Blake Street Pocket Park

Volunteer Leader(s):

Patrice Antoine

Genese Clark

Magaly Fernandez

Neighborhood: Beaver Hills

Type of Site: Vacant Lot

Address: 187 Blake Street, New Haven, CT, 06515

Intern(s):

Yvonne Trenh (2024)

Roan Hollander (2023)

Jenn Richburg (2022)

Musa Joko (2021)

Jon Johnson (2020)

Photo Gallery

Susan widening the stone dust path around the Roundabout garden!

Susan looking toward the Roundabout garden!

Susan and I at the end of the workday - path is becoming more clear!

Susan, Nia, and I at the end of the workday - in awe of how beautiful the park looked!

2024 Greenspace Report

Blake Street Pocket Park is a lush, hidden gem nestled in the Beaver Hills neighborhood. Once an abandoned space, this serene park has been lovingly transformed into a thriving community haven thanks to the dedication of local residents. As visitors enter, they are greeted by vibrant murals, a flourishing herb garden, and a well-maintained food pantry. This year, our efforts focused on stewarding the park with great care. We tackled the overgrowth by removing invasive weeds, rejuvenating the soil with fresh mulch, pruning the encroaching trees and vines along the walls, and revitalizing the stone dust path, clearing it of stubborn weeds. Patrice, her family, and Susan have poured their hearts into making the park shine as it does today, ensuring that Blake Street Pocket Park remains a beloved and welcoming space for the entire community.

2024 Accomplishments

1.0 yards mulch spread
6 events
12 volunteers
38 volunteer hours

Annual Reports

Greenspace Log

Susan and Yvonne after mulching the park!

06/22/2024

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!

Maintenance

06/08/2024

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!

Maintenance

06/01/2024

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!

Maintenance

Urban Resources Initiative

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