‘Ducks Unlimited Park’ tackles wetland restoration
A 1,500-acre park across the river from Downtown Memphis has new funding, new leadership and a new name: Ducks Unlimited Park.
The park is a wetland restoration effort with recreational amenities on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River, and Ducks Unlimited — the country’s largest wetland conservation organization, headquartered in Memphis — is spearheading conservation work on the land.
Ducks Unlimited has raised $11.5 million to date for the project. About $5 million was spent to purchase the land.
“Putting our expertise to work in our company’s own backyard is a significant opportunity for our organization — one we do not take lightly,” said Adam Putnam, CEO of Ducks Unlimited.
Project partners include the City of West Memphis; Marion, Arkansas; First Horizon Foundation; Nucor; Ingram; NexAir; International Paper; Hyde Family Foundation; Poplar Foundation; AutoZone; TennGreen Land Conservancy; Simmons Bank; and McVean Trading.
Big River Park Conservancy is the nonprofit overseeing the effort, which named Chris Ware executive director on Thursday, April 13.
Ware has been practicing law for 12 years, with experience in land conservation, and served as a Big River Park Conservancy board member. He’ll manage easement acquisitions and serve as the nonprofit’s legal and financial representative.
The goal is to return current farmland to floodplain, which naturally absorbs water from the Mississippi River and filters it before returning it to the river.
They’ll also create new trails, a welcome pavilion with an outdoor classroom and restrooms and an off-leash retriever training dog park.