Linda Wright stands at the doorway of the Birchwood Community Center to welcome all visitors as if they’re family
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has partnered with Birchwood Community Center, previously Birchwood Elementary, for the past 26 years to hold its annual Sandhill Crane Festival. Each year, thousands of people from Tennessee and beyond participate in spectacular bird watching and educational presentations, including one from the American Eagle Foundation. Visitors also enjoy live music, visit with various vendors or take a free shuttle to the Cherokee Removal Memorial Park. It’s an amazing event; but it wouldn’t take place without the longstanding partnership between TWRA and the gracious, hardworking volunteers at the Birchwood Community Center.
The Birchwood Community Center was established in 2013, when Birchwood Elementary closed. Several Birchwood citizens recognized the special place the school occupied in the small town and they formed Birchwood Area Society Improvement Council (BASIC). Linda Wright, one of the founders of the Community Center, has deep ties to the school. Miss Linda, as she’s known throughout TWRA, said, “The school is part of us. It’s part of this community.” Linda Wright went to the school as a child and it’s where she met her husband. As a mother, she watched not only her children, but also her grandchildren thrive at the school. In addition, she was employed by the school system from 1975 to 2008. The building not only holds strong familial memories, but also the promise for a strong community. Because of its proximity to the Hiwassee Refuge, it’s fitting for the festival. This will be the 26th year the festival will be held at the school.
The 2016 festival, held Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, attracts large crowds. “We are grateful for the center and for people such as Miss Linda,” said Míme Barnes, TWRA Sandhill Crane Festival Coordinator. “The citizens of Birchwood are overwhelmingly welcoming and supportive of this event. Without their hospitality and the community center, the festival would not be as successful. Miss Linda calls us family and this is how she treats everyone that visits.”
The Birchwood Center is also utilized for TWRA’s Sandhill Crane permit drawing each October, as well as numerous family reunions, a wild game dinner, fitness classes, community yard sales and a holiday craft show. “Our goal was to provide a gathering place for the community and bring laughter and the sound of footsteps back to the building,” said Ms. Wright. The Sandhill Crane Festival is a really special event that helps both BASIC and TWRA celebrate nature and community.
For more information about the Sandhill Crane Festival, visit tnwildlife.org.