Latest News
NatureZen: Could It Be…Actual Fall?
Have you ordered your 2021 NatureZen notecards yet? Place your orders by November 10 to ensure timely delivery before the holidays! Every year after the calendar tells us that fall has officially arrived, we experience a few days of glorious crisp temperatures followed by the cruel return of heat and humidity. The meme about Memphis’s […]
Return to 2018 parking plan announced
Last week, it was announced that the Zoo’s parking lot reconfiguration project was set to resume in 2022, after a two-year pause. We understand why this news came as a surprise to many people. The plan that is now set to move forward is the compromise solution that was agreed upon in 2018. Phase 1 of that plan, […]
NatureZen notecards are back!
It’s time once again to send the beauty of the Old Forest to a friend! As a holiday gift to yourself or a loved one, pre-order a set of notecards featuring six of our favorite photos from the past year of our NatureZen series. For $24, you’ll receive a 12-pack of cards (two of each […]
Stories: Abigail Teamer
Overton Park Stories: Abigail Teamer My story with Overton Park begins unconventionally compared to most visitors. Growing up in Bartlett, I usually went to one of the local neighborhood parks for outdoor play. However, this changed when I started working with my uncle’s janitorial company, Pinnacle Perpetual Services. After he signed a cleaning contract with […]
NatureZen: All Eyes on Me
words and photos by Melissa McMasters One of the things that fascinates me most as a naturalist is the ways animals have evolved their appearances over time to suit some specific purpose. Last summer, we explored how moths camouflage themselves to blend perfectly into their habitats, hiding themselves from their many predators. But other creatures […]
Golf course set for spring opening
Plan to spend next spring on the greens as the Overton Park golf course is on track to reopen in the second quarter of 2022. Although course designers had originally hoped to have a grand opening this fall, the new grass in some of the fairways and tee areas needs a few more months to […]
NatureZen: The Coolest Thing You’ll Read All Day
words and photos by Melissa McMasters It’s August, and the days of balmy three-hour birding walks in the Old Forest are a few months away. Instead, it’s the season of packing multiple water bottles, coating ourselves in bug spray to keep the chiggers and mosquitoes at bay, and strategizing ways to stay cool. The wild […]
Stories: Zack Meaders Guess
Zack Meaders Guess shares his memories of Overton Park, a place his son Noah Guess cares for as the owner of Echo Systems Inc., the park’s landscaping team. You can submit your own park memories at overtonpark.org/stories. This is written in April 2021. In a few days I will be eighty years old. I was […]
NatureZen: The Dragonfly Olympics
words and photos by Melissa McMasters A few weeks ago, I participated in a global community-science project called the Odolympics, named for Odonata, the taxonomic order containing dragonflies and damselflies. Like the Great Backyard Bird Count or a BioBlitz, the Odolympics harnesses the time and energy of regular naturalists like you and me to create a snapshot […]
In memory of George E. Cates
This week our hearts are heavy with the loss of one of Overton Park Conservancy’s visionary founders, George E. Cates. Anyone who remembers the Overton Park of ten years ago will understand just how profoundly George’s dream of a beautiful, safe, and welcoming park for all Memphians has been realized. The outpouring of memories and tributes is a testament to how many […]