2013 Report for Union Street Dog Park

Year

2013

Number of volunteers

54

Total volunteer hours

179

Number of events

7

Number of trees planted

0

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not applicable

Number of shrubs planted

2

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Variegated euonymus

Number of perennials planted

11

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Hosta (2), Black-eyed Susan (2), Lily (7)

Yards compost spread

0.50

Yards mulch spread

0.50

Summary

Union Street Dog Park (USDP) started as a Greenspace group with URI this summer. Created by Friends of Wooster Square Park (FOWS) as their major project, USDP was inaugurated in 2012. Prior to the dog park, it was a site of a derelict city park that attracted illicit activities. Several members of FOWS who were also dog owners partnered with the City of New Haven and raised money to clean the park as well as to put fence around the park. The dog park features two dog parks: one large dog park and a small dog park next to the large dog park and separated by a fence in between. This summer, the work was concentrated in the large dog park and the corner garden at Chapel and Union Street. The members of FOWS had an initial planning meeting early this summer in which they discussed about the need to improve the dog park and the different methods of achieving them. The methods ranged from improving the surface of the large dog park by using pea gravel, to removal of infrastructures such as the concrete slabs that create risk for dogs, and maintenance of sidewalk by sweeping the street and cleaning the corner garden at Chapel and Union Street and planting perennials and shrubs. At the same meeting, the group divided the tasks among its members. With assistance from URI, dog owners who were frequent visitors to the park, Boy Scout volunteers and LEAP volunteers, the group was successful in meeting the priorities of the park this summer. By the end of the program, the surface of the large dog park glistened with the pea gravels, the sidewalks outside the dog park looked clean and cared for and the corner garden at Union and Chapel Street was lush with a combination of flowering lilies, Black-eyed Susan, variegated euonymus and large-leaved hostas.

Other activity

0.5 yard of top soil, Metal primer (3 gallons), Plastic netting (1 roll), Paint brushes (3), Pea gravels (35 tons)