Mecklenburg County is Victorious at the "Green Oscars".

When Mark Gillespie left Charlotte, North Carolina, on February 8 for a 22-hour trip across the world, he was tantalized by the prospect of returning with an international trophy.

"The opportunity to represent your county among international peers doesn't come along too often," said Gillespie. "It's great to know we're number one."

Gillespie, division manager of Park Services for the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department, along with Peter Tatge, assistant director of Engineering and Building Standards, represented Mecklenburg County at the International Nations in Bloom competition February 10-14 in Hamamatsu, Japan. The international competition promotes environmental management and beautification in urban areas worldwide, and last year, the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department placed second in the contest. According to Gillespie, this year was different.

"Although second was good, we knew we could do better," said Gillespie. "We sharpened our presentation, produced a video that accurately reflected our community, and emphasized both city and county programs."

Dubbed the "Green Oscars" by the world's media, Nations in Bloom divides contestants into classes by population size. Contestants are judged on five criteria, including enhancement of the landscape, heritage management, use of environmentally sensitive practices, community involvement, and planning for the future.

"This award confirms what Mecklenburg County residents have known all along, said Wayne Weston, director of the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department. "This is a community dedicated to preserving its natural beauty."

The international competition requires an initial written application in which applicants must address their communities' observance of each of the criteria. An international panel of judges reviews each submission and selects communities from each class to present their accomplishments at the Nations in Bloom finals. Of 108 applications, 26 finalists from 15 countries were invited to the competition.

This year, the finals were held in Hamamatsu, Japan, where, after a formal presentation from each competitor, the international judging panel asked questions seeking to define each community's commitment to the five judging criteria.

"The competition is rather intimidating," according to Gillespie. "You're speaking to a group of people, who may or may not use English as their first language, in a foreign country more than 7,000 miles from home."

Blossoming Opportunity

Mecklenburg County, one of the United States' fastest growing regions, is a blend of intense urbanization, small towns, clean rivers, pristine waterways, and rural countryside. Although the major urban center of Charlotte is a city containing more than 500,000 residents, the county is also home to more than 178 parks and nature preserves.

"Mecklenburg County is full of tremendous opportunities and challenges," said Gillespie. "We must be sure that the area's growing pains don't affect the quality of our environment."

Open space is rapidly being developed into homes from the growing population, which puts pressure on the community to ensure that the environment remains healthy, that sufficient open space is set aside for future generations' needs, and that the citizens are provided with a beautiful community that reflects a high quality of life. According to Gillespie, these challenges are being met on many levels.

Because the area consists of hot, humid summers and cold, wet winters, the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department's horticultural team has an opportunity to experiment with the landscape by using a variety of plants and landscape configurations.

"We enjoy the ability to include plant selections from both the northern and southern United States," said Gillespie. "Shrubs from different climate zones, such as Camellias, Azaleas, and Rhododendrons, find easy homes here."

The Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department's horticultural team maintains a close working relationship with North Carolina State University and tests new plant introductions as part of the university's evaluation process. The horticultural team experiments with a wide variety of tree species, and the Park Urban Reforestation program replenishes the park system's Urban Forest with more than 2,500 whips and seedling trees each year.

Preserving the Past

Diverse plant life isn't all this area has to offer. Mecklenburg County is studded with a deep history. Originally settled by Scots-Irish immigrants from Philadelphia, the town was incorporated in 1768 and named in honor of King George III's wife, Queen Charlotte. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historical Landmarks Commission is responsible for preserving its heritage.

"We're proud of Charlotte's rich history, said Gillespie. "Every effort is being made to ensure that it doesn't get forgotten in the midst of the area's rapid changes and growth."

Two hundred and thirteen historic sites and landmarks have been locally designated. This commission works closely with the continuing restoration of the Rosedale Plantation, the Hezekiah Alexander House, Latta Plantation, the Hugh Torrance House and Store, the Dow House, and many others.

Fortifying the Future

A steadily growing population requires the county to employ environmentally sensitive practices, and the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department plays a critical role in educating citizens about important environmental issues and protecting the environment through land preservation via parks and nature preserves. To achieve these goals, the county offers programs such as the Environmental Education and Conservation program, which provides hands-on science and nature education to individuals, families, school classes, and other groups, and the Department of Engineering and Building Standards' extensive landscape material recycling program, which brings numerous environmental benefits to the community.

"Recycling in urban areas has both environmental and practical benefits because of diminishing landfill space," said Tatge. "A study conducted in the 1980s determined that yard waste posed a great concern for the county. As a result, we developed the Compost Central program, which converts yard waste into mulch and compost. This mulch and compost has become a high-demand product. We can't produce enough of it to satisfy our customers."

The county's Department of Environmental Protection monitors water quality by examining fish kills, chemical spills, ground-water pollution, stream pollution, and other potential pollution sources. It also continuously monitors air quality and hazardous waste.

Mecklenburg County is extremely concerned about Smart Growth; that is, planning for a sustainable society. To ensure a healthy environment for future generations, the county preserves numerous water and land resources and sets high standards for watershed protection. They recently preserved 2,500 acres surrounding the area's major drinking water source, Mountain Island Lake. Over time, the county has acquired more than 14,000 acres of park land. Environmentally significant lands are designated as nature preserves, with development limited to hiking trails and observation booths. More usable land is developed for recreation purposes. A $220 million bond referendum, which will be partially used to buy land for parks and nature preserves, was approved by residents in November 1999.

Next year, the Nations in Bloom competition will be held in Washington, D.C. "We can't do much better than number one, but we're going to try," said Gillespie. "Mecklenburg County has an international trophy to defend."