Ridgeland celebrates Wildflower Field & Art Park with Educational Marker Unveiling and Keep Ridgeland Beautiful Digital Launch
RIDGELAND, MS – The City of Ridgeland and the Keep Ridgeland Beautiful Committee gathered with residents, the media, and community partners on July 10 to celebrate one of the City’s most scenic public spaces and to recognize the importance of conservation and environmental education.
The event marked the unveiling of a permanent educational marker that shares the story of the Wildflower Field & Art Park, its ecosystem, and the pollinators that depend on it. Visitors can now learn more about the field and the role native wildflowers play in supporting birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife as they explore the park.
The City also introduced new Keep Ridgeland Beautiful pages on its website during the event. The pages showcase the committee’s projects, community partnerships, volunteer opportunities, and ongoing beautification efforts.
Mayor Gene McGee welcomed attendees and thanked the members of Keep Ridgeland Beautiful, City staff, volunteers, and community partners for the work that continues to make projects like the Wildflower Field possible. Jan Richardson, Chair of the Keep Ridgeland Beautiful Committee, shared remarks about the field and the site launch, and Hollidae Morrison from the Mississippi Museum of Art joined us to give special remarks.
“The Wildflower Field & Art Park has become a place where people can enjoy nature while learning about the environment around them,” said Mayor McGee.
The morning included live music by Bridgid Ferguson and Tim Avalon, refreshments, gifts, a wildflower sprout station, and an information area by Explore Ridgeland, digital animation of pollinators, and remarks about the significance of the field and the many volunteers and partners who help care for it throughout the year.
The Wildflower Field & Art Park is one of several projects that reflect Ridgeland’s commitment to conservation and outdoor experiences. Earlier this year, the City opened the Eco Park at Freedom Ridge, expanding opportunities for residents and visitors to experience the area’s natural beauty while learning about local ecosystems.
“Keep Ridgeland Beautiful would like to recognize Kim Cooper, Director of Public Relations, who conceived of and spearheaded both the event and the new Keep Ridgeland Beautiful webpages. In addition to planning and coordinating the event, Kim led the content development for the new wildflower field marker and was the force behind the website project, working with Think Webstore to showcase a decade of Keep Ridgeland Beautiful projects and achievements,” stated Jan Richardson. “We also want to thank Entergy for providing grant funds,which helped support the educational marker project.”
The City invites residents to visit the Wildflower Field and the new Keep Ridgeland Beautiful pages on the City’s website to learn more about upcoming projects, volunteer opportunities, and ways to help keep Ridgeland beautiful.
Special thanks to the Keep Ridgeland Beautiful Committee members, Matt Dodd, James Mathews, John Sidney North, the dedicated volunteers from Entergy and First Ridgeland Baptist Church, and the many community volunteers who help throughout the year, keeping the field maintained.
Additional thanks go to Explore Ridgeland for joining us with special activities during the event and always helping to promote the field, Think Webstore for partnering with us on launching the web pages, Imaginary Company for graphic design work on the marker, and Phyllis Parker for years of collecting photographs and archiving the committee’s work in albums.
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KEEP RIDGELAND BEAUTIFUL COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Jan Richardson (Chair), Ginger Cocke, Kenya Rachal, Claire Jackson, Polly Hammett, and Allison Guynes; EMERITUS MEMBERS: Phyllis Parker and Lea Anne Stacy
CITY LIAISONS: Tally Berry, Kim Cooper, Matt Dodd, James Mathews, and Ben McDonald
