UPCOMING EVENTS:
Today and tomorrow. Hike to timberland 1pm from css parking lot, approx 5 miles, call 6152663414
Enjoy a minivacation by visiting CSS nature center. Open house every Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10am-2pm
Those with kids and grandkids should attend the next CSS Family Farm Funday on Saturday February 1 (and subsequent 1st Saturdays in March, April and May)
Next Neighborhood potluck will be held April 19, 2025
Learn | Teach | Grow
The Center for Sustainable Stewardship (CSS) is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to cultivating the next generation of stewards. Located within a protected watershed just minutes from Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee, we provide education and fellowship for those learning, practicing, and teaching the preservation of our natural and agricultural heritage. We understand that a strengthened connection with nature increases wellness of mind and body even as it creates community. Visitors and members are invited to learn from our local community so that they may contribute to their communities. CSS hosts retreats and supports community activities such as the Fernvale community potluck, student volunteers, scouting projects, local artists and farmers by sharing space and providing easy access to nature.
Community Open House Hours: Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 10am to 2 pm
Members and their guests may visit at additional times by appointment.
The Center for Sustainable Stewardship is growing our membership and educating stewards. CSS provides hiking trails, loaner bicycles, educational experiences, research opportunities and access to a beautiful watershed just minutes from Franklin and Nashville, TN. We encourage our members to disconnect from screens, listen to the rustle of the trees, get their feet wet, their hands dirty, and experience the great outdoors. By protecting local land and water and supporting biological, horticultural, and cultural diversity, we leave a legacy for future generations. Through our artist- and scholar-in-residence programs we attract and support future thought leaders. Our world is changing, the human population is expanding and natural spaces are becoming more rare. We treasure this land and watershed and hope to inspire others to regenerate their natural environments wherever they may live. Come join us!
The Center for Sustainable Stewardship is cultivating the next generation of stewards. We recognize that sustainability is required to preserve our natural heritage. We CONSERVE watersheds with their native plants and animals, CONNECT people to nature, and PROVIDE support for academic research, local regenerative farmers, retreat participants, and artists/scholars within a 3000-acre nature preserve.
Our vision is that by connecting kids of all ages to nature, we are bonding a new generation to the land. We provide experiences that foster creativity, stimulate critical thinking, and strengthen connections. We appreciate the traditions of the past, and encourage experiential learning for students of all ages, thereby transferring perennial wisdom to future generations. We promote sustainable stewardship of land and water and personal well-being through education and experiences with nature. We disconnect from our screens, listen to the rustle of the trees, and are inspired by nature. Our planet is changing, human populations are expanding and pristine watersheds are becoming rare. We treasure the Big East Fork Valley and seek to protect it and other watersheds like it. Come join us!
We are honored to protect this land for the next generations.. That protection is our blessing to those Stewards of the future.
Value Statement:
We will live our values by serving as stewards of this watershed, being active in both conservation and regenerative farming efforts. We believe biodiversity has intrinsic worth. We commit to conserving the land, water, plants and animals in Big East Fork and other natural spaces. We promote sustainable relationships with nature, community, and ourselves. We hope to inspire visitors to identify and protect watersheds and natural spaces in their own communities.
Our Mission:
1) demonstrate sustainable stewardship of the land and water by providing support for diverse plants, animals, as well as supporting regenerative agriculture and local agritourism.
2) build a community of stewards that fosters well-being through education and connection with our natural world.
3) provide experiences for kids of all ages in the forests, creeks, farms, outdoor and indoor classrooms.
4) inspire visitors and supporters to be sustainable stewards in their own communities.
We are a member-supported 501(c)3 non-profit nestled within the valley created by Big East Fork Creek, a tributary of the South Harpeth River. The 713 acre campus of Center for Sustainable Stewardship is located in a conservation easement which, with your help, we seek to enlarge. We plan to build additional structures for meetings and education. CSS operates the sustainable center lodge on several acres shared with our menagerie of friendly animals and a community garden. It gives grants to entreprenneurial farmers using regenerative and sustainable techniques. The CSS Adventure Center lends bicycles and watercraft to its members and supporters. CSS is neighbor to several local farmers who offer tours and agritourism experiences.