Please direct questions to mary.roberson@freshwaterlandtrust.org or 205.417.2777.

When: Tues­day, June 5
6:40 a.m. — 8:20 a.m. (Main pub­lic appear­ances at 7:20 and 7:50 a.m.)

Where:
Benkso Park
Brookside, AL

Directions: FROM BIRMINGHAM

I-65 North to Exit 264
Exit ramp off I-65 & under the interstate and past Flying J Gas Plaza
Continue to Drive west on Daniel Payne Drive
At the 2nd traffic signal, turn right onto Coalburg Road

Drive 7 miles to a “T” intersection at Sharon Heights Baptist Church At the “T”
intersection turn right onto Brookside-Bevins Road
Drive ½ mile to old town
Brookside to 4-Way Stop
Go through 4-Way Stop—the road becomes Price Street
Drive one block on Price Street and turn left at stop sign onto Cardiff Street
Follow Cardiff Street making a 90 degree right turn at stop sign into Bensko Park

Since the mid 1990s, the Alabama Chapter of TACF has actively participated in the national program to develop blight resistant American chestnuts, with the goal of reintroducing this once-common tree into America’s eastern forests. The Chinese chestnut – blamed for having brought the blight to America in the late 19th Century – is resistant to the chestnut fungus. TACF cross breeds the few surviving American chestnuts that flower with the Chinese chestnut to capture its coveted blight resistance, and then “back-crosses” subsequent generations with pure American chestnuts to achieve the goal of a blight-resistant chestnut with true American characteristics. It takes about 30 years and six generations of breeding to develop a blight resistant American chestnut, and the Alabama breeding program is about half way to that goal.

TACF has been working with FWLT for over a year to locate an appropriate site for a large breeding orchard to support the “home” breeding orchard operated by Dr. Jimmy Maddox on the TVA Reservation in Muscle Shoals. However, most of FWLT’s existing landholdings are in streamside bottomland areas that are not suitable for American chestnut. After hearing of our difficulty, the Lannings generously offered to donate a portion of their property on Chandler Mountain for the orchard, which is ideally suited for chestnuts. The site donated by the Lannings will afford ample space for successive plantings in the future and expansion of the orchard as TACF’s scientists direct. FWLT will manage the property for conservation purposes in perpetuity, and has committed to dedicating the site to the effort to recover the American chestnut. The trees there will be monitored by FWLT and TACF staff and volunteers, and the site will be maintained by Mr. Ronald Brothers, who is a neighbor of the Lannings on Chandler Mountain and who has generously offered his help and expertise in the effort.

Once blight resistance is finally achieved at the Lanning orchard, we hope that it will serve as a major source of blight resistant seed that can be used in the reintroduction of the tree throughout its original range in Alabama.

We appreciate very much our partnership with TACF in this endeavor, and sincerely thank Joyce and Jerry Lanning for making such a wonderful gift that will have far reaching positive impacts on Alabama’s forests in the future!

When: Tuesday, May 8
6:40 a.m. — 8:20 a.m. (Main public appearances at 7:20 and 7:50 a.m.)

Where: 1973 Merryvale Road
Vestavia Hills, AL 35216

Directions/Parking:
If taking Hwy 31 S, go through Homewood, top the hill into Vestavia Hills. On the right you will pass Publix, then Red Lobster. Turn right at the 3rd traffic light after Red Lobster onto Merryvale Rd.

If taking I-65 S, take exit 252, turn left at light onto 31 N. Pass Wal-Mart on your left and turn left at the next traffic light onto Merryvale Rd.

If taking I-65 N, take exit 252, turn right onto 31 N. Pass Wal-Mart on your left and turn left at the next traffic light onto Merryvale Rd.

Please direct RSVP/questions to mary.roberson@freshwaterlandtrust.org or 205–417-2777.

We hope to see you there!

DATE:     Saturday, May 19, 2012 (rain or shine)

TIME:      Registration begins 8 a.m. Work begins at 8:30 a.m. (Free T-shirts while supplies last!) 

LOCATION:  Meet in parking lot of Tarrant Intermediate School
1 Wildcat Drive (1425 East Lake Blvd.)
Tarrant, AL 35071

DIRECTIONS: From downtown Birmingham: Take Interstate 20/59 east to the Tallapoosa Street exit (No. 128). Go north on Tallapoosa Street (AL 79) for about 2.4 miles. Turn right at East Lake Boulevard to get to the school.

Join us and Fox 6 at Red Mountain Park on Tuesday, April 24^th! This appearance is the tenth, once-a-month “Red Rock Tuesday” segment on Good Day Alabama. We have had great crowds out in Pinson, Tarrant, Homewood, Hoover, Birmingham, Gardendale, Trussville, and Clay. This week we will show you one of Birmingham’s premier parks!

When: Tuesday, April 24^th
6:40 a.m. — 8:20 a.m. (Main public appearances at 7:20 and 7:50 a.m.)

Where: Red Mountain Park
277 Lyon Lane
Birmingham, AL 35211

Directions/Parking: From I-65: Take Lakeshore Parkway headed west(toward Bessemer) for approximately 3 miles, turn right onto Frankfurt Drive and then right onto Lyon Lane. Parking will be located ahead at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Please direct RSVP/questions to mary.roberson@freshwaterlandtrust.org or 205–417-2777.

We hope to see you there!!

The event, sponsored by Regions Bank, was held at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
Elected officials, community leaders, and the public heard from Wendy Jackson
of the Freshwater Land Trust, Dr. Mark Wilson of the Jefferson County
Department, and representatives from Goodwyn Mills & Cawood. John
Cock, senior associate at ALTA Planning & Design, spoke about this plan
from a national perspective.

The Freshwater Land Trust, a member of the Health Action Partnership, received
input and community involvement from more than 3,000 people over the past 18
months and created a network of greenways, bike/pedestrian paths, and trails.
The public got a first-hand look at the completed plan and the next steps
toward implementation.

The Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System was the winning name for the “Name Our
Greenway System” contest. The name will encompass the network of trails from
the Our One Mile Greenway Master plan and be used to connect Jefferson County.

“We are thrilled to unveil the greenway master plan and the new name, ‘Red Rock
Ridge and Valley Trail System’,” Wendy Jackson said. “This is the community’s plan
and we hope that we can all work together to accomplish this plan that will improve the
environmental, economic, and social well-being of our community while also promoting
healthy lifestyles.”

The Our One Mile initiative is part of the Health Action Partnership’s efforts to reduce
the obesity rate in Jefferson County, which is more than 30 percent. Funded by
the Department of Health and Human Services, this plan gives Jefferson County
and unparalleled opportunity to connect its communities and improve residents’
health through easier access to safe routes for bicycling and walking. Greater
availability to these greenways not only makes our communities more enjoyable
to live in, but also helps increase property values, lower health care costs, attract
new business, reduce crime rates, provide tourism opportunities and improve the
environment.

For more information about the Red Rock Ridge & Valley Trail System, please go to www.redrocktrail.org.

Alabama Gives Day is supported by the Razoo Foundation, the Alabama Press Association, Alabama Giving, Intermark Group and hundreds of nonprofits in our state. Alabama Gives Day aims to make history by connecting new and existing donors with hundreds of Alabama nonprofits in just 24 hours. The Freshwater Land Trust needs your support to ensure that the citizens of our community are aware of this day of giving. Only through your support can we together make history and raise much needed funding to support numerous nonprofits located in our community! Will you please help raise awareness of Alabama Gives Day on February 2?

When: Tuesday, January 17^th  

6:40 a.m. — 8:20 a.m. (Main public appearances at 7:20 and 7:50 a.m.)

Where: Downtown YMCA
2101 4^th Ave N
Birmingham, AL 35203

Parking: The YMCA is on the corner of 21^st (Richard Arrington) and 4^th Ave N. If you are traveling north on Richard Arrington, toward 4^th Ave N, the parking deck entrance is on your right, immediately before the YMCA. We will meet in the main lobby.

Please direct RSVP/questions to heather@clarusgroup.net or 205–254-0129

We hope to see you there!

For more info: http://www.freshwaterlandtrust.org/our-one-mile

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/our1mile

Twitter — @Our1Mile

Please call Mary Elizabeth Roberson at 205–417-2777 if you have any questions.

We hope to see you there!

Are you looking for a meaningful gift for that special someone? The Freshwater Land Trust has a variety of options for your holiday shopping ranging from $9 for our specialty coffee blend to $500 for honoring someone with a bench in one of our nature preserves to $10,000 for preserving an acre for all time in someone’s name.

Over the past fifteen years, we have helped to protect over 10,000 acres of land . Not only are these places diverse and beautiful, but they also represent some of the  most precious resources in our area. These special places that matter to us all are not only critical to the work we do but with each passing day that we do not act, we could lose a piece of land that can never be replaced.

Your holiday gift will not only be a wonderful surprise to your friend or loved one but will help us “Preserve the Places That Matter” and will help to ensure that our children will be able to experience life in an Alabama that has all the natural wonders and special places that we enjoyed when we were young. You can also give a tax-deductible monetary donation to help support our work.

You can purchase your gift online through our secure paypal link (link to donate page). However, we ask that you send an email or call us with your order in addition to your paypal donation, so that we know what the gift is for and if it is an honorarium. Please call us at 205–417-2777 to place your holiday gift order or donate today!

Individual Items Under $50.00

Individual items may be gift bagged for a $2 charge & are priced as follows:

• Hat: $12
• T-shirt: $12
• Water Bottle: $15
• FWLT Blend Higher Ground Coffee: $9

Gift Basket $50.00

• FWLT Hat
• FWLT T-shirt
• FWLT Water Bottle
• FWLT Blend Higher Ground Coffee
• FWLT Removable Car Decal Sticker

Butterfly and Hummingbird Sanctuary $50.00

Honor your special loved one by sponsoring our butterfly and hummingbird sanctuary across over an acre of scenic native wildflower meadow at our El Paso Nature Preserve. Your loved one will be honored on a plaque at the site of our wildflower field and you will give the gift of preserving this special place for generations to come.

Plant a Tree $100.00

Plant a tree in our Cherry Laurel Grove along the entrance to our El Paso Nature  Preserve. Your gift will be commemorated by a plaque at the entrance to the preserve.

Canoe Trip for Two $250.00

Take a five mile canoe trip for two down the scenic Cahaba River this Spring. This all inclusive trip will last approximately three hours and will include a lovely picnic lunch. Give the gift of a truly relaxing and wonderful experience that will be remembered for many years to come.

Bench $500.00

For your gift, you can donate a unique and beautiful bench created by Father Nature Landscapes at one of our nature preserves. The benches will be throughout the special places we protect and will have a plaque commemorating your gift.

Preserve an Acre $2,500 — $10,000

You can preserve land in honor of a friend, colleague, or family member — a meaningful and wonderful way to recognize someone who deserves it. In return for this symbolic gift, your honoree will not only help permanently protect land in their honor, but they will also receive a stunningly beautiful commemorative Beth Maynor Young print. Gift levels are $2,500 for ¼ acre, $5,000 for ½ acre, and $10,000 for one acre.