Thrive Celebrates “Pride of Place” at 2025 Natural Treasures Stewardship Forum

This year, the Natural Treasures Stewardship Forum highlighted the region’s legacy of place-based conservation and outdoor recreation initiatives that enhance quality of life.
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Dalton, GA: Thrive Regional Partnership (Thrive) hosted its annual Natural Treasures Stewardship Forum, presented by Chattanooga Gas and the Lyndhurst Foundation. 

Hosted on April 25 at Dalton State College, the event welcomed stakeholders across sectors, state, and county lines, to share and understand the economic and social value of planning and investing in place-based conservation efforts that preserve the region’s unique communities.

The Natural Treasures Stewardship Forum featured several speakers on investing in conservation of natural spaces, and planning for community resilience. Panels and speakers included:

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Pride of Place: The Value of Investing in Place and Nature, featuring

• Alex Green, Rhea ECD Executive Director
• Dr. Andrew Bailey, UC Foundation Professor at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
• Mike Cameron, Georgia State Representative for District 1
• Jared Carter, Executive Director at North Alabama Trails & Recreation
• Rick Huffines, Executive Director of the Appalachian Conservation Institute

Planning for Resilience: Understanding Place and Future Potential, featuring

• Nathaniel Bankhead, Permaculture Consultant and owner of Wild Violet Permaculture
• Ben Kern, Associate Planner, MKSK
• Heidi Hefferlin, Founder and Managing Partner, HK Architects
• Joel Houser, Director of Capital Grants at Open Space Institute
• Stephen Bontekoe, Executive Director, Limestone Valley RC&D Council

Throughout the event, speakers underscored the importance of thoughtful decision-making and data monitoring to ensure the natural environment continues to provide a high-quality of life for residents in greater Chattanooga.

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Research from the Cradle of Southern Appalachia data dashboard shows that:

• 1.4 million acres in the 16-county, tri-state region are highly suitable for conservation to preserve community health, resilience, and recreation economy.
• About 13% of the tri-state region, is protected, according to the Cradle of Southern Appalachia data dashboard.
• Nearly 2,450 miles of streams in the tri-state are considered impaired by the Environmental Protection Agency’s 303d standards, according to the Cradle of Southern Appalachia data dashboard. Primary causes for stream impairment include agricultural management practices and municipal discharge/sewer

The Natural Treasures Stewardship Forum is a cornerstone event of Thrive’s Natural Treasures Alliance, a collective of organizations and individuals that work together to ensure a legacy of the region’s landscape, including its natural, scenic, and nature-based cultural and recreational assets. About thirty-two organizations from across the tri-state have signed a declaration of support for coordinated land stewardship in the region.