Earth Day @ Shelby Farms

Today was a good day.

In spite of the ferocious rain this morning, Cameron and I checked out the Earth Day festivities at Shelby Farms. We intended to zip in and out in an hour and instead left 4 1/2 hours later with a fresh dose of assurance that Memphis has lots of good stuff going on if you take the time to look. There are some passionate people here, who through their niche efforts are all trying to make our city more sustainable, more livable, fitter, safer, smarter....in short, better than it is today.

Amongst the booths were big companies, like International Paper, Cummins, TVA and MLGW, FedEx and Whole Foods. I'm not sure why Harrah's was there, handing out coupons for gambling in Tunica, but maybe they threw in some money as a sponsor. Arguably more interesting were all the small businesses and non-profits out sharing their products, programs and messages. Amongst the small businesses, we met industrious folks who are pushing forward, despite the turbulent economy, such as 3-person Crete Unique, a company crafting concrete and recycled glass countertops. They recently did the counters of Terra House, a residence shooting for platinum LEED certification built in partnership with University of Memphis. We also chatted with Guidon at Re-Hy, whose company turns used glass bottles into beautifully etched reusable bottles for water, vinegars, etc. At Eco Systems, we signed up for a lawn estimate after hearing their system for lawn maintenance using turkey litter and no petroluem or chemicals. Finally, with Above and Beyond electricians we found a whole new spin on hiring an electrician, by offering unique value add services for those wanting to increase their energy efficiency.

In the non-profit arena, we met committed folks focused on all kinds of challenges the city faces. Clean Memphis is attacking the litter problem in Memphis one neighborhood at a time and raising the priority of recycling services at large-scale festivals and events. Shelby Farms Conservancy and Wolf River Conservancy both have ambitious master plans for designing premier green spaces that protect the ecological balance and allow for a wide range of outdoor adventures. Greater Memphis Greenline is enabling residents to traverse the city and reach Shelby Farms by bike or foot through creation of paved multi-use paths that leverage old CSX rail lines, while MidSouth Trails Association builds and maintains off-road bike trails through the region.

Complimenting the creation of great places to be active are groups trying to encourage Memphians to get off the couch, such as Get Moving Memphis. This city-wide effort sponsored by the The Memphis Flyer matches people interested in an activity with both a coach and the opportunity to try it out and the ongoing encouragement to stay motivated. Outdoors Inc, Peddler Bike Shop, Better Bodies Yoga...all have a role to play in this movement, as do the Tornado Alley Sailing Club and Disc Golf Club. It would seem that if there is an activity you want to do in Memphis, there is a club for it!

On the food front, Grow Memphis plants and oversees community gardens in about a dozen neigborhoods, while the Master Gardern's Urban Project uses public gardens at Shelby Farms to grow fesh vegetables that go straight from the field to the Memphis Food Bank. Last year they harvested 7K tons of veggies!

This is only a sampling of the booths we engaged with at Earth Day, but goes to show the variety of work underway. Yet this work is all connected too. Each group touches another in some way. There is a clear need for non-profits / service organizations and even small businesses to have visibility to the work of their peers and for the public to find ways to engage without having to happen across the website of each group. A forum is needed to tie everything together. But I digress...

I now have a ton of seeds to plant (wildflowers were the chic giveaway this year), a rainwater barrel to build, an oak tree to find a home for (International Paper needs to re-think their sapling giveaways), a clean-up to sign up for, coupons to spend at Whole Foods and a new concrete w/ recycled glass counter top to talk Cameron into. Phew. If only there were more hours in the day...or if this could all somehow be my day job :-)