21st Century Parks Inc

Causes: Environment, Parks & Playgrounds

Mission: 21st century parks serves as a steward entrusted to create and preserve unexcelled parklands that reflect the needs and values of our whole community. The goal of the parklands of floyds fork is to build a world- class, systemic, addition to (continued on schedule o) louisville's park system; if done right, the outcome is the creation of the finest urban edge in the country.

Programs: Recreation:21st century parks, inc. Develops, funds, and operates the parklands of floyds fork. This nearly 4,000 acre public park is complete, making it the largest new urban park system built in the nation in at least the last twenty years. Even more unique, this park, which charges no admission fee for entry, is operated without receiving public tax dollars for operations. In 2017, the parklands hosted nearly 3. 1 million visitors across the region. These visitors spent their leisure time hiking and biking the 46 miles of multi-use trails, paddling 22 miles of floyd's fork, and playing games on 20 multi-use sports fields. Working with its partners, 21st century parks, inc. Stocked 11,450 fish in parklands' lakes and streams for the (continued on schedule o) enjoyment of the angling community, provided 81 plots for community gardens, and registered 806 dog owners at the barklands. Louisville individuals and businesses contributed 11,600 volunteer hours in the parklands in 2017.

conservation: 21st century parks, inc. Is dedicated to the conservation and enrichment of the land for which it is responsible. The organization employs a full-time gardening and natural areas team that was responsible for planting more than 4,000 trees and shrubs, and treating more than 200 acres to remove invasive plant species in 2017. Working with the state of kentucky under the environmental quality incentives program, the parklands performed environmental restoration work over more than 160 acres that included establishment of riparian corridors, brush and weed management. Further, 21st century parks, inc. Is responsible for the maintenance of a grove of endangered american chestnut trees. In 2017, (continued on schedule o) 21st century parks, inc. Planted an additional 20 trees in this grove and the surrounding forest.

education:21st century parks, inc. Provides dynamic, life-changing experiences for louisville-area youth that connect them with the outdoors and our natural kentucky landscape. These experiences are designed to incite curiosity about our natural world while focusing on stem education curriculum using our outdoor classroom. In 2017, the education program hosted more than 100 school field trips for kindergarten through high school age groups serving a total of 10,000 students. Of those 10,000 students, 4,200 came from traditionally underserved areas of the city or title 1 schools and were awarded youth scholarships in order to participate.