The Echo Lake Neighborhood invites you to visit two of their Earth Day projects on Sunday April 28, 2023

Midvale Gardens in 2019. Photo by David Chen.
A lot of work had already been done before this photo.

Like many neighborhoods in Shoreline, the Echo Lake Neighborhood Association (ELNA) supports the work of local volunteers to maintain its green spaces.

This is particularly important in Echo Lake, which has only two tiny scraps of parks - although one does have a lake! 

Two other spaces have been created by volunteers out of neglected, overgrown nuisance public properties and one of them - The Densmore Pathway - is now a magical walkway with plantings, a path, art works, a bench by the Little Free Library - and a public kiosk.

Midvale Gardens 2024. Photo by Val Wishaar Tracy.
It is now possible to see all the way to the back of the property.

The other space is what they call the Midvale Gardens. It is a piece of property adjacent to the Interurban Trail at N 192nd on the west side of Aurora.

Midvale Gardens is affiliated with Diggin' Shoreline as well as ELNA. Volunteer Derek Creisler has been working for years to clear the 6 foot high tangle of blackberries and other invasive plants that wrapped themselves around the big trees of this space.

Derek is now an expert on weeds and he would be happy to tell you about them on Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 1:30pm."Workshop on Weeds - the Midvale Gardens project, its history, and where do we go from here"

Sara and Cristin have made excellent progress at Shoreline Park
Photo by Sara Cammeresi

Sara Cammeresi has been clearing weeds and invasive species from the trees in Shoreline Park, 19030 1st Ave NE, north of the tennis courts.

This is the second Earth Day event at Shoreline Park this weekend. In the first, on Friday, the focus was on the variety of plants. 

The Sunday event, April 28, 2024 at 10am will be more about the battle with blackberries "Native and Invasive Plants at Shoreline Park"

Sara will lead a tour of the park, focusing on the successful efforts to reclaim space in this lovely little forest.

BioBlitz

After both events, there will be an opportunity to participate in the Earth Day BioBlitz. Volunteers will be onsite for two hours, with coffee.

Here is the link to the BioBlitz information: Information can be found at this link. Registration is appreciated but not required.