Community Garden Update, River Alive, Daylighting & More

This newsletter has an update on the Rodney Reservoir community garden, an invitation to a community event, a report on a resident-led effort to reduce traffic accidents and car damage, and more!

WHO WE ARE: Green for the Greater Good is a group of neighbors working to transform the Rodney Reservoir into a beautiful community and nature-focused park for all to enjoy.

1. RODNEY RESERVOIR COMMUNITY GARDEN HAS RELAUNCHED

The Rodney Reservoir Community Garden relaunched in early May with 32 beds–including 3 keyhole beds for increased accessibility. Starting on May 8, gardeners started getting assigned plots. Other gardeners were informed they were on the waitlist.  Gardeners had a work day on May 31.  There is a lot to celebrate AND a lot more to do to restore all the plots and bring back that community feeling at the community garden.

2. RODNEY RESERVOIR COMMUNITY GARDEN NEXT STEPS

Green for the Greater Good has been advocating with the City to make sure all the available beds are being made available to people who will garden in them- including the few standard beds and the three keyhole beds that are not yet in use. We also want to be sure that (at least) the next 15 beds promised are built by mid-August so gardeners can use them for fall planting. Finally, we want to create opportunities to come together as a community in the garden to steward it and share knowledge and resources. 

Let’s all work together to make our community garden the best that it can be! Please use this survey to share suggestions for improvements to the garden (including the sign-up process) and to let us know things you are working on/want to work on. Thanks to those who have already answered the survey.

3. THIS SATURDAY - RIVER ALIVE: WATERSHED EDUCATION & ART ACTIVITIES AT RODNEY RESERVOIR PARK

All are welcome to come out to Rodney Reservoir Park this Saturday, June 13, from 10AM-12:30PM to explore local connections to watershed ecosystems through art & play with Eurhi Jones, Artist in Residence with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Green for the Greater Good and friends.

This free, family-friendly event will include water-themed art activities, ecological exploration of the park, play, conversation and refreshments.  RSVP encouraged but not required. 

Would you like to volunteer to support the event or help facilitate activities? Sign up here. 

4. DAYLIGHTING PILOT LAUNCHES ON THE WEST SIDE

Over the past few years, Green for the Greater Good has been working with residents and partners around the West Side to make our streets safer and healthier as part of the West Side Streets Committee for Change.  Hilltop neighbors in particular have been organizing to address major traffic safety issues. 

Last weekend we helped residents at the intersection of Connell and Lancaster test out a “daylighting” installation as part of a bigger push to make their neighborhood streets safer.  Daylighting is a traffic safety measure that blocks cars from parking in the areas closest to intersections and crosswalks to make it easier for cars and pedestrians to see each other.  Most of these areas are already illegal to park in, but the rules are not enforced. Learn more about the initiative in NBC 10's and WITN’s coverage, and see images of the final product here. You can help by checking out the installation and taking the survey.

5. RASCL TOUR AT RODNEY RESERVOIR PARK

Last month, the Resilient and Sustainable Communities League (RASCL) came out to tour Rodney Reservoir Park for their quarterly networking event. RASCL is a coalition of organizations and agencies working together to provide technical expertise and support to Delaware communities in order to increase their capacity to adapt, mitigate, and respond to environmental change. 

Thanks to all who came and participated in an enriching conversation. We hope to work with many of you in the future to advance community-engaged, nature-based solutions to climate change in our communities.

6. INVITATION TO PARTNERS

Is your community organization, agency or group interested in working together to engage the community in helping to maintain the natural landscape at the site and or in bringing nature-based programming to the community? Are you a resident who is interested in helping to develop a coalition of residents and partners to make the park the best it can be? We are gearing up for another Partner Meet Up.  Sign up here to get involved. https://forms.gle/XBWMtNkdtPkJasQAA 

MORE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Let’s keep working together on the future of the Rodney Reservoir Park and Community Garden! Here are some more ways you can get involved:

Follow Green for the Greater Good on Facebook and Instagram @GreenfortheGreaterGood

Share posts on your own social media.

Visit the website for the latest news.

Join weekly Saturday meetings at 10 AM at the Church of The Holy City at 1118 N. Broom Street. Enter to the right of the main door and enter through the side door.  No meeting June 13. See you in the park!!