Cherry Ann Park

2019 Greenspace Report

Cherry Ann Park is New Haven's newest park, transformed from a dumping site into a beautiful park. It was founded by coalition of neighbors led by Miss Connie, a resident of Cherry Ann Street, who fought for the neighborhood children to have a safe space to play. After a decade of lobbying, Ms Connie worked with the City, URI and her fellow neighbors, to turn this dream into reality. Since 2014, Cherry Ann Park has welcomed a lovely wildflower field, swing sets and playground sets, benches, fishing pier, native pollinator swale, and a walking trail. The Cherry Ann Park Greenspace group comprises primarily of neighborhood kids that work together to enhance the park under Miss Connie’s leadership every summer Saturday morning. This summer, they beautified the entrance gardens, cleaned up trash, and removed the overgrowth of weeds that blocked out previous plantings. The volunteer group also surveyed the neighborhood for what they would like to see in the park. The survey found overwhelming support for a splashpad. This summer's Common Ground student green jobs crew were of tremendous help and made significant ecological improvements to the urban oasis by restoring native plantings. In partnership with Yale F&ES, a private donation has made it possible for URI to install a pavilion and splash pad, which are coming soon.

2019 Accomplishments

• 14 shrubs planted (clethra, button bush, beach plum, false spirea, spirea, spicebush, arrowwood viburnum, elderberry, Virginia sweetspire, myrica gale)
• 23 perennials planted (coral bell, lungwort, geranium, hosta, cactus, lamb’s ear, juniper, daylily, sedum, yarrow, euonymus, coreopsis, liriope)
• 0.5 yards compost spread
• 3.0 yards mulch spread
• 10 events
• 19 volunteers
• 123 volunteer hours