Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are beautiful wonders of North America. During their southerly migration in late summer, we welcome them to our campus, where they can feed at two waystations filled with milkweed. Kym Martin is a monarch enthusiast who manages the two stations and has big plans for their future!

Last week, our land management team ventured to the southern Blue Ridge Mountains to aid in the restoration work of an imperiled Southern Appalachian bog ecosystem. Read on to see the collaborative work being done to restore this bog.

Thanks to generous support from United Way, Reflection Riding has partnered with Howard High School to engage their students in conservation work and establish a career pathway in conservation and native landscape management. This past January, we hired two Howard students as Native Landscape Management Apprentices, and we’ve been so grateful to have them on our team! Read on for an update of their experiences in environmental stewardship!

We are excited to give an update on our invasive species removal project, thanks to grant funding from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture! Since the summer of 2023, we have worked on habitat restoration on the northern end of our property through the removal of invasive species–more specifically, fragrant honeysuckle. Read more on the work completed and what we have to look forward to as the weather allows for the project to resume.

Our land conservation team worked through a variety of important projects and, simultaneously, expanded our Native Plant Nursery into its best year yet!

We are excited to announce that we have received an invasive species removal grant from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, allowing us to tackle the management of a four-acre area on campus that is overgrown with invasive species.

It’s that time of year again! The part of the growing season when invasive species management efforts on campus are focused on an exotic grass, 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘷𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘮.

Prescribed fires can be helpful for many reasons, including the removal of unwanted species that threaten species native to an ecosystem. Using prescribed fires as a management tool will also help these areas recover and restore its native biodiversity.

Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center has completed the process of permanently preserving its 300+ acres of idyllic green space in the heart of Chattanooga. Reflection Riding partnered with the American Battlefield Trust and the City of Chattanooga to further protect their scenic land forever through a historic conservation easement. With partners like Reflection Riding, the Trust has worked to protect more than 53,000 acres across 24 states. This work adds an important tract of “The Battle Above the Clouds” to conserved, historic landscapes across the greater Chattanooga region.