Happenings In the Park
January, 2007
Now that the tinsel has settled back into the box, the new year lies pristine before us like a wilderness.
Memorial Park Conservancy, a 501 (c) (3) agency which works in tandem with Houston Parks & Recreation Department, looks forward to forging new relationships with other parks partners throughout the city and welcomes your calls and e-mails in the year ahead. We seek your opinions, thoughts and offers of help on how best to support and protect the sweetest slice of land in the heart of the city of Houston. The MPC Board of Directors, led by Stephen Costello, Costello Engineering, has picked up the gauntlet laid down by the Houston Parks & Recreation Department and Mayor White to challenge the community to seek action on the Master Plan adopted by City Council in 2004. After 82 years in the making, its five basic tenets shaped to protect the park are:
1) Memorial Park Resource Center
2) Bridge over Memorial Drive
3) Habitat Management Plan
4) Trails Enhancement
5) Canoe/Kayak Launch
As ever, the underlying need is in funding of these ideas which arose from community stakeholder meetings over the last eight years. Your contributions toward any and all of these important projects are most appreciated. Please contact Sally Tyler, Executive Director, at styler@memorialparkconservancy.org or 713-863-8403 with any questions. We look forward to sharing our progress with you!
Arbor Day 2007 - Help us Plant an Urban Forest!
When: January 27, 2007 from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where: Will Clayton Parkway
In celebration of Arbor Day, Memorial Park Conservancy, Inc. is joining Texas Department of Transportation, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Trees for Houston, Keep Houston Beautiful, The Park People and many others to plant 20,000 trees along the esplanade of Will Clayton Parkway at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
If you have already volunteerd to join us, please arrive at 8:00 a.m. Remember to bring your work gloves, shovels and closed-toe shoes. Parking will be available in the traffic lanes adjacent to the esplanades on Will Clayton Parkway. Additional off-site parking will be available in Lot D, located on the northeast corner of Will Clayton Parkway and Lee Road; volunteers will be shuttled to their planting sites. Help us raise the Memorial Park Conservancy, Inc. banner over the esplanade! Special thanks to our partners Yes College Prep, BP, ChevronTexaco, and KBR!
For additional information regarding our exact planting quadrant or to volunteer for this special event contact our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, Deb Taylor, at deb@memorialparkconservancy.org or 713-863-8403.
January 17 State Parks Day Postponed Due to Weather
Come to Austin in to add your voice in support of funding issues for the Parks.
Join us and The Park People, Inc. when we head to Austin soon to meet with our state legislators to secure adequate funding for state parks. If you are interested in joining us or to learn how you can help, go to: The Park People, Inc. Thank you for speaking up in support of parks!
Help us Prepare the Park for the Trail Riders
Join us during the weeks of February 10th and 17th as we prepare Memorial Park in welcome for thousands of trail riders headed into town for the 75th Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. We will start by marking off the boundaries of the campgrounds for these weary travelers for the duration of the Rodeo. Watch for more information in the near future to participate in this momentous Houston tradition.
Enjoy Memorial Park: Walk, Stroll or Run!
Every day, approximately 10,000 people come to enjoy the many amenities of Memorial Park. Most notable, is the three-mile long crushed granite trail, named after a well known Houstonian, Seymour Lieberman. Mr. Lieberman, known as 'the father of the jogging movement', was a pioneer of running in Memorial Park in the early 1960's. The once rustic, grass trail became what it is today thanks to the passion and dedication of many Houstonians. As the trail gained popularity in the early 1980's, the need for lighting the trail became apparent. In 1984 Larry Nettles and Milt Johnson co-chaired the "Light the Park" committee and raised $100,000 to install 123 street lights along the three-mile trail. Again in 1986 the "Light the Park" committee along with Meredith Long raised $110,000 to pave the entire trail with crushed granite. Thanks to their dedication thousands of Houstonians are able to safely enjoy Seymour Lieberman Exer-Trail today! The trail is a great way to enoy the natural beauty of Memorial Park while taking in the serene views of the Memorial Park Golf Course.
Invasive Plants in the Park
Help us limit invasives and encourage native plant growth in Memorial Park!
Q: What are invasive species?
A: Invasive species are non-native plants or animals whose presence are likely to cause detrimental effects to the ecosystem.
Invasive species, sometimes called exotic plants and animals, compete with native species for existing resources. One well known example of an invasive plant is the Elephant Ear (Colocasia esculenta). Originally from Southeast Asia and India, the Elephant Ear is frequently used in landscaping and is popular for its hardiness and ability to grow and spread quickly. These characteristics have allowed this plant to colonize and negatively impact the diversity of many Texas waterways and wetlands. A shift in the ecosystem such as this not only affects competing species, but also other native inhabitants whose survival depends on a very specific niche. The domino effect caused by invasive species has the ability to alter a habitat indefinitely.
Memorial Park Conservancy, Inc. is working diligently to remove and keep invasive plants out of our Park. Last month, we teamed up with volunteers from Yes College Prep, Crestwood Garden Club, Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, and Houston Parks and Recreation Department to remove invasive plants and trees (including privet, ligustrum and Golden Raintree) from Hogg Bird Sanctuary. This precious gem within Memorial Park is a haven for bird enthusiasts, as well as those seeking a place for quiet reflection, that must be preserved. But we cannot do it alone, we need your help! We are looking for Houstonians interested in helping us preserve and maintain this unique bird sanctuary within Memorial Park. Please contact us at info@memorialparkconservancy.org if you are interested in becoming a 'Steward of Hogg Bird Sanctuary’.To learn more about invasive species in the Houston-Galveston area and how you can help by promoting native species in your own backyard go to: www.galvbayinvasives.org/
Introducing Captain Gregory J. Fremin
Memorial Park Conservancy, Inc. welcomes Gregory J. Fremin, the newly-promoted Captain of the Special Operations Division. As part of their duties, the Special Operations Division of the Houston Police Department oversees safety and security for all of Memorial Park.
"I strongly believe in professionalism and the continued partnership between my officers
and the citizens that they serve. I would like to reassure your readers and members who
enjoy the historic amenities at Memorial Park, that I am committed to the continued safety
and security of all that venture into this beautiful Texas Landmark." --Capt. G. J. Fremin
Capt. Fremin is a 23-year veteran of the Houston Police Department. We appreciate his service and
dedication to the safety of our resident park users.
Memorial Park Conservancy, Inc. thanks the following supporters*:
Joe B. Allen
Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP
Evans Attell
Brooks Boyd
Bridgeway Capital Management
Houston Endowment Inc.
Jewel B. Crosswell Trust
John Williard Johnson
Katy Prairie Conservancy
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Marvy Finger Family Foundation
Linda & John Paukune
Stewart Prentice
United Way
Special thanks to Sakshi Kshatriya, our devoted office volunteer!
Welcome aboard to part-time help, Alejandra Garrido, Aleya Fenberg, and Denise Manderscheid!
*(December 15, 2006-January 15, 2007)
Resolve to Give
In addition to funding Conservancy programs that enhance and preserve the park, each MPC gift membership provides an opportunity to make special memories in Memorial Park. Members receive our monthly e-newsletter, HAPPENINGS IN THE PARK, special Members Update of the Memorial Park Conservation Master Plan, invitations to special volunteer events and park programs, as well as a MPC Member static window decal. Call us at 713-863-8403 or click here for more information.
Eat Right to Preserve Your Park
You can contribute even more to Memorial Park Conservancy by purchasing groceries through your Memorial Park Conservancy, Inc. Kroger's Share Card
Help Memorial Park every time you purchase groceries through Randalls Good Neighbor Program. Just use your MPC Good Neighbor Number 11576.
Upcoming Events
March 23-25, 2007
"Bayou City Art Festival" Picnic Loop of Memorial Park. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more details visit: Bayou City Art Festival.
May 22, 2007
"2nd Annual Memorial Park Conservancy, Inc. Golf Tournament" honoring Harold Wiesenthal. $250 per person; $1,000 per foursome. Details soon!
For volunteer opportunities contact our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Deb Taylor at: deb@memorialparkconservancy.org.
Visit us at our office:
3015 Richmond, Suite 250
Houston, TX 77098
Shipping address:
P.O. Box 131024
Houston, TX 77219
Phone: 713-863-8403
Fax: 713-863-9348
Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Satellite Volunteer Office in Memorial Park Open Tuesdays!
Plan. Protect. Preserve.
