Remembering Keith Kirkland: A Life Along the Wolf River

Keith Kirkland served as the second Executive Director of the Wolf River Conservancy from 2003 to 2007, but his passion for the Wolf River, for conservation, and for sharing the outdoors with people young and old predated his directorship by nearly 20 years.  Keith was with Larry Smith and George Wenzler in 1991 when they finally found the route through the Ghost River swamp, and he introduced many others to its unique beauty in the years after that, helping to build the support which would be crucial to saving the area in 1995.  When an existential threat to the Ghost River area loomed, Keith was among the many dedicated individuals who worked tirelessly in the grassroots campaign to ensure its future, and he continued leading paddle trips and to tell the dramatic story of its rescue for as long as he was able.  

Keith oversaw many key Wolf River Conservancy projects and partnerships with The Nature Conservancy, TWRA, TDEC, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chickasaw Basin Authority, the City of Memphis, and others.  He was able to celebrate the Conservancy’s 20^th Anniversary in 2005 with an unveiling of initial plans for the Wolf River Greenway by Memphis Parks.  He helped push for the restoration of the Wolf River between Houston Levee and Collierville Arlington Rd. by the Corps of Engineers, a project designed to stop the headcutting erosion which threatened to make its way upstream and destroy the river. He welcomed the donation of Lovitt Woods, 318 acres of wetlands and woods along the Wolf River east of Germantown.  Keith kept the Conservancy going, nurturing the partnerships he considered critical to our success, drumming up support among community members and donors large and small, and telling everyone he could reach about the Wolf River and the need to protect it. Those working on behalf of the Conservancy today are proud to honor Keith’s vision and his legacy by continuing to serve our mission to protect and enhance the Wolf River watershed as a sustainable natural resource.

Keith shared his love of the outdoors and the Wolf River with his wife, Margaret, with whom he spent many hours in a canoe or a kayak, taking their daughter, Hannah, with them as soon as they could.  Margaret tragically passed away in 2012, and now Keith has joined her, leaving this world on April 29, 2025.  I remember him telling me that he knew he wanted to marry Margaret on a full moon paddle through the Ghost River section when she was completely at ease with the sound of water snakes plopping into the water all around them.  

Aside from everything Keith did to protect the Wolf River and to help develop the Wolf River Conservancy into the respected land trust and community force that it is today, Keith leaves many, many people, both family and friends, who loved him dearly and will miss him forever.  Whether you knew Keith for a short time or for many years, you couldn’t help feeling that he was “good people,” always kind, always caring, always full of great stories and fun.  

Those who want to share their memories of Keith and to honor his legacy of conservation and friendship can attend a celebration of his life at the Overton Park Shell, on Friday, May 30.  Keith loved good music, and the Shell was one of his favorite places.

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