INSPIRE
Windermere Community Garden Greenspace was the Conservancy’s first project
and continues to add beauty to green spaces located in a busy shopping plaza.
“Fourtunate convergences” is how
Conservancy Executive Director Harry
Lesesne describes the creation of his
organization. Through the strategic
vision and passion of dedicated philanthropist and native South Carolinian Darla Moore, the Conservancy has
grown over the past seven years into an
expansive community collaborator that
is catalyzing Charlestonians to revitalize
and maintain their public green spaces.
“Darla Moore, who has been a highly
successful businesswoman in New
York City, became more engaged in
Charleston after purchasing a second
home here,” said Lesesne. “After spending more and more time in Charleston,
seeing the beautifully restored private
homes and gardens, she saw an opportunity to do something to raise the bar
for Charleston’s public spaces.”
With this desire to pump life into parks
and public green spaces, Moore sought
the expertise and talents from New
York, seeking advice and guidance
from one of the world’s premier parks’
conservancies—New York’s Central
Park Conservancy. This organization,
along with an additional collaboration
with faculty at Columbia University,
was able to provide critical strategic
advice on how to structure, maintain
and grow a new 501(c)(3) dedicated
to restoring Charleston’s public parks.
“Darla is not just interested, she is
engaged in the Conservancy,” said
Lesesne, “and has been involved in
every important strategic decision.”
“While we have done remarkable
things to preserve and enhance our
buildings and the ‘Charleston’ way of
life, it is now time to reinvigorate the
areas our citizens use most and enjoy:
our parks,” said Darla Moore. “In
pulling together the talent and energy
to create the Charleston Parks Conservancy, I hope it will serve as a catalyst
for a renewed private/public partnership between the city and its many
wonderful neighborhoods to preserve,
sustain and enhance the beauty of
Charleston’s parks and public spaces.”
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