History of the Preserve
The Green River Preserve was purchased in the early 1950’s by the Schenck family as a place to spend weekends and summers fishing, hiking, and exploring the Green River Valley. As a child, Sandy was fortunate to learn the lore of Green River, not only from his parents, but also from people who had lived in the valley for generations.
Newman Levi, a lifelong resident, taught him about tracking, hunting, and valley customs. Charles and Pearl Cox, “an old school” mountain family introduced him to milking cows, churning butter, and cooking on a wood-stove. Alfred Heatherly, a logger, and his wife Lori taught him stories of Cherokee Indians, jack-o-lanterns, and life in the valley in the early 1900s.
From these memorable teachers, he learned a reverence for the land, a sense of valley history, and a joy and wonder of outdoor living. These folks were Sandy’s counselors, and he was their camper. In 1987, Sandy left a career in the business world to fulfill a lifelong dream of sharing the magic of this area with campers through a unique, natural science oriented summer camp. This would be a camp unlike any other-one that would not only offer bright and motivated campers the ability to enjoy the freedom the wildlife preserve affords, but also a chance to grow as budding naturalists and individuals.
