One important aspect of FLC’s work is establishing relationships with landowners to ensure their land conservation wishes are honored in perpetuity, while also partnering with other organizations over several years to turn innovative ideas for properties into real places for public use.

Collier Preserve is this type of project. In 2015, Dr. Robert Collier and his wife Louise placed a conservation easement with FLC on 12 acres of their property, in the community of Powell in Knox County. About six years later in 2021, the “Stella Moore Collier Preserve,” named after Robert’s grandmother, was officially opened. The property was donated for public use to Legacy Parks Foundation, who managed the project to create a low-impact park with walking trails and a connection to Knoxville area greenways.

This public park offers an island of habitat in the middle of an urban setting, adjacent to the Powell branch of the public library and near Emory Road. It is an oasis for wildlife, with mature trees and shrubs offering plentiful seasonal food, nesting sites and cover for animals and both migratory and resident birds. It also includes access to scenic Beaver Creek, an important year-round water source for fish, waterfowl, amphibians, and aquatic arthropods. For human visitors, Collier Preserve includes a kayak rest stop, an ADA walkway, a storybook trail, a native plants garden, arboretum, and birding platform – all in a tranquil setting that brings people into nature to observe wildlife or simply get outside.

The location complements the larger Beaver Creek Water Trail initiative that aims to protect and restore the naturally functioning ecosystem of the creek. The topography of this park provided a unique challenge as parts of the property can flood with the creek’s rise and fall, so specific designs and materials were chosen to be able to withstand the flooding. Trees Knoxville (and many volunteers) planted dozens of native trees like redbuds, dogwoods, and sweetgums. Professional staff across organizations (again, with generous volunteer assistance) spent hours removing trash and invasive plants. Today, Knox County Master Gardeners maintain and add native species plantings, while eradicating invasive species.

FLC staff continues to ensure that the conservation value of the property remains intact, while also allowing for park features that coexist seamlessly to enhance the overall experience. Projects like Collier Preserve can take some time to plan, build, and realize – but they’re worth the wait! It’s been our honor to help conserve special pieces of land that ultimately return to public use.