Shepard Street

Volunteer Leader(s):

Jody Kelly (Volunteer Profile)

Neighborhood: Newhallville

Type of Site: Vacant Lot

Address: 91 Shepard Street, New Haven, CT, 06511

Intern(s):

Yvonne Trenh (2024)

Spencer Greenfield (2023)

Molly Johnson (2022)

Mitch Baron (2021)

Gabe LePage (2020)

Photo Gallery

Smiles while loading the buckets with mulch!

Reading to pass the bucket of mulch along!

2024 Greenspace Report

Converted into a lush green space from a vacant lot over 20 years ago, Shepard Street Spruel Space has become a hidden gem in Newhallville. Last year, after longtime leader Ms. Jody moved away, Ms. Kim and other community leaders took on the responsibility of caring for this space. This year, Ms. Kim, along with the kids she teaches at Inspired Communities, led the charge in maintaining the park. With workdays scheduled alongside the kids' camp, a mighty army of young caretakers took on the adventure, removing stubborn weeds, mulching various beds, and nurturing the plants throughout the summer. They even planted a coral bell left from the previous year and carried wooden planks to the back of the park to create their own adventure space (an obstacle course designed and built by the children). It was a wonderful summer, filled with opportunities for the kids to connect with nature, learn the importance of garden care, and enjoy endless outdoor fun!

2024 Accomplishments

1 perennials planted (Coral bell (left from last year))
2.0 yards mulch spread
8 events
26 volunteers
123 volunteer hours

Annual Reports

Greenspace Log

08/02/2024

It was a bright summer afternoon; the counselors and the kids were already at the pocket park when I arrived, all excited and ready to take care of our park. The weeding we did from last week already made the park look so much nicer! We started off the workday with mulching the parts of the park that we weeded last week, stopping in the middle for a watering break, and repeating this process. The kids really enjoy watering their plants, especially the coral bell that they planted weeks before! At the end of the workday, the pocket park was glowing, and I took the group out for ice cream and other snacks at the nearby corner store! Planning for, teaching, and working with these kids this summer has been such a special experience, and I hope they enjoyed their time and will come back to take care of this special pocket. I will miss them all so much. Come by to visit the park - help clean up a little, add some food to the cat that lives within the hostas outside the park, or just enjoy the adventure park that our kids designed!

Maintenance

07/26/2024

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon when the kids excitedly rounded the corner to their pocket park. Many of them eagerly asked to be the first to carry the bucket of mulch, even though mulching wasn’t on the agenda for this week. We started the workday by weeding the areas around the back of the park, the sides, and the middle garden. With careful teamwork, the kids also carried wooden planks to the back of the park to design their own adventure park! We finished off the day by watering the plants around the park. Join us next Friday at 1:30 p.m. to give our Shepard St. Spruel Space some love!

Maintenance

Logan at the start of the delivery chain!

07/19/2024

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon as I arrived at Shepard St Spruel Space. The kids were full of excitement for the workday, each asking about the tasks ahead. The group split into two, with one group working on art with another teacher, while the other group joined me and the youth and college counselors in the garden. The first group started mulching the back area and decided to plant a coral bell that had been left unplanted from previous years. The kids took turns digging the hole, with the second group finishing the task. With Mr. Alex's help, everyone was able to plant the coral bell together. Finally, using their own buckets, the kids watered the coral bell and the other plants in the park. Join us next Friday afternoon at 1:30 pm to continue working on the park!

Planting

Urban Resources Initiative

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