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Wednesday, May 7, 2008

PARK "VISIONING" - NEW IDEAS

At yesterday’s Annual General meeting, members were asked to do some “visioning” for the park. It often seems that Friends of Sam Smith Park is in conflict with the powers that be over some ecological issue or other. It is right to defend, but it is also important to be a proponent of new ideas. Here are some of the thoughts that were put forward ….

  • Turn the Power House in to an interpretive center for nature studies and a meeting place for local community groups
  • Adult mini-courses at the Power House
  • Plant species that attract and feed migrating monarch butterflies
  • Provide more plantings in the three main wildlife corridors
  • More picnic benches in the area south of Cumberland House
  • Sculptures on the spit
  • Formal logging of bird sightings and bird research
  • Butterfly meadow with interpretive signage in field immediately south of the Power House
  • Signs next to natural habitat areas explaining that the undergrowth is allowed to grow to protect wildlife
  • Replanting of shrubbery and ground cover north of the Power House and in the northern swale
  • Allow local residents leave their Xmas trees in the above areas to provide cover for the spring migration of birds
  • Build a “Swallow City” in the field north of the yacht basin – hundreds of nesting boxes built by local school students
  • More signage with heritage stories
  • Art and photo events in the Power House
  • More insect, amphibian and bird walks (more for seniors)
  • Themed sports days
  • If you have any suggestions to add to our growing list, send them on to friendsofsamsmith@gmail.com or add a comment below. These ideas can be made real if we work at it.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The visioning boards which I saw at last night's meeting were beautiful; in content, in 'illustration', in the virtually poetic wording.

Could that information and art work be published as little books?

I would happily buy one or two.