Gratitude for the Natural World
From our team to you: Thank you! 2024 was a year of progress for the natural world through conservation and environmental education. With your support, we’re excited to move forward into a new year of reconnecting our community with nature.
At Reflection Riding, 2024 was a big year for the natural world! Through environmental education and the conservation of wildlife, native plants, and land, we made strides in reconnecting our community with nature. We’d like to share our appreciation for what’s made possible with your support.
Wildlife Conservation
We welcomed several new animal ambassadors to our team: Nala the Great-horned Owl; Charlie the Virginia Opossum; Bonnie and Clyde, American Kestrel siblings; and Harry and Sienna, two American Red Wolves.
Our wildlife team cared for over 40 non-releasable animals who share the importance of native animals with our community.
Through partnerships with Rock City and McLemore, our animal ambassadors represented their species beyond our campus in specialized outreach programs.
Native Plants and Land Conservation
Our campus is now preserved forevermore. The North American Land Trust transferred an interim conservation easement to the State of Tennessee to solidify the permanent protection of Reflection Riding’s land. This final step of protection ensures that our campus will remain a wild space for generations to come.
In partnership with EPB and the City of Chattanooga, we gave away 2,000 native trees for the biannual Free Tree ReLeaf!
At our Native Plant Nursery, countless native plants found homes across the Chattanooga area. From trees to grasses, all native flora boost our local ecology by providing shelter, food, and energy to the surrounding area.
With the help of Thrive Regional Partnership and Homegrown National Park, we released a new native plant resource: Thriving Gardens. This digital tool helps you choose the best-suited native plants for your outdoor spaces.
During the summer, our land conservation team helped restore an imperiled bog ecosystem in the Southern Appalachians. A multi-year effort led by the Southeastern Grassland Institute, this project aims to restore the southernmost natural cranberry bog in the United States!
Environmental Education
We kickstarted our Native Landscape Management Apprenticeship in January 2024 by hiring our first apprentices! We’re so thankful to our partners at The Howard School and United Way of Greater Chattanooga for making this monumental program possible. The apprenticeship provides the next generation with a career pathway into conservation through land restoration and professional development practices.
At Summer Camp, we launched a Junior Naturalist program to engage and inspire young children with the natural world. At the program’s completion, each child became a certified Junior Naturalist with their own badge of honor.
Through field trips and outreach programs, we shared the importance of our local ecosystems with hundreds of students on our campus and in the classroom.
In addition to our weekly animal programs, we welcomed several new opportunities to engage our community, from Salamander Meanders to Wildflower Walks.
Thank you so much for helping us cultivate a year of generational stewardship. Your support helps us care for the place we call home and all of its inhabitats—people, plants, and animals. As we look forward to the coming year, we cannot wait for what’s in store for nature. Together, we’re building future of compassion and connection.
Thank you for your dedication to the natural world!
