Radnor Lake State Park Wins Excellence in Interpretation Award
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has honored Radnor Lake State Park in Nashville with the Excellence in Interpretation Award among the 57 Tennessee State Parks. The award is part of the annual Tennessee State Parks Awards of Excellence.
“We want visitors to our state parks to have a great experience, and interpretive programs provide that,” said Greer Tidwell, deputy commissioner of Conservation at TDEC. “We congratulate Radnor Lake State Park for its work in this area. This award is a well-deserved honor.”
The Interpretation category of the awards is for parks that have demonstrated the ability to provide high-quality, varied interpretive activities at their parks. Interpretive activities may include but are not limited to presentations, guided hikes, workshops, games, special events, interpretive panels, and video presentations.
Radnor Lake State Park programming included spotting scopes for the park’s American Bald Eagle nest, two weeks of a Junior Ranger intern program, and tours and open house programs at the Barbara J. Mapp Aviary Education Center. The park also held a National Public Lands Day sunset hike, along with other hikes focused on wheelchair-only visitors and their caregivers. The park had wheelchair reservations as part of TDEC’s Access 2030 initiative.
Radnor Lake State Park is protected as a Class II Natural Area. It is unique due to the abundance of wildlife viewing opportunities, environmental education programs, hiking opportunities, and its location in an urban area. The park is day-use only and the 7.75-miles of trail are strictly used for hiking, photography, and wildlife observation.
TDEC also announced awards for the best parks in the following categories: Pickett CCC Memorial State Park for Customer Engagement and Resource Management; Booker T. Washington State Park in Innovation; and Johnsonville State Historic Park in Sustainability.
Seven Islands State Birding Park was named Park of the Year.