The Breakfast Club

Description

Join us for our regional event series, "The Breakfast Club," designed to bring together regional leaders and stakeholders to discuss topics vital to the enhancement and development of the West Tennessee region. 

Featured Speaker: Laurel Creech, State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee
Topic: Local Multi-benefit Floodplain Restoration and Conservation Projects
 
In 2018, the Nature Conservancy in Tennessee (TNC), in partnership with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and WTRBA, acquired over 1,000 acres of land in the heart of West Tennessee that established what is now Middle Fork Bottoms State Park. Middle Fork Bottoms State Park offers a unique blend of rich history and natural beauty. Spanning approximately 860 acres, this park was transformed from a heavily damaged and eroded floodplain into a thriving habitat restoration project. Originally managed by the West Tennessee River Basin Authority (WTRBA), the park boasts 250,000 newly planted hardwood trees, over 200 acres of restored wetlands, and two miles of revitalized streams.
 
In 2025, just south of the City of Jackson, The Nature Conservancy along with The Conservation Fund assisted in the acquisition of an over 1000-acre tract of land for a South Fork Forked Deer River watershed project. The property is now owned by the State of Tennessee and managed by the WTRBA – providing floodplain restoration efforts on this property, which will include river and stream channel reconstruction and stabilization, and bottomland hardwood forest restoration. Similar to the Middle Fork Bottoms project, the intention is for this property to be open to the public and have some level of infrastructure for access and recreation in the future. 

About Laurel Creech:
As the State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee, Laurel leads a talented staff focused on long lasting land, water and biodiversity conservation in the Volunteer state. In her role, Laurel cultivates relationships with donors, trustees and partners representing the government, business, academic, philanthropic and non-profit sectors. She also provides leadership for fundraising and advocacy initiatives that support TNC’s local, regional and global priorities.

Read more about Laurel

About The Nature Conservancy:
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 83 countries and territories (39 by direct conservation impact and 44 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. 

Read more about The Nature Conservancy