As executive director of Legacy Parks Foundation, Carol Evans helps East Tennesseans get outside and play by connecting the urban and the wild. The nonprofit has helped conserve over 1,000 acres of land and added more than 600 acres of parkland in Knox County. For a brief video on one aspect of their work: youtube.com/watch?v=DHG993iYQSg
Photo Above Courtesy of Legacy Parks Foundation.
In 2005 you helped form Legacy Parks Foundation in Knoxville, Tennessee, and you’ve been executive director since 2007. How did this premiere catalyst for East Tennessee parks happen?
There was a need for an organization like ours—one that helped people contribute to and support parks, trails and open space. People want to give land and money, and it’s difficult to give directly to Knoxville’s city and county parks. We provided the mechanism to do so, and we work across the public-private sector. As a nimble organization, we can incubate new projects that can be replicated. Finally, we knew that people in East Tennessee inherently love and value our natural assets, though they may be unaware of all we have. We’ve worked to create access to our forests, ridges and rivers, and raise awareness that Knoxville is a terrific outdoor town! I speak from experience. I’ve lived in Knoxville for more than 30 years and looked for outdoor opportunities before recognizing all that we already have.
Share your idea for “Close to Home Parks.” You say seven acres of urban green space nearby can sometimes be more important than 700 acres further away.
We discovered the importance of close-to-home parks through land donations Legacy Parks received within the city—small parcels of 1.5 to 15 acres. With each we really met a need for that neighborhood to be able to easily get outdoors. One example is a Knox County park—a preserve in a growing community on a busy four-lane. People use it all day long—moms bringing their children in the middle of the day, walkers before and after work and users of all physical abilities. When we make places easy to access, they will be used.
How is Legacy Parks Foundation different?
We are a hybrid between a conservancy and a “friends” group. We raise money for parks, and we conserve land. We often create parks and trails, and convey them to the city or county. We help other communities start similar foundations. Probably the best thing that we do is provide that bridge between public and private sectors.
How have Legacy Parks’ Urban Wilderness initiative and its “Get Out and Play” message branded Knoxville?
The Urban Wilderness helped define Knoxville as an outdoor town because it is the perfect juxtaposition. You can be in the woods and then downtown within 10 minutes. Urban Wilderness is more than 1,000 acres of forests, parks and over 50 miles of trails in the heart of our city. These assets were already here! We just connected them, created access and help point the public in the right direction. “Get Out and Play” reminds folks that these amenities are for everyone. We’re introducing people to enjoy however they like—hike one mile or 10 miles. It all should be fun and should be play.
Adaptive wheelchairs are a trend in U.S. parks. You brought them to Knoxville, calling this game-changing idea “Access for All.” What is it?
We want everyone to have access to our parks, trails and rivers. This means being mindful of barriers we can eliminate or prevent. We work with outdoor adventurers with disabilities in Knoxville who help us learn what they need. We built the first adaptive mountain bike trail in Knoxville and additional adaptive trails. We’ve installed two adaptive docks and will create an adaptive water trail system on the French Broad River. We keep learning to make our outdoors open for everyone.
What’s next for Legacy Parks?
We’ll do what we’ve done for 15 years—be ready for opportunities. We never know when land will come our way. We’ll keep the organization healthy and act on those opportunities. We’ll listen to community needs and seek new ways to help everyone enjoy our incredible natural resources. And I’ll continue to get out and play!
The story above first appeared in our March / April 2023 issue.
