IT’S TIME FOR RIVERPRIDE, THE BIGGEST CLEAN-UP OF THE YEAR!

When: May 3, 2008 (Note – 1 week earlier than normal)

Time: 9:00 – 11 AM

Where: Adena Brook Rain Garden and along Overbrook Drive

Riverpride is our group’s anniversary – we began Adena Brook Community with the 2002 Riverpride event.

Riverpride is an annual stream clean-up. Groups citywide will be removing litter from rivers, streams and brooks. We will pick up litter and focus on removing the garlic mustard. Garlic mustard is everywhere. Put it in plastic bags because the seeds will continue to grow on the pulled plants. Jim Roberts will haul it away on Monday, May 5.

ANNUAL TREE PLANTING – APRIL 5, 2008

425 native trees were planted in the rain garden and new culvert bridge areas: redbud, shagbark hickory, flowering dogwood, red maple, sassafras; witch hazel shrubs.

Honeysuckle was cleared from behind the rain garden.

32 volunteers worked.

The first work day of the season is March 8, 2008. We’ll pick up litter on Cooke Road from 9 – 11 AM. Meet at the metal bannister at the end of Overbrook Drive off of Indianola. The bannister is on Cooke Road. Officer Chris Riley will slow traffic while we work.

FIRST 2008 SECOND SATURDAY CLEAN UP –  JOIN US! 

Mark your calendar for March 8, from 9 – 11 AM. Help pick up litter on Cooke Road from Indianola to High Street. Meet at the bannister at the end of Overbrook off Indianola right on Cooke Road. Bags and gloves will be provided along with grabbers for the hard to get areas. It’s the same place we met last year. Look for the Adena Brook Community sign. Ann Florentine is coordinating this clean up. Officer Chris Riley will be there to slow traffic. Many hands make this task easy!

This Saturday, November 10, 9 – 11 AM is the last clean up of the season. It’s an opportunity to pick up all the litter before it’s hidden by snow. If you haven’t given an hour this season–here’s a chance! I read that the weather will be perfect to be outdoors, and the woodland is gorgeous now.

Here are some work choices:

1. Maize Meadow Tri-Area Civic Association picked up litter in the exit area on the east side of the interstate the first weekend in November. However, Cooke Road between Indianola and High Street is littered and needs to be picked up.
2. Weed the rain garden.
3. Pick up litter anywhere.
4. Cut and treat honeysuckle stems.

Supplies will be at the intersection of Yaronia/Overbrook and Canyon/Overbrook. If it’s easier to take your own trash bag and fill it, just leave it by the road edge and we’ll collect the bags after the clean up.

Let me know if you work, I send volunteer and bag numbers to Keep Columbus Beautiful.  Neighborhood news will follow.

Susan

Soon after we completed the garden last Saturday we had 2 inches of rain. It was amazing to watch the garden work, but the volume of water so soon after completing the garden led to a small breech on the SW end of the garden.  We will repair the south side of the garden this Friday. If you can help, come. Bring a shovel. 

Vinnie, our careful and conscientious designer writes:

I’ve ordered the soil…they’ve said they will try to get it out with the first load.  I’m going to say 9:00am and hope it’s there earlier. I’ve ordered 3 yards.  I’m going to pop up the plugs on the berm and the inside edge of the basin, widen and raise the berm where needed then replant.  Shouldn’t take too long; I’ll show up at 8:00 to start transplanting. If any volunteers are available to help, that would be great.

We’ve created a draft photo essay to document the creation of our rain garden at High & Overbrook from the inception of the idea to its present state. We can’t say it’s “finished” because any garden is always a work in progress, but we’ve come a long way in less than a year.

The rain garden is planted! At least 33 people helped out on the  project that was documented by NBC4 and ABC6, Jennifer Nesbitt and a staff photographer from ThisWeek, and Dan Trittschuh from The Booster. Be sure to walk or drive by the site at Overbrook and High Street. More photos are sure to follow.

May’s Clean Up Result: 20 Volunteers; 46 Bags of Litter; Numerous Mounds of Garlic Mustard; 40 Collective Hours Worked. The focus was cleaning the brook and garlic mustard. As far as I know, these 20 neighbors volunteered. Since we keep track of our work, please let me know if I missed putting your name on the list:

A young couple with a child in a stroller, Georgia and Steve Blum Herminghausen, Kenn Cahill, Greg Cunningham (mowed the Cooke Road exit lot–big thanks), Diana Jurotvac, Ann Laubach, Peg Matthews (alone, cleaned the brook from Indianola to Yaronia–6 large bags of trash!), Lauren Peimbert, Kip and Carol Patterson, Nan and Bill Platt, Bob and Judy Robinson, Lynne and Chuck Stamey, Pam Terral, and Susan Michael Barrett.

WOW! 53 volunteers planted 745 trees and shrubs in about 2 hours.

THANKS! And a hug to Lisa Bower, forester, Ohio Division of Forestry
for bringing her knowledge and tools, for working so hard. Thank you
Stephanie Suter and Kelly McCutcheon for donating leftover trees from
the Franklin Soil and Water District Sale which brought the grand
total of trees planted to 745. Thank you Randy Navaroli from ThisWeek
newspaper for the article earlier this week that brought more tree
planters to our event. Thank you Paul Bingle, Adena Brook Community
fiscal agent, and his wife, Linda Paul, Earth Share coordinator for
taking time from their busy schedules to join us. Thank you Bill
Platt for taking pictures of the event. Thank you Graham School
students and staff for volunteering and letting us park in their lot.
Thank you to all the Adena Brook neighbors and others who made the
expression, “Many hands make light work,” real.

Happy Earth Day–
Susan