DALLAS — When you visit Kiest Park Conservation Area in Oak Cliff, you are looking at a dream made real more than 90 years later.
“Kiest Park was established by Edwin Kiest,” said David Klempin, Friends of Oak Cliff Parks founder.
Kiest was Dallas’ Daily Times Herald owner and publisher from 1896 until his death in 1917.
“In order to leave his estate for the betterment of the community, he gave this land for a park,” said Klempin.
In 1931, it became Kiest Park. Klempin said it is the largest amount of private land donated to the city of Dallas at 263 acres.
“We've been working for years to try to get to the point where we could begin restoration over here,” said Klempin.
Friends of Oak Cliff Parks works to restore original parks. To help make the dream happen, in celebration of its 75th anniversary, WFAA donated $75,000 to build a nearly three-mile trail, educational kiosks and interactive markers at the Kiest Park Conservation Area.
“We put some elbow grease into this. We picked up trash. We cleared out shrubs and brush,” said Ryan Wood, WFAA Director of Community Impact. “That's what it means to us. It means something that we want to put our heart and soul into.”
Greenspace Dallas is an environmental organization dedicated to providing nature in urban areas of lower income by cleaning and developing greenspaces.
“If you look at life today, everything's electronic. You can't get away from your phone, you can't get away from your computer,” said Richard Buckley, Greenspace Dallas CEO. “The trails are just beautiful, allows you to get out of the hustle, bustle of everyday life and decompress in a natural area.”
Saturday is the grand opening of what is now known as the WFAA Nature Trail.
“It's amazing. It's what we wanted. We wanted something that people can experience and that will be here long after we aren’t,” said Wood.
It is a legacy that continues to build on the dream.
The opening takes place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16 near Kiest Boulevard and Rugged Drive.
