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Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man. ~Author Unknown
MPC Hosts Most Successful Golf Outing to Date
 
MPC Golf Co-Chairman, Board Chairman Jeanie Connell and Golf Co-Chairman Steve Gibson HPARD Director of Parks Joe Turner and Pierce Bush
MPC's 5th Annual Golf Tournament honoring President George H. W. Bush raised well over $118,000 and awareness of Memorial Park. Our congratulations to our co-chairs Steve Gibson and Pat Nowotny who brought together a stellar host committee and an exciting day of play. President Bush's grandson, Pierce Bush, gave a special tribute to his volunteer service followed by rousing, heartfelt applause. Golf professional Mark O'Meara shared his secrets with golfers and added to the excitement of the day. Prizes were awarded to the top three teams. The auction filled with golf outings, celebrity-signed sports memorabilia, weekend stays for bargain prices lured shoppers and supported Memorial Park. All proceeds from the event benefited Memorial Park Conservancy and its ongoing efforts to improve and maintain Memorial Park.
Thank you to our many sponsors and players for their support of Memorial Park!
Professional Golfer Mark O'Meara demonstrates how the game of golf is really played
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Gulf Coast Chapter Texas Master Naturalists Take A Walk in the Park
The Gulf Coast Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists has volunteered on many projects within Memorial Park, but many did not know the background and history of how it came into being. On May 6, MPC Director of Development Nancy Sullivan, shared with the group that Memorial Park was known as Camp Logan during World War I, having served as an infantry training facility. She explained and named the various flora and fauna that can be found in the park, including the acres of invasive species as well as the armadillo that sometimes resides under the MPC office. The naturalists were very interested to hear about the Conservancy's conservation efforts in the creation of a Forestry Conservation and Management Plan. The plan, researched, written and produced by Advanced Ecology, Ltd., will provide recommendations and plans for a systematic approach to managing the forest in order to establish a healthy urban forest and ecosystem.
 The presentation was followed up with a "Walk in the Wood" on June 5th, led by Mark Brian and Chris Adams of Advanced Ecology, Ltd. The group was made up of approximately thirty Master Naturalists in addition to MPC board members and staff. Brian and Adams led the group down the purple trail on the south side of the park, identifying invasive species such as ligustrum and privet, and explaining their recommendations for implementing the forestry plan. Brian stated that their scope takes in the bugs on the ground up to the birds in the trees, ensuring that the entire ecosystem is addressed in creating a healthy forest and natural habitat for Memorial Park. The group then wandered off the trail, into the forest to get a better understanding of the under- and over-stories, which are strangled by vine and invasive species, which in turn do not allow for trees to regenerate and establish. Overall, the Master Naturalists walked away more informed and willing to help. Memorial Park Conservancy looks forward to having them in the park.
MPC Director of Development Nancy Sullivan (l) and Trails Committee Chairman Jamie Hendrixson (r) Help Host Tour
Deloitte Celebrated 1th Annual Impact Day in Memorial Park
 
What a difference a day makes! Over 100 volunteers converged at Picnic Loop Lane on June 11 to help with a variety of mutually-agreed MPC/HPARD Memorial Park projects. Deloitte paid for the installation of four "Trails Closed" gates at locations on the south side of the park. To make a more sincere effort and to have a dramatic impact on ALL users of the trails, gates were installed at S. Crestwood, at the middle gates along Memorial Drive, at the trailhead of the Purple Trail, near the Doggie Wash, and the soccer field. HPARD will add signage and maintain the gates to improve general public understanding that trail degradation happens whether users are on foot, bike or paw. When trails are closed to users, they are closed to all users - walkers, bikers, dog-walkers. Volunteers sanded and painted the entrance gates to Picnic Loop Lane, graveled in the new gates, weeded and planted north side gardens and removed invasive species on the north side of Memorial Loop in preparation for the planned Outer Loop Trail. In their typical organized fashion, Deloitte volunteers rounded up and removed their trash, recycling as they went; placed tools back in the MPC tool shed in an orderly way and concluded their day by doublechecking their work. We thank Deloitte for their continuing good work for Memorial Park (and other non-profits) and commitment to making an impact in the Houston community.
Litton Loan Brings Birds and Butterflies
For the third year in a row, volunteers from Litton Loan help Memorial Park with efforts at the MP Fitness Center. They weeded, planted and mulched the new gardens outside the entrance, with a little help from Houston Parks & Recreation Department's horticulture team. Many thanks to this returning crew!
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Tennis Plaza Reopening
City of Houston has accepted the Tennis Plaza Memorial Park Conservancy through Gulf Coast Landscaping completed Lauren Griffith & Associates design to beautify and renew the plaza in front of the Tennis Center. Native plantings will be placed mid-May. You still have a chance to purchase 12" x 12" pavers for $1,000 each - available through our website on the home page under the Tennis Plaza Renovation button on the right. Please be aware that pavers donated now will be placed after the end of the year. Our sincere thanks to the many donors who helped this happen in Memorial Park. Jog, walk or ride by to see the new beautiful installation!
Outer Loop Trail
Our next effort will be focused on a 2-mile Outer Loop that mirrors the Seymour Lieberman Exer-Trail. Projects Committee Chairman John Paukune says that the all-weather trail will extend from the west to Arnot on the east and be landscaped with native trees as we go. We anxiously await Houston Parks & Recreation Department's approval of the SWA Group's design of this much-needed extra trail around the most populous track in the park. We look forward to sharing more of this plan with you in the months to come! Contributions are gladly accepted via our website.
Memorial Park Conservancy Adopts Hogg Bird Sanctuary
In September, 2009, the MPC Conservation Committee formed a Sub-Committee to create a Hogg Bird Sanctuary Plan, to help guide and protect the 16.472-acre tract that wraps around the Bayou Bend parking lot. The group, comprised of members of Houston Audubon Society, Memorial Park Conservancy, HPARD and the community, meets frequently and has established the following simple key conceptual strategies:
- Removal of Invasive Plant Species is the first action that should be taken.
- Plant native trees and plants in the sanctuary that support birds and other wildlife.
- Plan and implement a simple trail system for the sanctuary.
The group, ably led by new MPC Board Member Jim Porter, has prepared information to help educate the Conservancy, Memorial Park neighbors and aid HPARD in the communication of an ongoing effort to improve this tract of land for environmental and interpretive use. Stay tuned as we progress!
Memorial Park Conservancy Volunteer Opportunities
July-August, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 8:30 a.m. Bridge Club - meet on south side of Living Bridge
Wednesday, July 28, 2010, 8:30 a.m. Bridge Club - meet on south side of Living Bridge
Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 8:30 a.m. Bridge Club - meet on south side of Living Bridge
Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 8:30 a.m. Bridge Club - meet on south side of Living Bridge
For more information or for your copy of the Living Bridge Manual, contact Allison Gryder, Volunteer Coordinator,
at allison@memorialparkconservancy.org.
Thank you!
We would like to thank our generous donors for supporting our efforts in community building and preserving Houston's premier green space. Thank you for your generous contributions to Memorial Park Conservancy. Please note that gifts received between April 16-June 30, 2010 are noted below. Those received after that date will be acknowledged in the September/October, 2010 issue.*
$25,000-74,999
Huffington Foundation*
Susan Vaughan Foundation, Inc.*
$10,000-24,999
The Brown Foundation, Inc.*
Garden Club of Houston
$5, 000-9,999
The Art Colony Association, Inc.
Mr. Stephen C. Costello
Mr. and Mrs. James C. Flores
Mr. and Mrs. Steven J. Gibson
H-E-B
Hobby Family FOundation
The Powell Foundation
River Oaks Garden Club of Houston
$2,500-4,999
Ms. Debbie Axelrad
Gurrola Reprographics Inc.
Koala Health & Wellness
The Linbeck Family Charitable Trust
Salient Trust Company
Silver Eagle Distributors, LP
$1,500-2,499
Mr. Bart Duckworth
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gamson
Big E Drilling Company
Houston Distributing Company
Hunton Trane
Mr. Grady Roberts
Tommie Vaughan Ford
$1,000-1,499
Acclaim Energy
AEB Holdings*
Mr. and Mrs. Brent R. Bechtol
Burguieres Family Foundation
John W. & Ann K. Johnson
Koala Health & Wellness
Moss Landscaping
Mr. Mark Nicholas
Silver Eagle Distributors, LP
$500-999
Ms. Theresa Strong
Mr. Craig Lambert Massey
Mr. Stephen Solcher
Mr. John F. Wombwell
Mr. Terry Andrus
Mr. W. Lawrence Elliott
Mr. Preston Moore, Jr.
Mr. Jason Grimsley
Mr. Larry P. Heard*
Houston Jewish Community Foundation*
Jefferies & Company, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Jay Kaplan*
My Fit Foods
Ms. Janet Raschke*
Mr. David J. Romero*
Mr. Scott E. Schwinger
Ms. Joanne Guest Wilson
NOTE: Due to space/time consideration, we have limited those listed to gifts of $500 or more.
**Capital Campaign gift
Happy Fourth of July! | 
