Garwood and Westfield residents who enjoy the open space of Unami Park are welcome to join the Garwood Green Team this Saturday morning – May 4, at 10 a.m. at the wooden bridge at the foot of Twin Oaks Terrace to take part in the next Unami Park improvement project in conjunction with the Team ‘Adoption of Unami Park’.
For those who have participated in the past, you know that the Garwood Green Team – together with the Union County Parks Department – has installed an entrance planting at East Street, is responsible for the planting of tree seedlings, installation of concrete pads under all garbage and recycling containers, and the placement of new bleachers and benches throughout the park. Our spring and fall 2023 projects were the installation of the wood chip path connecting Center Street in Garwood through the ‘natural succession’ portion of the park with the baseball and soccer fields.
The 2024 project we are undertaking this Saturday aims at eliminating the erosion from park users walking from the baseball field to the Twin Oaks Terrace wooden bridge. Union County has arranged for the delivery of wood chips by the bridge which we will wheelbarrow into the park to create the path. This- together with soil already delivered- will halt the erosion and provide a mud free walk for users. If time allows, we also hope to extend the 2023 path to the baseball field, and perhaps in future years connect these paths. Finally, we also have about a dozen native tree seedlings which we hope to plant, and enclose with tubing to keep them safe from deer browsing. We plan to be finished by noon.
Garwood LIDL has agreed once again to provide refreshments for all volunteers, So, let us all hope for good weather, and a successful volunteer effort. Please bring wheelbarrows, shovels, hay forks, rakes, sledge hammers, and any other tools that you think may be of assistance. Everyone who participates will be asked to sign a waiver from form Union County. Please contact wnierstedt@ garwood.org if you have any questions. Hope to see you there.
Bill Nierstedt Garwood
