Possum Trot Waters
In 2017, TennGreen Land Conservancy partnered with Glenn & Holland McConnell to protect 115 acres known as Possum Trot Waters with a conservation easement. In 2023, the McConnells added another 115 acres into the Possum Trot Waters conservation easement, protecting 230 acres total.
Possum Trot Waters lies along Whites Creek—a natural treasure that runs along the edge of the Cumberland Plateau in east Tennessee and is home to many rare and unique species. The amended conservation easement protects an additional mile along Whites Creek, which is home to the Tennessee dace (Chrosomus tennesseensis). The land along Whites Creek on Possum Trot Waters also hosts Eastern Hemlock trees (Tsuga canadensis).
In addition to the McConnells’ generosity in donating the easement, this project was completed through funding from the Open Space Institute’s Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund, which catalyzes land protection along the Appalachian Mountain range—an area that is home to the world’s largest broadleaf forest, stores most of the nation’s forest carbon, and provides essential refuge for plants and animals at risk of habitat loss from climate change. The Fund is made possible thanks to major support from the Doris Duke Foundation and additional funding from the Lyndhurst Foundation, Riverview Foundation, Footprint Foundation, the McKee Family, and other private foundations.
Click here to read about Whites and Piney Creek Gorges, a nearby property protected by another TennGreen conservation easement.
We’re delighted that Glenn and Holland have, again, entrusted us to protect and uphold the conservation values of this remarkable property. Their gift—the specific land-use rights that they’re giving to TennGreen—will be appreciated and celebrated forever. Whites Creek is such an incredible place, and we’re honored to work with the caretakers of this land for generations to come. And we’re deeply grateful for our long-time partner, the Open Space Institute, for providing the necessary funds to make this project happen.