Olmsted Parks - Restore. Enhance. Preserve.

 

Spring 2007

When the Champions are in the parks, the parks win

The Olmsted Parks and Parkways need constant maintenance to keep them in shape for the hundreds of people who visit them each day. Whether it's pulling invasive weeds, repairing trails or planting wildflowers and trees, Olmsted Park ConservancySM volunteers - Park Champions - do their part to help. Some help for a day, others several times each month or a few times a year. No matter the frequency, their help is priceless.

There are numerous individuals and groups who share their personal time to restore, enhance, and preserve the Olmsted Parks and Parkways for all Louisvillians. The Olmsted Parks Conservancy wants to take this opportunity to recognize the efforts of our 2006 Park Champions. The Park Champions gave a combined total of over 2800 hours last year by helping root out invasive plants, restoring native species, and improving the trails.

Thank you to each individual and group and especially those that follow.

  • The Assumption High School Environmental Club came every third Saturday through the year with teacher Sally Craven and volunteered more than 600 hours in Cherokee Park.
  • The Governor's Scholars Program, with 102 students volunteered over 428 hours in 8 meetings, helped build a new trail on Cochran Hill and removed invasive plants in Nettelroth Bird Sanctuary in Cherokee Park.
  • For a one time event, E.ON U.S. had the biggest showing of 72 volunteers who worked a full day in Shawnee Park.
  • UPS helped in Cherokee Park to remove invasive plants near Hogan's Fountain with 27 volunteers for an all day event.
  • 26 Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital volunteers worked in Iroquois Park to restore the historic Corbly Path one Saturday morning.
  • Over thirty Starbucks employees helped in Tyler Park by pulling weeds and mulching a woodland edge and in Cherokee Park where they freed native trees from strangling vines.
  • Wild Ones Volunteer and Native Plant Advocacy Group put in over 115 hours restoring Wildflower Woods in Cherokee Park.
  • Individuals from Manual, Mercy, Trinity, Collegiate, St. X., U of L, Bellarmine, KYMBA and Beckham Bird Club helped close eroded trails and build new ones; removed invasive plants and helped plant over 4000 plants in our parks!

We also had many committed families such as the Wolffs, Meyers, Oosts and Myers that made it a regular family event by coming out to Cherokee Park to plant wildflowers and remove invasive plants together. We were excited to have individual park enthusiasts who clocked over 500 hours: Mike Spoelker, Cindi Sullivan, Ben Wolff, Major Waltman, Mike Smith, Jim Rusch, Ward Wilson, and Barbara Woerner. Volunteers have told us their time spent helping in the parks is fun, educational, relaxing, and a work out- all rolled into one. Park Champions feel rewarded by helping the environment, restoring places for everyone to enjoy and learning more about our treasured Olmsted parks. Take part in the Park Champions program by calling Sarah Wolff at 502/456-8125 or email sarah.wolff@olmstedparks.org.

Maintaining and monitoring park trails

Trails connect you with natural areas in parks. Hiking, bird-watching, and mountain biking are just a few possibilities. Trails also allow park managers to monitor conditions and spot problems, improving the care of natural areas.

To ensure the long-term health of the parks' natural areas, the Olmsted Parks Conservancy established a Woodlands Restoration Team. The Team works with Metro Parks to identify recreational needs, evaluate park resources, and carry out landscape management plans.

As part of restoring the parks' natural areas, the Woodlands Restoration Team evaluates existing trails or the need for a new trail by looking at the soil type, native plant distribution, drainage, slope, and user groups. In this evaluation, it may be determined a trail needs to be closed because of erosion or soil compaction.

In these cases, the trail is covered with fallen debris to promote regrowth and prevent erosion. Often a newly cut trail is combined with portions of an old trail to create the best opportunity for the area user. Staying on established trails is important because rogue trails might promote erosion in the area. Therefore, following park signs and staying on established trails is critical to the condition of the parks.

Departures and arrivals

Susan Rademacher, who has been an important part of the Olmsted Parks Conservancy since its founding in 1991, has left the Conservancy to take the position of Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy in Philadelphia. We wish Susan great success in her new position and we know the passion and commitment she showed with Louisville's Olmsted Parks Conservancy will be the basis for her success in Philadelphia. Susan guided the development of master plans and demonstration projects when the Conservancy was getting started and those plans remain the foundation of our work today. Upon Susan's departure she stated, "I am so proud of what we have accomplished together. And I know we'll continue our work to make beautiful, engaging, democratic and healthy places, wherever we are. "We thank Susan for her devotion to the Louisville community and wish her well in her new endeavors.

Metro Parks and the Conservancy are doing a national search for someone with qualifications in historic properties and, particularly, the work of Fredrick Law Olmsted. It is expected the position will be filled this spring.

With great enthusiasm, we welcome seven new members to our 2007 Board of Trustees.

Elizabeth L. Cocanougher is a Senior Corporate Attorney in the Louisville office of E.ON U.S. She relocated to Louisville in 1996after practicing law in Palm Beach, Florida. She also practiced law for an E.ON affiliate in the United Kingdom.

Heather Farrer has lived in Louisville for two years and is active in many local organizations. Prior to her relocation, she lived in San Francisco and worked as the Vice President of Investor Relations for Gartner Inc. She and her husband Marshall live in the Highlands. Living near Cherokee Park was a priority for them.

Ryan Little is Vice President and Director of Marketing at the Presbyterian Foundation Group: Presbyterian Foundation, New Covenant Mutual Funds, and New Covenant Trust Company. A native of Virginia and graduate of University of Virginia, Ryan lives with his family in Oldham County.

Jennifer Macdonald graduated from Lewis & Clark College in Portland Oregon and is in her final year of Law School at the University of Louisville.

Tim Moorhead serves as Corporate Director of Commercial Operations at Humana. Prior to moving to Louisville, Tim and his family lived in Washington DC. He resides in Prospect with his wife Kimberly and two daughters.

Frank Parks relocated to Louisville from Phoenix in 2006 after 41 years as a medical malpractice defense lawyer and senior partner in Sanders and Parks law firm. He was a board member at Phoenix Memorial Hospital where he served on the capital campaign committee. He and his wife Sue live in the Highlands.

Christopher J. Pesek is Vice-President with Jones Lang and LaSalle Inc. Chris with his wife Sheilah and their three children moved to Louisville in 2005 from Chicago and reside in Anchorage. Chris was a Board Member of the Chicago Botanic Garden, 385acres of woods, waterways, 23formal garden displays, and education center. Chris and his family enjoy being outdoors as well as traveling and spending the summer in Maine.

2007 park projects approved by Board

Over $1.6 Million in park projects were approved by the Olmsted Parks Conservancy Board of Trustees at the January 16 annual meeting to approve projects for the year. Funding for these projects comes from private donations and federal grants. We hope this year will be a record year for park restoration initiatives. "Each year, it's our goal to expand the breadth of improvements and restoration projects in our treasured parks," stated Bill Juckett, Chairman of the Board. "As always with our continued partnership with Metro Parks and additional grants and private support, we are able to continue our mission of restoring, enhancing and preserving Louisville's Olmsted Parks and Parkways."

Here are some of the 2007 projects:

  • Boone Square Park. Develop master plan for future improvements
  • Cherokee and Seneca Parks. Restoration in the Woodlands area including Beargrass Creek
  • Cherokee Park. Design plan for redevelopment of the Bonnycastle/Hogan's Fountain Recreation area
  • Chickasaw Park. Design plan for the EPA riverfront erosion study
  • Shawnee, Tyler, Seneca, Cherokee Parks. Historic bridge study to determine condition and restoration needs
  • Iroquois Park. Restoration of the Sunny Hill Pavilion; landscaping at the Amphitheater; and design plan to correct erosion of the Corbly Path and North Overlook
  • Iroquois and Cherokee Park. Design plan to restore the Willow and Iroquois Ponds
  • Shawnee Park. Continue management of the river vista
  • Tyler Park. Develop master plan for future improvements

Cotton + Allen helps with trail signs

Did you know that the Witch Hazel shrub name was derived from "water witches" who used the forked branches to locate water beneath the ground? Or that the Sessile Trillium wildflower leaves and petals grow in groups of three? Soon you will learn more about native plant species in the park because of a generous grant from Cotton + Allen, PSC. The greatly appreciated grant will fund interpretive signs in the Wildflower Woods in Cherokee Park. This will be an exciting addition to a beautiful walking trail. Look for more information on our website.

We are growing!

We increased our membership over 20% this past year. And we are looking for even more members to join our organization this year to help restore, enhance and preserve the Olmsted-designed parks of Louisville. Memberships are very important to the future of our parks. Receiving no direct financial support from local government, the Conservancy depends on the generosity of private donors to help fund projects, programs, and operations. Membership donations support our efforts to help fund such projects as the Big Rock playground, walking path in Seneca Park and band stand restoration and new trees in Shelby Park. We are excited about the 2007membership program. Take a look at the highlights of the program:

  • New is the Student/Teacher level at $25. These members will be informed of internship opportunities at our organization along with receiving a park poster and member decal.
  • Members at the $75 Park Cultivator level will receive a set of note cards featuring park photographs taken by Ted Wathen
  • Members at the $150 Park Supporter level will receive Two-for-One tickets to a Music Theatre of note cards featuring park photographs taken by Ted Wathen
  • All renewing members will receive the new poster featuring the Shawnee Park, Autumn Panorama by Louisville photographer Ted Wathen