The Planet would be remiss to let the year slip away and not pen a remembrance of Don Richardson, a friend and a fiercely devoted Sierra Club leader from Memphis, Tennessee, who died this February. Over the years Don held more than 30 official leadership positions with the Club’s Tennessee Chapter and Chickasaw Group, including chair of both.
His obituary in the Memphis Commercial Appeal called him “a champion of conservation, sustainability, and public parks.” Many Memphians knew him as “the tree man” for his advocacy on behalf of the old-growth forest in Overton Park, a 342-acre public park in the heart of the city where he led hiked and fastidiously mapped the forest. He served on the board of Park Friends from 2002 to 2009, and helped organize Friends For Our Riverfront in 2004, serving on its board until his death on February 3.
Don in Overton Park. Photo courtesy of Friends For Our Riverfront.
This reporter had the pleasure of meeting Don a dozen years ago at a newsletter editor training at Sierra Club headquarters in San Francisco. Even though I was ostensibly the trainer and he the trainee, it quickly became apparent that Don—having already served as editor of both his chapter and group newsletter—knew far more than I did about the nuts & bolts of putting together a readable, well-designed, hard-hitting, and effective newsletter.
It was also clear from the get-go that this was a genuinely fine individual—gracious, modest, multi-talented, smart as a whip, and a natural consensus-builder and organizer. Over the next dozen years we kept in touch, and I frequently reported on his work, first for the now-10-years-gone Planet newsletter, and thereafter in blog posts on the Sierra Club’s website. He visited Club headquarters regularly in connection with the many committees on which he served, and he always made a point of seeking me out even if we weren’t working on a project together at the time. We enjoyed many a meal and craft beer together over the years; I will miss those occasions.
Don watching the mighty Mississippi River roll by. Photo courtesy of Friends For Our Waterfront.
Some background about Don, from the Commercial Appeal:
Born in Covington, Kentucky, the son of a Southern Baptist minister, he was drawn to nature through his involvement with the Boy Scouts, in which he rose to become an Eagle Scout. After living with his family in West Germany during the 1950s, he returned to the U.S. and received a degree in political science from Wake Forest University. He then served a two-year hitch with the Army's Military Police Corps and later held a variety of jobs in the Washington area, including work in a computer store and as a reporter.
After moving to Midtown Memphis in 1995 to care for his father, Mr. Richardson became active in a number of local issues. Along with his leadership in sustainability planning and other issues, he led monthly Old Forest hikes in Overton, sharing his expertise on the towering oaks and abundant wildflowers there. He also was a guiding force in developing the 2000 Old Forest trail map and arboretum.
In addition to his work with the Sierra Club, Mr. Richardson was a board member with the group Park Friends and helped organize Friends for Our Riverfront. One of his greatest strengths, friends and associates say, was strategic planning.
"Don was a networker," said longtime Sierra member Sue A. Williams. "He thought long and hard about how to articulate environmental issues ... He did his best to educate and give people a good background on things."
Don at a Friends For Our Riverfront cleanup in Memphis. Photo courtesy of Friends For Our Riverfront.
We’ll let four of Don’s close friends and colleagues have the last words:
Scott Dye, former director of the Sierra Club’s Water Sentinels Program
Don was a soft-spoken but powerful advocate for conservation. His obituary appropriately listed among his survivors “the many trees and parks and public spaces Don helped save.” He worked to leave a legacy of green spaces in and around Memphis where generations of future residents will find a place to connect with nature.
James Baker, former Director of Tennessee Water Sentinels
Don worked many an hour on Overton Park issues in the years I knew him. He lived in a condo across the street from the park, he organized many Overton Park Old Forest hikes, and he was one of the guests in a 2001 film, Overton Park: A Century of Change, by Memphis-based filmmaker Willy Bearden. He was an expert about this greenspace in the center of Midtown Memphis, and if he were alive today he'd be in the forefront of the fight to save the Overton Park's Greensward by using his considerable networking skills to protect Memphis' premier urban park.
Rita Harris, Sierra Club Environmental Justice organizer
Don was a close friend and ally for over sixteen years, and he was a strong supporter and activist on environmental justice issues. He fit comfortably in discussions about environmental policy with elected officials, but equally comfortable in a protest rally fighting polluters in EJ neighborhoods. Don's interests included support for green jobs, sustainability, and mapping projects to support environmental efforts. He and I served on the Memphis & Shelby County Greenprint Advisory Committee, and the Sustainable Shelby Initiative together. Don's cheerful approach, effective leadership style, and vast array of knowledge will be sorely missed.
Dennis Lynch, Chickasaw Group Chair
I met Don not long after I got involved with the Club, when I organized a program about and against Shelby Farms Parkway. After that program, Don came to me and praised me for organizing the program, but half a sentence later he encouraged me to expand my knowledge and efforts. I lived close to him, and often drove him to events when I could. In the car, I mostly listened and learned from his comments about history and the current situation with regard to a particular local issue. I was especially amazed at how much he knew about the most recent twists and turns of local politics concerning Overton Park, the Old Forest, the Memphis riverfront, sustainability plans, etc. Even when Don was sick and in the hospital or nursing home during his last few months, he still seemed to be very much on top of local issues, and he kept me on my toes making sure I followed up on one thing or another. I really miss him!
###
