April 25, 2024 |
The My TN State Park Fundraiser is an annual event that allows people to donate to vote for their favorite Tennessee state park. Since the fundraiser’s inception in 2021, donations have funded significant improvements in park facilities and visitor experiences, including improved trails, new educational programs, and support for wildlife ambassadors. Below, you can find out how your favorite park has been putting donations to work.
Donations have been used to add interpretive waysides that provide information about Affricanna Town, a community where newly emancipated African Americans asserted their new-found freedom in 1864, as well as the history of those who were enslaved at Dunbar Cave prior to the war.
Donations have been used to update trails side display, and help purchase a new pontoon boat, various maintenance tools, and supplies for historic interpretation programs. Ranger-led pontoon boat rides are a favorite activity among park visitors!
Donations have been used to assist with interpretive projects, purchase food for birds of prey, support educational programs and displays, expand the cornel nest-watch based nest box program, purchase tools for trail-maintenance, expand the park's virtual programs using 360 footage and support the development of an interpretation center.
Donations have been used to complete the park’s outdoor classroom.
Donations have been used to purchase an Apertura AD10 Dobsonian 10" Telescope and has begun offering extremely popular astronomy programs to the public.
Donations have been used to acquire a solar telescope for Youth Education Outreach and other astronomy-based programs, replica animal pelts and skulls for interpretive programs, and tools and building materials for a historic restoration effort on an original CCC structure in the park's cabin area. Funds have also been used to purchase trail building tools to improve and construct trails.
Donations have been used to add new display cases to the park's museum exhibits and purchase food for the park’s wildlife ambassadors.
Donations have been used to purchase seeds and landscaping timbers for 17 flower beds in the park's native/butterfly garden.
Donations have been used to purchase new beekeeping equipment.
Donations have been used to add new plants and signage in the park’s interpretive English herb garden.
Donations from the 2022 My TN State Park Fundraiser were used to support the addition of gravel, plants and mulch within the park’s butterfly garden.
Donations have been used to purchase native grass seed, plants for the establishment of a native meadow at the park and a raised butterfly garden.
Donations have been used to purchase seed and fertilizer for planting a pollinator field at the park entrance to help the park’s honeybees and to support the renovation of the park aviary.
Donations have been used to remove five acres of invasive privet around the park.
Donations have been used to plant zinnia fields at the park’s Bluebird Barn and the Swallows at the Window Barn and support the addition of an ADA accessible Bird Blind.
Donations have been used to enhance a sitting area adjacent to the pollinator garden with a concrete floor and butterfly benches and to care for the park’s animal ambassador.
Donations have been used to repair the parking area fencing at Window Cliffs State Natural Area.
Donations have been used to add new ADA accessible swings for the park playgrounds.
Donations have been used to purchase new park benches for the Flat Fork Story Book Trail, trail maintenance equipment, and multimedia equipment to advertise park features.
Donations have been used to purchase benches at the park’s Aviary and native wildflowers/grasses for meadow restoration in storm damaged areas.
Donations have been used to add and repair kiosks and miscellaneous park signage.
Donations have been used to purchase lumber for replacement of rotted handrails at the park’s Barbara J. Mapp Aviary Education Center and support the installation of a wheelchair accessible color viewfinder.
Donations have been used to build and upgrade the park’s Blacksmith Shop exhibit.
Donations have been used to complete several projects at the Miller Farmstead, purchase trail tools and lumber for trail work, add a tree display inside the park museum and purchase food for the park's wildlife ambassadors.
Donations have been used to purchase additional pet waste disposal stations, displays and interpretive items for the park’s nature center and native landscaping seeds and supplies.
Donation have been used to upgrade educational exhibits in the park museum.
Donations have been used to purchase materials to fabricate PVC headstones used to mark all known graves in the African Methodist Cemetery.
Donations have been used to purchase & install historically accurate windows for the Rice Gristmill and help support the park’s holiday event.
Donations have been used to support restoration needs at the park’s 1859 General store.
Donations have been used to replace two trail bridges on the Volunteer and Day Loop trail, install new interpretive displays and build a bridge on Bryant Grove Trail.
Donations have been used for hiking trail maintenance and purchasing and planting native pollinator plants to support the park’s honeybees.
Donations have been used to purchase materials for a new wooden staircase on the trail to Greeter Falls.
Donations have been used to purchase aviary supplies, park maintenance equipment, program materials, boat dock operational equipment and a sound system for seasonal programmers.
Donations have been used to build a large extension onto the bird of prey enclosures. This effort has provided an added layer of safety as well as an area to do wellness care and respite for the birds. The park also used funds to purchase a sawmill and interpretive displays around the water wheel.
Donations have been used to construct a bird rehabilitation building and build new birds of prey aviaries.
Donations have been used to provide food for the park's wildlife ambassadors.
Donations have been used to build a new raptor enclosure.
Cast a vote for your favorite Tennessee state park in this year's My TN State Park Fundraiser. Voting ends April 30th.
Tennessee State Parks
