NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Radnor Lake State Park has been named Park of the Year by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as part of the Tennessee State Parks Awards of Excellence. The park was also honored for its performance in sustainability, according to TDEC officials.
“Radnor Lake State Park is a perfect example of why we are so proud of our parks,” TDEC Commissioner David Salyers said. “The park has initiated outstanding programs, and it consistently earns great support from the community. Its performance in sustainability is just part of the parks’ overall achievements. We are excited to recognized Radnor Lake with these awards.”
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Radnor Lake was selected as the top park from among 56 state parks.
The park features programs focused on birds, providing interpretive spotting scope programs to highlight the park’s first-ever American Bald Eagle next. It has interpretive programming for visitors with special needs at the Barbara J. Mapp Aviary Education Center with the aviary’s non-releasable birds-of-prey.
The park hosted four weeks of the Junior Ranger Intern Program with 51 youth participants, held its annual Trees to Trails program that recycled 900 Christmas trees – a park record – and worked with more than 1,500 volunteers on projects ranging from invasive plant removal to stream cleanups and trail projects.
In October, the park welcomed Rivian electric car charging stations and was the first park with tow of the chargers, used daily, making up over 60% of EV use in Tennessee State Parks. In November, it hosted a ribbon cutting with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development for the first wheelchair accessible color viewfinder in Tennessee.
Using Go Green building products with recycled materials and recycling electronics items also contributed to the parks recognition for sustainability, officials said.
