words and photos by Melissa McMasters This Saturday, the Americas will celebrate World Migratory Bird Day, a day devoted to birds and the international cooperation required to assist in their conservation. About 20% of the world’s bird species migrate, flying hundreds or thousands of miles
NatureZen: Beyond April Fool’s words and photos by Melissa McMasters April Fool’s Day, along with warmer weather, has me thinking about all the creatures I run across that are using deception as a part of their daily lives. So even though April 1 has come
words and photos by Melissa McMasters Our fellow Tennessean Margaret Renkl wrote last week in the New York Times about the disconnect between the joy she felt at this year’s early-blooming wildflowers and the fear of what this too-soon spring would mean for the overall
words and photos by Melissa McMasters As we head into Valentine’s month, it seems like every shop aisle is filled with hearts of all sizes and colors, while outside everything is a shade of brown or gray. So let’s travel via photos to a time
words and photos by Melissa McMasters It’s the holiday season, and we’ve got snacks on the brain. Holiday parties, big family meals, stockings stuffed with candy in sparkly wrappers…we’re being bombarded with seasonal treats right now. But for birds in our area, winter is hardly
We know it intuitively: when we step into the Old Forest at Overton Park, we just feel different. Even though we’re still surrounded by busy streets on all sides, we’ve walked into a place of calm, where we can take a deep breath. That feeling
by Kaci Murley, Deputy Executive Director As Brandi Carlile asks us, “Have you ever wandered lonely through the woods?” Chances are, if you subscribe to Overton Park Conservancy emails, the answer is yes. Chances are if you live in Memphis, it’s been a while. Like most of
Overton Park Conservancy is thrilled to welcome journalist and author Florence Williams to town for a special evening at the Brooks Museum on Wednesday, October 19. Ms. Williams’ influential 2017 book The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative explores research
words and photos by Melissa McMasters It was a running joke in our house growing up that my mom couldn’t recognize actors from one movie to the next. When we’d marvel that she didn’t remember, say, Uma Thurman, her excuse every time was, “Well, she
Over the last few years, as the Conservancy has been developing a plan for Overton Park’s future, we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the park’s potential to heal. Evidence has been building for the concept that time spent in nature reduces stress, lowers
