Friday, February 26, 2010

Progress report

(Click image to biggify.)

Monday, February 15, 2010

Treehuggers at the Jamboree

Yesterday we had our second annual Old Forest Jamboree at the fabulous Hi Tone Cafe. Last year, I thought we made it kid-friendly by having it start at 7pm on a Wednesday. While we did have a few kids in attendance, it was nothing compared to this year! Sunday afternoon from 3-6 (when there is no school on Monday) proved to be way more kid-friendly. In fact, I believe we had more kids in attendance than adults! Which, by the way, is awesome since CPOP's main objective is to preserve the forest for FUTURE generations.




The Hi-Tone proved to be the perfect place for the Jamboree. We had a great stage and sound for our musicians, plenty of tables and chairs for our people, lots of room for our kids to run around in, and oh yeah, the best pizza in Memphis, half-price! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Hi Tone!

We kicked off the festivities with a round (or two) of Ghost River Beer and the Lorax Posse. The Lorax Posse is a group of forest loving musicians who decided to get together and play some music for the first time ever! Ok, they did have one practice. I thought they sounded awesome and everyone seemed to be enjoying the music. Thanks to Mike Graber, Jana Misener, Krista Wroten, Jeff White, Jim Spake, and Jonathan Hart! Y'all gotta play more gigs!

Next up we had the Old Forest monologues. Elaine Blanchard, Roy Barnes, Wendy Sumner Winter, and Steve Black each took the stage and shared their thoughts on our lovely 10,000 year old gem.(Of course only the front room could hear a word they were saying thanks to the two other rooms full of our enthusiastic, dare I say rowdy, next generation supporters!) Maybe we can get the transcripts up in the next few days.

We ended the afternoon with an incredible set from the oh so talented and melodic Star & Micey. People were seriously going crazy over these guys. They are so good! And without really being LOUD. They were just perfect for a rowdy Jamboree. Go see them!

It was one of the best Valentine's days I've ever had. Good times with good friends for a good cause. Can't beat that. Thanks to everyone who came out and made it such a success!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Old Forest Jamboree

We've got a big weekend coming up! Join us at 10:00am tomorrow, Feb. 13, for our regular second Saturday nature hike. We meet next to the Rainbow Lake parking area for a free guided walk in the Old Forest.

This Sunday, Feb. 14, is Valentine's Day and we're showing our love for the forest. Grab your friends and sweethearts and come on down to the Hi Tone Cafe from 3:00pm to 6:00pm for our second annual Old Forest Jamboree.

We'll have great music, half-price Hi Tone pizza, and a free Ghost River beer for the grownups. Kids don't get beer, but they do get in free. Check the poster for details:

Don't forget to become a fan of CPOP on Facebook!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Making progress

Yesterday, we received a reply from Mayor Wharton to our January 6 letter. We are very pleased by his fair-minded approach and commitment to transparency.

(Click to biggify.)

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Floristic Study of the Overton Park Forest

As promised, the Old Forest botanical report has finally been released to the public! This plant survey was commissioned in 2008 by the Park Services division of the City of Memphis and was conducted over a 12-month period by a renowned local botanist, Tom Heineke.

You can download the full report (184KB PDF) and read it for yourself. We particularly like the conclusion:

Overton Park Forest is a unique resource which cannot be replaced. It is invaluable to the city and to the region as an outstanding example of old growth forest. Because it is within an urban setting, it is even more exceptional. Everything possible should be done to assure that it is protected in perpetuity. This forest is indeed extraordinary and unequaled.