Members of the Coldbrook Creek Community and the faculty and staff of Aquinas College recently met with the Friends of Grand Rapids Parks to discuss their Park Stewardship program (Adopt-A-Park). The goal of the program is to “improve the accessibility, environmental impact, and aesthetic of our parks”. Both the Coldbrook Creek Community and Aquinas College were excited to adopt the park for a number of reasons, including: Wilcox Park is right next door to Aquinas, Coldbrook Creek flows through the property (one of the few public places it flows above ground!), and both groups are active in the Eastown Community.

A brainstorming session on how to meet program goals followed, and no idea was too big or too small! Items discussed included:

• Partnering with already scheduled annual events, such as the Mayor’s Grand River Cleanup, Eastown Picnic, and AQ’s Day of Caring.
• Work with nearby school students on watershed education.
• Special projects such as art installations and bike rides.
• Long-term goals such as rain gardens, new creekside trails, educational signage, and more!

Overall, it was exciting to consider all the possibilities! Watch for periodic events from all three groups as time goes on, which we will highlight through this website upcoming events page, Facebook posts, and our email list (which you can sign up for here). First up is an invasive species pull on September 18…more info to follow when details are finalized.

Hopefully we will see you at the park sometime!