Our History
The beginning
In the 1930s the Greenville Garden Club, the oldest garden club in the state, began efforts to save this area of natural beauty for planned urban development. Club projects raised money that paid for the purchase of the site, and in 1940, the Greenville Garden Club purchased the site for $3,176.00.
The preserve was maintained by the garden club from 1940 until 2002, when the club gave a conservation easement to the Greenville Cypress Preserve Trust and turned management over to a Board of Trustees. The Greenville Cypress Preserve Trust is a 501(C)(3) organization dedicated to the development and maintenance of the preserve property.
PARTY WITH A PURPOSE
Greenville Cypress Preserve Trust raised $40,000 in generous donations and grants.
In 2002 the Greenville Garden Club conducted a gala for the benefit of the Greenville Cypress Preserve Trust. This highly successful event, known as “Party with a Purpose”, netted over $40,000.00 that was donated to the Trust to develop and maintain the preserve.
Generous donations and numerous grants enable the Trust to continue its planned development of the site and enhance the significance of the preserve to our Mississippi Delta area through educational projects and activities.
The preserve continues to grow in popularity among area residents. Since the completion of the boardwalks and trails, numerous visitors can be seen walking or jogging the trails as a part of their daily exercise routine.
It has become a favorite spot for local and visiting photographers and birders alike, and the addition of the benches and the observation deck enhances the preserve as a place to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the area.
Our Mission
The mission statement of the Greenville Cypress Preserve Trust is to preserve, protect, maintain, and use for educational purposes the sixteen-acre tract of land at the corner of Cypress Lane and Highway 82 West located within the city limits of Greenville, Mississippi.
Use of the Greenville Cypress Preserve by individuals and organizations shall be restricted to only those activities which are in compliance with the purposes of the preserve as set forth in the Trust agreement between the Greenville Cypress Preserve Trust and the Greenville Garden Club.