More to the Story with Staley: Park Upgrades

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — For any city in America, the local parks can be a source of pride, and Chattanooga is no different. Our city is now in the midst of restoring and upgrading the beauty of many of our local parks.

It looks like a big field with a lot of tall grass. Grass that needs to be mowed.

It’s Carver Park, off Orchard Knob Avenue, here in Chattanooga.

But this grass is not good. And that’s why these fine folks are here, to make it right.

“Based on my initial observations, it’s a field of fescue. And that’s a great forest crop. But it’s not good for wetlands,” said ecologist Zach Irick.

So, the work begins. Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors, in tandem with the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, is collecting data. And assessing the next series of moves, which will most likely include mowing, spraying and burning.

In a nutshell, out with the bad and in with the good.

“You have competitive species here. We must get rid of the other grass before we replant,” Project Coordinator Lucy Ellis said.

History indicates what’s being done works. This is Heritage Park in East Brainerd: the first park worked on months ago. You can plainly see the before and after.

It appears to be a “mission accomplished.”

“We saw a very positive response,” Irick said. “We saw plants that were not documented in this county, and they are growing. It was a very positive response.”

It’s a process that makes things better all around. But it’s not a quick fix, here at Carver or anywhere.

It takes months, years.

“We’re not just lighting a match and letting it go,” Ellis explained. “We want the land to be healthier. It takes time. It takes thought and science.”

Other local parks will receive this upgrade as well. This includes Greenway Farm and East Lake Park.