Avondale Park got a little bit greener this Earth Week.

Thanks to the Friends of Avondale Park, local partners and about three dozen volunteers from Regions Bank, the historic park will have by the end of the week the beginning of a new native plant garden and a natural erosion control bank that will improve the pond’s water quality,

“Friends of Avondale Park is always looking for places where a committed group of volunteers can make a big difference. We’ve seen that at the Rose Garden, which we revived and is now over 100 years old. Then you have Southside baseball, another committed group of volunteers that activate the park and create a great community in the park. We are always looking for opportunities and trying to solve problems.”
John Forney, President of Friends of Avondale Park

Native plant garden & natural erosion control bank

One problem the group seeks to solve is the soil erosion problem that starts at the hillsides near and around the historic amphitheater and ends in the park’s iconic pond.

On April 24th, volunteers prepared beds for native plants by spreading topsoil, compost and mulch at the site of the new native plant garden behind the amphitheater and close to the pond.

According to Michael Sznajderman with Friends of Avondale Park the gardens are strategically located in places to naturally slow down water flow. The native plants will also attract native bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

In addition to the gardens, the group installed erosion control devices along the edge of the pond to support the bank and prevent runoff. They also planted wetland foliage that will act as a natural buffer.

Along with the Friends of Avondale Park, the two projects were made possible by the following groups:

Red Mountain School has committed to take care of the gardens.

Sznajderman summed up the project best:

“We love to build communities within the park.”

To learn more about Avondale Park and how you can join a community within the park, visit Friends of Avondale Park.

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