Project EverGreen updated parks in Greensboro and Durham, N.C. Part of the organization’s “Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids.” initiative, the updated parks in North Carolina are three of about a dozen projects scheduled for 2016.
“Parks, sports fields and recreational play areas are vital to healthy, thriving communities,” said Cindy Code, executive director of Project EverGreen. “Our mission is to preserve and enhance green spaces where we live, work and play. One of the ways we demonstrate our commitment is by mobilizing generous local green industry contractor volunteers and corporate partners to donate their time, treasure and talents to make this valuable initiative possible.”
Working in partnership with the cities of Durham and Greensboro parks and recreation departments, Project EverGreen and industry volunteers provided materials and labor—valued at more than $21,000—to restore more than 135,000 sq. ft. of playing surfaces at Greensboro’s Penn-Wright and Levette baseball fields and Durham’s Red Maple Park.
The parks’ playing surfaces were given a facelift to provide a safe place for local athletes who use the fields for recreational league and tournament play and practice.
The initiative included weed control and fertilization; reseeding and application of soil top dressing; installing infield arc and outfield edge sod; and excavating, grading and replacing the infield surfaces with a new clay mixture. In addition, volunteers planted material and trees, removed brush, trimmed trees and cleaned up the green spaces and areas surrounding the facilities.
The Durham Red Maple Park project was supported by Albaugh, Brickman Group, Cardinal, Nufarm and SipcamAdvan. Several Durham community volunteers—including Patricia Nobles James, a Red Maple Park community resident and founder of the Durham Long Ball Project benefitting inner-city youth baseball players—supported the project, as well.
Greensboro project contributors included Nature’s Select Premium Turf Services and its partner company, New Garden Select, Site One Landscape Supply and employee volunteers from Syngenta Lawn & Garden.
Project EverGreen, based in Cleveland, is a nonprofit that promotes the benefits of preserving and revitalizing green spaces.
Photo: Project EverGreen
