Statements
Mission
Our Mission:
To provide a sanctuary for nature that inspires exploration and lifelong environmental conservation.
Our Vision:
A world that values and protects nature.
Background
History: In 1959, the land was purchased by Walter and Huldah Cheek Sharp. Mrs. Sharp was the heir to the Maxwell House coffee fortune and owner of the land and mansion known as Cheekwood. In 1960, the Sharps established the Botanic Garden and Fine Arts Museum at Cheekwood and moved to their new home on Beech Creek Road. They named the house and later the sanctuary, Owl's Hill in honor of the great-horned owls that lived and called from the surrounding ridge tops. In 1973, after placing restrictive covenants on the property, Mrs. Sharp sold it to the University of Tennessee for use as an annex to their Middle Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station. In 1983, after becoming increasingly disenchanted with the university's primary use of the land as a cattle farm, Mrs. Sharp regained the property and donated the land to Cheekwood, selling the house and 20 acres to create an endowment for upkeep of the property. Cheekwood hired a full-time naturalist in 1988 to establish a nature sanctuary. Since 1991, more than 110 Eagle Scout projects have transformed Owl's Hill from an overgrown cattle farm into a vibrant wildlife sanctuary with seven miles of hiking trails. In the spring of 2007, the board of trustees of Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art voted to release Owl's Hill's assets to form a new, financially-independent organization to be known as Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary. It operates today as a 300-acre protected green space with four (4) full-time and two (2) part-time staff members.
Impact
Our Impact: (Fiscal Year 2023)
Environmental Education
- Total Visitation: 10,848 Visitors, representing 38 U.S. states and 30 Tennessee counties
- 2,607 Day Pass visitors
- 4 Completed Scout Capstone Projects (Eagle and Stars & Stripes); 73 volunteers and 405 hours of service
- 235 campers (aged 5-16) spent 6,800+ hours outside over 11 weeks
- School programming reaching 3,290 Middle Tennessee schoolchildren and teachers from 10 Middle Tennessee school districts in nine counties
- 114 public programs offered year 'round
- 30 adults completed the 10-month Tennessee Naturalist Program
Conservation & Research
- 1 acre of invasive plants removed
- 59 individuals volunteered 619 hours toward Citizen Science projects monitoring plant and wildlife populations
- 517 birds recorded during bird counts representing 94 species (62% decrease in species from prior year)
- 100 birds over 10 sessions banded and recorded. Eighteen (18) species represented in the Fall and 25 species represented in the Spring.
- 745 butterflies recorded during representing 58 species (38% increase in species from prior year)
- Maintained Level 1 Arboretum certification with the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council
Wildlife Protection
We partner with licensed non-profit wildlife rehabilitators as a release site for successful rehabilitations. To date, more than 156 rehabilitated owls, hawks, and kestrels have been released as well as numerous mammal species including red fox, grey fox, rabbit, and raccoons.
Needs
Unrestricted Operating Funds: Ongoing
New tractor to help with upkeep of sanctuary: $35,000
Campus Master Plan: $100,000
Volunteers needed to help guide groups, work in teaching gardens with native plants, remove invasive plants.
CEO Statement
Owl's Hill gives visitors a very quiet and personal visit with nature not found in other places. We strive to connect people of all ages with the importance of caring about the land outside their door.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Environment - Natural Resources Conservation & Protection |
| Secondary Category: | Environment - Environmental Education |
| Tertiary Category: | Environment - Forest Conservation |
Areas Served
Owl's Hill is located in the heart of Williamson County in Middle Tennessee. Last year, visitors represented 21 Tennessee counties and 41 U.S. states. Eighty-three percent of our visitors reside locally in Williamson and Davidson counties.
| TN - Bedford |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Sumner |
