Lockeland Springs Park
Located in the East Nashville neighborhood of Lockeland Springs, Lockeland Springs Park is a small but beloved forested natural space. TennGreen Land Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land (TPL), and the Lockeland Springs Neighborhood Association rallied to raise $1.6 million in six months to acquire an adjacent four-acre property, expanding the Park and protecting its natural features.
Established in 2010, this unique Metro Park is nestled in a deep, wooded valley. Its springs and sparkling stream flow year-round, attracting animals of many kinds. Deer, turkey, frogs, hawks, salamanders, turtles, woodpeckers, butterflies, crayfish, aquatic snails, owls, raccoons, foxes, and chipmunks live in the valley, and this tract serves as their primary biological reserve. Paths run through the woods along the stream, cross bridges, and lead to outdoor classroom areas. The land’s varied topography—stream bed, banks, undeveloped slopes, and hilltops—currently offers food, shelter, water, and cover to numerous species of animals and plants. Renowned for its water quality by early Nashvillians, Lockeland Springs evoked the timeless importance of sheltered coves across generations.
For many years, a family who lived out-of-state owned the adjacent property, totaling five acres of land. They wished to sell the land to developers, intending to make a subdivision of the property. This type of development would have detrimental effects on the water quality and wildlife that inhabit the land, destroying the natural values that make this pocket park unique. Over the years, the Lockeland Springs Neighborhood Association approached several conservation groups to protect the land. However, the out-of-state owners marketed the property well above the appraised value, rendering the acquisition infeasible.
Tennessee’s March 2020 tornado destroyed much of the Lockeland Springs neighborhood and the Park. Days after the tornado hit, the COVID-19 pandemic became a global emergency. As neighbors endured the lockdown, they turned to nature like never before—for fresh air, exercise, meditation, solace, and a much-needed break from the stresses of a quickly changing world. With Lockeland Springs Park closed indefinitely, these neighbors began to venture onto the privately-owned land adjacent to the Park. It quickly became a secret garden, a place of respite, and a sanctuary for neighbors seeking socially distant time in nature. A new footpath was carved along the stream by residents trekking through the dense forest to experience nature’s physical and mental health benefits.
The Lockeland Springs Neighborhood Association demonstrated its commitment to the conservation of this property in a number of ways:
- by engaging with conservation groups, including TennGreen and TPL;
- by planting ~350 new trees with the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps;
- and by its faithful stewardship of the land while the (former) out-of-state owners neglected it.
In 2021, the adjacent parcel owners sold it to a couple from Chicago, Illinois. Luckily, the new landowners valued conservation and public access to natural areas, having a plan to retain 1.4 acres, renovate the home on the property, and sell the remaining 3.9 acres to a conservation group. Upon learning this, The Lockeland Springs Neighborhood Association reached out to TPL, who assisted in fundraising and acquiring the land to convey to Metro Nashville Parks. TennGreen also assisted the partners in fundraising and now holds a conservation easement on the property—protecting it forever.
Now that this unique oasis has been saved from development, the property will serve as a spruce, well-maintained destination for Nashvillians to enjoy the outdoors.