Welcome to the Park Friends, Inc. (PFI) website!!

    

Park Friends Position on Retaining and Enhancing Overton Park and the Overton Park Forest, more commonly known as The Old Forest or Old Growth Forest

Park Friends, Inc. (PFI) is a 501(c)3 membership-based non-profit that focuses its physical efforts on Overton Park and its policy work on all public parks in Memphis, Tennessee. PFI’s role is to serve, protect and act as stewards of our city’s public park system, with a special emphasis on Overton Park.  PFI’s importance grew when Mayor Herenton and the City Council disbanded the Memphis Park Commission in 2000.  This action would have summarily disenfranchised citizens from the city’s public parks if not for Park Friends.   

In recent weeks, the PFI Board of Directors, its membership and concerned citizens became aware of an extreme level of tree clearing on designated Zoo property as part of a new Teton Trek exhibit.  Most unfortunately, we became aware of this destruction only after the damage was done.  Because of the impact of the tree cutting on the contiguous forest and the Zoo’s disregard for the environment outside their boundaries, Park Friends, Inc. is compelled to voice our concern and disappointment that an organization with such a connection to the environment would disregard the very tenets we assume it espouses.

The Zoo and PFI have had a long association with two different Zoo administrators.   Throughout this time, we have built our relationship on open, albeit sometimes contentious, dialogue.  In recent times, a staff member from the Zoo has served on the PFI Board.  Generally speaking, we have an open line of communication with the Zoo administration.  As an example, PFI and the Zoo recently forged an accord allowing a finite level of overflow Zoo parking onto the Overton Park Greensward; this agreement allows park users to continue enjoying the Greensward with families, friends and pets.  Dr. Charles Brady, the Zoo Director, and the Zoo’s PFI Board member have been very responsive to our questions and concerns.  To be clear, this is not a personal issue, but an ideological difference on what will create a strong Overton Park, not just a strong Zoo, for this and future generations.

There is a black chain link fence separating the Zoo’s land from that of the public park.  For many years the Zoo has abided by a verbal agreement to keep a six-foot minimum barrier of natural growth along the Zoo’s fenced boundary.  In recent months, the barrier of natural growth has disappeared.   The Zoo’s response was that it needed a vehicle trail inside the fence to monitor the fence for tree damage and coyote intrusions.  PFI met with Dr. Brady, and was encouraged to hear this fence-line trail would be cleaned and existing landscape maintained or plantings reintroduced so Zoo activity would remain hidden from view.  Last month, PFI noticed the Zoo’s black fence was moved outward six to ten feet into an area near the North Parkway service entrance as part of the new Teton Trek exhibit.  Again, this is viewed as encroachment onto Park land.  After contacting the Zoo through our Board’s Zoo representative, Dr. Brady stated that he did not approve the relocation of the fence and would order it returned to its original position.  PFI will continue to monitor its position.

Given the magnitude of the recent tree cutting to make way for the Teton Trek exhibit, PFI is asking the Zoo and all tenants of Overton Park to make their plans more openly available to the Citizens of Memphis.  In particular, PFI will be quite vigilant when it comes to the forested land south of the old trolley line, called Phase III in the Zoo’s current Master Plan.  That being said, PFI expects to be included in discussions on whether or not to proceed with the interactive walking trail called “Chickasaw Bluffs”, or any other project currently or to be considered for this area.  In the spirit of cooperation and communication, PFI seeks to maintain a solid working relationship with the Zoo as well as Brooks Museum, the Memphis College of Art, the newly formed Levitt Shell and the Division of Parks Services.  Park Friends remains available to serve as the community voice and the convener of the community at-large for any and all issues pertinent to the improvement and well-being of Overton Park.

 PFI welcomes more citizen involvement to protect and preserve one of the finest, yet to so many, hidden treasures Memphis has to offer, Overton Park and the Overton Park Forest.   Please contact us if you’d like to volunteer and eventually serve on the Board of Directors.

 Thank you!

The Park Friends Board of Directors

Glenn Cox, president