NASHVILLE, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF)— A Caryville man has been honored for his dedication to conservation.

Bob Fulcher, park manager at Cumberland Trail State Park, received this year’s Z. Cartter Patten Award, a lifetime achievement award recognizing many years of service to the cause of conservation in Tennessee. Fulcher has spent his career conserving Tennessee’s state parks and the history and culture associated with them.

In 1979, he began the Tennessee State Parks Folklife Project, a groundbreaking program that integrated cultural fieldwork into the state park system. Since then, Fulcher has conducted hundreds of hours of oral history interviews and created several cultural heritage events, including the Cumberland Trail Heritage Project and the Tennessee River Folklife Center. Fulcher hosts the Cumberland Trail radio show on WDVX in East Tennessee to highlight traditional and new music of the region, and he founded a nonprofit record label, Sandrock Recordings, to continue celebrating the musical culture of the region.

Through initiatives such as the Cumberland Trail Heritage Project and the Tennessee River Folklife Center, Fulcher’s work has ensured Tennessee’s natural heritage will not be forgotten.

Conserving Tennessee’s abundant and diverse natural resources would not be possible without dedicated individuals and organizations working together. On May 17, seventeen incredible conservationists from across the state were honored at Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s 59th Annual Conservation Achievement Awards in Nashville.

Award winners and their guests were welcomed with a lunch reception at the iconic Loveless Café. The event was emceed by renowned radio personality and longtime friend of the Federation, Bill Cody. This was the seventh year Cody offered his time to help celebrate the achievements of Tennessee’s conservationists.

“Every year, I am amazed by the award winners and the expansive impact of their work. It is inspiring to see how each piece fits into the interconnected world of conservation,” said Cody. “I am proud to be able to commemorate these people and groups for their diligence in conserving Tennessee’s great outdoors.”

The Conservation Achievement Awards are sponsored by Packaging Corporation of America, Davey Resource Group, Bridgestone Americas and First Horizon.

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 5/22/2024- 6AM)

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