‘Tree man’ Richardson was parks advocate

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Long after Overton Park was spared from expressway construction, but well before its greenswa rd became a cause célèbre for local environmentalists, Don Richardson was leading hikes through the park’s old-growth forest and mapping out the majestic trees there.

Dubbed “the tree man,” he became a cheerful advocate for the park at a time when Memphians had largely forgotten about it, said Willy Bearden, a fi l mma ker who met Mr. Richardson while shooting a documentary on Overton in 2000.

“That was kind of the second wave of people getting interested in the park,” Bearden said. “He kind of single-handedly Don Richardson had his hand on the wheel there.”

Mr. Richardson, 66, who died last week after months of declining health, had held leadership positions with the local and state chapters of the Sierra Club and was a champion of conservation, sustainability and public parks.

Born i n Coving ton , 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.”

A memorial service for Mr. Richardson was held Sunday at Canale Funeral Directors on Union Avenue Extended.