The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee - Take a Virtual Tour of a Preserve

Welcome to Tennessee! Click on any image below to experience a three dimensional view of a few of Tennessee's most fabulous natural attractions! These incredible photographs were taken by Byron Jorjorian.
1. Hatchie River In West Tennessee, the Hatchie River's floods support the most extensive bottomland hardwood forest left in the region. One of the longest unchannelized rivers remaining in the lower Mississippi River Valley, the Hatchie River continues to spill over its banks to flood roughly 138,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forests. This still-intact natural flooding process sustains a tremendous assemblage of life, including the paddlefish, alligator snapping turtle, and many other rare species that have declined across their range.		2. Duck River Winding 269 miles through the heart of Middle Tennessee, the Duck River is noted in The Nature Conservancy's "Rivers of Life" as the number two aquatic hot spot in the country for its 33 at-risk fish and mussel species. Overall, the Duck River is home to 54 species of mussels and 151 fish species. Few rivers on Earth can equal such biological riches, and few opportunities exist anywhere else in the world to protect such a wide and wonderful array of freshwater creatures.
3. Clinch River Kyle's Ford Preserve, in Hancock County in East Tennessee, is a shallow section of the Clinch River containing 35 mussel species. The Clinch River sustains 48 imperiled and vulnerable species, 39 varieties of rare mussels and 19 species of fish. In addition, at least 50 globally rare cave animals, including beetles, spiders, flies and other insects inhabit a network of some 1,250 caves beneath the preserve.		4. Orchard Bog Located in the lush Shady Valley of East Tennessee, Orchard Bog is a remnant of a once vast peatland community whose roots extend back to the world's last Ice Age. Sheltered by the encompassing southern Appalachian Mountains, the Valley managed to retain characteristics and unique natural assemblages that are now known only to more northerly environments. A rare but exceptional example of the natural history of Tennessee, Orchard Bog Preserve provides a glimpse into our past while at the same time confirming that these glimpses are now very few and far between.
5. Schoolyard Springs In October 1998, The Nature Conservancy acquired Schoolyard Springs in Shady Valley, one of our most unique properties. What makes Schoolyard Springs unusual is its sandy, seemingly bottomless upwelling. Before the valley was channelized, Beaverdam Creek snaked along the valley floor, leaving seasonally wet areas in its path. Schoolyard Springs is believed to be a remnant of an earlier creek meander. Its wetness provides excellent habitat for the state endangered Gray's Lily (Lilium grayi) and many other plants and animals.