The Lula Lake Land Trust: efforts toward conservation stewardship
The Lula Lake Land Trust seeks to protect the natural beauty and abundant resources within the Rock Creek Watershed.
Lula Lake and Falls are located in the Lookout Mountain area. Originally, a man by the name of Robert M. Davenport began to acquire pieces of property, which included two natural features: Lula Lake and Lula Falls.
Mining, timber harvesting, and garbage dumping left the land bare of its beauty and value, which gave Davenport the idea to amass several hundred acres over time. In his will, he stated that he wished to establish a program called the Lula Lake Land Trust, which, according to lulalake.org, “would protect the resources and beauty in the area for the benefit of present and future generations by fostering educations, research, and conservation stewardship.”
Davenport had spoken with his loved ones about long-term preservation goals and biological research in the area. By the time he passed away in 1994, he had acquired over 1,200 acres surrounding Lula Lake. Since then, the Land Trust has increased protection within the watershed to over 8,000 acres.
Today, the Land Trust promotes sound conservation principles and practices. They monitor the ecosystem, offer education about preservation, and work with neigh- boring landowners to protect the natural character of the area. For this reason, it is only open to the general public on the first and last weekends of each month. These hours and dates can vary by season. They offer several educational opportunities, such as field trips and group visits, lessons in water quality, phenology, and invasive species, and they incorporate educational scavenger hunts.
Lula Lake is also involved deeply with outdoor recreation. Between 2007-2017, they built 60 miles of recreational trails for hiking, mountain biking, trail running, and horseback riding.
To schedule a field trip or official group visit, email their Environmental Educator and Volunteer Coordinator, Kathryn, at vista@lulalake.org.