NEWS
Parks and Recreation Connection – September 2024
The most recent newsletter from Davidson Parks and Recreation.
Ready to get involved?! The Town of Davidson is now accepting applications for 2025 appointments to its Advisory Boards! Appointees will begin service on their respective board(s) in January 2025. New members serve a three-year term, from January 2025 to December 2027, with the possibility of a second term!
Davidson Parks & Recreation has two advisory boards that it oversees: Livability and, our newest, Sustainability! For more information on each check out the information below, and if interested in serving on either board Click Here to Apply! 
Learn more by visiting Town of Davidson | Boards & Commissions.
WALK, BIKE, AND ROLL TO SCHOOL
Davidson students, families, and community members can participate in International Walk to School Day by joining others from around the globe to walk, bike, or roll to school on Wednesday, October 9. This annual celebration is organized in partnership with the North Carolina Safe Routes to School Program. The event supports the Town’s Vision Zero Plan pedestrian safety goals, environmental conservation, and promotes physical activity. Community members interested in volunteering to support families as they walk and bike to school can Click Here to Register!
For more information about our annual Walk, Bike, and Roll to School events, visit Town of Davidson | Walk & Bike to School Events.
Davidson Composts was developed collaboratively by Davidson Parks & Recreation and Crown Town Compost, with grant funding support from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Since the pilot program began in September 2022, participants in the Davidson Compost program have collectively diverted just over 54,000 pounds of compostable waste from the landfill. That’s 356 urban tree seedlings grown for 10 years, equivalent to offset the carbon dioxide emissions from a car driving 53,622 miles!
Throughout the past two years, more than 340 Davidson households have enrolled, helping to reduce our Town’s foodprint. Spread the word about this free program so we can meet our lofty goal of 500 Davidson households enrolled by the end of 2024! If you haven’t already, Click Here to Register!
For more information, visit Town of Davidson | Davidson Composts.
It’s that time of the year again, the Monarch Butterfly Migration is here! Over the next couple months, keep an eye out for these beauties as they make their way south for the winter.
Monarch butterflies are important pollinators because their annual migration assists many wildflowers with plant reproduction. One of the most important wildflower species to the monarch butterfly is milkweed, which monarchs rely on as their sole larval host plant. The milky sap produced by milkweed is toxic to most wildlife species, but the monarch caterpillars have evolved to store the toxins absorbed from ingesting milkweed leaves and milky sap in their tissues, making them inedible to the majority of predators. Due to the symbiotic relationship, milkweed and monarch butterflies have become integral to each other’s survival. You can read more about the relationship between milkweed plants and monarch butterflies in the article published by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation.
In 2022, The National Park Service studied the monarch butterfly species, and their findings we’re devastating. Over the past 40 years, the monarch populations have decreased close to 99% due to multiple reasons, such as pesticides, herbicides, habitat loss, parasites, just to name a few. By reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides, and planting native milkweed species, you can help protect the monarch butterflies during their migration season. Additionally, to improve the understanding of monarchs, and their conservation needs, Click Here to report sightings of these butterflies and aid in tracking their migration.
For more information about sustainability, visit Town of Davidson | Sustainability.
Please adhere to all Davidson Parks & Recreation rules, regulations, policies, and schedules.