Nashville "Naturally"

Nashville has a new conservation greenprint plan.  They're calling it the "most progressive open space protection strategy in the Southeast."

It maps every inch of protected open space in Davidson County and charts a community based vision for how to protect and connect the green infrastructure. It includes

• strategies for Nashville to improve and protect drinking water; increase access to local, sustainable food; make it easier for people to bike, walk and play; protect scenic and historic places from disappearing to development

• 27 recommendations that range from the simple (put signs on trails so people know they exist) to the ambitious (double the tree canopy downtown over 10 years). It calls for connecting open space in the four corners of Davidson County through a network of protected lands at key points along the Cumberland River, including a greener downtown. 

Like cash-strapped government leaders nationally, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean recognized that urban areas can't afford haphazard conservation any longer.  Actively seeking a more cost-effective conservation strategy, he and the Land Trust for Tennessee asked The Conservation Fund to inventory and evaluate the region’s natural areas, incorporate public input and technical analysis, and develop an implementable, regional vision. New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia are a few of the major cities also shifting their strategies to find cheap green infrastructure solutions like buying waterfront land to soak up water during storms, encouraging green roofs and rain gardens, planting trees and trying to create more access for people to enjoy the outdoors.

“With thousands of acres a day lost to development, we don’t have time for plans that grow dusty on shelves,” Allen says. “We need to make the smart decisions now.”

"Nashville: Naturally" Open Space Plan. Download the 7.2 MB pdf file HERE.

One Day in the Life of Downtown Memphis

We've picked 1 day - Saturday, Sept. 21 - to show you some of the great things you can do downtown this time of year. Start the day off with a cup of organic coffee and a fresh muffin at 7 am and find yourself dancing at midnight, all within a block or so of the River.

Memphis Farmer’s Market, 7am - 1 pm. (S. Front at G.E. Patterson).  Fresh produce, flowers, downtown neighbors, and always something special. On the 21st there's story-time, pet adoptions, and 3 different musicians. Click HERE. 

Downtown Bicycle Ride. 9 am. (Start: Central Station Pavilion, G. E. Patterson). Take a fun, leisurely ride through Downtown led by Bill Draper. Free. Helmets required. Click HERE for more information. 

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