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))
The summer sun was blazing this afternoon, but the kids were excited to be outside! Ms. Kim sent Tia and a group of kids to finish mulching the area around the grass that we didn’t get to last week. Before starting, I asked them questions about mulching to remind them what it was and why it was important. The kids were very enthusiastic when answering the questions. The group continued the system from last week, passing buckets of mulch down a line. Two people were at the end: one in charge of spreading the mulch and one in charge of bringing the empty bucket back to the truck where I was filling them. It was a little slow at first, but when Ms. Kim benched the kids who were goofing around, the remaining kids focused and the process became very successful. We finished mulching the grass area toward the back! Join us next week at 1:30 pm to beautify our Shepard St. Pocket Park and work with these enthusiastic kids!
MaintenanceThe first group arriving!
06/21/2024
It was an extremely hot afternoon as I drove to the park; however, Ms. Kim called me ahead of the meeting time, ecstatic about bringing the kids to work on the park! Ms. Kim came over and showed me the park that she and her friend had cleaned up—they mowed and raked the park in their own free time. The first group of around 10 kids arrived with their college student counselor (Tia). Ms. Kim explained that they would be working in a system to mulch the inside of the park, involving teamwork and everyone contributing a little so that no one over-exerted themselves. As I filled buckets with mulch, the kids lined up and passed each bucket down to finally mulch the inner park. This first group was very successful, and when we finished mulching one corner, I told them a bit about what mulching is and why it is important. The second group came over, and we proceeded to do the same thing, starting with a brief talk about the importance of mulching. Two kids from the community joined this group as well! This group was a bit slower with the bucket-passing system due to some miscommunication and swapping of roles, but they were still successful in finishing up the previously mulched area and starting the corner to the right of the path. We ended that group with a chat about cooperation with the rest of the group and a little bit about mulching too! The mulch really brightened up the park and brought out the variegated grass! Join us next Friday from 1:30 pm to 3 pm!
MaintenanceJoin us on Friday's 1 - 3:30 pm!
06/13/2024
This week, Kim showed up and was very tired. Although it was her week off, she had been very busy writing grants. Recognizing that our previous meeting time, Thursdays from 6-8 pm, was not working, she decided to try to find a new time so she could bring some of her kids during the work period. We couldn't find a suitable time at that moment, but we eventually called and talked it through. Later, she called to tell me that a friend of hers had done some mowing at the park and that she had brought some kids to help clean it up a bit too. She is always very excited when the park receives some love. Moving forward, we plan to meet on Fridays from 1 - 3:30 pm, when some of the kids from the camp, including her own, will come!
