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FRIENDS has committed to purchase the Hill Tract, a 324-acre property that's home to an old-growth forest of trees more than two centuries old. We need YOU to help us raise the remaining $600,000 to finalize the purchase.
The James Stephen Turner Family Foundation has offered an extremely generous challenge grant of $300,000 IF Friends of Warner Parks can raise the equivalent amount by the end of the year.
If we can meet this challenge, we will have completed our campaign to purchase the 324-acre Hill Tract with its extraordinary old-growth forest.
To meet this match, we turn once more to our supporters for help. Many of you have helped us get this far, so it is with appreciation for what you have already done that we ask you to dig deep into your resources one more time to help us close the gap.
“We are all solicited by our favorite charities for year-end contributions — what we are asking is your consideration of putting the Friends of Warner Parks capital campaign first this year because the cause is unique and because to meet the James Stephen Turner Family Foundation’s $300,000 challenge really is imperative,” said Campaign Chair E. Warner Bass.
We cannot deed the property to Metro Parks until it is completely paid for. Make a pledge or donation today to preserve this land as a city park forever.
“There is another good reason to help meet the challenge: closing out the Campaign ends the solicitations for this purchase, and will allow us to get on with business of integrating the land into the Warner Parks. Your gifts, including pledges, by year-end will make it happen!” said Eleanor Willis, executive director of Friends.
Artist Joseph Presley is giving 30% of the proceeds from sales of his print “Meet Me at the Park” to Friends of Warner Parks to go toward meeting the challenge grant from the James S. Turner Family Foundation. Click here for more information.
We have always known that the “ancient forest” was a treasure in and of itself, but we have not known what treasures it contained until just recently. Dwayne Estes, an assistant professor of biology, descended on the 324-acre site with a group of students and other professional volunteers. They documented every single plant, tree, shrub, grass, bird and animal spotted, including this flying squirrel. It was a true BIOBLITZ, and the forest yielded up its inventory of treasures, confirming that the educational aspects of this site are both rich and unending.
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