Yvonne Trenh
URI Internship Year:
2024
Graduation Year:
2025
Degree:
BA
Yvonne is a 2024 Community Greenspace intern from East Los Angeles, California! At Yale, she is a senior who studies Engineering Sciences (environmental), with a Chinese Certificate. She is passionate about equitable resource distribution, sustainable development, and community resilience. This is her first summer in New Haven, and she is so excited to spend time and learn from the New Haven Community. During her free time, you can catch her playing ultimate frisbee, at a boba shop, thrifting, or enjoying a meal with her loved ones!
Group
Valley St Intergenerational Organization
Bradley Street Pocket Park -Mulberry Jam
Greenspace Log
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10/28/2024 |
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The evening was brisk, but Ming and Tashi were excited to install this sign that was created in the summer! Ming was estatic to see the sign in person for the first time. She directed where she wanted the sign in the greenspace, and Tashi and I installed the sign. Ming had to leave a little early, but she couldn't wait to tell the fellow volunteers of the Bradley Street Co-op about the installed sign! |
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10/07/2024 |
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On a bright autumn morning, Christel and Joyce walked over to the corner of Dover Beach Park with the excitement of finally installing their Fair Haven sign. As always, they were picking up trash along the way. After installing the wooden posts last week, the three of us marked the wooden posts and carefully installed the sign. As you drive into the neighborhood of Fair Haven, there is now a large sign that stands bright, welcoming all! |
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08/03/2024 |
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The morning was soft and bright, and I was excited to see Patrice, Malachai, and Susan. They were thrilled to hear that the annual bus tour would pass through Blake St Pocket Park, but were sad they would be busy during that time. Today, we started at the front of the park, where Patrice, Malachai, and I pulled and swept away weeds that had grown through the cracks in the cement, while Susan swept up broken pieces of glass. After cleaning the front, we moved to the back and the roundabout garden, where Susan and I had been working to distinguish the path last time. We were ecstatic to see the grass in the back had been mowed, and some of the weeds had been removed. While Susan and I cleared the grass from the path, Patrice collected the mowed weeds. By the end of our workday, the path in the back was sparkling. It has been such a delightful time caring for this pocket park with Susan, Patrice, and the other volunteers. Come by, visit, admire, and help care for this special park when you have the time! |
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08/02/2024 |
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It was a bright summer afternoon; the counselors and the kids were already at the pocket park when I arrived, all excited and ready to take care of our park. The weeding we did from last week already made the park look so much nicer! We started off the workday with mulching the parts of the park that we weeded last week, stopping in the middle for a watering break, and repeating this process. The kids really enjoy watering their plants, especially the coral bell that they planted weeks before! At the end of the workday, the pocket park was glowing, and I took the group out for ice cream and other snacks at the nearby corner store! Planning for, teaching, and working with these kids this summer has been such a special experience, and I hope they enjoyed their time and will come back to take care of this special pocket. I will miss them all so much. Come by to visit the park - help clean up a little, add some food to the cat that lives within the hostas outside the park, or just enjoy the adventure park that our kids designed! |
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08/01/2024 |
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It was a beautiful, bright summer morning when I met Christel and Joyce at the butterfly garden. We checked on the coral bells planted last week, added one more, and then watered all the perennials, which looked much happier afterward. Next, we headed to the Urban Oasis area with a few buckets of water. The oak tree and the five agastaches we planted with the Common Ground students were thriving. This week, Christel and I (Yvonne) added three native New England asters, two more agastaches, and some wildflower seeds to the area. Joyce picked up a lot of trash, significantly cleaning up the park. By the end of the workday, Christel and Joyce had also picked up more trash and moved dumped tires from under the bridge to the sidewalk to help distinguish the area. We wrapped up by chatting about their upcoming vacations before bidding each other goodbye. It was lovely working with Christel and Joyce this summer, and I will miss our Thursday morning workdays. Come visit this beautiful park and join in helping to take care of it! |
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07/31/2024 |
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This week on the West River Trail, we invited young workers (Julian, CJ, Jose, and Ricky) from The Shack (333 Valley St Intergenerational Organization) to join us. It was a bright morning, and everyone was excited to be out in nature. Before Tom and Dave arrived, we walked down a path, cutting back any Japanese Knotweed or weeds blocking the trail. Once Tom and Dave joined us, we focused on cutting back overgrown weeds encroaching on the sidewalk, clearing the way for pedestrians. By the end of our work, the path was much wider. Tom and Dave then led us towards the Botanical Garden while we picked up trash and trimmed weeds along the way. After cleaning up this section, we moved to the side of the trail near the Peter Davis bridge, cutting back weeds and disentangling vines from trees. Throughout the walk, we discussed the differences between invasive and native plants, the various native species in the park, the negative impact of certain vines on trees, and the history of the West River’s industrial usage. This was a fun, educational, and productive walk for everyone! |
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07/31/2024 |
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This afternoon was a little rainy, and we were expecting a smaller number of volunteers to show up, especially with some on vacation. However, Nan and I were ecstatic to see people trickle in. We started the workday with a group photo, capturing our smiles from ear to ear. We then moved on to watering the plants, especially the recently planted ones, using water from the cart and the giant bucket I (Yvonne) brought. Claire, Kate, Dan, Ari, and other volunteers focused on watering the plants. A short thunderstorm interrupted our efforts, so we took shelter in our cars. Once the storm passed, Nan, Joan, and I added perennials to the pondside garden. Over at the Wildflower Boulder Garden, Frank, Ryan, V, and Yossi cleared so many vines and underbrush that we could see the beautiful pond from that side. The view, enhanced by the light rain and fresh air, was breathtaking. Words cannot describe how special this park and the Friends of Beaver Ponds Park are. It has been my absolute pleasure to work with them this summer and see the park blossom. Come enjoy this special place—take a walk down the beautiful trail, peek at the serene pond, and smell the flowering perennials added over the years. Be on the lookout to join Nan, Joan, the Cramers, Pat, and Frank in caring for this park all year round! |
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07/30/2024 |
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The morning was a little humid, but bright, and all the volunteers were excited to be here. This week, we completed wood chip paths around the Midbridge garden beds and at the entrance to “Frank’s Trail,” which now looks amazing! We also weeded and cut vines at the Mid Bridge and watered small young plants along Park Rd. This was my last week with the mighty group of the Friends of Edgewood Park, but it was a very productive one, and we all had a great time beautifying our park. It was such a pleasure working with everyone, and I’m going to miss them a lot! Join these mighty volunteers at Edgewood Park on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. (They meet all year round!) |
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07/27/2024 |
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It was a beautiful sunny morning when the volunteers of the West River Watershed Coalition gathered to walk the trails of the West River Trail and clean them up. Tom led me down the path towards the Botanical Garden of Healing, where we met Dave and Frank, who were weed whacking alongside the trail. After improving the trails on this side and planning activities for the kids from the Shack, we crossed Valley St. to work on the other trails. At the head of the trail, we noticed the same gas leak the volunteers had smelled last week. Tom called the fire station, and they contacted the gas company to fix the leak. We then cut back the Japanese knotweed near the riverbank so people could enjoy the flowing waters. I even found a scooter that had been dumped there and took it back with me! Join us in the future with the kids from the Shack! |
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07/26/2024 |
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It was a beautiful sunny afternoon when the kids excitedly rounded the corner to their pocket park. Many of them eagerly asked to be the first to carry the bucket of mulch, even though mulching wasn’t on the agenda for this week. We started the workday by weeding the areas around the back of the park, the sides, and the middle garden. With careful teamwork, the kids also carried wooden planks to the back of the park to design their own adventure park! We finished off the day by watering the plants around the park. Join us next Friday at 1:30 p.m. to give our Shepard St. Spruel Space some love! |
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07/25/2024 |
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The morning was a little sticky, but Christel was excited to be out at the park. She was picking up trash along the park as usual when I drove down towards the butterfly garden. As we approached the garden, we were thrilled to see the plants we had planted last week doing very well! Christel mentioned that she had come earlier to water and replant the coneflower that had been dug out during the week. At the butterfly garden, we added two coral bells and a butterfly weed. After that, we mulched the rest of the garden and watered the plants, using water from the splash pad. Christel's husband and a few other community members dropped by and commented on how pretty the butterfly garden was looking. Join us next Thursday at 9 a.m. to plant a few more plants by the urban oasis! |
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07/24/2024 |
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Despite some being away on trips, the energetic group gathered for our seventh Wednesday Evening at the Park, ready to steward our park! I brought tools and beautiful perennial flowering plants (agastashes, butterfly weed, bee balm, coneflowers) for the Pondside Garden, while the children appreciated the kid-sized tools. At the Children's Garden, Joan, True, and I spread mulch and compost, and Tim watered the flowering plants. Joan added lovely annuals from Pardee Greenhouse, enhancing the vibrant garden. Meanwhile, Ryan Nowak and his wife, V, joined Tim, Claire, Nan, and Pat in the Pondside Garden, removing dead branches, weeds, and planting new perennials. Pat edged the garden, making it stand out beautifully. Eileen and True transported garden debris, and V captured a photo of the hardworking team. In the Wildflower Boulder Garden, Frank, Yossi, Kingsley, Kate, and Daniel removed unwanted vegetation to help the milkweed and bee balm thrive. As evening set in, Nan, Frank, Yossi, and Yvonne collected the tools and planned for next week, with fireflies lighting up Beaver Ponds Park at dusk. Join us next Wednesday at 6 pm for our final workday of the summer in caring for our Beaver Ponds Park! |
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07/23/2024 |
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It was a cool morning as we met at the ranger station, everyone excited to be there and give some love to the park. Per tradition, we introduced ourselves and welcomed back Rachel. We then headed towards the mid-bridge area, where we started planting the big and healthy swamp oak tree I brought for the day. Everyone was ecstatic to be planting another tree. As Jonathan, the sisters, and Rachel began digging the hole for the tree, Sandy and Clara helped Margaret water our young dogwoods and button bushes. While chatting about Jonathan's high school experience, the sisters' time in the greater Boston area, and Rachel's summer break away from teaching, we planted the tree before we knew it. We proudly named our tree Sven! Join us next Tuesday at the Ranger Station at 9 a.m. to take care of our Edgewood Park! |
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07/20/2024 |
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It was a very cool morning as I arrived at Blake St Pocket Park. With the Antoine family out of town this week, I called Susan to check in, and she excitedly replied that she was on her way! As always, she arrived with a big smile, a warm greeting, and holding her trusty scufflehoe. She started working on the stone dust path, once again amazed at how quickly the tool worked. She continued all the way to the back, while I followed with a rake to gather the weeded parts. When we reached the Roundabout garden, Susan mentioned that the path continued through a patch of grass, so we set to work with the scufflehoes, enjoying a lovely conversation about our families. A new volunteer, Desirae, and her daughter, Rosy, joined us. They live next to the pocket park and were very excited to see us working on it. Desirae shared stories about the property before it became this park. By the end of the workday, the path leading to the Roundabout garden was much clearer! Join us next Saturday at 9 am to give our park some love! |
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07/19/2024 |
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It was a beautiful sunny afternoon as I arrived at Shepard St Spruel Space. The kids were full of excitement for the workday, each asking about the tasks ahead. The group split into two, with one group working on art with another teacher, while the other group joined me and the youth and college counselors in the garden. The first group started mulching the back area and decided to plant a coral bell that had been left unplanted from previous years. The kids took turns digging the hole, with the second group finishing the task. With Mr. Alex's help, everyone was able to plant the coral bell together. Finally, using their own buckets, the kids watered the coral bell and the other plants in the park. Join us next Friday afternoon at 1:30 pm to continue working on the park! |
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07/18/2024 |
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After the thunderstorms and rain from last night, the weather was much cooler, and the soil looked happy and ready for some plants! This week, Christel, Joyce, and I started to weed, mulch, and plant in our butterfly garden. While weeding and edging the garden, Christel shared her journey to becoming a professor and comforted me, saying, "It's okay to explore and not know exactly what you're going to be up to!" After weeding and cutting back the shrubs, we planted our perennials: a coneflower, a black-eyed Susan, and a butterfly weed. A new volunteer, Jose, joined us and helped shovel mulch into the garden too. We invited him to join us next week, and you should too! Join us next Thursday at 9 am to finish stewarding our butterfly garden! |
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07/16/2024 |
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It was a beautiful, bright morning when all the volunteers gathered by the road next to the ranger station. With our 4 Common Ground student workers back again, we reintroduced ourselves, sharing something that got us out of bed this morning! With lots of teamwork, our group planted a red celebration maple along the promenade, ensuring it received plenty of water to prepare for the heat. While Margaret and I (Yvonne) watered the young button bushes and dogwood plants along the riverbank on Park Road, Sandy led the rest of the group to help Muffy and Mike weed the bocce court in preparation for Semi's remembrance event. Join us next Tuesday morning at 9 am to plant two trees by the mid-bridge and continue stewarding our bocce court! |
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07/11/2024 |
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Tom and I attended a community meeting at The Shack to introduce the West River Trails and our upcoming workdays. While discussing other very serious concerns and announcements within the neighborhood, people were happy to hear about the natural trail that exists right behind their houses. I also introduced myself, URI, and the work that URI does, and invited them to the upcoming workdays with the kids when that schedule is set. Come out and join us at the West River Trails! |
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07/11/2024 |
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It was a very hot and humid morning, but the excitement was palpable as everyone eagerly anticipated planting the beautiful perennials I brought. Today, we were thrilled to welcome five wonderful workers from Common Grounds: Joshua, Freddie, Terell, Kymani, and Luis. They recognized the area from last week and immediately sprang into action. Christell and Joyce, always dedicated, started picking up trash from the park as usual while we moved the tools inside. Despite the soil being embedded with various rocks and roots, which made things quite challenging, we dug numerous holes with determination. We first planted four vibrant coral bells under the catalpa tree, followed by five stunning agastashes where we had previously pulled mugwort. Despite the heat and humidity creeping onto us, we covered the beds where we planted perennials with mulch shoveled into the urban oasis last week. By the end of the workday, the sanctuary-like space gleamed with joy, thrilled to have new perennials planted to block out future weeds. Join us next Thursday at 9 am to beautify the butterfly garden by the playground! |
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07/10/2024 |
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Despite the humid evening, the sky had a gorgeous glow, almost as bright as the smiles on everyone's faces. Everyone was thrilled to be back after a week off! They were also very excited to see the beautiful flowering perennials I brought for them to plant: an agastache, three colorful echinaceas, and a black-eyed Susan. For the newsletter this week, Rebecca interviewed Kelly. At the children's garden, Joan took charge of watering the parched plants with buckets and then the water cart; the plants looked much happier afterward. At the pondside garden, Jim and I (Yvonne) handled off-loading mulch into wheelbarrows, which Eileen, Cecelia, Beatrice, and Ginny helped to spread. At the corner triangular garden, Pat planted an agastache and ensured it received adequate water to survive the heatwave. Nan, Tim, and Frank worked hard to trim the long, interfering branches of the river birches and pine trees. Frank and many volunteers cleared out a large part of our old wildflower garden, liberating numerous native wildflowers, including bee balm and milkweed, which were blooming gorgeously. Nan remarked that this garden hasn't looked this cared for in years! Jim, Sumi, and Eileen wheeled many barrels full of branches, weeds, and other vegetation to the debris pile near the red gate. Nan, Sumi, Kelly, and Eileen diligently documented everything this week. Join us next Wednesday at 6 pm to work on the park with us! |
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07/09/2024 |
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Despite the heat creeping into us, the volunteers excitedly gathered under the shade of a tree at the start of the road leading to the ranger station, eager to give some love to the park. We all split up to work on different parts of the park. Some tackled the overgrowth near the fence area by the stairs from Chapel Street near the Duck Pond. At the Mid Bridge area, Clara, Jonathan, and I weeded and put mulch rings around all the young trees, trimmed a hanging branch from a black walnut tree, and pruned the pecan tree to prevent further mower damage, which had removed its protective wire cage and stake, scraping the bark and branches. Rebecca discovered that the elderberry she planted several years ago is thriving. Additionally, with the help of other volunteers, Stephanie and Muffy removed cut brush from near the bridge and cut down a box elder tree competing with a summersweet shrub in the Mid Bridge Garden. Jonathan and I transplanted a butterfly bush in the Eagle Scout garden. Frank and a group of volunteers also completed clearing the berm trail (Frank’s Trail) from Mid Bridge to Park Road, cleared the trail from Mid Bridge to Archery Field, and cleared the berm trail from Mid Bridge to the Skate Park. Finally, Margaret took on the challenge of watering ten small, young button bushes and dogwoods on Park Road. Thank you to Stephanie for recording the work of our volunteers each week. Join us next Tuesday morning at 9 am for some tree planting at the park with workers from Common Ground! |
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07/03/2024 |
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Although I was away this week, the volunteers at Dover Beach Park were exceptionally productive! Coordinated by another URI intern, Jasmine, they were joined by the energetic Common Ground student workers and successfully moved a large pile of mulch into the heart of the urban oasis. On top of that, two small but mighty kids joined the team to learn about and help with the work. This was an epic and joyful collaboration, showcasing the incredible spirit of teamwork and community! |
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07/02/2024 |
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Although I was away this week, the Friends of Edgewood Park were still hard at work! Coordinated by another URI intern, Jasmine, the dedicated Common Ground student workers joined forces to plant shrubs at the Sprinkler Garden and complete the mulching. They used wood chips to define two-thirds of the paths around the MidBridge garden beds, trimmed overhanging willows and river birch, cut down knotweed near the garden beds, and re-strung the garden fencing while trimming the grass in front of it. Their incredible dedication and teamwork ensured the park continued to thrive and remain vibrant! |
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06/29/2024 |
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A light drizzle started as I arrived, but when I asked Nia how she felt about it, she shrugged and said, "That's fine, a little rain won't hurt anyone." As I got into the back of the truck to pull out tools, I spotted Susan making her way over to the park with a big smile on her face, excited to see us and work on the park! Before starting to weed, I demonstrated how to use the scuffle hoe on the stone dust. When I raked away the weeds that were pulled up, everyone was astonished at how easy it was and how clean the path looked afterward. Nia continued to use the scuffle hoe on the path, while Susan began weeding the area, and I (Yvonne) started off-loading mulch into a wheelbarrow. Around this time, Chris McDaniel stopped by—I was ecstatic to meet him as I had heard a lot about him. He was recovering from eye surgery, so instead of weeding, Nia showed him how to use the scuffle hoe and he got right to work! Around this time, Nia's father, John, came by after Nia called for his help. He immediate got to work and offered to shovel mulch. Vicson, whom Susan and I met and invited while he was biking to work last week, joined us too! He also volunteers at nearby community gardens. Vicson mentioned he couldn't stay long because of work, but he immediately got to work shoveling mulch into the wheelbarrow for us. With the powerful and quick work of Vicson, John, and Nia, all the mulch I brought was off-loaded, and almost the entire front of the park was mulched! Susan was worried because she couldn't weed as fast as they were mulching, but she was already doing a phenomenal job. Vicson helped on the path for a bit before departing for work. While Chris started to bag up loads of weeds with Susan's help, John and Nia continued to scuffle hoe and rake away all the weeds—the path was looking so clear all the way to the back of the park! I carefully tackled the task of removing some poison ivy. Susan's husband, Henry, also stopped by to say hi! Chris left to get some rest, and John left for basketball practice. By the end of the workday, Susan, Nia, and I were astonished at how much we had accomplished—we didn't expect to get so much done! The park was glowing! Join Susan and Chris next week at 2 pm to beautify the park! |
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06/28/2024 |
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The summer sun was blazing this afternoon, but the kids were excited to be outside! Ms. Kim sent Tia and a group of kids to finish mulching the area around the grass that we didn’t get to last week. Before starting, I asked them questions about mulching to remind them what it was and why it was important. The kids were very enthusiastic when answering the questions. The group continued the system from last week, passing buckets of mulch down a line. Two people were at the end: one in charge of spreading the mulch and one in charge of bringing the empty bucket back to the truck where I was filling them. It was a little slow at first, but when Ms. Kim benched the kids who were goofing around, the remaining kids focused and the process became very successful. We finished mulching the grass area toward the back! Join us next week at 1:30 pm to beautify our Shepard St. Pocket Park and work with these enthusiastic kids! |
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06/27/2024 |
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It was a blazing morning, but the large trees above provided ample canopy for those who sought it. We welcomed Caleb, a new volunteer, who was excited to join us. He was impressed by the sanctuary-like area within the urban oasis and amazed by the care we put into the park. Joyce and Christel were hard at work pulling mugwort in the back, while Caleb was tasked with pruning parts of the elm tree that looked a little hazardous. Together, Caleb and I pruned a catalpa tree, ensuring its branches wouldn't interfere with the small path within the oasis. Between a mulberry tree and the large elm tree stood a small growing catalpa that Christel decided to remove due to space constraints. Caleb also spotted a baby oak tree in the back under the bridge, which we transplanted to a sunnier spot. Join us next time to continue making this urban oasis a beautiful sanctuary! |
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06/26/2024 |
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The evening sun hit our faces as we started this workday with a lot of excitement at our stone benches, as usual! We welcomed Patrick back this week. While they were saddened to hear there would be no workday next week because of Independence Day, they were excited about the work we were going to tackle today. As Joan announced that she had brought supplies for rock painting, the kids jumped with excitement and dashed toward their children's garden. Joan and the kids started by filling the water cart at the pond and watering the plants in the children's garden. Meanwhile, James, Yossi, and Patrick off-loaded pine bark mulch into wheelbarrows, which Tim and Patrick delivered to the stone sign garden. Kelly and I (Yvonne) carefully liberated our cherry tree from a long poison ivy vine and removed other sprouting ones too. Judy, with Patrick's help, removed trash along the road of the park and river. Tim planted two coral bells in our memorial garden, which had been weeded last week. Claire, Eileen, Lin, Nan, and Rebecca continued weeding the overgrown pondside garden. Patrick, Sumi, and Eileen wheeled numerous loads of branches, weeds, and other vegetation to the debris pile near the red gate. A huge shoutout to Nan for documenting so much of the work we do at this park and assisting me (Yvonne) in writing a large portion of this summary! This was such a productive evening, but more importantly, we all had so much fun! Join us the following Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm! |
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06/25/2024 |
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Compared to last week, it was a much cooler morning. Meeting at the Ranger Station, our volunteers were ecstatic to get to work on their projects. Stephanie, the sisters, and Natalie planted and watered small native shrubs along the park road riverbank to prevent erosion—buttonbush, gray dogwood, silky dogwood, and one ninebark. Sandy, Clara, and I (Yvonne) continued weeding the sundial garden, planted two coral bells, and began mulching that garden bed. Margaret took charge of watering plants as usual, while Frank and the high school volunteers, including Jonathan and Natalie, pulled Japanese knotweed out of MidBridge Garden and began making wood chip mulch rings around trees along park road. Lots of tasks ahead, but so much love has already been given to the park! Join us next Tuesday at 9 am at the Ranger Station! |
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06/22/2024 |
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After a week of heat, the rain from the previous night gave way to a beautiful sunny, but cool morning! Susan walked over to the park with a bag of her gardening supplies, excited to steward our pocket park. We started with some weeding, pulling weeds and saplings right out of the moist soil. Oak saplings, tree-of-heavens, Norway maples, and other invasive vines and weeds were being yanked left and right! Susan and I were so grateful to be outdoors and working after both recovering from injuries that had kept us inside for a long time. While we were tending to the garden beds towards the back of the park, Henry (Genese's husband) stopped by to say hi. Susan and I pulled various weeds and vines as we made our way back to the front, including poison ivy and stickyweed. With some mulch added at the front of the park, the space looked well-cared for by the end of the workday. Join us next Saturday from 9 am to 11 am! |
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06/21/2024 |
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It was an extremely hot afternoon as I drove to the park; however, Ms. Kim called me ahead of the meeting time, ecstatic about bringing the kids to work on the park! Ms. Kim came over and showed me the park that she and her friend had cleaned up—they mowed and raked the park in their own free time. The first group of around 10 kids arrived with their college student counselor (Tia). Ms. Kim explained that they would be working in a system to mulch the inside of the park, involving teamwork and everyone contributing a little so that no one over-exerted themselves. As I filled buckets with mulch, the kids lined up and passed each bucket down to finally mulch the inner park. This first group was very successful, and when we finished mulching one corner, I told them a bit about what mulching is and why it is important. The second group came over, and we proceeded to do the same thing, starting with a brief talk about the importance of mulching. Two kids from the community joined this group as well! This group was a bit slower with the bucket-passing system due to some miscommunication and swapping of roles, but they were still successful in finishing up the previously mulched area and starting the corner to the right of the path. We ended that group with a chat about cooperation with the rest of the group and a little bit about mulching too! The mulch really brightened up the park and brought out the variegated grass! Join us next Friday from 1:30 pm to 3 pm! |
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06/20/2024 |
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It was a very hot and humid morning, but Christel and Joyce were excited to start working on the urban oasis! As we rolled our wheelbarrow of tools into the park, we bumped into Aaron, who joined us this week. Aaron also leads a greenspace site at the Peace Garden! While Christel pruned the grass and shrubs, clearing a path, Joyce and I pulled pockets and pockets of mugwort, leaving our native goldenrod and milkweed. Aaron liberated a Catalpa tree from countless choking vines. By the end of the workday, the trail was much more distinct, and there was a lot of new space inside the oasis to welcome new plants. As I was about to drive off, I spotted a Maryland Terrapin turtle crossing the road into a parking lot. I called Christel over, and together we carried the terrapin turtle back to the shore of the river, where it quickly waddled back into the water. It was so very cute! Join us next Thursday morning from 9 am to 11 am to bring some love to the park! |
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06/19/2024 |
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This was the hottest workday yet, but the large canopy of the trees in the wonderful park gave us a pocket of shade, so I barely felt the heat! As always, we started by sitting in a circle and introducing ourselves, especially to a few volunteers who were back for the first time this summer. Yossi returned from his week off, ready to weed, and Sam was back because his karate class had a break this week. Soon after, Claire and Rebecca joined the group of kids and the water cart. The group was as excited as ever to care for the park! At the children's garden, under Joan's guidance, the kids quickly weeded and planted bright flowering plants that Joan brought. At the stone sign garden, Sam and I unloaded the mulch into wheelbarrows as Nan and Kay spread it around the spots we missed last week. By the pondside garden, Rebecca, Salma, Frank, Eileen, and Claire liberated a whole patch of the garden, revealing beautiful perennials planted in previous years. Sam, Nan, and I planted three new perennials in this space: a Shasta daisy, an autumn joy sedum, and a Cheyenne spirit coneflower. During our workday, Pam stopped by with strawberry popsicles, recharging everyone with energy! We ended the workday right at the perfect time to see the fireflies awaken an illuminate our park - it was beautiful. Eileen, a young volunteer and the child of a dedicated volunteer, took my hand and gently placed a firefly in my palm, marking the first time I had ever held one. Next week, we plan to plant some coral bells by the memorial garden and work on the Crescent St trail that leads into the park. Join us every Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm! |
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06/18/2024 |
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It was a hot and humid morning, but our volunteers were ready to brighten up Edgewood Park! Meeting at the Ranger Station, we planned our tasks for the day. Sandy, Yvonne, the two sisters, and Stephanie weeded and groomed the sundial garden, in front of the Spanish War memorial, and at the gate at Hobart! The small plot by the gate looked very loved by the end of the day! Clara, Pat, and the two sisters watered the flowers at the beds at Yale, West Rock, and Willard, and also weeded and groomed the bed at Whalley and West Rock. Meanwhile, Frank and Jonathan Rodriguez, a new volunteer from Wilbur Cross High School, cut down knotweed around trees. Join us next Tuesday from 9 to 11 am to steward our Edgewood Park! |
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06/13/2024 |
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On a sunny morning, Christel and Joyce greeted me with big smiles, ready to tackle the weeds within the urban oasis. As I got off my truck, I saw them picking up trash and cleaning the park, as always. We headed into the urban oasis, pushing through a few weeds to reach the center and started getting to work, removing mugwort, sticky weed, Japanese knotweed, and some goldenrod to clear the shrubs and perennials we had planted before. Christel and Joyce began pruning surrounding plants to define the path. By the end of the day, we had opened up much of the center of the oasis and even liberated some ninebark and irises from surrounding weeds, as well as a cherry tree from overlapping growth! Join us next Thursday from 9 am to 11 am to beautify our Dover Beach Park! |
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06/13/2024 |
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This week, Kim showed up and was very tired. Although it was her week off, she had been very busy writing grants. Recognizing that our previous meeting time, Thursdays from 6-8 pm, was not working, she decided to try to find a new time so she could bring some of her kids during the work period. We couldn't find a suitable time at that moment, but we eventually called and talked it through. Later, she called to tell me that a friend of hers had done some mowing at the park and that she had brought some kids to help clean it up a bit too. She is always very excited when the park receives some love. Moving forward, we plan to meet on Fridays from 1 - 3:30 pm, when some of the kids from the camp, including her own, will come! |
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06/12/2024 |
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On a lovely summer afternoon, the Friends of Beaver Pond Park gathered once again to beautify our park! As always, we started in a circle at the cool stone benches and went around with introductions. It is always so lovely to see new and familiar faces! Rebecca interviewed Millie for the volunteer highlight this week. After a quick round of introducing the perennials I brought for us to add to the stone garden, we got to work! With careful technique and collaboration, Tim and I shoveled the pine mulch off the truck to eager volunteers and mighty youngsters who pushed the wheelbarrows back and forth, unloading the mulch in the proper places—some by the children's garden and some by the stone sign garden. While mulching at the stone sign, other volunteers planted the beautiful flowering perennials, with a mix of 3 coneflowers, 2 yarrows, and 2 coreopses. After using all of the pine mulch that was brought this week at the stone sign garden, we moved on to weeding by the memorial garden. We removed all sorts of weeds and even poison ivy, revealing a beautiful set of perennials underneath. Rebecca and a few other volunteers had a strong start in weeding by the pondside garden. As we cleaned up, Nan made sure everyone set off safely. Join us next Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm to help beautify Beaver Pond Park! |
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06/11/2024 |
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On a bright sunny morning, I met up with the Friends of Edgewood Park down by the mid-bridge! Some of them were already working in the garden by West Rock, Willard & Yale Aves., planting coreopsis gifted to us by Gary, the city gardener. Frank was walking alongside the mower, making sure it didn't accidentally mow the baby trees in the park; he is very passionate about protecting those trees, as many have fallen victim before. Meanwhile, Stephanie, Margaret, Sandy, the two sisters, and I focused on the mid-bridge garden First, we analyzed the problem with the ninebark and decided to trim it down to allow more sunlight in. Margaret, Sandy, and I handled the trimming, while the sisters and Stephanie weeded another section of the garden, revealing some beautiful perennials we had planted earlier. Other volunteers also checked out the sprouting willows, the small saplings along the river bank, posted Yvonne's flyers, and picked up litter! We ended the day by mulching that part of the garden, and Margaret even stayed a little longer to perfect it. The mid-bridge garden was looking very happy by the end of our workday! Join us next Tuesday from 9 to 11 am to make other parts of the park this happy! |
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06/08/2024 |
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It was a bright, beautiful morning when our volunteers came to the park, ready to tackle the overgrown invasives that had crept in. Genese, our previous site leader and sister of the current site leader, was back for the month and couldn't miss working at the park with all of us! (She's now Dr. Clark!!) A while into cleaning up the park, Lee arrived, pulling an excited youngling, Indy, on a cart to give some more love to the front of the park. Patrice pulled weeds from all directions, while Mia worked hard pruning the vines that had overgrown the beautiful mural. At the end of the workday, the group went around flyering in the neighborhood, inviting people to join us in beautifying this pocket park. Join us next Saturday morning from 9 am to 11 am! |
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06/06/2024 |
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06/06/2024 |
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06/06/2024 |
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It was a bright, humid morning when Tom and Dave showed me around the West River Trail by the Botanical Garden of Healing, where they have ambitious plans to steward and develop a gravel trail. They also took me through some sections of previous trails they worked on with the West River Watershed Coalition, sharing the long history of trails and bridges, including the Peter Davis Bridge. At the Shack, I met Honda, and we briefly discussed her timeline for the kids to start joining us. Tom and Dave are excited to begin working soon! Join us as we embark on this exciting project to enhance the West River Trail! |
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06/06/2024 |
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It was a rainy afternoon with thunderstorms approaching when I met Ms. Kim and her nephew, Eli, at Shepard St Spruel Space. We started by raking the dead leaves in the back and on the road. Then I weeded the grass in the back a little bit but realized there was poison ivy, so we proceeded with caution. Ms. Kim then told Eli to call over her niece, Karen, to help out, and she scootered over! We continued raking more leaves and cleaning up the area. However, they started getting attacked by mosquitoes, so we decided to end a little early and plan to work on the park next week! |
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06/06/2024 |
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06/05/2024 |
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On this lovely summer evening, the Friends of Beaver Pond Park gathered for our first workday! We began by sitting in a circle and sharing a bit about ourselves—it was delightful to learn more about everyone there! After introductions, the group tackled the weeds in the stone sign garden, focusing on removing the milkweed and mugwort that had started to take over. We also set up signs to caution volunteers about the poison ivy. The children were impressive, hauling wheelbarrows full of weeds to the lake and back multiple times, proving to be a mighty and strong group of young helpers! By the end of the workday, the stone sign garden was filled with love and care, ready to adopt new plants. As the sun began to set, Nan continued to roam the park in search of bats. Join us next Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm to help beautify Beaver Ponds Park! |
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06/05/2024 |
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On this bright sunny afternoon, Christel and Joyce took me on a tour of Dover Beach, the urban oasis and park nestled alongside the Quinnipiac River. They shared stories about the persistent weeds that have overrun the urban oasis and how they've already started removing them on their own time. Despite the abundance of sticky weed in the area, they are determined to tackle them head-on to create space for more native plants. They are excited about stewarding the space by removing invasive species, remulching, and planting new native plants in the park. Join us every Thursday morning from 9 am to 11 am to help transform Dover Beach into a thriving natural haven! |
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06/04/2024 |
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On this bright and sunny afternoon, Kim gave me a tour of Shepard St Spruel Space, pointing out all the crevices in this lovely pocket park that need a little extra love to shine. She shared her exciting goals for this summer: transforming the park into an interactive adventure and educational space for the community, maintaining the park's beauty, and conducting outreach to raise awareness and encourage more people to join in taking care of it. Kim is thrilled to get started this week! Join us every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm! |
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06/04/2024 |
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Nan and Joan took me on a walk through the beautiful Beaver Ponds Park and shared their main goals for this summer. Their plans include stewardship throughout the entire garden and reorganizing and beautifying the children's garden. They are very excited to start working on these goals tomorrow! Join us every Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm to help make Beaver Ponds Park even more beautiful! |
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06/03/2024 |
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On a fine sunny evening, Stephanie and Frank met up with me to show me around the beautiful Edgewood Park. They shared their exciting goals for this summer, including grooming the mid-bridge garden, removing weeds—especially the invasive Japanese knotweed past the mid-bridge—and planting trees and perennials in various areas of the park. Join us every Tuesday morning from 9 am to 11 am to work on these goals and help beautify Edgewood Park! |
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06/01/2024 |
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On a beautiful Saturday morning, several community members gathered at Blake St. Pocket Park to discuss plans for this summer! Patrice, John, their daughter Mia, and Susan joined the meeting with great enthusiasm. They were eager to tackle the overgrown weeds, refresh the colorful murals at the front entrance, clear the stone dust path, and plant some new perennials. Susan and Patrice were so excited that they started weeding around the park sign right away! By the end of the short weeding session, the park was already looking a bit fresher. We invite you to join us next Saturday from 9 am to 11 am for more community efforts! |
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06/01/2024 |
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05/29/2024 |
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On a beautiful summer evening, the Cramers hosted the Friends of Beaver Pond for a potluck party in their backyard, serving us delicious homemade pizzas from their own wood-fired oven. Other community members brought various delightful dishes, including watermelon, pasta salad, and spicy tamarind rice with cashews. The Friends of Beaver Pond Park enjoyed each other's presence and met the two URI interns working with them this summer, Avery and Yvonne. Nan and Rebecca shared some announcements, expressing their excitement to steward the park this summer and work on the natural children's playground. The community members then introduced themselves and shared why they loved the woods! |