Join us for a Farmland Raptor Project Workshop in Blountville, TN! (Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026)

We hope you can join us for the Farmland Raptor Project's October workshop! It is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 2PM-4PM, at the Ron Ramsey Regional Agricultural Center in Blountville, TN.

This is the second of several regional workshops and presentations that continue through the remainder of 2026 and into 2027. These events are made possible by a recent Cornell Lab of Ornithology Small Grant Award for $10,000!

Grant funding supports outreach, partnership development, nest box monitoring, and on-the-ground conservation efforts that strengthen habitat for farmland raptors throughout the region.

Raptors (also known as birds-of-prey) include bird species like hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures, and owls. This event focuses on two specific type of raptors whose populations are in decline - the American kestrel and the American barn owl. Discussion includes an overview of both species, including their habitat, nesting season, and all of the ways you can help support their populations here in East Tennessee!

Lisa Thomison, co-founder of the Owl Ridge Raptor Program, will highlight her vast knowledge of raptor species and introduce a 'special friend' from the center. The Owl Ridge Raptor Center is a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured and orphaned birds of prey.

John Simcox, President and Executive Director of the Talon Ridge Raptor Institute (TRRI), will also share important information about our regional raptors. TRRI is dedicated to the preservation of Earth's raptors by better understanding ethno-ornithological relationships, supporting local communities, and advancing our knowledge of avian species.

Joining Lisa and John is Katheryn Albrecht, Certified Wildlife Biologist®/Ornithologist with MTM Environmental,LLC. Katheryn will highlight the Farmland Raptor Project's recent grant award, upcoming workshops, landowner stewardship program and so much more!

To request a presentation/workshop for your group, please contact Katheryn Albrecht at katheryn@mtmenvironmentalllc.com or 865-804-6321.

For event related questions, please contact Elise Eustace, FLC's Director of Outreach, at eeustace@foothlilsland.org or 865-681-8326.    

About the Farmland Raptor Project...

The Farmland Raptor Project began in 2024 to address declining populations and habitat of the American kestrel and other raptor species. Launched by MTM Environmental and Foothills Land Conservancy, along with guidance from Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the Farmland Raptor Project focuses on building partnerships among landowners, agencies, conservation organizations, and volunteers to support habitat stewardship and raptor conservation on private lands.

Raptors such as the American Kestrel, American Barn Owl, Northern Harrier, and Short-eared Owl rely on working landscapes—including farms, pasturelands, grasslands, and riparian corridors—that are increasingly threatened by development, changing agricultural practices, habitat loss, and reduced prey availability associated with pesticide use. Because these species serve as important indicators of ecosystem health while also providing natural rodent and insect control, conserving suitable habitat benefits both wildlife and agricultural communities.

Fall workshops are currently being scheduled for interested landowners/farmers across the eastern TN Valley including the counties of: Blount, Sullivan, Greene, Grainger, McMinn/Bradley, Meigs, and Morgan. Landowners in neighboring counties are also encouraged to attend.

Workshops focus on educating landowners/the public about raptors that inhabit farm/ag/rural lands and their ecological importance, the Farmland Raptor Project, and the importance of habitat stewardship/conservation.

Links to learn more and support the cause!