Logan Howard
URI Internship Year:
2019
Logan is a rising junior in Yale College majoring in Environmental Studies, with a concentration in Urban Environments. She grew up with forests and rivers as playgrounds which sparked her love for the outdoors. Although she was born and raised in rural Virginia, Logan considers New Haven to be her urban home and enjoys searching for more ways to incorporate the natural world into her life in a city. One way she does this is through working with the Yale Sustainable Food Program and spending time at the Yale Farm. She is fascinated with the challenges that urban areas are facing due to climate change and with the complexities of sustainable living. She looks forward to all of the knowledge and growth that she will experience while working with the New Haven community, her fellow interns, and the URI staff this summer.
Group
Westville Community Nursery School
Greenspace Log
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08/07/2019 |
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Today we accomplished a major goal of the group by planting and mulching in the area at the entrance of Clifton Street. After removing a dying juniper two weeks ago, there was now space for new plants. The mix of color, evergreens, and fragrances should provide a beautiful garden-like space for most of the year. This was a very successful workday to end the summer! |
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08/03/2019 |
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For the last meeting of the summer the group planted 4 perennials! The range of colors and varieties should be great for supporting the rainbow-like atmosphere in the park. This was a wonderful last workday and we celebrated with some delicious watermelon afterward. |
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08/03/2019 |
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Today we ended the season with the installation and dedication of a sign at the entrance to the lot. The sign reads "Shepard Street Spruel Space," a renaming that honors Charlene Spruel the original group leader for the site, which started over 20 years ago. Charlene no longer lives in the New Haven area, but the group wanted her to be recognized and included in this special moment, so she joined in virtually via FaceTime. After the sign was officially in the ground, the group celebrated with donuts while looking at old photos of the greenspace. |
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08/02/2019 |
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For the last meeting of the summer the group finished their goal of bricking the curb strip! They meticulously laid the bricks, hammered them together, made sure everything was level, and persevered through the heat. Teamwork and dedication were aplenty to end the summer! |
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08/01/2019 |
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During this workday we planted two shrubs--a witch hazel and a beach plum--to help fill in some open spaces in the Urban Oasis and increase the amount of native plants. After doing a lot of infrastructure work and maintenance, it was fun to end the summer with a planting! |
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07/30/2019 |
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The group made two new friends at this last meeting of the summer. When the two blue spruce trees were unloaded from the truck, some of the group members heard chirping and noticed a baby sparrow in the tree. Soon after, a second one was discovered and they were named Spruce Wayne and Spruce Springsteen. They eventually found a new home via the help of Wildlife in Crisis organization. This is a testament to the great habitats that spruce trees provide and the group is excited to have these evergreens in the park year round! It was a great summer full of tree planting for this group's inaugural year. |
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07/30/2019 |
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For the last meeting of the season many enthusiastic, young gardeners joined in to plant a few perennials. There was sage, ajuga, and vinca planted to help fill in some gaps in the beds and add more purple color. The space was buzzing with pollinators, people, and promise. It was a beautiful end to the summer. |
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07/27/2019 |
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The group continued their work on filling the gaps in the park and adding color by planting two day lilies. |
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07/26/2019 |
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One of the group's goals this summer is to remove the overgrowth in a curb strip near the entrance to the school and replace it with bricks. They often found that throughout the year, especially the winter, it was a popular area for foot traffic but would easily become slippery and muddy. During this workday we started this project in half of the curb strip by first digging out the weeds, grass, and dirt, then filling it with pea stone. Next week we will finish the summer with adding the bricks. |
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07/25/2019 |
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This summer marks the 25th year of the URI Greenspace Program and today Friends of Farmington Canal got to host the celebration at their site! The space was filled with special guests like Mayor Toni Harp and Will Ginsburg, as well as other URI Staff, Alderwoman Delphine Clyburn, and plenty of people from the community. There were great speakers, cake, and a bench dedication to represent the great partnership between URI, the Community Foundation, and the city. In addition to the celebration, the group also made more progress on the edging project by mulching the area and finishing the installation of the wood. |
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07/24/2019 |
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The group wanted to add more plants to the garden at the end of Clifton St, near the river. To add more color and attract attention to the canoe launch and garden, while being mindful of the high erosion rates, they planted 2 liriope and 2 sedum. Afterward, the group finalized plans for the plants and design near the entrance to the street. |
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07/23/2019 |
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To help redefine the paths throughout the greenspace, we spent most of this meeting spreading stone dust. We were able to cover the path all the way around the circular bed so it looks neat and beautiful, especially with the new perennials there. Toward the end of the meeting we added a butterfly bush in an open, sunny space which should attract even more pollinators. |
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07/23/2019 |
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Now that some shade trees have been planted, the group wanted to move on to planting fruit trees. There are already some in the park that the community really enjoys, so they wanted to plant more. A pear tree that got hit by a mower was dead and falling over, so we removed it and replaced it with a cherry tree. Near the trees planted last week we added an apple tree. This was a smooth planting and the group was excited to have accomplished another goal! |
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07/20/2019 |
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On one of the hottest days of the summer so far, the group persevered and got several wheelbarrows of mulch spread around the greenspace. While we worked the sandwich board was on display after being beautifully painted by Jody and Khaliyah. |
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07/20/2019 |
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The park was in full bloom this Saturday with a beautiful array of purple, orange, white, and yellow! We planted two coneflowers that will add more red and pink to the mix of colors. The group also did some maintenance of the paths and weeds. Thanks to the early meeting time and some watermelon from Pat, we were able to beat the heat. |
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07/19/2019 |
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This week the group finished the maintenance on all of the trees along the streetscape. Through some battles with ants and lots of rocks under the trees, they weeded, edged, and mulched the trees. Now the trees & their perennials look beautiful and the space will be easier to maintain for mowers and future weeding. |
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07/18/2019 |
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To continue the previous week's work along the Urban Oasis, the group started replacing dirt along the new edging, adding more edging further down the corridor, and spreading some mulch. In the greenspace area, there was weeding done in the flower beds next to the pillars and in the bed at the corner of the park. |
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07/16/2019 |
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The group got one step closer to their goal of adding more shade to the park by planting two American Linden trees today! The American Linden trees can grow to be 60-80 feet with a pyramidal shape, so once these babies mature the skaters will have a place of refuge from the sun. There were so many people to help and some healthy competition between the groups at each tree which made for a quick, fun, and successful planting. |
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07/16/2019 |
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Today we planted coneflowers and meadow sage which are both pollinator-friendly perennials that add bright colors to the space. The group also did the usual stewardship activities of watering and weeding. |
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07/13/2019 |
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Today was a maintenance day spent spreading mulch throughout the greenspace. The mulch will help keep weeds down and retain extra moisture for our newly planted perennials. |
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07/13/2019 |
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To follow up on the previous work in the park, we were able to finish mulching all of the beds. The addition of mulch helped highlight all of the beautiful daylilies, hostas, and daisies that were in bloom. |
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07/11/2019 |
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Along the Urban Oasis that lines the path of the Farmington Canal the group wants to add edging to more clearly delineate the planted area from the grass. To start working toward this goal we began digging out the grass and creating a trench-like space for the wooded edging at this workday. With the help of the Common Ground high schoolers we were able to make a lot of progress! |
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07/10/2019 |
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In anticipation of the future planting that the group will do, they spent this week weeding, watering, and planning the locations and species of the new plants. Now that most of the work near the river is finished, we will start working in the curb area by the entrance to Clifton St next week. The group looks forward to adding some color and doing more plantings! |
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07/09/2019 |
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One of the goals for the group this year is to attract more pollinators. In an effort to make this happen, we spent this meeting planting two coral bells and 2 catmint plants. The catmint will also add a fragrance and some purple color when it blooms, while the coral bells will add a dark purple foliage. With watering and a little bit of weeding as well, this was a successful day for the group! |
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07/09/2019 |
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We spent this workday planting perennials along the entrance as part of the groups efforts to beautify the park. Four sedum and two hostas were planted to add some vibrant greens, plus pink and purple when they're in bloom. It was a busy skating day so lots of people got to see the group in action and express their appreciation for all they've done. We are looking forward to planting more trees next week after deciding the species at today's meeting. |
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06/29/2019 |
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The group got refuge from the beating sun underneath the canopy in the greenspace while planting a few perennials. Two coral bells were planted to add some colorful foliage and attract pollinators. Three liriope were added for their bright green foliage and purple flowers when in bloom. These plants helped fill in the center bed that previously had some gaps. |
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06/28/2019 |
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At this meeting the group continued maintenance along the streetscape. On both sides of the street near the playground the group weeded the areas underneath the trees. Since most of the trees have perennials under them, the weeding helped clean up each area and allow the perennials to shine through. We also added mulch to each tree and the nearby perennials to help define the planted spaces, suppress weeds and retain moisture. |
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06/27/2019 |
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After lots of rain throughout June, this workday was spent tackling all the weeds that were becoming increasingly pervasive. A large portion of the mugwort, bittersweet, and other weed varieties were removed. Now the natives in the Urban Oasis are more visible and we can make progress on the other goals of the group! |
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06/26/2019 |
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After removing the fabric that was underneath the soil last week, the group was able to plant a butterfly bush to fill a gap in the garden. Following this planting the group and some guests gathered at the space to listen to a wonderful talk about the oyster history in the Quinnipiac River. |
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06/25/2019 |
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This misty, humid evening couldn't slow down our group this week. Despite the weather, the group planted three trees in one night! It couldn't have happened without some intense pick axing through tough, rocky soils and amazing patience and effort from the whole group. There are now two serviceberry trees and a red maple along the side of the new skating area. The serviceberry trees are smaller fruiting trees and the red maple is a larger tree that will eventually provide shade. This was the first tree planting workday but the group hopes to see more of these as the summer continues. |
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06/22/2019 |
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The group continued with maintenance work at the site this weekend. Jody and Khaliyah worked together to get the mowing done in the back of the space. The group also pruned back some shrubs and trees to clear walkways and paths. |
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06/22/2019 |
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After fighting weeds for a couple weeks the group was able to get a significant amount of mulch spread throughout the park. The mulch should help retain some of the water for the trees and perennials, but also helps improve the look of the space. Now it is more clear where there is space for planting so the group should be able to move forward with adding some new perennials or shrubs. |
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06/21/2019 |
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The group spent this meeting working on a curbstrip that needed extensive weeding. Despite the intermittent raining throughout the workday, the group persisted and was able to remove all the weeds, mulch in some areas, and mulch around the tree there. This work transformed the appearance of this area, helping to beautify the street and reduce the need for maintenance in the future. |
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06/20/2019 |
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With stormy skies rolling in, the group was able to quickly tag and label some of the native plants in the urban oasis. These tags will make maintenance and stewardship more streamlined because it separates the natives from the invasive plants and weeds that will be removed. There was also some discussion about work that the group is looking forward to do in the coming weeks! |
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06/19/2019 |
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For our first workday of the summer the group was able to do some weeding, pruning, and finally cut through some tough fabric that was underneath a layer or two of soil and mulch. This fabric was creating challenges for planting, but now that we were able to cut some of it away, more planting can be done. The group is looking forward to the possibilities that this development opens up and future planting! |
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06/18/2019 |
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In an effort to add more color and beauty to the park, this meeting was spent adding perennials underneath the center cherry tree in the skatepark. Two hostas, 4 day lilies, and 2 coreopsis were added for a combination of purple, burgundy, yellow, and light green color. It was a rainy day but the group persevered and had an excellent work ethic! |
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06/15/2019 |
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With many new faces and helping hands from around the neighborhood the group was able to tackle lots of the weeds throughout the space. In addition to weeding, some of the kids got to try out pruning while helping clear some of the low-hanging branches from the walkways. Using her wonderful artistic talents, Khaliyah began painting the sandwich board for the group to make it unique and potentially attract more people to the space. The diversity of ages made for a wonderful representation of the community and an amazing combination of strengths. |
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06/15/2019 |
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On our second beautiful Saturday in a row, the group was out doing diligent weeding to prepare the space for future plantings. Being a fairly large space for weeding, significant progress was made on over half of the park. This work will allow for the upcoming plantings and path work that will really bring the group close to some of their goals for the summer. |
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06/11/2019 |
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As a first step to drawing more people to the greenspace, the group did outreach throughout the neighborhood. Flyers were passed out to the community while we explained the opportunities for participating in the amazing work at the space. |
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06/11/2019 |
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The group started maintenance on the site to get it prepared for this summer's work. This included mowing and weeding. |
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06/11/2019 |
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This was the first meeting ever for the Edgewood Skatepark greenspace and it was a great one! With plenty of ideas from everyone who came out, the group was able to put together a list of goals to work toward for the summer and establish their vision. There were plenty of helping hands at this meeting which allowed for a significant amount of maintenance to be completed. Almost all of the trees at the front of the skatepark were weeded, edged, and mulched which was a great start for the summer. |
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06/08/2019 |
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On this beautiful Saturday morning the group met to begin weeding the park. In addition to everyone lending a hand, they all shared many ideas too. From the group's discussion about priorities and ambitions, they created a list of goals to work toward for the summer. |
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06/07/2019 |
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At this first meeting of the summer the group discussed some ideas, including ways to attract more community members. The group plans to maintain the emeritus status of the space by weeding, mulching and planting a few perennials. |
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06/07/2019 |
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This was our first meeting of the summer! We did a lot of brainstorming and goal setting to establish this year's vision. |
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06/06/2019 |
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The group discussed and outlined their vision for this summer's projects for the streetscape. |
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06/05/2019 |
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For this first meeting of the summer the group discussed plans for restoring a new area that hasn't been worked on for several years. Additional ideas and visions were brainstormed for adding to last year's progress made on the center of the space. The group hopes their beautification efforts will attract more visitors to the canoe and river access. |
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06/04/2019 |
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This was our first meeting of the summer! We did a lot of brainstorming and goal setting to establish this year's vision, as well as some mowing and weeding. |