Nature
The Parkway has been designed to preserve and enhance major portions of natural riparian and wetland habitats by linking them in a system of trails that run throughout the community. These trails form a continuous, natural, open space corridor for over 200 species of natural vegetation and wildlife.
The Parkway Wins National Arbor Day Foundation Award
The Parkway master-planned community in Folsom has won a 2008 Building With Trees "Award of Excellence" from The National Arbor Day Foundation in recognition of its efforts to save trees during the development process. The award was presented at the NAHB National Green Building Conference in New Orleans on May 12, 2008.For the past decade, Parker Development Company has taken care to protect and preserve as many trees as possible while developing The Parkway. The strategy has been to build around trees whenever feasible; when trees must be removed, new ones are planted in open-space areas to replace them.
Throughout the development process, dozens of heritage oak trees were saved -- the large, mature trees that have been living for a century or even more. Numerous other tree species were also saved, including other oaks, willows, cottonwoods, and black walnuts.
For example, an area of The Parkway with four heritage oaks became a park that incorporated the trees, which now provide shade for park visitors. Also, in building new roads to accommodate The Parkway, the City of Folsom granted Parker permission to deviate from roadway standards and create wider-than-customary median strips in two separate areas in order to preserve several heritage oak trees.
In addition, more than 10,000 native trees and shrubs were planted by an environmental firm, and The Parkway's homeowners are required to plant trees in their front and back yards.
The Parkway has followed in the footsteps of the Serrano master planned community in El Dorado Hills, also being developed by Parker Development Company. Serrano was the recipient of the Building With Trees "Award of Excellence" in 2005.