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.
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!
MaintenanceChristel and Joyce identifying a fitch on a tree!
07/18/2024
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!
PlantingAfter a long workday of planting at Dover Beach!
07/11/2024
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!
