Summertown, Tennessee, USA
Call of the Swan
Swan Community Land Trust
"I wish all to know that I do not propose to sell any part of my country, nor will I have the whites cutting our timber along the rivers, more especially the oak. I am particularly fond of the little groves of oak trees. I love to look at them, because they endure the wintry storm and the summer's heat, and - not unlike ourselves - seem to flourish by them."
Tatanka Yotanka
Sitting Bull
In keeping with its goals and purposes, the Swan Conservation Trust would like to work with the Farm Education Conference Center to create an Environmental Center for teacher, student, and public education in the Big Swan Creek watershed. This region of the Western Highland Rim of Tennessee has unique areas for multidisciplinary studies. We feel that a need exists for enrichment in the science curriculums of the local schools, and that we could provide a valuable service to inspire teachers and students to learn more about the world around them.
Jerry Hutchens, an avid bird watcher, has monitored the migrations and habitat of birds, particularly the Neotropical migrants, living in the fields and forests of the Farm and adjacent lands. Many of these birds are threatened or endangered. Our goal of preserving large tracts of hardwood forest in our area of the Western Highland Rim will provide habitat for these migrating species, whose corridors and flyways are being fragmented by timber companies and developers. Our Environmental Center will provide a place for bird watchers and students to study birds that live here year round, as well as the seasonal inhabitants from the tropics.
Milo Pyne, the Tennessee State Botanist, has conducted several wildflower walks over the past two years. Two rare species of wildflower, Eggert's Sunflower and Grass-of Parnassus, have been identified on the Farm and in the surrounding lands owned by Willamette Industries. Many other wildflower species native to the fields, forests, and riparian areas of the Western Highland Rim are found in the Big Swan Creek watershed. We plan to mark specific trails for wildflower identification that can be used in programs for teachers, students, and the general public to expose then to the rich botanical world of this area.
The Swan headwaters area has a long history of Indian habitation. Artifacts have been found that date back to the last Ice Age, 14,000 years ago. Glenn Lumpkins, our pharmacist friend from Mt. Pleasant, has been collecting artifacts and researching the Native Americans' story in Middle Tennessee for many years. He is a valuable resource and plans to conduct a walk here in the near future.
Evidences of early European settlements have also been found on The Farm and in the surrounding forests. Old house sites, stills dating back to the prohibition era, and leather tanning pits have been identified. These sites add to the history of the area and offer opportunities for research.
Other possibilities exist for developing educational opportunities in the realm of ecology. There are numerous ponds and streams on The Farm, which could provide locations for research. Classes in freshwater biology as well as water quality monitoring could be offered for students and teachers. In addition, there are old fields in different stages of succession.
The geology of Tennessee is a fascinating subject, and this area provides a good look and the Western Highland Rim, as well as the Central Basin, which is a shot drive from The Farm. With our location on the edge of the Rim, there are numerous waterfalls, bluffs, and scenic natural areas as one descends into the Central Basin. The Farm in an auspicious location for studying the geology and fossil record of the Mississippian period back through time to the Ordovician period, which is a span of 150 million years.
The Swan Conservation Trust plans to use the Farm Education Conference Center, which is now located at the campus of The Farm School, as a meeting/workshop spot. Meals can be provided at the Center, and overnight accommodations can be arranged.
We plan to begin with one or two-day programs and workshops for teacher education, teacher-student groups, or environmental organizations. Last May, we hosted a Sierra Club weekend camp-out, which included a hands-on workshop for citizen water-quality monitoring of streams and rivers, directed by Ray Norris of the Izaak Walton League. Milo Pyne also conducted a wildflower walk, and an early-morning bird watching walk was another highlight of the weekend.
Dr. Padgett Kelly, a professor of science education at MYSU, has expressed an interest in conducting teacher workshops here. He will visit us in late July to check out the suitability of opening new doors and making new connections in the field of environmental education.
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