The Trust for Public Land Receives Funding to Light Up the Alice Branch Creek Health and Wellness Park & Trail
Green Mountain Energy Sun Club provides sustainability grant for 15 off-grid lights to illuminate new walking trail with 100% solar energy
DALLAS, December 15, 2020 /3BL Media/ – Understanding the key role of parks and greenspaces to catalyze neighborhood revitalization, Green Mountain Energy Sun Club has awarded a nearly $150,000 sustainability grant to The Trust for Public Land for its 1.8-acre Alice Branch Creek Health and Wellness Park & Trail near South Oak Cliff High School. The grant will be used to illuminate the entire park with 100% solar energy by installing 15 off-grid solar lights that will improve the public safety of the upcoming park and the surrounding community. With the use of solar poles, The Trust for Public Land will avoid 30 metric tons of carbon dioxide and save $71,000 in electricity costs over the next 20 years.
The new park is part of the Alice Branch Health and Wellness Greenbelt project, which is expected to be completed in the Summer of 2021. The Trust for Public Land has partnered with the Dallas Park and Recreation Department to develop a network of parks and trails across the Five Mile Creek watershed. The greenbelt follows Alice Branch Creek and is anchored by the 1.8-acre neighborhood park, which will serve as multi-generational gathering space for 7,000 community residents within a 10-minute walk of home, including the nearby high school.
“Imagine how it’s going to feel for our community, students, and neighbors to be able to use this new park for exercise and recreation,” says Derrick Battie, community liaison for South Oak Cliff High School. “The solar-powered lighting provided by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club will help keep the park and the greater South Oak Cliff neighborhood safer, brighter, and a space to be enjoyed by all.”
As in other cities, Dallas saw a large increase in usage of its playgrounds, recreation centers, and basketball courts this year. According to a recent study by The Trust for Public Land, park visitation in Dallas rose from 30% to 75% in the first half of this year as families started visiting parks and trails for their outings and exercise options. Of the nearly 200,000 people living within the creek's watershed, only 54% have access to a park or trail within a 10-minute walk from home. The majority of area households are low-income, and significant health disparities impact residents, specifically asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. By expanding park and trail access to impacted neighborhoods, the Five Mile Creek Urban Greenbelt will directly improve health, education, and the environment, while playing a foundational role in the equitable development of Southern Dallas.
“The Trust for Public Land’s projects in Dallas are focused on enriching the community by connecting people to their city, nature and to each other,” explained Mark Parsons, vice president and general manager of Green Mountain Energy. “We are excited to collaborate with them on sustainability and advance Green Mountain’s mission to change the way power is made by utilizing 100% solar energy to illuminate the park.”
In recent years, The Trust for Public Land has collaborated with hundreds of local residents to develop a bold vision for a network of parks and trails along the Five Mile Creek and its many tributaries that will provide opportunities for residents to hike, bike, play, exercise, learn, and enjoy this natural bounty in the heart of Dallas. The Five Mile Creek Urban Greenbelt lays the foundation for 23 miles of new trails, 500+ acres of nature parks, and the comprehensive revitalization of this unique natural asset.
For more information about the Alice Branch Health and Wellness Greenbelt, please visit:
- https://www.tpl.org/blog/taylor-toynes-for-oak-cliff
- https://www.tpl.org/blog/plans-new-parks-south-dallas
About Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live within a 10-minute walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.
About Green Mountain Energy Sun Club
The Green Mountain Energy Sun Club is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing sustainable communities. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Sun Club® invests in nonprofits and focuses on projects related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation and environmental stewardship. Since the program’s founding in 2002, the Sun Club has donated $10 million to more than 122 projects from nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. To learn more about the Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit gmesunclub.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Joanna Fisher
The Trust for Public Land
c: 704.649.2048
joanna.fisher@tpl.org
Diana Maddock
Green Mountain Energy Sun Club
c: 713.703.4989/ o: 713.537.5025
diana.maddock@greenmountain.com
