North Alabama Land Trust moves forward with nature center, greenway
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Image: Courtesy of City of Huntsville
The North Alabama Land Trust is moving ahead with several marquee projects, including the Nature Discovery Center and Tollgate Greenway.
Why it matters: The Land Trust is expanding residents' opportunities to experience and learn about North Alabama's distinct natural environment.
Zoom in: At a council president forum last week, Marie Bostick, executive director, talked about ongoing and upcoming Land Trust efforts, including the Nature Discovery Center, which she said will serve as the area's hub for outdoor recreation and conservation education.
- "If you want to know the best place to take a 3-year-old or if you want to know where the best place to go kayaking is ... we'll have people here that can answer those questions," she said.
- The 10,000-square-foot facility is being constructed at the Hickory Cove Nature Preserve, established in 2023 after the donation of 144 acres in central Huntsville by Concord Land Development.
By the numbers: The facility is expected to cost around $15 million, and fundraising has secured around 72%, Caroline Kennedy, capital campaign and major gifts director, tells Axios Huntsville.
- Work is expected to start in January 2027, she adds.
- "What makes this endeavor so special is it is truly place-based learning; everything will be entirely flora, fauna and geologic formations native to North Alabama," Kennedy said.
Another project high on The Land Trust's priority list is the Tollgate Greenway, a paved greenway that roughly follows Bankhead Parkway up Monte Sano and is set to break ground in the next two months, Kennedy said.
- Bostick said the path will connect the old Bankhead Parkway with the Land Trust's current Bankhead parking lot, offering a safer and more accessible option than the road itself.
- "If you have trouble with rocks or roots or things like that, this would give you a smooth surface to be able to experience that type of environment," she said.