No ABG meeting in December.
On Saturday, December 15, at 10:00 am, the Alameda community will celebrate a historic occasion with the grand opening of Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. This 25-acre park on the west side of the island includes open space areas and active uses such as a natural based playground, picnic pavilion, open lawn area, a gazebo that is a restoration of the last Alameda Belt Line train waiting station, a plaza, small picnic areas, landscape with California native and drought-tolerant plants, and a segment of the Cross Alameda Trail for bicyclists and pedestrians. Future phases will add a community garden, more playgrounds, bike skills loop, demonstration gardens, outdoor classroom, and hiking trails through woodland areas.
The Jean Sweeney Open Space Park is located on the former Alameda Belt Line Railroad property that was secured by the City at its original purchase price due to the advocacy efforts of local resident, Jean Sweeney. This area extends from Constitution Way and Atlantic Avenue (by the Alameda Food Bank) to Sherman Avenue.
The history of this park is rich and colorful. After the railroad was decommissioned in the 1990s, the land was slated to be sold to a housing developer. Through tireless research, Jean Sweeney found the original contract between the City and the railroad, which entitled the City to purchase the land back at the original purchase price plus improvements. This land was valued at $20 million and the City was able to purchase it for just under $1 million. Jean Sweeney also initiated a ballot measure to zone the land as Open Space, which passed by a large majority of voters. The process to develop the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park master plan exemplified the residents deep-rooted commitment for this park development. Kristoffer Kr of KKDesign generously developed the parks master plan at no cost to the City and more than 1,000 residents participated in the design process.
“This has to be a park.” As Jim Sweeney explained, These were the inspired words Jean expressed when she first visited the Beltline Railroad yard property after observing the quiet, pristine, and secluded nature reigning there which surrounded her. She recognized it as a wonderful treasure that had to be preserved. It has taken 20 years, but through her dedication and persistence and that of many others her dream has come true. The strong community support of
Sweeney Park is also evident in the funding sources of this $10 million project to date. Major funding came from grants from the Active Transportation Program, administered by Caltrans, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, administered by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and Tim Lewis Communities. Additional significant local funding came from the Rotary Club of Alameda, Jean Sweeney Open Space Park Fund, Alameda Kiwanis Club, and Alameda Community Fund – plus the City of Alameda. Sweeney Park is the culmination of the work and thought of our entire community. People who attended meetings, contributed to concept and design ideas, volunteered for clean-ups, donated funds, wrote letters of support, and voted. This park is here because of the desire and commitment of Alamedans, remarked Amy Wooldridge, Director of Alameda Recreation and Parks Department.
What do zucchini, almonds and guavas have in common? They all need pollinators.
Without pollinators, the world would be a less colorful, less tasty and less well-balanced place: all the more reason to learn how to create a garden that will naturally attract bees, butterflies and other major pollinators. Although the best-known pollinators are domesticated honey bees, there are other pollinators that are also important, including bees and other insects that are native to California.
The presenters have been working for some years to build and maintain a pollinator garden at Lake Merritt, and will share the knowledge they have. Topics to be discussed include:
- The goals of the pollinator garden at Lake Merritt,
- The importance of native bees,
- Why you might wish to create a pollinator garden of your own, and
- How to start a pollinator garden, including optimal growth conditions (sun,soil, and water needs), and plant grouping to attract the maximum number of pollinators. The presenters will also discuss site selection, plant selection, soil amendment and care for your pollinator garden.
Presenters: Sally Hughes, Alameda County Master Gardener, 2006, Co-manager of the Lake Merritt Pollinator Garden; Jennifer Cardoza, Alameda County Master Gardener, 2012, Co-manager of the Lake Merritt Pollinator Garden, Sarah Phelan, Nature Journalis
Presenters: Damian Mason, and two additional CASA members
Reversing Global Warming: Introduction to Drawdown is a 2-hour workshop – open to all – that invites our local Alameda community to see the possibility of reversing global warming and to understand that we each have an important role to play in that process.
Through videos and group activities, presenters will introduce a comprehensive plan to reverse global warming from “Project Drawdown“, a scientific study that identifies 100 solutions which, if implemented together, can begin to not just slow down, but to actually roll back, global warming by 2050.
“Drawdown is that point in time when the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere begins to decline on year-to-year basis.” ~ Project Drawdown
Need more info? Contact: drawdownalameda@gmail.com
Panel discussion with Birgitt Evans, Marla Koss and Damian Mason
The term “Carbon Sequestration” is the turning up everywhere in the fight against global warming. It may sound intimidating or difficult, something to be done by governments or on a large scale, but it’s not. Come learn how you can sequester carbon in your own garden soil by composting and mulching with the plant materials in your yard and the leaves that fall in our streets and learn about keeping carbon in your soil with no til methods of growing. In addition, we will cover the more advanced topics of Biochar and Hugelkultur to help make long term deposits of carbon to our soil. Birgitt, Marla and Damian will make the topic accessible to local gardeners .
Join us and Jeff Bridge, of Alameda’s Ploughshare Nursery, to discuss plants in your garden that can support native pollinators and survive drought conditions.
Meet Alameda County Master Gardeners Sam Foushee and David Blood to discuss planting your summer vegetable garden.
Please join us for Alameda Backyard Growers’ Third Annual Garden Tour. This year, we focus on food production. Margie Siegal has made her large yard into a mini-farm. She raises fruit trees, herbs and lots of different vegetables. Margie will show us the innovative techniques she’s used to solve some gardening challenges, and tell us about what didn’t work. We’ll also focus on her tricks for successfully growing the heat-loving vegetables that can be difficult in Alameda, including melons and eggplant.
About the farm: Caution: Most paths are grass, and the ground is uneven. People with mobility difficulties may not be able to access most areas. Please wear low heeled shoes with good soles. The resident feral cat, who controls rodents in the back yard, is terrified of dogs. Please do not bring your dog.
About the gardener: Margie has been gardening for years, mostly learning through making mistakes and reading books. She finds gardening relaxing and enjoys the low stress manual labor.
Because of the size of the garden, attendance is limited to 25 people. Preregistration is required.
If the event is already full when you try to sign up, please email info@alamedabackyardgrowers.org to be put on the waiting list.
DATE: Saturday, July 13
LOCATION: Ploughshares Nursery, 2701 Main St, Alameda, CA 94501
Join us to learn more about Ploughshares Nursery and help Jeff Bridge and his team with fun projects!
Help Ploughshares weed out and plant the propagation area, transplant fruit trees and seed native plants for next year’s sales. Bring work gloves and clippers, it’s going to be fun!
Directions: From Webster Street, turn West onto Willie Stargell Ave. or Atlantic Avenue (Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway). Turn Right onto Main Street. Ploughshares is across the street from Svendsen’s/Bay Ship and Yacht.
Help Save Our Monarchs by Planting Milkweed and Flower Seeds!
Last Thanksgiving, only 28,429 monarchs were counted in their wintering colonies compared to a historic population of about 10 million in the Western Monarch migration. Today monarchs face several challenges, the most intractable being a lack of milkweed (Asclepias spp.), where females typically lay their eggs, as well as a lack of winter blooming nectar plants to feed them along their journey. They are also being decimated by the increased use of glyphosate in agriculture, which kills milkweed and other sources of food for these butterflies.
If you have a sunny, open 4′ x 4′ space where you could plant milkweed and butterfly flowers – you could be part of the solution!
At this special workshop we will talk about how to plant and maintain a butterfly garden, then help you plant California native milkweed (and other flower seeds) so you can create your own butterfly garden. You will leave with milkweed, winter blooming flowers and information on how to help the monarchs!