Chances are unless you’re a hardcore outdoors enthusiast, the recent frigid temperatures haven’t compelled you to leave the cozy confines of your house. But come warmer temperatures, get off your couch and head to Shelby Farms Park. The 4500-acre park draws over a million visitors a year, delighting young and old alike with its running trails, bike paths, lakes, playgrounds, and serene natural beauty.
And as wonderful as the park already is, the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy aims to make it even better. In 2009, the park will undergo the first of many improvements included in the $80 million plus master plan unveiled last August. With a flagging economy, prospective donors have been harder to come by. The Hyde Family Foundations, which offered a $20 million challenge grant, extended the deadline until the end of 2009 to offset the increasing fund raising challenges. Still, $4 million will be released this year to set the master plan in motion.
This year’s improvements include an expansion of Patriot Lake from 54 to 150 acres, the addition of a Park Pedestrian Circle, and an overhauling of the Plough Park Playground. The improvements aren’t all simply to make the park more aesthetically pleasing or to bolster its recreational appeal, though. The plans coincide with the SFPC’s green initiatives. Construction has already begun on new restroom facilities in Plough Park that will utilize sustainable elements, and in the spring the planting of a million new trees in Shelby Farms Park will get underway. On April 19th the park will host an Earth Celebration, welcoming a host of Green Vendors and EcoArtists to display their work and share their green-living ideas.
Speaking of "going green," the concept was at one time a countercultural idea, but now even the corporate world is beginning to adopt more environment-friendly practices. If you’re looking for some simple ways to help the environment, consider some of these ideas:
The City of Memphis Solid Waste Management offers a recycling service to all single- family homes. On regular trash pick up day, just place your recyclable items in the tan recycling bin. For a list of what’s recyclable and what’s not, check out their website here: http://www.cityofmemphis.org/framework.aspx?page=666
Join MLGW’s Green Power Switch. The program, headed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, raises funds for the expansion of green electric generation technology. "Funds?" you ask. "What’s this going to cost me?" Not much. Here’s an explanation from MLGW’s site: "Each unit, or ‘block,’ adds $4.00 to your bill. One ‘block’ equals 150 kilowatt hours (kWh), which represents 10-12% of the average household’s monthly electric use. You can buy as many blocks as you wish." Just $4.00. For more information, go here: http://www.mlgw.com/frameset.php?head=about&content=greenpower
For some more tips on how you can "go green," particularly when you travel, take a look at the list of ideas on our main site: http://www.memphistravel.com/visitors/goinggreen.aspx