Park Management

Objectives

  • Create an overall more park-like atmosphere

  • Be a resource to our F3 Family and neighboring communities for physical health, mental, and social gatherings

  • Increase biodiversity within the park to enhance local and neighboring ecologies

  • Further F3's Progression in its mission to provide diverse enrichment programs for youth

Approaches

  • Meadow Reclamation

  • Tree Planting Initiative

  • Learning Garden

  • Playing Field Restoration 

  • Waste Diversion and Recycling 

Meadow Reclamation

By transitioning non-playing field areas from its current grass vegetation to wildflowers and meadow grass species, our landscape will be able to host a more diverse variety of plant, animal, and insect species, resulting in healthier local micro-ecologies and the macro-ecology our park helps create. Also, varying volumes of vegetation (heights, depths, thicknesses) create a more enjoyable space to occupy.

Tree Planting

Shade is an essential element for providing comfort in a park of this scale. In partnership with Friends of Alum Creek and Tributaries (FACT), we are working towards planting trees along the Alum Creek Trail with a goal of 180 treesin total. In addition to creating pockets of comfort throughout the park, these trees will also serve as a visual and auditory barrier between park patrons and Sunbury Road traffic.

Learning Garden

With donations from IGS Energy, Lowe’s, CSCC LA Alumni Group, and private donors we were able to construct a 24 bed garden that will serve as a learning garden for EAP programming. F3 members will have gardening, nutrition, and environmental education programs offered to them that will be hosted in the learning garden, utilizing the garden beds themselves and the spaces they create.

Playing Field Restoration

The conditions of our playing fields, being a major resource of the park for F3, is a top priority and challenge we have been facing. We are in the process of developing a Playing Field Management Plan that will guide us in both the short-term and long-term to enhance the health and safety of our playing fields. This plan will be focused on aeration, over-seeding, and irrigation procedures.

Waste Diversion & Recycling

Having been selected for Ohio EPA’s Community and Litter Grant, we will be purchasing in-ground, distinguishable waste receptacles. Providing park patrons with the opportunity to recycle will minimize the amount of plastic bottles (the majority of our waste) we send to the landfill. Being stationed in ground and having minimal openings, waste will remain in the bins until emptied.