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Community Harvest Mini-Grants
2010 Grant Application Now Available
Washington Parks & People is now accepting applications for the third round of Community Harvest Mini-Grants. In this year's grants, we will give special consideration to projects with a focus on the health of the
North Columbia Heights Green
We have been continuously improving the design and advancement of the Green – as shown in the attachment with this message. With the assistance of the District Department of the Environment (DDOE), we were able to move forward by revising the layout in order to better deal with the groundwater issue discovered by our geotechnical engineer. Revisions to the Site Plan and Stormwater Management Plans are moving forward toward fulfilling the permit requirements prior to construction.
We appreciate your patience and support with the project and look forward to continuing making NCHG a sustainable Green for the entire community.
Washington Parks & People and its community partners have been continuously improving the design and advancement of the North Columbia Heights Green, a model new park being carved out of a long-blighted vacant lot. The transformation of this site has already produced massive improvements, including blockage and removal of extensive dumping, abandoned vehicles, and illegal activity, and excavation of embedded debris and concrete throughout the site. Following months of complex legal work, all but one of the liens on the property were removed and the community acquisition of the site was completed. Last spring and summer, a range of community partners created a test model youth garden on the site, which helped guide the long-term planning for the site.
The plans for the Green have been revised based on continual community input and assessment of the surrounding green space needs. Site planning and management is led by a working group of neighbors and partners of the site who are committed to the site's ongoing improvements. Key planned features of the Green include community garden plots, butterfly garden, native plantings, fencing, greenhouse, storage shed, learning space with covered pavilion, and eight parking spaces. The team is now completing site layout revisions, grading plan, site details, topographic site survey and rough grading of the site, and related geotechnical engineering in preparation for construction.
Marvin Gaye Park Playground Opening
National Recreation and Parks Association, Washington Parks & People and our partners celebrated the first public playground in this neighborhood in 30 years, August 20, 2009. Marvin Gaye Park will be the focus of a university study documenting the long-term health benefits the playground and surrounding park will bring to the youth and children of this community.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH NRPA DEDICATION VIDEO
http://nrpa.org/media/parkday/default.html
WPP Forms DC Green Corps
With support from the Prince, Marpat, Meyer, Community, and Cafritz Foundations and DC’s Department of the Environment and Urban Forest Administration and many other partners, Parks & People is ramping up its city-wide green job training program, showcasing the value of parks for meeting critical economic needs. In addition, we have received a grant from the HSC Foundation to complete a business plan to leverage our facilities for earned revenue, job training (including youth with disabilities), and mission impact. Finally, our application for two-year stimulus funding for this program from the US Forest Service has been ranked #3 in the entire northeast region of the country.
WUSA Channel 9 recently covered the DC Green Corps. Read the story and watch the video featuring Executive Director Steve Coleman and Community Greening Coordinator Brian Rogers.
Event Space Available
The Josephine Butler Parks Center offers a variety of packages and event spaces for all kinds of events. Our flexible space allows you to create unique events - from nonprofit and community events to weddings to birthday parties to conferences. Contact us today about holding your next event in this beautiful Renaissance-revival mansion.
About Parks & People
Washington Parks & People began 19 years ago with Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park, receiving the National Park Service's highest organizational award for leading the transformation of the single most violent park in the capital region into one of its safest. We lead greening initiatives across the city -- massive land reclamation, native reforestation, watershed restoration, public health and fitness programming, urban agriculture, and green job training -- to help revitalize once forgotten communities. Parks & People leads the Down By the Riverside Campaign at Marvin Gaye Park in the Watts Branch stream valley. Join the Parks & People Network or find out more about volunteering to help the parks today.
Thank you to our Parks Center Partners.
We invite you to explore the programs and events at the Josephine Butler Parks Center, a multi-organization "greenhouse" for advancing green spaces and rebuilding communities.
Riverside Center
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Marvin Gaye Park
Meridian Hill
Malcolm X Park
Green Summer in the Parks
Advancing on last year’s pilot partnership with WPP, the Department of the Environment has asked Parks & People to lead most of the Green Summer green jobs program in the parks this summer. WPP is leading 200 young job trainees in intensive park reclamation throughout the summer. A major part of the effort will be focused on Marvin Gaye and Oxon Run Parks. The goal is to use parks as an introductory apprentice gateway to dozens of professional green career tracks.
Celebrate 2010: 20th Anniversary of Parks & People
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