Lunch and Learn with the Tennessee River Gorge Trust By Erin M.

On Wednesday, August 31, the ninth grade River Fellows attended a Tennessee River

Gorge Trust luncheon. The purpose of this luncheon was to educate people about the River

Gorge Trust and what they do. The River Gorge Trust is a nonprofit organization with the goal of

preserving and protecting the Tennessee River Gorge. They buy land along the river gorge or

ask the land owner for rights for the land, so it won’t get developed and can be used by the

public for recreation.

Protected lands -TNRGT

There are several steps that must be taken for the River Gorge Trust to be able to have

and use this land. The first is acquisition, or buying the land. The Trust is able to purchase land

through donations made to the organization. Step two is stewardship of the land. The Trust is

fervent about making sure the land is healthy and that animals are getting all of the nutrients

that they need to continue breeding and populating the forest. Then, the land is used for public

recreation, such as kayaking, canoeing, and hiking. The land is also used for educational

purposes, like teaching the students of Tyner Middle School about nature.