Lula Lake Outlook: The Importance of Volunteers, Autumn Race at Lula Lake, and More!

Make a Difference by Volunteering at Lula Lake

Lula Lake Land Trust is a nonprofit organization. Community support is pivotal, whether it be through monetary donations or donated time. You can make a gift to Lula Lake and see how it makes an impact by clicking here. If you're curious how you can take your support to the next level, gracious volunteers are a tremendous resource in helping us achieve our mission of conservation, education, and low impact recreation.

How can you help Lula Lake? As a nonprofit, Lula Lake naturally depends on help from the public who believe in our efforts. We have opportunities available all throughout the year! Our Open Gate Days volunteers help us with parking assistance and checking-in hikers; our Docent volunteers also provide Lula Lake educational explanations to our visitors. Trail Work volunteers are being recruited to assist in completing the 15 miles of new trails known as the Durham. Special Event volunteers help us pull-off our signature Lula Lake fundraisers such as Hike Bike Brew, Tails & Trails, Trail Blazer, and more. Educational volunteers with a special skill set aid our educational programming in environmental science, botany, water quality testing, or history of the area.

One of the main benefits of volunteering is having access to the beautiful Core Preserve based on logged hours and permission. Volunteers are awarded an afternoon of hiking at our Core Preserve for 20 hours, a campout for 40 hours, and an annual pass for 100 hours. Full details on volunteer incentives can be found online by clicking here. Please contact our Community Engagement Coordinator, Daniel Roberts, with any questions you may have about volunteering. He can be reached at daniel@lulalake.org or 706-820-0520, Ext. 2.

Discover More and Volunteer

Gracious volunteers are a tremendous resource in helping Lula Lake achieve our mission of conservation, education, and low impact recreation. We chatted with Brian (pictured with Shelia, another Lula Lake volunteer, and their dog Nala) about his experiences with our volunteer program.

How long have you been volunteering at Lula Lake?
It’s been a little over a year since I started volunteering with my girlfriend Sheila. Sheila had been a volunteer in the past, and we thought it would be something we could enjoy doing together.

What made you want to volunteer?
Sheila and I first met on a hike at Lula Lake. We both loved nature and being outdoors, and we hit it off immediately. Lula Lake is a very special place for both of us. Not only in the beauty of the landscape but also the memory of our first meeting. It just seemed natural to want to volunteer at the place we both loved.

What is your favorite memory of volunteering at Lula Lake?
I would have to say Hike Bike Brew! It’s just an awesome event! Grilling around 400 hotdogs for the last one was an adventure, but I had a blast. I think I’m slowly but surely becoming the grill master of Lula Lake.

What is your favorite thing about volunteering?
My favorite thing about volunteering is seeing how happy the property and events we hold make our visitors. It warms the heart and soul. The visitors are always grateful you are there to help.

What does Lula Lake mean to you?
It means giving back to nature and the community we live in but most of all it’s a place where I feel at peace. My little sanctuary away from the busy world we live in. Not that some events aren’t very busy but it’s an entirely different type of busy and I love it.

Any advice to hopeful volunteers who want to get involved?
If you love being outdoors in nature and love seeing people happy then give Lula Lake a try. We have different tasks from small to large for everyone who wants to help keep this place special, and all it takes is a little bit of your free time.

Full details on available volunteer positions and how to signup can be viewed online by click here.

Trail Work Volunteer Spotlight:

United Way of Greater Chattanooga celebrated 100 years of supporting our community, and their organization held an event called “Day of Caring” for corporate partners to volunteer with many local nonprofit organizations. On September 16^th and 17^th, they brought thousands of volunteers together for Impact Days!

Lula Lake was chosen to be a recipient of this crucial volunteer help. On Friday, September 16, our Assistant Land Manager Mason led a group of Covenant Logistics employees for a trail work project. These hard working volunteers assisted with new construction for a multi-use trail. The project consisted of using hand tools to dig a new trail that is approximately 1-mile long, and while the work involved was tough, the volunteers had a great experience! We are so grateful for Covenant Logistics assisting us in the hard work of trail building and putting us one mile closer to completing a new trail system!

Mason was assisted by Mike Pollock, LLLT Board Chair, who said, "I really enjoyed working alongside the Covenant Logistics team at our Durham property trails. A handfuls of volunteers can get so much done in a very short time. And when they come back as trail users, they’ll never forget the section(s) they worked on. It’s just fun that way.”

We are so thankful for corporate volunteer groups like Covenant Logistics. Do you want your business to get involved for employee volunteer days? You can contact Matthew Hubbard, our Director of Development, at matthew@lulalake.org to get started on the process of helping out Lula Lake!

Eductional Volunteer Spotlight:

On Tuesday, September 13th, Lula Lake hosted its first ever interpretive mycology hike where 25 participants explored the world of mushrooms with the guidance of educational volunteers. Led by former UTC mycology student Jalen Prather and Professor Dr. Hill Craddock, this sold-out event helped participants learn the basics of mushroom identification and anatomy, foraging safety, different eco-habitats, and some of the critical roles that fungi play in both forest ecosystems and everyday life. There were over 40 species collected, and some notable findings included the Black Velvet Colete (Tylopilus alboater), Scaly Vase (Turbinellus floccosus), Chicken-of-the-woods (Laetiporus sulphureus), Ganoderma Lucidum, and Hairy Earth Tongues (Trichoglossum) species. This event proved to be wildly popular, so be on the lookout for future interpretive hikes with these “fun-guys!"

Featured Upcoming Events

The Lula Laker:Trail Blazer Race is unlike any you've ever trekked! This race is designed for trail runners with both 10K and Half Marathon courses that utilize Lula Lake's famous trail systems. The race course will be well marked and each registration includes a special race hoodie.

8:15 AM ET - Check-in opens for Half Marathon
9:00 AM ET - Half Marathon start
9:15 AM ET - Check-in opens for the 10K
10:00 AM ET - 10K race start
11:30 AM -1:30 PM ET - Afterparty

Registration is $60
includes special Lula Lake race hoodie if you register by Oct. 23, food and beer/drink voucher, and afterparty with live music from Jaguar Shark

This class is for beginners & those who want to update rusty skills. Instruction covers equipment selection and use, information and techniques to enhance safety and comfort, and Leave No Trace methods to protect the fragile backcountry environment.

Event timeline:
10:30 AM Gates open at Lula Lake Land Trust located at 5000 Lula Lake Road, Lookout Mountain, GA
11:00 AM Intro. to backpacking class led by Jeremy Parker begins in the meadow
1:00 PM Backpacking class ends and optional guided hike begins
4:00 PM Hike ends in the meadow

This class is proudly sponsored by Rock/Creek and Evergreen Property Group.

To Register: Pay what you can with a donation to Lula Lake's conservation efforts.
All attendees should plan to bring sturdy hiking shoes and plenty of water.

Sign-up Here

FROM THE NEWSROOM

Visit Lula Lake on our Open Gate Days!

Spend your day in nature during our Open Gate Day! With 8+ miles of trails, bluff views, and a 120-foot waterfall... there's always an adventure to be had! Make your reservation today by clicking upcoming dates below. Spaces are limited to maintain the tranquility of nature. We also have private guided hikes available. Click here to find out more!

Saturday, October 1
Sunday, October 2
Saturday, October 29
Sunday, October 30

Click here for more dates.

Lula Lake staff attended the Land Trust Alliance’s 2022 RALLY in New Orleans where they worked together along with land trusts all across the country to learn more, do more, and conserve more. It was a great weekend, and our team can’t wait to put what they've learned to work!

L-R: Matthew Hubbard, Director of Development; Cody Roney, Executive Director; Patrick Kelly, Land Manager; Daniel Roberts, Community Engagement Coordinator

Job Opportunity:

AmeriCorps Seasonal Land Management Position:
This position will be responsible for assisting the land manager with the maintenance and management of approximately 4000 acres that comprise the Lula Lake Land Trust's private lands. The trust lands are natural environments, primarily forested and mountainous with an emphasis on promoting public recreation. The assistant land manager will be responsible for assisting the land manager with maintaining the Trust property while working with local landowners and partners in trail development efforts, coordinating education and research activities on land trust property.

For full details and how to apply, please click here.

Save a tree today! Every $10 donated here will help Lula Lake treat our Hemlock forests from Woolly Adelgid infestation.
Looking to make a reservation or wondering if we're open? Our Visit Page has details on planning your next adventure.
Interested in our conservation efforts? Click here for more details.
Have you visited our daily trails? Click here special trails open daily.
Want to volunteer at Lula Lake? Email us at daniel@lulalake.org to inquire about opportunities.
Did you know? YOU are our most critical person. You play an important role in guaranteeing the future of conservation and our preserved lands. Donations can be made online by clicking her e or by mail at PO Box 395, Lookout Mountain, TN 37350.

Copyright © 2022 Lula Lake Land Trust, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
PO Box 395, Lookout Mountain, TN 37350

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