The most significant green space and bluff on Knoxville’s south waterfront is temporarily protected from development as Legacy Parks Foundation mounts a campaign to raise $2.5 million dollars to purchase the property. Once acquired, the 70-acres will become a beautiful city park with walking trails, two ponds and river access within a lush urban forest. The River Bluff is the proposed west anchor to the Urban Wilderness and Historic Corridor, a concept that envisions a 1,000-acre wilderness and historic corridor paralleling South Knoxville’s Waterfront Development. Once assembled, the Corridor will be home to three civil war forts, historic settlement sites, diverse ecological features and recreational amenities, and will be connected by a system of greenways and natural trails. The River Bluff property is located on Cherokee Trail directly across the river from the University of Tennessee.

E.B. and Melinda C. Edwards were lovers of the land and protectors of all creatures great and small. They took every opportunity to help animals, from feeding birds to picking up and caring for stray dogs and cats. For the Edwards, it just seemed the natural thing to do. They were also outdoor enthusiasts, spending their free time on outdoor projects and adventures. Though they never had the opportunity to visit Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge, it seems a fitting match for the Edwards’ interests and passions. Through more than seven years of deliberate land management by the Seven Islands Foundation and Knox County Parks and Recreation, the Refuge now boasts over 50 species of birds and 150 species of fish, plus more than five miles of walking trails and several restored historic structures. Through a generous gift from the E.B. and Melinda C. Edwards Trust, the habitat restoration and land conservation work underway at the Refuge can now be enhanced and perpetuated. The legacy of the Edwards' love of the land and its creatures will live on at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge.

Two Knoxville neighborhoods launched short-term fundraising campaigns for community parks with the help of Legacy Parks Foundation. Friends of the Downtown Dog Park will raise $15,000 to enhance the Downtown Dog Park slated for the corner of Summit Hill Drive and Central Avenue. Friends of Highland Park will raise $25,000 to transform an empty lot in Fountain City into a lush community park. Legacy Parks Foundation serves as the fiscal agent for both groups, providing financial services and marketing assistance.

The Legacy Tree Fund provides a vehicle for citizens, corporations, and organizations to increase and enrich tree-planting activity and make ours a greener community. The Legacy Tree Fund is different from other tree planting programs in that it calls for planting larger caliper trees and the use of improved planting materials and methods to assure the trees have a healthy start. For each $300 tax-deductible contribution to the Fund, a tree will be planted in a park or open space where there is the greatest need. All Legacy Tree Fund donors will receive a specially commissioned print acknowledging their gift to the community. Donations for tree care are also welcome and will be used for extending the initial period of tree care and maintenance.

Thanks to the generosity of the Halls community and businesses throughout Knoxville, the beautiful 11 acres for the park was purchased in August 2008. An request for qualifications for a firm to design the park is currently being conducted by Knox County Parks and Recreation. A favorable solution to the driveway access has been approved by TDOT and donation of the property to Knox County will be final in May.

Community groups have generously volunteered their time over the past six months to help clean and clear the breathtaking 104 acres. A grant from the Nature Conservancy allowed for the gating of several caves to protect the bats and amphibious inhabitants, and Knoxville Parks and Recreation is currently designing and creating a system of off-road bike and hiking trails. Donation of the property to the City of Knoxville for an addition to Ijams Nature Center will be final in May. The property will be open to the public in 2010.

The 30 acres purchased by Legacy Parks Foundation as an addition to Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge south-shore presence has been cleared of all structures and is greening up with new meadows and beautiful open space. Located on Seven Islands Road off Kimberlin Heights Road directly across the French Broad River from the main body of the Refuge, this addition will help accommodate the pedestrian bridge slated to span the river and currently in the design phase. Donation of the property to Knox County will be final in May.