Memorial Park Conservancy is again an official Chevron Houston Marathon Charity. For more information on becoming a fundraiser, a HERO or Run for Registration, please contact info@memorialparkconservancy.org or at 713-863-8403.
Replanting in the park
The 10,000 people who run or walk on Memorial Park's Seymour Leiberman Exercise Trail each day have watched sadly this year as the drought devastated their urban oasis.
Always tree-studded, the path now runs past lifeless trunks bearing fluorescent orange X's that indicate they must come down to reduce the risk of fire and disease to the survivors. Other areas once green, then brown, now look as if they've been clear-cut.
So if a last-minute gift is in order this week, consider a donation to the Memorial Park Conservancy's Forest Fund.
The conservancy hopes to plant thousands of seedlings, one- and five-gallon trees, in the park. For a designated donation, the organization will plant a specific tree. Species include loblolly pine ($75), bald cypress ($100), southern magnolia ($150); sycamore ($200) and post oak ($250). Foresters will decide where commemorative trees are planted, taking into consideration soil, elements and forest needs within the park.
All donors or those they are honoring will be listed on the conservancy's website. Imagine how the park would eventually be if even one-quarter of the 4 million people who visit it each year contributed a tree.
For information or to donate, visit memorialparkconservancy.org.
roberta.macinnis@chron.com
Source: Houston Chronicle - Sports Page - 12/22/2011
