Oklahoma’s two world-class parks join in Arbor Day celebration, with tree dedication
Gathering Place, Tulsa’s Riverfront Park, traveled to Scissortail Park in downtown Oklahoma City for a joint Arbor Day celebration and tree dedication. On Friday, April 26, 2019, Gathering Place gifted a cottonwood tree, cultivar Siouxland, to Scissortail Park in honor of Arbor Day and the upcoming opening of their world-class park.
A cottonwood tree is significant, as it played an important role in the opening of Gathering Place through the Reading Tree Challenge, inspired by the oldest and largest tree at the Tulsa park. Tulsa students took on the challenge and exceeded their goal of reading two million books before the Tulsa Park opened on September 8, 2018. Now the site of story times, art activities and educational events, the Reading Tree serves as one of the main programming spaces at Gathering Place.
“We are excited to gift the cottonwood tree to our friends at Scissortail Park and the Oklahoma City community,” Executive Park Director Tony Moore said. “This is the beginning of a strong partnership between two world-class parks right here in Oklahoma and we look forward to opportunities to provide joint programming, entertainment and more to the public in the future.”
“We’re so grateful to receive this meaningful gift from Gathering Place. When we open Scissortail Park this fall, the cottonwood tree will have a special home in our children’s garden, next to the OKC Reads Little Free Library station,” said Maureen Heffernan, Scissortail Park CEO.
About Gathering Place
A project of George Kaiser Family Foundation, Gathering Place, with a first phase of 66.5 acres, will ultimately transform nearly 100 acres of Tulsa’s waterfront along the Arkansas River into a dynamic and active space when the project is completed. A public-private partnership, GKFF and numerous corporate and community philanthropists gave ownership of the $465 million park to River Parks Authority who in turn signed a long-term operational and management lease back to an entity of the foundation to ensure the highest quality operation, maintenance and programming for the life of the park.
Gathering Place is doing business as Tulsa’s Gathering Place, LLC. To learn more about the project, visit www.gatheringplace.org.
About Scissortail Park
Scissortail Park, a MAPS 3 Project, is a 70-acre public space. The 36 acre upper park will be opening in September of 2019. The Park will be managed by the Scissortail Park Foundation, under a lease and management agreement with the Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust. Scissortail Park Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit responsible for raising funds to support the Park through donations, sponsorships and earned revenues. The Park, located south of the Myriad Botanical Gardens, continues south close to the shore of the Oklahoma River featuring a number of engaging experiences for visitors including ornamental gardens and woodlands, 3.7 acre lake, children’s playground and water fountains, seasonal roller rink, dog park, picnic grove, restaurant and performance stage and great lawn.