Maclellan Island Expedition
Chattanooga is full of wildlife and plants. We
have a large range of habitats—from the Appalachian Mountain Range to the
Tennessee Valley River. In fact, in the heart of Chattanooga there is an island
dedicated to preserve wildlife: Maclellan Island. Imagine hiking through a majestic,
tall grove of trees, looking up at a luscious canopy dappled with sunlight.
Water laps up onto your toes as you sit on the beach, and all is quiet except
for the sound of a lone bird’s call in the morning sun. Tranquil, isn’t it?
That’s what The Audubon Society of Chattanooga thought when they received the land from Mr.
Maclellan, a man who believed the piece of land should be used to keep
endangered wildlife species safe. (Once, the land was used by Indians to as an extension of Citico village and likely used to process buffalos, but that’s another story).
The area was perfect to keep these animals safe, and worked well for respectful campers. The Audubon Society built multiple beautiful campsites to house anyone who wanted to track the rare birds or learn about the other wildlife, as well as a very nice bathroom. Fast forward to September 2018—when the air is starting to get a little crisp and Chattanoogans start to inhale Starbuck’s warm Pumpkin Lattes. The day we visited, a person could not walk through the trees and follow trails to beautiful unknown destinations. Why? Because the trails are overgrown with invasive species as well as downed trees. This makes it a wonderful haven for wildlife and a nice green space close to town but it is a little tricky for people during mosquito and poison ivy season.
If you want to camp you can get permission on the Chattanooga Audubon website, but you will have to be willing to camp in a primitive campsite as the improvements have somewhat fallen into disrepair. I personally think that the Bathroom would be great in the next horror movie: Overgrown. Why was once an oasis for wildlife and those who want to know about it now look like The Maze Runner and The Matrix had a love child? Because its location makes it difficult to maintain. The non-profit Audubon Society of Chattanooga is located at Audubon Acres near Hamilton place mall and they have a small staff. No one is on the island day-to-day to really know about the current state of the island. However, the Tucker River Fellows would like to help out with this endeavor. Kayla, a Junior at Girls Preparatory School, has gotten a small start on this by working on new signs for Maclellan Island, using laser printing to etch a welcome sign to all travelers.
We hope to help maintain Maclellan island as a means to teach future generations about the beautiful and endangered wildlife in Chattanooga, and around the world.
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| Praying mantis on ironweed |
The area was perfect to keep these animals safe, and worked well for respectful campers. The Audubon Society built multiple beautiful campsites to house anyone who wanted to track the rare birds or learn about the other wildlife, as well as a very nice bathroom. Fast forward to September 2018—when the air is starting to get a little crisp and Chattanoogans start to inhale Starbuck’s warm Pumpkin Lattes. The day we visited, a person could not walk through the trees and follow trails to beautiful unknown destinations. Why? Because the trails are overgrown with invasive species as well as downed trees. This makes it a wonderful haven for wildlife and a nice green space close to town but it is a little tricky for people during mosquito and poison ivy season.
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| Trailside privet (an invasive shrub) |
If you want to camp you can get permission on the Chattanooga Audubon website, but you will have to be willing to camp in a primitive campsite as the improvements have somewhat fallen into disrepair. I personally think that the Bathroom would be great in the next horror movie: Overgrown. Why was once an oasis for wildlife and those who want to know about it now look like The Maze Runner and The Matrix had a love child? Because its location makes it difficult to maintain. The non-profit Audubon Society of Chattanooga is located at Audubon Acres near Hamilton place mall and they have a small staff. No one is on the island day-to-day to really know about the current state of the island. However, the Tucker River Fellows would like to help out with this endeavor. Kayla, a Junior at Girls Preparatory School, has gotten a small start on this by working on new signs for Maclellan Island, using laser printing to etch a welcome sign to all travelers.
We hope to help maintain Maclellan island as a means to teach future generations about the beautiful and endangered wildlife in Chattanooga, and around the world.
