Jamie Chan
URI Internship Year:
2019
Jamie is a rising sophomore at Yale College. She is undecided about her major, but is interested in Anthropology, Urban Studies, and Environmental Studies. She grew up in the beautiful city of Hong Kong, which fostered her appreciation for the urban environment and the distinct community interactions it enables. She is so excited to work with the Greenspace program and to learn more about New Haven.
Group
Greenspace Log
| Date | Category | Photos | Group | Summary | |
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08/08/2019 |
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Another summer goal checked off! We made the first green additions to the site. These were the toughest holes I dug over the summer! We put in some euonymus and witch hazel as border plantings to cover the chain link fence. Hopefully they will do well despite the poor soil and the heavy shade. |
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08/05/2019 |
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Kevin and John helped prepare the site for planting. Unfortunately the soil is of terrible quality because it used to be an old house and dumping site. We'll be adding the plantings soon, and after the wood chips get delivered we'll be done with Stage 1 of the pocket park building! |
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08/03/2019 |
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John finished spreading the stone dust! The ground is a bit uneven and the middle of the site dips. After a rain and the dust settles, we will see whether we need to add more later on. |
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08/03/2019 |
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We planted some shrubs in the urban oasis, mulched the area and other places we planted this year, and watered all the trees and plantings. It was the high school students' last day working for the summer, and they concluded with a debrief with Colleen, David, and Gaston. |
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08/01/2019 |
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We continued excavating this extremely tough soil, and ended the day with the meditative activity of raking stone dust. |
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08/01/2019 |
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We continued excavating this extremely tough soil, and ended the day with the meditative activity of raking stone dust. |
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08/01/2019 |
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We continued excavating this extremely tough soil, and ended the day with the meditative activity of raking stone dust. |
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08/01/2019 |
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To prepare for the evening work session, John, Kevin, and Ben excavated an area to dump the delivery of 4 yards of stone dust. They did a fantastic job digging, especially given that the soil was filled with rocks and tangles of roots. |
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07/31/2019 |
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In memory of Jeannie, a long-time volunteer of Friends of Beaver Ponds Park, we planted a blackgum tree by the red gate. Her family came out to help with the process, and Frank and Nan have offered to water the tree for the next three years. |
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07/31/2019 |
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As is tradition, we gathered at Nan's house for the last meeting of the season. We welcomed regular faces and some new ones to conclude the summer. Everyone brought in some dishes to share. To wrap up, we discussed some of the achievements of the summer, and gave thanks to Nan, our fearless leader, and the rest of the group who showed up to work hard so consistently over the summer. |
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07/31/2019 |
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For our last workday of the season, we checked off the final two things on our 2019 summer goals: clean up the 219 garden and prune the street trees in the neighborhood. It was a pleasure to work with Betty, Kenya, and the family and to learn from their passion for their community. |
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07/30/2019 |
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Our last meeting of the year ended with a lovely dinner. We planted two spicebushes and then set up the picnic table. Lil Mama baked some delicious, buttery cornbread and fried some fish. A great end to a great season. |
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07/29/2019 |
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Katie and Paul helped trim back the overgrowing shrubs by the entrance and weeded out some of the lot. |
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07/27/2019 |
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With the Common Ground high schoolers, we painted over the vandalized benches put in for Miss Connie and Mr Mike. We also planted plenty of shrubs in the urban oasis. Funding for the gazebo and splash pad was secured, so we also put down some measurements for future construction. |
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07/26/2019 |
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We cleaned up the Rock and Grace garden. We cut down some weeds, trimmed the ivy ground cover, and picked up trash. We were extra careful because of the bee hive that was found here last year! In recognition of all the work she's done for the community, the city will soon rename this corner after Betty. |
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07/25/2019 |
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For our last workday of the season, we continued to clear out the pondside garden and added some perennials. We opened up access to the benches, creating a great view of the pond. Kate brought watermelon, a refreshing snack for a hot day. The kids decorated the sandwich board that will be placed by the entrance to welcome all park visitors. Anna took a contemporary, James Pollock-inspired interpretation, while Taylor went with a more impressionist style. Thanks to the commitment of Friends of Beaver Ponds Park, everyone can enjoy the beauty of the park. |
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07/25/2019 |
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We continued cleaning up the site by picking up trash and weeding. Keith and I marked out the site layout with spray paint, which really helped bring a conceptual drawing into real life. After excavating a couple inches into the ground, we spread pea stone and finished the first step of laying the foundation of the park. |
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07/23/2019 |
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Luckily the weather was cooler today. We finished spreading the mulch and planted two drooping agaristas in the back garden. We also fixed up some of the brick borders that outline the path. |
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07/20/2019 |
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Today was hard work! We received a delivery of 3 yards of mulch and worked on spreading that in the back garden. We were working hard shoveling and raking mulch on one of the hottest days of the summer (and under an excessive heat warning!). Despite the heat, we managed to complete most of the work, and we had a nice celebration with cake for Katie's birthday. Happy belated Katie! |
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07/20/2019 |
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We had a special birdwatching and wildflower seeding event with Ken from Audobon. The Common Ground highschoolers helping with the Urban Oases program along with some New Haven residents learned about the importance of preserving green spaces to provide habitat relief for birds on their migratory routes. We spotted various types of birds in the park, and then ended the day by planting seedmix of bluestem, asters, black-eyed susans, and more. Check out the article on the New Haven Independent covering the event: https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/cherry_an_npark/?fbclid=IwAR3XeuKc346fX-0m34W1i7Y_7PsBO6FngDIjLMgRBIv8CRZ8q82IjPq_kzg |
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07/19/2019 |
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Friends of East Rock Park and Cedar Hill collaborated with MakeHaven to build a wooden bookshelf from scratch. This week, children from the playground helped paint and decorate the bookshelf, which turned out beautifully. The shelf will be stocked with book donations from New Haven Reads among other individual donations to provide a free supply of children's books and magazines for the community. |
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07/18/2019 |
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It was the first official work session for the pocket park! We cleared out the weeds by the entrance and inside the fenced in area. We also removed the tree of heaven and pruned some trees by the highway side. That opened up the canopy quite a bit and made the space less shady. |
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07/17/2019 |
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Despite forecasts of thunderstorms, we were lucky to continue our workday as usual. We continued to weed out the pondside garden and added a few perennials. We cut down some brush to open up sight lines to the pond, and the benches by them. Wineberries were fruiting this week so we also had a lot of fun gathering them. |
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07/13/2019 |
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With the garden weeded out, we replaced the dying clethra in the back with some more shade-tolerant and drought-tolerant lungwort. Thanks to Paul and Katie, the back garden was overturned and is suitable for planting now. We transplanted some overgrown daylilies to line the trees. |
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07/13/2019 |
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With the help of the Common Ground high schoolers, we were able to clear out the area by the playground. We planted some perennials to mark out the border. |
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07/12/2019 |
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We planted a Cherry tree in memory of Rebecca, a fierce leader of the community. Her family and friends came out to help, along with high school students from Youth at Work. The tree planting went smoothly, and those who knew her shared a very special experience helping putting down the tree. Stories about Rebecca were shared, which was very touching. The tree was a Yoshino Cherry, her favorite, and the same one found in Wooster Square. Everyone who drives or walks past Rice Field will now be able to see Rebecca's legacy in the form of a gorgeous flowering cherry. |
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07/11/2019 |
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Today was hard work! Rob, Daphne, Keith, and Ben pruned all the trees along Bradley Street, most of which were planted by Rob and Daphne's previous Greenspace group several years ago–a stellar example of stewardship! We removed so much brush that it took two trucks to take it all away. |
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07/10/2019 |
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What looked like weeds a couple weeks ago became a beautiful sea of orange, yellow, and purple. The pondside flowers were all in bloom and we took the opportunity to take a lovely group photo. We continued weeding, pruning, and planting. |
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07/01/2019 |
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Despite it not being workday, Paul and Katie went to work at the lot. They cut the grass, turned over the in the back part of the lot, and hoe the weeds. Thanks for their hard work! |
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06/29/2019 |
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We continued cleaning up the lot. There was a lot of Japanese knotweed at the back of the lot that was cleared. Already the lot looks so much more open and inviting! |
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06/29/2019 |
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After waking up kids from the street, we started weeding the seating area by the entrance. We then picked up some rubbish around the park, when we found a garden snake in the grass! We ended the work day by planting by the entrance garden and the area behind the sign. We took many breaks in the hot summer morning by running through the sprinklers and picking strawberries. |
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06/28/2019 |
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The architects led another inspirational design meeting with Bradley Street residents. Building on the values and vision that the group discussed last meeting, the architects created three different conceptualizations of the pocket park. We decided on a flowing design that weaved together different sections of the park through a meandering walking path. |
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06/28/2019 |
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We finished up cleaning Betty's median! Some weeding was done and we filled up some open space with a variety of perennials. Some coneflowers and catmint weren't doing too well in a certain area which might be due to the abnormally rainy weather. |
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06/26/2019 |
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We got off to a late start because of a ceremony that took place in the urban oasis part of the park. Representatives from the Yale Club and friends of the park stayed a bit after the ceremony to see how the weekly workdays were run, and to see that their support for URI was integral in keeping amazing beautification projects like these alive. We added more perennials to the berm garden, pruned the cherry tree, mulched and cleaned up the path up the hill, and weeded out a significant amount by the pond. |
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06/22/2019 |
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We cleaned out all the leaf piles in the lot and also did some weeding by the back garden. Overall it was a productive day and next week we can begin doing further weeding and planning for future plantings. The group's energy was high and we look forward to more people showing up next week. |
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06/22/2019 |
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This week we cleaned out the entrance and made some new plantings. The entrance looks much neater now. We also did some significant weeding of Japanese knotweed by the fence. That revealed previous years' plantings and opened up the space a lot more. Miss Connie's friend also turned up to help out and it was much appreciated. |
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06/21/2019 |
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We cleaned up Betty's Median and added some new perennials. Because of the rain, the plants were doing particularly well. Next week we will add more colorful, flowering plants to the edges of the garden to improve drivers' views as they drive by the street. We also put up the board that the kids worked on last week by the playground entrance. Hopefully neighbors will be more aware of the upcoming volunteer opportunities. |
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06/19/2019 |
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Despite the warnings of inclement weather, the regulars still showed up. New plantings by the triangle and berm garden were done and the area was mulched. Significant weeding along the path was also done and Nan helpfully marked invasives like evening primrose and bittersweet. Some plants are beginning to flower and because of the rain, they look especially vibrant. |
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06/15/2019 |
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Residents of Bradley Street met at the Atelier Cho Thompson office to discuss their vision for the pocket park. Ming, the architect guiding the project, led the initial design meeting. Afterwards, the group got together to weed, prune, and mulch the adjacent mini-park. It turned out amazing, and Winn from September and Bangkok brought over refreshments as a treat for their hard work! |
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06/15/2019 |
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The first workday of the year had a rather low turnout given the change of the time we were working. Nonetheless, we were able to clear out most of the leaf piles that had gathered in the garden. It is already looking much better after just an hour! |
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06/15/2019 |
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Our first workday we welcomed old and new faces. Miss Connie brought the neighborhood kids out, and new volunteers not from the neighborhood showed up to help as well. We weeded out the entrance garden and planted four perennials. The kids had fun choosing where to plant them. They also designed and painted a sandwich board that will be put up by the park entrance with messages on upcoming work days and notices. At the end of the work day, they celebrated by picking some gorgeous strawberries from the community garden, and Mr Mike started the grill for a lunch cook out. |
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06/14/2019 |
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We met on a beautiful Friday afternoon at the playground. The kids worked on designing and painting a sandwich board that would stay with the group permanently throughout the subsequent Greenspace summers. The board would stay at the playground with messages to inform passerby of upcoming workdays and events. |
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06/12/2019 |
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Another great turnout with lots of old faces. We planted 10 perennials by the berm garden and continued with weeding the triangle garden, the butterfly garden, and the Ed Grant garden. The children were great help and provided a lot of energy. With the rain about to come, the new plantings will surely flourish! |
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06/08/2019 |
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Children who lived on Cherry Ann Street canvassed Elizabeth, Dorman, Sherman, and Pond Street with Miss Connie and Mr Mike. We gave out around almost 200 flyers! There were some new faces in the neighborhood and reception towards the park seemed generally positive. Hopefully we will see some of these faces this Saturday for our first work day! |
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06/06/2019 |
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Lil Mama gathered the neighbors together for the first planning meeting. The neighbors showed lots of enthusiasm to improve the lot and had many ideas on how to do so, including adding a solar lamp, painting the grill, repairing the table, and adding perennials with staggered blooming times. Last year, the group met in the morning and only those that were retired were able to join. This year the workdays will be in the early evening so hopefully that will encourage more residents to come out and help. A new resident that recently moved in right across the lot was doing some backyard work, and Hawkins went over to recruit him into the meeting. It was refreshing to see the energy of the group and their vision for the lot, which already looks amazing. I am excited to start working with them next week! |
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06/05/2019 |
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It was the first workday of the season. We met under the Catalpa tree and Nan led us through an introduction and an overview of the tasks of the day, which involved weeding the berm garden and planting several Bechelor's button and Gloria's daisy, provided by Nan. Despite warnings of rain and thunderstorm, we faced clear skies and great weather. Turnout was fantastic once again, and people strolling the park stopped to learn more about the group. The kids were energetic and helped out with the garden work. The group works hard and treats the workday as a social activity, which was fantastic to see. |
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06/05/2019 |
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We cleared out the weeds in the community garden (not part of Greenspace area). Removing the overwhelming mugwort revealed a luscious bed of strawberries and some great looking butter lettuce. Finding someone in the community to care for the garden has been a challenge, but this summer, the children will help keep the garden healthy. Hopefully we will find someone to take it over for the fall. Given how expansive Cherry Ann Park is, it would be an insurmountable challenge for the Greenspace group to tackle maintenance of all areas of the park. We defined the boundaries within which we will work with over the summer and set realistic goals, some of which include creating a sense garden by the entrance for children to play with, and adding pollinator-friendly plants by the garden bed. |
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06/04/2019 |
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Mr Smart and I met and walked along the street. I learned more of the group's habits and ambitions for the site. Goals for the summer are brief: general maintenance of the streeetscape, including curbstrips along the residential streets; and planting more perennials. Some issues that the area faces include dog urination which damages curbside plants, and the rocky soil that obstructs ease of planting. Mr Smart assured me that the group always yields high participation and we will begin canvassing next week. |
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05/31/2019 |
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Miss Connie and Mr Mike showed me around the park. Their commitment to the park and the children in the neighborhood is inspiring. Despite their enthusiasm, their main challenge is to involve other adult volunteers who have not been active in park maintenance. Children comprise of the bulk of volunteers, but some families with kids are moving out so that might raise an issue. Mr Mike has also moved out of the neighborhood, so that may also present a challenge to the amount of physical labor available for the site. Nonetheless, Cherry Ann Park has seen tremendous progress from its beginnings as a dumping ground to a lovely play area for children and families alike, and this summer we will continue to beatify and maintain the park. |
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05/31/2019 |
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Betty, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren canvassed the area for the first workday on June 14th. The children were very enthusiastic to talk to neighbors. Flyers were printed with Spanish translation for the Hispanic population in the neighborhood. Unfortunately we ran out of flyers before we could hit all the houses, but we will be back another time to finish canvassing. We also visited the three Greenspaces and noted down what changes we wanted to make. |
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05/29/2019 |
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Friends of Beaver Ponds Park had their inaugural potluck to kick off the 2019 summer planting season. It was a great turnout! Old and new members from the neighborhood gathered at Nan's home to socialize and set out plans for this summer. New leadership for the group was announced, with Rebecca taking up the role of Vice President. Generally, the goals for the summer are to maintain the park by weeding, pruning, and picking up trash, new plantings, and keeping invasives out. As the summer progresses and members are more familiar with the park, I am sure more ideas will emerge to add to the space. |
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05/29/2019 |
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As an emeritus group, Betty and Kenya's goals for the summer pertained to maintaining their three Greenspaces: Betty's median, the 219 garden, and the Rock & Grace garden. They want to add more perennials and do some weeding of the area. They also want to plant a memorial tree for Rebecca, a key participant of the group who recently passed away. A key aim for the group is to improve community involvement, and we will be doing more outreach to recruit more volunteers to join. |