Booker T. Washington State Park Wins Excellence in Innovation Award

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has honored Booker T. Washington State Park in Chattanooga with the Excellence in Innovation Award among the 57 Tennessee State Parks. The award is part of the annual Tennessee State Parks Awards of Excellence.

“Booker T. Washington State Park puts good ideas to work in ways that make the experience for visitors more enjoyable,” said Greer Tidwell, deputy commissioner of Conservation at TDEC. “We are proud of the team at the park, and we are pleased to honor it with this award.”

The Innovation category of the awards is for parks that have demonstrated the ability to think creatively to enhance or improve their parks. The innovative project must be long lasting or far reaching.

Booker T. Washington State Park updated old metal signs with limited information to visually appealing signs made of reclaimed wood from the park. The signs were engraved with QR codes to allow guests to use cell phones, tablets, and other devices to access additional information. The park utilized aerial drone photography and videos of the park to develop content for social media platforms and email links to share with guests to provide a virtual tour of the park. The 353-acre park is on the shores of scenic Chickamauga Lake.

TDEC also announced awards for the best parks in the following categories: Pickett CCC Memorial State Park for Customer Engagement and Resource Management; Radnor Lake State Park for Interpretation; and Johnsonville State Historic Park in Sustainability. Seven Islands State Birding Park was named Park of the Year.