Micromemphis: University District The Neighborhoods of the University of Memphis
  • Home
  • About
    • University District in the News
    • University District Website
    • University District Map
    • MicroMemphis Team
  • News
  • Business
  • Religion
  • Food
  • Community
  • Campus
  • Multimedia
    • Slideshows
    • Video

Citizens to Preserve Overton Park making strides to provide a more beautiful Memphis

5/7/2013

0 Comments

 
By: Erica Hartsfield
Picture
Roy Barnes, President of the Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, stands at his booth during MemFix prepared to give information to those interested in getting involved with the organization.
The Citizens to Preserve Overton Park recently visited the University District in order to support MemFix. This group of Overton Park supporters has a rich culture all their own that many may not be aware of.

The fight to save Overton Park, located at 1914 Poplar Ave., has been going on for several years.  According to Peter Strauss in his article Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe—of Politics and Law, Young Lawyers and the Highway Goliath, published in Administrative Law Stories, Overton Park did not originally support the group’s efforts.
“In saving Overton Park for the city, against its wishes at the time, (Citizens to Preserve Overton Park) may have saved Memphis from itself,” he said.
Roy Barnes, President of the Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, said that his group formed in 2008 following the Memphis Zoo’s removal of four acres from the Old Forest of the Teton Trek exhibit.

“We decided that we would speak for the trees and the green, the Old Forest, the Greensward and the other open spaces of Overton Park,” he said. 

Barnes emphasized that the group’s goal is “to preserve and defend the Old Forest and open spaces of Overton Park for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.”

The group’s hard work to preserve nature in Memphis has not gone without progress, Barnes said.

“We successfully lobbied to have the Old Forest declared a State Natural Area.  Thanks to the work of Senator Beverly Marrero, Representative Jeanne Richardson and Mayor A.C. Wharton, it is now a Tennessee State Natural Area, protected in perpetuity from destruction,” he said.

In addition, the group also prevented an area, which is designated for recreational activity, from being the site of a floodwater basin.

“We also were one of the leaders of the local coalition that successfully fought off an attempt to remold the Greensward into a ‘mud pit,’ a destructive, unwanted and unnecessary storm water detention basin,” he said.  

For anyone who wishes to get involved, Barnes said that the Overton Park citizens group leads “free Old Forest nature hikes twice a month, at 10 a.m. on the 2nd Saturday and last Sunday of every month, rain, snow or shine,” as well as “hold annual music Jamborees, in mid-winter, with and for Old Forest and Greensward supporters.”

Barnes gave simple words of encouragement for those who live near the University District to get involved, as Overton Park is located within just a few miles of the district.

“Because the park's an awesomely fun place, you'll want to speak for it,” he said.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Tweets by @UDistrictMicro

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All
    Arts
    Audio
    Black History
    Black Owned Business
    Blue Tom Records
    Botanic Garden
    Brittany Carruthers
    Bruce Harber
    Bryan Heater
    Business
    Campus
    Caray Oldham
    Carlissa Robinson
    Carrie Sanders
    Charity
    Chings
    City Council
    Civil Rights Movement
    Community
    Cormac Parker
    Crime
    Dana Porter
    Education
    Empress And Emperor Mentoring
    Entertainment
    Erica Hartsfield
    Events
    Fashion
    Feature
    Fitness
    Food
    Green
    Gsrm
    Health
    Highland
    Housing
    Innovation
    Instagram
    Jerald Harris
    Jj Greer
    John Martin
    Kathy Brower
    Local
    Lovie Hudson
    Maps
    Master Plan
    Memphis
    Mentoring
    Michelle Corbet
    Millennials
    Multimedia
    Music
    News
    Non-profit
    Normal Station
    Park Ave.
    Park Avenue
    Patterson
    Politics
    Poplar
    Preview
    Profile
    Public Safety
    Raleigh Egypt
    Raven Mcclain
    Recruitment
    Religion
    Sex
    Slideshow
    Social-media
    Southern
    Sports
    St-jude
    Transportation
    Udistrict History
    University Of Memphis
    Urban Garden
    Video
    Walker Avenue