District Digest News Stories

Nashville District celebrates Earth Day festivities at Centennial Park

Nashville District Public Affairs
Published April 19, 2014
Ben MacIntyre, a park ranger from J. Percy Priest Lake Resource Center and Mary Lewis, biologist, Customer Outreach and Silver Jackets coordinator with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, talk with residents of the J. Percy Priest lake area at the 13th annual Nashville Earth Day Festival at Centennial Park April 19.

Ben MacIntyre, a park ranger from J. Percy Priest Lake Resource Center and Mary Lewis, biologist, Customer Outreach and Silver Jackets coordinator with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, talk with residents of the J. Percy Priest lake area at the 13th annual Nashville Earth Day Festival at Centennial Park April 19.

Mary Lewis, biologist, Customer Outreach and Silver Jackets coordinator for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, (Left) and Ben MacIntyre, a park ranger from J. Percy Priest Lake Resource Center (right) talk with a couple as they stopped at the Nashville District booth during the 13th annual Nashville Earth Day Festival at Centennial Park April 19. The event featured exhibits and activities aimed at educating everyone about protecting our environment. The environmental friendly festival drew environmentalists of all ages to hundreds of family-friendly eco booths, hosted by government agencies, environmental organizations, and community groups who provided t-shirts, cups, pencils and goodies for all ages.

Mary Lewis, biologist, Customer Outreach and Silver Jackets coordinator for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, (Left) and Ben MacIntyre, a park ranger from J. Percy Priest Lake Resource Center (right) talk with a couple as they stopped at the Nashville District booth during the 13th annual Nashville Earth Day Festival at Centennial Park April 19. The event featured exhibits and activities aimed at educating everyone about protecting our environment. The environmental friendly festival drew environmentalists of all ages to hundreds of family-friendly eco booths, hosted by government agencies, environmental organizations, and community groups who provided t-shirts, cups, pencils and goodies for all ages.

Craig Carrington, chief plan formulation Section explains various projects and work the Corps has done to Diane Shearfrom Nashville at the 13th annnual Nashville Earth Day Festival at Centennial Park April 19, 2014.

Craig Carrington, chief plan formulation Section explains various projects and work the Corps has done to Diane Shearfrom Nashville at the 13th annnual Nashville Earth Day Festival at Centennial Park April 19, 2014.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 19, 2014) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District celebrated Earth Day with thousands of people today during the 13th annual Nashville Earth Day Festival at Centennial Park.

District Project Planning Branch staff educated attendees on the Corps’ Aquatic  Ecosystem Restoration mission, as well as the important role the District plays with regards to Environmental Stewardship of our lakes and adjacent lands.  Some of the great sustainable design features being incorporated into Corps projects District wide were also highlighted.  Park ranger Ben MacIntyre from J. Percy Priest Lake Resource Office  made hundreds of contacts spreading the Corps’ water safety message

“This was a great opportunity for the us to think globally and act locally in showing others that we care about the environment and the Corps has a mission to take care of our ecosystem,” said Russ Rote, chief of Project Planning Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District.

At the start of the festivities, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean addressed the crowd and reminded everyone of his goal of making Nashville the cleanest and greenest city in the Southeast.

  “Thank you for participating in Nashville’s Earth Day,” said Dean. “We are still committed to making our city greener, improving schools, making our neighborhoods safer and bring better jobs to Nashville,” he added.

The event featured exhibits and activities aimed at educating everyone about protecting our environment.   The environmental friendly festival also drew environmentalists of all ages to hundreds of family-friendly eco booths, hosted by government agencies, environmental organizations, and community groups who provided t-shirts, cups, pencils and goodies for all ages.

"Our mission today has been a great success because we connected with much our community who live on area lakes and for others we shared key environmental information with them,” said Mary Lewis, biologist, Customer Outreach and Silver Jackets coordinator at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District.  “This is a great opportunity for us to make a difference by educating the public about ecosystems restoration, environmental stewardship, and preservation of our Corps recreation areas.  It is also an opportunity to promote recreation, and water safety by reminding people to wear their life jackets when boating.”

The event featured exhibits, activities and two stages with live music performed by Sam Bush, the Honeycutters and the Farewell Drifters specifically aimed at educating attendees about protecting the environment and sustainability.  

Diane Shear, a 30-year resident from Nashville stopped by the Corps booth and gathered reading material, Shear said this was her first time to see much of the information offered at the Earth Day celebration.

"The Corps has some great information and it is information that will make us better environmental stewards,” said Shear. “This event means that we are paying attention to our planet,” said Shear.  “I believe everyday should be Earth Day not just one day out of the year,” she added. 

The Cumberland and Tennessee rivers are vital to Tennesseans.  The Corps believes that if we take care of the environment, it will take good care of its residents.   Ben MacIntyre, a park ranger from J. Percy Priest Lake Resource Center said the Nashville Earth Day has been a great communication tool for the Corps to provide the public with information about the environment.

“It’s good the Corps supports events like the Earth Day Festival,” said MacIntyre. “It enables us to talk to variety of people and it reminds us of the Corps mission.” 
 
For more information about Environmental stewardship, Water Quality, Water Management, How the Cumberland River System works, and Educational Series Overview visit: http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Missions/WaterManagement/EducationSeries.aspx.