Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center recently released an updated website + new vision called “Framework for the Future.”

The multi-year plan — which includes input from over 800 staff and board members, volunteers, nearby residents + community members — is focused on making the nature center a regional leader in environmental education, conservation, and land stewardship.

Fast facts

The plans + changes won’t make membership costs go up, at least not anytime soon.
The Framework calls for greater accessibility through a multi-modal path throughout the campus that would be accessible to strollers, wheelchairs, and other conveyances (plus, the possibility of electric carts).
The Framework will take roughly a decade to be fully completed.

The framework’s 4 objectives

Restore and steward the ecological integrity of the region’s native habitats
Promote ecological literacy in Chattanooga’s diverse communities through hands-on experiences
Cultivate an inclusive + accessible environment that promotes physical and mental well-being for all
Plan for sustainable growth + anticipate change

Rendering of the Wildlife Center | Photo provided

What’s to come

An immersive entrance to a new visitor center with views of Lookout Mountain and connections to a trail network + education and programming throughout the 300-acre site
A focus on restorating key native plant communities throughout the site—including grasslands, endangered prairies, pine savannas, wet meadows, and more. Seeds and cuttings for these efforts will be sourced directly from the new, on-site native plant nursery + restoration will be integrated into educational programs
An expanded nursery located next to the new visitor center offering space for education, group gathering, receptions, and sales + plant propagation.
A new canopy walk that will raise the existing boardwalk above the projected flood levels of Lookout Creek
A wayfinding system that transforms the existing trail network into a system of “thematic loops”
Digital tools to allow educators + visitors to conduct crowd-sourced monitoring of the landscapes