YardApes plans Day of Service project
14 Apr, 2011 LM Direct!NEW MILFORD, CT — This Earth Day, April 22, 2011, YardApes’ team of volunteers will revitalize the green-spaces of two area non-profit organizations and one area homeowner.
“We received great submissions from our area non-profits and homeowners,” says YardApes Founder Shayne Newman. “Unlike our non-profits that are sustained by community outreach and public and private donations, our homeowner, as she’s not a public entity, will not be named. Because this is a need-based initiative, I want to be sensitive to that.”
The New Milford homeowner’s green-space revitalization will include pruning of overgrown plants, weeding and mulching of her existing gardens, removal of high maintenance plants and lastly, installation of a new low-maintenance garden.
“In spite of demonstrating the need, our homeowner was reluctant to submit her green-space for consideration. It was great to meet her and it will be a privilege to help where we can. When it came time to vote, it was unanimous that this was the homeowner for whom YardApes could make the biggest difference.”
YardApes’ team of volunteers this Earth Day has expanded to include: Peter Montgomery of Montgomery Gardens in Warren, CT, Matt Johnson of Aspetuck Tree & Landscape in New Milford, CT, J. Scott Williams, Landscape Architect, Brookfield, CT, New Milford resident Matt Vogt, and Newtown, CT, resident Travis Ranson.
YardApes staff voted to renew and revitalize Harrybrooke Park in New Milford, CT. The 41-acre private park, governed by a board of managers, is endowed by a trust fund from the late Frank Harden.
Harrybrooke, which receives no funding from the Town of New Milford, relies on Harden’s trust for basic maintenance. As a result, many areas of the park have fallen into disrepair.
YardApes’ Day of Service plan for Harrybrooke Park will include removal of dead plants, trees, and brush piles, installation of new plants, spreading woodchip and mulch piles, and lastly, removal and replacement of the broken flagstone walkway.
The Pratt Nature Center in New Milford, CT, will also be revitalized by Newman’s volunteers this Earth Day. The 201-acre wildlife preservation doubles as an environmental education center.
“We set out to pick one area non-profit and one area homeowner. This proved challenging as many of the submissions were sound. The Pratt Nature Center also demonstrated the need for green-space renewal. We have the volunteers, so we thought, why not?”
Newman added, “My wife wanted me to say ‘yes’ to everyone. That’s why we had to have a consensus among the staff.”
The Day of Service volunteers will install a butterfly garden at The Pratt Nature Center in addition to pruning overgrown plants, and weeding and mulching gardens near the Center’s main building.
The three projects will be part of a nationwide “Day of Service” initiated by national Professional Landcare Network lawn and landscape association PLANET, with the goal of giving its 3,500 member companies an opportunity to plan, organize, and carry out projects to benefit their local communities.
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