One of the largest sinkholes you’ll find anywhere sits high atop the Cumberland Plateau. Covering about five square miles, Grassy Cove is a beautiful valley ringed by mountains like Brady, Black and Bear Den. Known for it’s karst topography, created when water dissolves rocks like limestone, the area is filled with caves and underground streams, fragile ecosystems vulnerable to pollution. It is a place of picturesque natural beauty, seemingly untouched by the hand of progress…a bit of a hidden world in our own backyard. But many fear the mountain fortress surrounding this special place can no longer defend it from development. That’s why folks with the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation are spearheading an effort to protect this area from timber cutting and subdivisions…answering a call to conservation first voiced by farmers, who want their kids, grandkids and great grandkids to be able to know and love the same valley they grew up in.
So far just over 750 thousand dollars have been raised of the 2.2 million needed to complete the project. While the Foundation is hopeful they will meet the goal, there is a sense of urgency surrounding the effort, since they only have about six months to raise the needed funds. You can learn more about Grassy Cove and the work being done to preserve it on the Tennessee Parks & Greenways website.
We call on the public to make a difference. That’s how this is being achieved. People getting out their check book, confident in our work, saying, “Yes, this is what I believe in; this is the legacy that I want to leave for my kids and future generations.” And we’re very grateful for everyone that makes a gift, regardless of the level.” — Steve Walsh, TN Parks & Greenways Foundation
From show 3010
