Friends of Scarsdale Parks Outlines Work for the Village in a Park

The Friends of the Scarsdale Parks (FOSP) reviewed the work they do in the Village in a Park at their annual meeting with the Scarsdale Board of Trustees on Tuesday night February 25. The group helps the Village to maintain and improve 26 named parks in Scarsdale as well as additional green properties owned by the Village. Co-President Madelaine Eppenstein reviewed the work of the Friends and here's an outline of some of their projects, all carried out on a volunteer basis:

• Plant and beautify the Village Hall beds in spring and fall.
• Purchase and plant daffodil bulbs that are among the first flowers to bloom in the Village every spring.
• Plant new native trees, replacement trees, shrubs and groundcover plants, finish a new rock garden and to develop an irrigation solution at Chase Park.
• Collaborate with Village Staff to plant additional native shrubs and perennials and the Scarsdale Library.
• Develop a program to mulch and replenish mulch in tree groves throughout the Village where compaction and erosion should be remediated and moisture conserved in conjunction with Village staff.
• Imagine a long-range program to eradicate and keep after invasive plants in the woodlands.
• Advocate for better solutions for snow removal and storage, and for a sensible leaf mulching policy.
• Help Village Staff to develop a plan for planting, cleanup and eradication of invasive plants on the Weinberg Nature Center campus.
• Formulate a long-range plan for the High School/Library campus, including restoration of the woodlands.
• Collaborate with the Bronx River-Sound Shore Audubon chapter to install Eastern Bluebird houses and additional plants and trees at George Field Park wetland.
• Survey and inventory all 26 named parks and other Village owned properties so that maintenance/improvements are prioritized with them each year.
• Advocate for a long range plan to protect and maintain plant and wildlife habitats throughout the Village.

Advocate for creation of a street tree inventory to optimize tree management.

The Friends of the Scarsdale Parks will hold their annual spring celebration on June 8 when they will dedicate a metasequoia tree in a grove of redwoods at the pond at Scarsdale Library. Deanna Curtis from the New York Botanical Garden will be the guest speaker.

Trustee David Lee asked the group what they would do if they had more resources and they responded by saying that there are areas in Harwood Park and Butler Woods that need care. Todd Wolleman of the FOSP said, "We have a tremendous stewardship role to maintain what our predecessors carved out for us. We could connect green spaces for walking. There is a lack of walking paths and a need to maintain our trails. We have a gem here that we need to maintain."