2009 Report for Dover Beach Park

Year

2009

Number of volunteers

58

Total volunteer hours

146

Number of events

10

Number of trees planted

4

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1 Zelkova, 3 Kwanzan Cherry

Number of shrubs planted

6

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2 inkberry, 4 butterfly bushes

Number of perennials planted

44

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3 catmint, 3 daylilly, 4 coreopsis, 10 coneflower, 10 hosta, 3 Russian sage, 2 monarda, 2 achillea, 2 phlox, 2 boneset, 3 wallflower

Yards compost spread

1.00

Yards mulch spread

3.50

Summary

This is the fourth year of the group, but only the first as the new parks group, Friends of Dover Beach. In previous years as the Riverview group, participants worked nearby on Lombard Street and along the path on Front Street leading towards Dover Beach Park. The geographical move down the road and the transition to a parks group has called for a new set of volunteers. Considering the number of people who use Dover Beach Park, the Friends of Dover Beach were hoping to have a very active group this summer and to and work on community building. Attendance at workdays was highly variable, especially with all of the rain this summer, and would often consist of the group leaders Pat and Bret Bissell with some children from the neighborhood. Attendance peaked for the planting of the butterfly garden. The group was able to accomplish a surprising amount in one day: filling the bed with shrubs and perennials from URI and annuals from the New Haven Parks Department, and planting a tree nearby. Luz Manso, who had participated in previous years with Riverview, took the lead in designing the butterfly garden and was able to participate with workdays for the rest of the summer. Besides the butterfly garden, the Friends of Dover Beach also planted trees according to the design of the park by the city's landscape architect, David Moser. Construction of a splash pad is due to begin in the spring of 2010. The Friends of Dover Beach group has ideas of continuing the tree planting and perhaps planting another butterfly garden at the other end of the park.

Other activity

8 yards topsoil provided