Appalachian Conservation Institute

Appalachian Conservation Institute Appalachian Conservation Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit protecting nearly 11,000 acres in Tennessee’s Little Sequatchie Cove.

05/08/2026

A sneak peek at the brand-new trail and waterfall overlook platform we’ve been working on this past month. Mark your calendars, because this trail is scheduled to open to the public on Friday, May 22nd! More details to come. 🌸

Get your General Recreation permit at the link in first comment.

There’s nothing like holding a bird in your hand. The tiny, rapid heartbeat. A wisp of a thing, really. Last Thursday, 1...
04/27/2026

There’s nothing like holding a bird in your hand. The tiny, rapid heartbeat. A wisp of a thing, really.

Last Thursday, 12 people from the community came out very early in the morning to join our bird researchers in catching, banding, and releasing birds on ACI property. This research is what informs our land management strategies. We also share this research with scientists, conservation organizations, and researchers around the world to help them make better decisions in protecting critical landscapes for bird populations.

We typically only offer one public bird-banding session each spring and fall. If you’d like to join us this fall, make sure you’re on our email list, so you’ll be the first to know when spots open up (link in first comment).

This Sunday, come hike and eat cake with us at Tate’s Point! 🍰We’ll be celebrating the birthday of the great poet laurea...
04/15/2026

This Sunday, come hike and eat cake with us at Tate’s Point! 🍰

We’ll be celebrating the birthday of the great poet laureate of Grundy County, Leonard Tate. His poetry captured the beauty of the Socumos like no one else has.

Tickets are free and the event is open to the public. Find details and tickets at link in first comment.

2026 Hunting Permits NOW AVAILABLE! Turkey hunting season opens this Saturday, April 11th. You can now get your 2026 Hun...
04/09/2026

2026 Hunting Permits NOW AVAILABLE! Turkey hunting season opens this Saturday, April 11th. You can now get your 2026 Hunting Permit for ACI property and make a reservation for Saturday. (Reservations open 3 days in advance.) Local hunters get dibs on the first week of the season.

View 2026 open hunting dates: https://aci.recaccess.com/ #/hunting-dates

Get free permit: https://aci.recaccess.com/ #/Product-List
•••
🚨 Please note: General Recreation is LIMITED to the Blue area and OHV Trails when hunting is open.

What does it look like when someone dedicates their professional life to conservation? Today, April 8th, marks 40 years ...
04/08/2026

What does it look like when someone dedicates their professional life to conservation? Today, April 8th, marks 40 years since ACI Executive Director Rick Huffines started his career as a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers back in 1986.

“Conservation is about the people,” says Rick, when he thinks back over his long career.

And, we have to agree. When Rick set out to build ACI a few years ago, he reached out to some of us he’d worked with before to kickstart the new organization.

I can only speak for myself (hi, it’s me, Hannah), but it’s been a blessing to work alongside Rick again and the amazing team he’s assembled at ACI.

I weaseled some old photos out of Rick that highlight what it means to do conservation every single workday for 40 years. “The people keep you going.”
•••
As for what’s next? Rick says:

“To quote the great Dolly Parton, ‘I ain’t dead yet.’”

Join us at we celebrate Rick today and drink a Sun Drop in his honor. ☀️

Each year on his birthday, we celebrate Leonard Tate, Grundy County’s unofficial poet laureate who passed in 1989. Tate'...
04/03/2026

Each year on his birthday, we celebrate Leonard Tate, Grundy County’s unofficial poet laureate who passed in 1989. Tate's poetry captures the beauty of the landscape that ACI works so hard to protect. His poems also remind us what a life lived close to the land can look like.

On Sunday, April 19th, we’ll read his poems and eat cake at Tate's Point (named after him!). In honor of Leonard, everyone is welcome to walk barefoot out to the Point. Leonard never owned a car, and preferred to walk barefoot for miles in the Socumos.

Join us as we celebrate this great man out on ACI property. It's all free, and everyone in the community is welcome.

Get your free ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leonard-tates-birthday-party-at-aci-tickets-1986657563251?aff=oddtdtcreator

^^This helps us know how much cake to bring 🎂

There are only 3 seasons according to ACI Executive Director Rick Huffines: 🍋‍🟩 Limin’ season🍁 Leatherin’ season🪾 Leavin...
04/01/2026

There are only 3 seasons according to ACI Executive Director Rick Huffines:

🍋‍🟩 Limin’ season
🍁 Leatherin’ season
🪾 Leavin’ season

And, today marks the first day of 🟩 LIMIN’ SEASON 🟩 says the boss.

The trees look limey, the native azaleas are in bloom. Nothing better than April on the Cumberland Plateau.

📸 credit: Matt Morrison | View from Tate’s Point

We have 10 spots available in our next FREE public bird banding session on Friday, April 24th! Great for homeschooling f...
03/23/2026

We have 10 spots available in our next FREE public bird banding session on Friday, April 24th! Great for homeschooling families and passionate local birders. This event will be worth waking up early for.

You'll walk alongside our field researchers as they check net lanes in the field, watch as they tag birds in the ACI Bird Observatory, and learn more about what the birds can tell us about our protected forests.

Date: Friday, April 24th
Meeting Time: 6:30 AM CST (please arrive promptly)

Tickets and full event details here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-public-bird-banding-at-aci-bird-observatory-tickets-1984137046317?aff=oddtdtcreator

Over 150 dogs were vaccinated in Tracy City this weekend (in just 2 hours!), as part of the free dog vaccine clinic we c...
03/17/2026

Over 150 dogs were vaccinated in Tracy City this weekend (in just 2 hours!), as part of the free dog vaccine clinic we co-hosted in partnership with Compassion Copper Canyon.

🐶🐕🐾

A huge thank you to the anonymous donor and the slew of volunteers that turned up to make this event possible!

“Can I feed y’all lunch?” One of our regular visitors to ACI property, Craig Boals, asked if he could show his appreciat...
03/14/2026

“Can I feed y’all lunch?”

One of our regular visitors to ACI property, Craig Boals, asked if he could show his appreciation for ACI by cooking lunch for the facilities crew yesterday.

The team feasted on deep-fried crappie, hush puppies, and french fries. We even had a honey bun cake that Craig's wife Stori made.

Everyone was worthless for the rest of the day, but dang, was it worth it. 🤤 Thank you, Craig and Stori!

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Tracy City, TN
37387

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