We had a very productive and entertaining morning on the Greenway on Saturday May 4, 2019. The weather turned out to be ideal for our outdoor activity. Many thanks to the wonderfully enthusiastic gardeners who were able to join us, especially the first-timers in our group: Kiera, Elinor, Dave and Brook Ray. It was great to have another representative from St John School join us on Saturday: Kiera joined us this time and follows the Kavanagh brothers who came in February with their parents Staci and Brian. A special shout out to Canyon Market for providing coffee to get us started in the morning.
Here’s our volunteer lineup from Saturday:
- Kiera O’Callaghan
- Dan Wright
- Elinor Mattern
- Dave Gordon
- Killian Murphy
- Darlene Shadel
- Terrie Campbell
- Jay Estey
- Kay Estey
- Susanna Russo
- Adrienne Lacau
- Sally Ross
- Brooke Ray Rivera
Many thanks to SF Public Works for providing tools and materials and for sending along a contingent from their Clean & Green Team led by Paul Noa. Thanks also to the other organizations and individuals that provide the support that makes our Greenway project possible including: SF Public Utilities Commission, SF Community Challenge Grant Program, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and his staff in the District 8 office, the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, the Glen Park Association and Canyon Market.
- Thorough weeding of the triangular corner of ground where the pedestrian ramp from Chilton Avenue meets Bosworth Street. A contingent of experts from the Glen Park Garden Club showed us all what meticulous weeding can look like as they prepared this ground for replanting.
- Cleared weeds from around the saplings planted in December 2017. Although our watering volunteers normally weed these trees a bit every time they water, at this time of year the weeds are growing so fast that they need special attention.
- Cleared weeds from around the shrubs that were planted last summer. This was a big job and the volunteers made a difference that you’ll really notice: now you can actually see the shrubs again! They also pulled much of the thistle that has emerged this spring as well as the rag-weed and some other nuisance plants from the Meadow and from Blackberry Lane
- Cut back more of the sprouts that had sprung from the stumps and roots of some of the trees that SFPW removed in November 2017.
It was a very satisfying party rounded off with some delicious sandwiches shared in the shade of the Stone Pines at the head of the Chilton Avenue cul-de-sac.
I hope to see you again at our Summer Work Party on Saturday July 27. Put it in your calendar!
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Our Tree-Planting Project has planted seventeen trees, each 4-5 years old, along the Greenway between Brompton and Burnside Avenues. These are mostly Island Oaks. We also direct-sowed 36 Coast Live Oaks from acorns between Lippard and Burnside Avenues. We expect these to produce 12 adult Live Oaks in a couple of decades. And we’ve planted over 100 shrubs along the Greenway and in two raised beds. The trees, oak sprouts and shrubs did remarkably well in their first year. Only one of the seventeen trees needed to be replaced and over 80% of the acorns produced seedlings. We have re-sown this year wherever we didn’t succeed last year and hope that we will reach 100% this time around.
The new Greenway sign is a big “Thank You” to the funding agencies, the other organizations and the scores of people who have worked with us:
- The Community Challenge Grant has been our major funder for this project providing a grant of $70,000
- The 8th District Supervisor – we have received funding and other important assistance from Supervisor Mandelman as well as from Senator Wiener and Jeff Sheehy when each was our Supervisor
- SFPW – Public Works owns about 75% of the Greenway and they were particularly helpful in 2017 at the start of the project when the Bureau of Urban Forestry cleared away many of the hazardous trees to make way for our planting. SFPW also helps organize many of our work parties
- SFPUC owns about 15% of the Greenway and has provided a grant to pay for the installation of a new irrigation water meter
- The Bay Area Ridge Trail has provided funding to support the Greenway’s role as a link in San Francisco’s trail system
- The Glen Park Association – GPA got the project started and provides funding and all sorts of support
- San Francisco Parks Alliance – the Greenway has become a project of the SFPA. The Parks Alliance provides all the administrative and organizational support that we need to be a thriving community project
- And, of course, YOU – you and scores of others have taken part in many ways – planting, weeding, watering and many other tasks. In fact, during the 16 months of the project you collectively put in almost 1,800 hours of work (yes, I was tracking you!) The vital task of watering required almost 600 hours just by itself.
As well as thanking all who have made the Greenway possible, the new Greenway sign has a pair of maps: one locates it in the neighborhood and the other shows how you can use the Greenway as the start of hikes to every corner of the City.
So come and celebrate with us and, as the new Greenway sign says:
Take to the trail!
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