Department of Parks
E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park Seeks Volunteers To Plant Trees Dec. 11

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park needs volunteers!

In February 2010, E.ON U.S. Plant for the Planet granted E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park $5,000 to plant 100 trees on the park.  Now the park needs help with planting these trees.  The park will be planting trees on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010, starting at 9 a.m.  Bring out your volunteer group for a great service project to support the state park and the Louisville community. 

The trees planted on the park will help the park and E.ON U.S. support the “The Right Tree in the Right Place” program presented by E.ON.  This program focuses on the importance of planting native trees around homes not only for habitat of native plants and animals but also to shade homes in summer and block homes from the wind in winter with the goal of reducing energy costs and energy consumption.

All trees planted on the park will be native to Kentucky to conserve the natural environment and create habitat for the insects, birds and animals of the park.  No trees will be planted under utility lines.  Many trees on the park were damaged by the wind storm of September 2008 and the ice storm of January 2009.  This program helps with replacing the trees that were lost. 

For information and to volunteer, call Jessica Evans, state park naturalist, at 502-429-7270. Please respond by Tuesday, Nov. 30.

E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park is a 580-acre park within the urban landscape of the city of Louisville and serves as the only state park within Jefferson County. The park encompasses both active and passive recreation and leisure pursuits. Recreational facilities include an Olympic-size outdoor pool; fully functional gymnasium with basketball, badminton and pickleball courts; athletic fields for soccer, lacrosse and flag football; a three-field softball complex; tennis courts; archery range; radio controlled airfield; and BMX bicycle track. The park offers some of the finest natural settings in the Metro area with the Goose Creek nature trail and large meadow and forested green space. The Louisville Dog Run Association calls the park home with a fenced in six-acre track for dogs to enjoy. Outdoor adventure and enjoyment is also available with the Louisville Astronomical Society Urban Astronomy Center and Senior Community Gardens. Meeting space is abundant in the park with small class rooms in the administrative building or the large reception hall and conference room found at the new Sawyer Hayes Community Center. The park also has three picnic shelters scattered around for family, corporate, and civic celebrations.

To visit E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park, take the Gene Snyder (Interstate 265) to Exit 32.  Go west on Westport Road to Freys Hill Road.  Take Freys Hill Road into the park. 

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The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 51 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our website at http://www.parks.ky.gov