long appreciation for the challenges and rewards of restoring and maintaining natural areas for generations of enjoyment.
Program Areas Served
Education, Park Management
Budget
$12,000.00
Description
Funds for Historic and Vegetative Research are allocated to continue to study the Radnor ecosystem and to preserve all historic elements at Radnor Lake State Natural Area. We preserve and protect the property, and share what we have learned through interpretative programming and signage within the park. Vegetative research informs our Native Grasses Initiative and enables Radnor park staff to plan trails in a way that protects the growth of rare and native plants, protection of the wetlands and more.
Long-term Success
Historic research study groups have located and documented numerous historic elements from cisterns, walls, and other archeological items of note. Vegetative research groups have located and documented rare plant species and have educated our park staff regarding how to best protect them. Rare and important species such as Nabalus crepidineus (Nodding Rattlesnakeroot) and Azolla caroliniana (mosquito fern, AKA Fairy Moss) - which we are about to register for the first time in Tennessee - demonstrate the success of our research efforts. Radnor Lake also boasts the only recorded sighting of MacGillivray's Warbler in the State of Tennessee.
Short-term Success
Historic and vegetative research have informed the planning of the new path for the Lake Trail and the Harris Ridge Trail.
Program Areas Served
Preservation, Environment
$12,000.00
Description
Funds for Historic and Vegetative Research are allocated to continue to study the Radnor ecosystem and to preserve all historic elements at Radnor Lake State Natural Area. We preserve and protect the property, and share what we have learned through interpretative programming and signage within the park. Vegetative research informs our Native Grasses Initiative and enables Radnor park staff to plan trails in a way that protects the growth of rare and native plants, protection of the wetlands and more.
Long-term Success
Historic research study groups have located and documented numerous historic elements from cisterns, walls, and other archeological items of note. Vegetative research groups have located and documented rare plant species and have educated our park staff regarding how to best protect them. Rare and important species such as Nabalus crepidineus (Nodding Rattlesnakeroot) and Azolla caroliniana (mosquito fern, AKA Fairy Moss) - which we are about to register for the first time in Tennessee - demonstrate the success of our research efforts. Radnor Lake also boasts the only recorded sighting of MacGillivray's Warbler in the State of Tennessee.
Short-term Success
Historic and vegetative research have informed the planning of the new path for the Lake Trail and the Harris Ridge Trail.
Program Areas Served
Preservation, Environment
Budget
$50,000.00
Description
Native grasslands occupy only a fraction of their pre-settlement size in middle Tennessee and are among the most threatened ecosystems in North America. Reduction in native grasslands and the prevalence of invasive species have profoundly contributed to the dramatic decline in pollinating insects such as bumble bees and butterflies.
In order to protect the native plants and the wildlife habitat at Radnor Lake State Natural Area, many ranger-led volunteer days focus on removal of invasive plants. Once the non-native plants are removed, park staff will plant native grasses in order to inhibit return of the invasive plants, foster a more productive ecosystem, and create habitat for pollinating insects and animals that thrive in grassland environments. In building the new Harris Ridge Trail, there is an abundance of land that needs to be cleared and planted in order to create a beautiful hiking experience for our visitors and to promote a healthy habitat for the wildlife on this ridge.
Long-term Success
Our native grasslands and invasive plant eradication initiatives have multiplied pollinator habitat and resulted in the return of Monarch butterflies as well as many other pollinating insects. Invasive plant removal has provided better visibility of the lake and easier movement for wildlife, and native grasses has attracted pollinators, including the return of Monarch butterflies as well an assortment of beautiful butterflies, various bee species, and many other pollinating insects.
According to the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative, two thirds of all rare plants in the southeast require or prefer grasslands. Only small, isolated remnants persist in this region where they were once prevalent. Since 2019, more than 40 acres at Radnor Lake State Natural Area have been converted to native grasslands.
Program Areas Served
Environment, Wildlife Conservation
$50,000.00
Description
Native grasslands occupy only a fraction of their pre-settlement size in middle Tennessee and are among the most threatened ecosystems in North America. Reduction in native grasslands and the prevalence of invasive species have profoundly contributed to the dramatic decline in pollinating insects such as bumble bees and butterflies.
In order to protect the native plants and the wildlife habitat at Radnor Lake State Natural Area, many ranger-led volunteer days focus on removal of invasive plants. Once the non-native plants are removed, park staff will plant native grasses in order to inhibit return of the invasive plants, foster a more productive ecosystem, and create habitat for pollinating insects and animals that thrive in grassland environments. In building the new Harris Ridge Trail, there is an abundance of land that needs to be cleared and planted in order to create a beautiful hiking experience for our visitors and to promote a healthy habitat for the wildlife on this ridge.
Long-term Success
Our native grasslands and invasive plant eradication initiatives have multiplied pollinator habitat and resulted in the return of Monarch butterflies as well as many other pollinating insects. Invasive plant removal has provided better visibility of the lake and easier movement for wildlife, and native grasses has attracted pollinators, including the return of Monarch butterflies as well an assortment of beautiful butterflies, various bee species, and many other pollinating insects.
According to the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative, two thirds of all rare plants in the southeast require or prefer grasslands. Only small, isolated remnants persist in this region where they were once prevalent. Since 2019, more than 40 acres at Radnor Lake State Natural Area have been converted to native grasslands.
Program Areas Served
Environment, Wildlife Conservation
Budget
$600,000.00
Description
We work diligently to acquire land from willing sellers within the watershed and/or the viewshed of Radnor Lake. Our goal is to protect the unique ecosytems of the natural area by buffering the park with undeveloped land that is then donated to the park. We strive for a balance in acquiring property which provides a specific advantage to protecting the natural ecosystem of Radnor Lake State Natural Area, and investing our resources in protecting Radnor Lake's existing property and programs. In our budget, the amount of income over expenses is saved for future land acquisition.
Program Successes
In March 2023, Friends of Radnor Lake and the State of Tennessee partnered to purchase a 12-acre viewshed/watershed property adjacent to the natural area. The edge of this parcel was less than 1,000 feet from the Lake Trail, the most used trail at Radnor Lake. This land is now protected forever by the State of Tennessee and remains a habitat for wildlife, and protects historic features of land use from the early 1900s.
Long-term Success
Friends of Radnor Lake has been instrumental in assisting with land acquisitions which have doubled the size of Radnor Lake State Natural Area from its original 700 acres in 1973 to its current size of 1,400 acres. These protection efforts have maintained a habitat for wildlife and native and rare plant species to continue to grow and thrive.
Program Areas Served
Wildlife Conservation, Environmental Protection
$600,000.00
Description
We work diligently to acquire land from willing sellers within the watershed and/or the viewshed of Radnor Lake. Our goal is to protect the unique ecosytems of the natural area by buffering the park with undeveloped land that is then donated to the park. We strive for a balance in acquiring property which provides a specific advantage to protecting the natural ecosystem of Radnor Lake State Natural Area, and investing our resources in protecting Radnor Lake's existing property and programs. In our budget, the amount of income over expenses is saved for future land acquisition.
Program Successes
In March 2023, Friends of Radnor Lake and the State of Tennessee partnered to purchase a 12-acre viewshed/watershed property adjacent to the natural area. The edge of this parcel was less than 1,000 feet from the Lake Trail, the most used trail at Radnor Lake. This land is now protected forever by the State of Tennessee and remains a habitat for wildlife, and protects historic features of land use from the early 1900s.
Long-term Success
Friends of Radnor Lake has been instrumental in assisting with land acquisitions which have doubled the size of Radnor Lake State Natural Area from its original 700 acres in 1973 to its current size of 1,400 acres. These protection efforts have maintained a habitat for wildlife and native and rare plant species to continue to grow and thrive.
Program Areas Served
Wildlife Conservation, Environmental Protection
