Dr. Bernie Kuhajda, an Aquatic Conservation Biologist at the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute (TNACI), speaks about the critically endangered Laurel Dace. The small minnow is only found in three streams along Walden Ridge, and nowhere else in the world. TNACI rescued the last remaining population during a historical drought in the summer of 2024, and the fight to save the species is ongoing.
Fertile Land
Filmed and edited by Moses Malone
Melissa Shepherd, Head of Operations at Quail Run Farm in Chattanooga, Tennessee, speaks on the farm’s regenerative practices and gives back to the soil. With an abundance of animals, locally grown produce, and honey—all cultivated with sustainable practices—Quail Run Farm is both a bustling ecosystem and a hospitable, working community.
Growing for Change
Filmed and edited by Kara Newstreet
Cash Daniels, a 16-year-old conservationist, offers insight into his efforts to clean up plastic waste by focusing on fishing line. With his initiative now operating in six states, Daniels has garnered national attention and accolades for his projects and hopes to continue raising awareness about plastic waste clean-up.
Chattanooga, the First National Park City in North America
Filmed and edited by Kayelyn McCaslin
Tim Kelly, Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, speaks about the city becoming the first National Park City in the Americas. Chattanooga earned the title on April 3rd, 2025, after over two years of community effort. Also known as the “Scenic City,” Chattanooga is renowned for its proximity to the outdoors and strong sense of community.
Audio Stories:
Saving a Species, One Sample at a Time
Produced by Mackenzie Sweat
Ben Holt, a Lead Scientist for Environmental Research at The Baylor School in Chattanooga, speaks on his experience working with the Laurel Dace. In March 2023, Holt took three of his students with the Tennessee Conservation Institute to Bumbee Creek at Walden Ridge to collect Environmental DNA samples to determine if the species inhabits the creek. Holt shares how his students were overwhelmed with emotion seeing the endangered fish for the first time, and expresses the importance of conservation and saving declining fish populations.
Grown with Love
Produced by Angelina Fraga
Seth Shaffer is a small-scale American farmer in Cleveland, Tennessee. His family’s garden expanded every time they moved to eventually become Red Clay Farm, a certified organic and GMO-free vegetable farm. Shaffer explains his family’s reasoning behind their sustainable practices and describes the different ways the small American farm profits. He is a proud player in an industry that has rooted the growth of the America we know today.
Mother Nature
Produced by Everett Christiansen
Erin Daniels describes her experience bringing up Cash Daniels, a 16-year-old conservationist who strives for a sustainable future and the preservation of freshwater ecosystems. She explains her role in Cash’s project, Lines of Hope, and her journey raising a son who wants to make a change. Daniels encourages other parents to help their children explore ways in which they can make a difference in the world.
The Future of the First National Park City in America
Produced by Malcolm Key
Daniel Raven-Ellison is the founder of the National Park City movement, a foundation that focuses on highlighting cities that have earned distinction in an effort to become healthier, greener, and wilder. Gail Loveland-Braille, director of Outdoor Chattanooga, plays a key role in Chattanooga’s era of progression by working with government and community groups to help people integrate the outdoors into their daily lives. Raven-Ellison and Loveland-Braille explain what a National Park City means and what the future holds for the first NPC in the Americas.
