September 7, 2017, Anchorage, AK – The Jewel Lake Park rain garden is ready for a makeover. On Saturday, September 9, Anchorage Park Foundation and Anchorage Parks and Recreation will host a Neighborhood Park Fix-It to replant the existing rain garden with native trees and shrubs in new soil. Volunteers are asked to come dressed in comfortable clothes that can get dirty. Tools and lunch provided for all who help!
Rain gardens, made up of water-loving plants, are a natural solution to reducing erosion, flooding, and water pollution by collecting storm water runoff from paved urban areas and giving it time to be absorbed into the ground. The current Jewel Lake Park rain garden is located between the parking lot and pavilion and has been holding water instead of draining properly. Saturday, volunteers will spread fresh soil, plant new vegetation, and mulch at the site of the existing rain garden with the potential for planting in additional soggy areas.
The rain garden improvements are in conjunction with a larger park construction project. The voter supported 2016 Parks Bond will fund a new inclusive playground at Jewel Lake Park. Construction of an inclusive zipline has begun this year on the northern side of the park while the full playground will be installed next summer on the current playground footprint. The decision to install the zipline was influenced by Sand Lake Elementary School students who dreamed of a zipline in their neighborhood. This will be the third playground zipline installed in Anchorage with others at Oceanview Park and Kiwanis Fish Creek Park.
“Ziplines have been some of the most popular new features placed in our parks,” says Anchorage Park Foundation Executive Director Beth Nordlund. “An inclusive playground will be installed next year, and we are still looking for community input on the design.”
Jewel Lake Park Fix-It
Saturday September 9, 10:30am-1pm
Jewel Lake Park
4342 W 88th Ave
Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/1935485033377266
For more information or to RSVP for this Park Fix-It, contact the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Volunteer Coordinator, Michelle Fehribach at FehribachMR@muni.org or 343-4587.
