Conservation Easement Protects Wildlife and Forests in West Nashville
Nashville-based nonprofits TennGreen Land Conservancy and Harmony Wildlife Rehabilitation Center have completed a conservation easement in West Nashville. This conservation easement will perpetually protect forestlands surrounding the Center and ensure that Harmony can continue healing and rehabilitating wildlife in need for years to come.
Nashville, TN (June 6, 2023)—TennGreen Land Conservancy announced today its completion of a conservation easement in West Nashville. This conservation easement was established in partnership with Harmony Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (“Harmony”) to protect Harmony’s lands and enable the nonprofit to continue its critical work of helping Tennessee’s native wildlife.
Harmony was founded in 1990 by Carol Burgess and, after a decade-long hiatus, was revitalized by Anastasia Kudrez, a dedicated volunteer-turned-Executive-Director. Harmony’s Animal Care Director is Laurie Campbell. Since reopening in 2022, her animal care team has cared for over 400 animals from more than 50 species, including songbirds, hawks, owls, foxes, raccoons, opossums, rabbits, squirrels, skunks, and various other wildlife.
As the Nashville metropolitan area rapidly expands, native wildlife is losing its habitat and experiencing more run-ins with humans. By helping injured or orphaned wildlife heal and then releasing them in safe, wild locations, Harmony ensures that all Tennesseans—two-legged, four-legged, or otherwise—can peacefully coexist.
Frodo’s mother was found deceased near the Harpeth River with six healthy babies still in her pouch. Under Harmony’s care, all five of Frodo’s siblings grew up to be full-sized opossums, eventually released back into the wild. However, Frodo remained exceptionally small and was not a good candidate for release, which is why Harmony applied for a special license and he now lives at the Center as its first and only education animal.
Harmony’s beloved ambassador is Frodo the opossum (Didelphis virginiana), who lives as an education animal at the Center. While Frodo’s five siblings grew to be healthy, full-size opossums, Frodo remained exceptionally small; he wasn’t a good candidate for release. Because of this, Harmony received a special license to allow Frodo to live at the Center and help teach others about Nashville wildlife.
“Thanks to TennGreen Land Conservancy, we can take comfort in the fact that some of the area’s beautiful forest is protected from development forever,” said Kudrez. “Caring for wild animals is our passion, but it’s moot if there are no places left for them to live. Harmony hopes to be a small part of the solution and inspire others to protect Tennessee’s natural beauty.”
In April 2023, Frodo made his debut at Nashville’s Sylvan Park Elementary School, helping teach a kindergarten class about North America’s only native marsupial.
The Harmony property hosts a wide variety of plant species and is able to withstand environmental stressors, but it still remains susceptible to threats. Right now, the hillside is overrun with a harmful invasive plant called amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), which puts native plants and animals at risk. Honeysuckle quickly spreads because it’s one of the first plants to grow leaves in the spring, blocking sunlight from the native plants that belong there.
Earlier this spring, during the final stages of completing the conservation easement, TennGreen Land Conservancy participated in Harmony’s “Invasive Termination” event, where volunteers utilized weed wrenches and loppers to clear the understory and create an opportunity for native flora to make a comeback. During this event, volunteers discovered several native plants on the property, including trillium, cut-leaf toothwort, sumac, spring beauty, and jack in the pulpit.
Volunteers, led by TennGreen Land Conservancy’s Maria Maring, removed invasive honeysuckle on the protected property earlier this spring.
With the completion of the conservation easement, Harmony can carry on its crucial work of healing and rehabilitating wildlife in Nashville, with the peace of mind that its forests will stay a safe haven for those that call them home. Though the property remains privately owned, the finalized conservation easement ensures its rich forests will be protected forever, even if ownership changes.
“It’s always a joy to collaborate with conservation-minded landowners,” said Kristen Hanratty, TennGreen Land Conservancy’s Conservation Project Manager. “Anastasia’s goals for the Harmony property directly aligned with our ongoing efforts to protect Tennessee’s at-risk lands from unsustainable development. Bringing her vision to life with a conservation easement is a unique achievement in Nashville’s urban community.”
Pictured left to right: Kristen Hanratty (TennGreen), Anastasia Kudrez (Harmony), and Alice Hudson Pell (TennGreen) outside TennGreen Land Conservancy’s office after finalizing the conservation easement.
Conservation easements are voluntary, legal agreements that are extremely tailorable to a landowner’s vision for their land. Whether the landowner wants to protect their family farm from encroachment; establish trails on their land for public or private enjoyment; preserve historic areas, wildlife areas, or something else; conservation easements are a helpful tool. Essentially, they grant the rights to control the development and use of a property to a land conservancy (like TennGreen Land Conservancy) that will enforce those rights forever.
“This conservation easement is a win for wildlife in Nashville, and we’re glad that Harmony chose us as a trusted partner,” said Alice Hudson Pell, TennGreen Land Conservancy’s Executive Director. “As our city continues to grow, it’s crucial we protect green space and habitat for wildlife–to maintain the delicate balance between nature and development. I hope more landowners will reach out to discuss what’s possible with a conservation easement!”
To learn more about TennGreen conservation easements, email land@tenngreen.org or call (615) 329-4441 ext. 120 today! Additional information can also be found at tenngreen.org.
About TennGreen Land Conservancy
TennGreen Land Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit and the oldest accredited statewide land conservancy in Tennessee. TennGreen’s mission is to conserve land where people and nature can thrive. Through sound science and partnerships, TennGreen identifies and conserves land across Tennessee for wildlife corridors, critical habitat, and public benefit. TennGreen protects, cares for, and connects people with Tennessee’s natural world by providing meaningful outdoor experiences, establishing conservation easements, supporting restoration efforts, and acquiring (or assisting in the acquisition of) privately held land.
About Harmony Wildlife Rehabilitation Center:
Harmony Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Middle Tennessee. Its mission is to provide care, treatment, and rehabilitation to injured or orphaned wildlife, with the goal of releasing them back into their natural habitats. Through educational programs, Harmony promotes awareness and understanding of wildlife conservation and fosters a harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife.
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