Dover Beach Park

Volunteer Leader(s):

Pat Bissell

Christel Manning

David Shimchick

Neighborhood: Fair Haven

Type of Site: Park Friends

Address: 2 Lombard, New Haven, CT

Intern(s):

Yvonne Trenh (2024)

Roan Hollander (2023)

Molly Johnson (2022)

Chris DeFiore (2021)

Leah Snavely (2020)

Photo Gallery

Jasmine showing the kids how to shovel the mulch!

2024 Greenspace Report

Dover Beach Park is a picturesque retreat with stunning views of the marshes along the Quinnipiac River. With its inviting benches, ample shade, scenic vistas, playground, and splash pad, the park has become a beloved gathering spot for the community—a perfect escape into nature, especially on hot summer days. This summer, longtime dedicated volunteers Christel and Joyce made remarkable progress in stewarding the urban oasis near the bridge and the Children's Butterfly Garden by the playgrounds. They tirelessly removed countless invasive species that had crept in, transforming the newly cleared spaces with vibrant, colorful perennials, and carefully mulching these natural spots to enhance their beauty and vitality. Their hard work has ensured that Dover Beach Park remains a welcoming and lively greenspace for all to enjoy.

2024 Accomplishments

21 perennials planted (7 agastashes, 7 coral bells, 3 native asters, 2 butterfly weeds, 1 cheyanne spirit echinacea, 1 black-eyed susan)
1.5 yards mulch spread
9 events
5 volunteers
43 volunteer hours

Annual Reports

Greenspace Log

10/07/2024

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!

Maintenance

08/01/2024

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!

Planting

07/25/2024

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!