By the time October rolls around, we here in Memphis are ready to get outside and enjoy a cool breeze and the leaves crunching under our feet. When we go out into nature, we’re not just looking for a change of scenery; we’re indulging a primal instinct. Humans are meant to interact with the natural world and indulge our connection with wildlife.
The team at Overton Park Conservancy believes strongly in both connecting with nature and connecting with our neighbors. That’s why a few years ago we created a month of educational, artistic, and wellness programming that we call NatureZen Month. Each October, we invite you to come to Overton Park to learn, create, and connect.
What happens during NatureZen Month?
A little bit of everything! For those looking to move, there are free weekly yoga classes by mind/body HAUS in the formal gardens, weekly walk-and-talks in the forest, and a volunteer day of service at the dog park. If you’re a science nerd, join us at one of our guided nature walks or songbird strolls, or attend a class on winterizing your home garden to protect pollinators and fireflies. Indulge your inner artist at our free weekly nature journaling sessions or attend an al fresco class on textile painting presented by the Brooks Museum. If you’re feeling meditative, attend our Third Thursday Trek about forest bathing and then put your knowledge into practice at a guided mindfulness walk. And if your dog needs some zen, Hollywood Feed will be hosting a Fall Fetch Fest with weenie races, giveaways, and a costume contest.
You can find the full calendar of events, with links to sign up, at overtonpark.org/naturezenmonth.
Why Overton Park?
Overton Park has something that almost no other urban park in the South has: an old-growth forest. The 142 acres of woodland in the park represent a snapshot to the kind of ecosystem that covered much of the Mid-South prior to European colonization. For Memphians, it’s a chance to get up close and personal with trees that are over 180 years old, nearly 200 species of resident and migrating birds, and countless bees, butterflies, and beetles. Even surrounded on all four sides by busy streets, the Old Forest is an oasis that shields us from the summer sun, immerses us in greenery, and fills our ears with the sound of birdsong. In short, it’s the perfect place to find your zen!
What is Overton Park Conservancy?
At the turn of this century, parks across the country were losing their public funding, and Memphis was no exception. In 2012, the nonprofit Overton Park Conservancy was established to raise funds to maintain and improve Memphis’s central park. Since then, we’ve taken care of the common areas in Overton Park, worked on big projects like creating the iconic Bike Gate arch, conducted a decade of scientific research in the Old Forest, hosted more than 100 community programs every year, and developed plans for the park’s future. In 2026, we’ll be celebrating Overton Park’s 125th anniversary! All of this is made possible by donations from Memphians who love the park—about 90% of our budget comes from contributions by people like you!
Want more NatureZen?
If you can’t attend an event this month but want to learn more about local wildlife, check out Overton Park Conservancy’s NatureZen archive! You’ll find photo essays about everything from spring wildflowers to baby birds to insects that use false faces to fool their predators. You can even sign up to get these monthly dispatches in your inbox.
Complete NatureZen Month Calendar
Every Wednesday
Yoga in the Formal Gardens, 8:15 AM
Wednesday Walks near Rainbow Lake Pavilion, 4:15 PM
Saturday, October 4
Volunteer Day of Service at Overton Bark, 9:00 AM
Children’s Critter Crawl, 10:00 AM
Sunday, October 5
Guided Nature Walk: Treeholes & Mosquitoes, 2:00 PM
Tuesday, October 7
Science Café at Memphis Zoo, 5:30 PM (SOLD OUT)
Thursday, October 9
65+ Nature Journaling with Creative Aging, 11:00 AM
Friday, October 10
Songbird Stroll at East Parkway Pavilion, 8:00 AM
Saturday, October 11
World Migratory Bird Day Walk at East Parkway, 7:30 AM
Fall Fetch Fest at Overton Bark, 10:00 AM
Sunday, October 12
Opera: “The Playground King” at Rainbow Lake Playground, 2:00 and 3:00 PM
Tuesdays starting October 14
Nature Journaling near East Parkway Pavilion, 4:30 PM
Thursday, October 16
Third Thursday Trek, 4:00 PM
Saturday, October 18
Super Saturday: Art in the Park in the Formal Gardens, 10:00 AM
Trap or Treat: Winterizing Your Native Pollinator Garden, 2:00 PM
Thursday, October 23
65+ Nature Journaling with Creative Aging, 11:00 AM
Happy Hour at the Brooks Museum, 6:00 PM
Friday, October 24
Mindfulness Walk near Rainbow Lake Pavilion, 12:30 PM
Saturday, October 25
Songbird Stroll at East Parkway Pavilion, 8:00 AM
Five Mile Classic at East Parkway Pavilion, 8:00 AM
Sunday, October 26
This blog was written by Melissa McMasters, Overton Park Conservancy
Melissa McMasters has served as Overton Park Conservancy’s Director of Communications since 2012. She grew up in Memphis and graduated from Christian Brothers University with a degree in English for Corporate Communications and Management. Her interest in parks and the environment took root in Pittsburgh, where she followed up a Literary and Cultural Studies degree from Carnegie Mellon University with five years at Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Since returning to Memphis, her interest in nature has only grown, and most days you’ll find her in the park with her camera documenting the birds, insects, and plants of the Old Forest.
