Shepard Spruel is a charming lot that has been taken care of by the Newhallville community for well over twenty years. This summer our big project was a new and improved path at the entrance. After four workdays with campers from Inspired Communities, we managed to paint and lay bricks along the edge then weed and install new stone dust. When we weren’t working on the path we picked up sticks and weeded other parts of the space–the campers made sure there was ample time to play on the obstacle course and enjoy freeze pops too!
Ms. Kim and I discussed her vision for the site: an adventure for all to enjoy, with educational QR codes, a full adventure course in the back, and colorful, eye-catching plants that attract visitors and encourage exploration. We talked about weeding, shaping and pruning bushes to ensure visibility, and planting around the site. We also discussed potential workdays to ensure kids from Inspired Communities would be able to enjoy the park while also taking care of it and engaging with nature.
PlanningSmiles while loading the buckets with mulch!
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!
MaintenanceSmiles at the end of the workday!
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!
