Mark Fraley Podcast

For her second appearance on the Mark Fraley Podcast, we interview Joanna Brichetto about her new book, This Is How A Robin Drinks,  Essays on Urban Nature.   Joanna is a Certified Tennessee Naturalist and the producer of the well known blog/Instagram called Sidewalk Nature.

The book consists of 52 essays,  arranged by seasons (Summer, Winter, Spring Fall).  She shares amazingly detailed observations and stories  of natural things which are available for us all to see on our city streets and park, but which we often miss.

Embedded within the interview is a special message/lesson for the managers of city parks everywhere.  Pictured below  is Joanna with the Nashville Mustard at Nashville’s Elmington Park.

Photo Credit:  Maggie Rose

The post Interview With Author and Naturalist Joanna Brichetto, This Is How A Robin Drinks. Essays on Urban Nature (Episode 114) appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Today I  talk with Michael Officer of the Cuan Beo organization in Galway, Republic of Ireland.

Michael and his organization are involved with the restoration of the oyster fishery in the Galway Bay.  There have a multifaceted approach to their work. Priority is given to  managing the quality and volume of the fresh water entering the bay from the watershed around Galway, North and South.  Also, they are making efforts to improve areas of the bay to be more suitable habitat for the oysters.  They have also involved themselves in the outdoor recreation opportunities which are now possible with improved water quality.

The post Interview with Michael Officer, Executive Officer Cuan Beo (Bay Life) organization, Galway Ireland (Episode 113) appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Located in Mid Town Memphis, Overton park is a 342 acre gem.  Established in 1902, this park is one of the rare local parks which predates the establishment of the State Park System and even predates the general  enabling authority for Tennessee cities to have parks.  Designed by George Kessler, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The park is well known as the venue for the Memphis Zoo and the Brooks Museum of Art.  Also within the park boundaries is the 125 acre Old Forest State Natural Area.

Overton Park was also the subject of a landmark US Supreme Court decision which protected the park from the encroachment of planned route for Interstate 40.

The park has recently been awarded significant funding which will allow for the  expansion of the protected forest preserve and  new hiking trails.

We talk today with Melissa McMasters and Eric Bridges from the Overton Park Conservancy.  The Conservancy is a not for profit organization charged with overall management of the park.

The post Historic Overton Park in Memphis Tennessee, Melissa McMasters and Eric Bridges of the Overton Park Conservancy (Episode 112) appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

It is long past time that we  reexamine the traditional notion of the American Yard.

The highly manicured weed free turf grass  lawn with associated ornamental shrubs can be highly wasteful in terms of the use of energy and  water consumption.  The widespread use of herbicides, fertilizers and pesticides by homeowners  can be detrimental to the environment.  Of prominent concern is the pollution of rivers and streams by chemical and soil  runoff in  storm water.

The University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension has developed a comprehensive program to assist homeowners and property managers in making the transition to a style of  yard stewardship which is, at once, more practical and also more thoughtful environmentally. Hence, The Smart Yard!

Our guest is Amy Dunlap,  Agricultural Extension Agent ( Agriculture and Natural Resource specialist )  for Davidson County Tennessee.

The post The Tennessee Smart Yard Program, with Amy Dunlap, Agricultural Extension Agent, University of Tennessee (Episode 111) appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Fort Negley is a historical park in Nashville, Tennessee. Operated under the auspices of the Metro Nashville Board of Parks and Recreation, the park contains the remnants of a Civil War era Union Army fortress.  The fort was mainly constructed by black laborers, many were escaped slaves, who  had settled in an encampment surrounding the fort area.

Our guest, Dr Angela Sutton,  is a social and digital  historian affiliated with  Vanderbilt  University.  She serves as Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Research Assistant Professor in the History Department.   Dr. Sutton has involved herself with the Friends of Fort Negley and has established The Builders and Defenders Database ( which makes available the names and biographical information  of the enslaved and free Black people who built and defended the fort) as well as the Fort Negley Descendants Project, which is an oral history archive  of the descendants.

The post Interview With Dr Angela Sutton, Fort Negley Descendants Project (Episode 110) appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

One subject which continues to inspire grassroots community organization in Tennessee in water quality.   Tennessee wants fishable and swimmable waterways.  People in Tennessee recognize that clean water is imperative to our health, the environment and to our way of life.

The CWEET organization in Cocke County  has been working to protect the Pigeon River and waterways in neighboring communities for many years.  The Pigeon has endured a century of pollution from a paper mill on the North Carolina side of the Tennessee/North Carolina border.   This has been the subject of much controversy and litigation over many decades.  Now that the paper plant is closed, the river is slowly recovering and a new economic vitality has emerged in that otherwise distressed area.  River based recreation industry had made a  huge economic contribution.

Today we talk with Community Organizer Spring Duckett about the CWEET organization.  We discuss their current activities to continuously monitor the health of the river and their various program activities which enrich that community.  CWEET is constantly working to assure that developmental activities  do not degrade the natural beauty of the area.

The post Interview With Spring Duckett, CWEET organization, (Clean Water Expected in East Tennessee) Episode 109 appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

The Cumberland River Basin is an area which extends from the mountains of Eastern Kentucky down through Middle Tennessee and finally into Western Kentucky. This is an area of about  1800 square miles. The river provides life supporting water for the citizens who make this place home and supports some of the most ecologically diverse places in North America.

For the last 27 years the Cumberland River Compact  has had a leadership role in water quality initiatives throughout this area.  This organization works to address the root causes of water pollution through an array of  land management and educational programs.

Today with talk with Mekayle Houghton about the Cumberland River, clean water and the various programs and initiatives of her organization.

The post Interview With Mekayle Houghton, Executive Director, Cumberland River Compact (Episode 108) appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

The City of Louisville, Kentucky, is one of only four cities in the world which can claim a system of parks designed by the Frederick Law Olmsted  and  his family firm of landscape architects. Now over 100 years old, these 17 parks are a treasure to the citizens of Louisville and to the nation.  These historic parks continue to serve their function and are an integral part of the fabric of that city.

Our guest, Layla George, is the President of the Olmsted Parks Conservancy. This organization serves as a non profit partner to the City of Louisville working to protect and enhance these Olmsted Parks.

In this interview Layla gives us an orientation to the Olmsted Parks of Louisville. We discuss some major  projects as well as ongoing management challenges.

The post Interview With Layla George, President, Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Louisville, KY (Episode 107) appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Now retired after decades of distinguished  service to the Tennessee State Parks,  Murray Crow sits down with Mark and shares memories of his remarkable parks experience.

Beginning with his schooling at UT Martin,  continuing through postings at parks throughout the state, both smaller parks and resort parks and ending with many years at central office with statewide responsibility, Murray had never regretted his choice of parks  as a career.  Notable among these varied experiences are the preparation for the 1996 Olympic  Whitewater events at Ocoee  River State Park, and the implementation of the controversial fee system during the Sunquist years.

The post Murray Crow Interview , Memories of Decades of Service to Tennessee State Parks (Episode 106) appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Our guest today is Aaron Browning, recently installed President of the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association.  A native of eastern Kentucky and former college tennis player, Aaron serves as Deputy Director of the City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation Department.

TRPA is the leading professional organization for persons working in the field of Parks and Recreation in Tennessee.  Aaron shares with us his goals for his year as TRPA President and also acquaints us with remarkable improvements to the Parks and Recreation system in Knoxville.

The post Interview with Aaron Browning, President, Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association, Deputy Director of P&R, City of Knoxville (Episode 105) appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.