Blackstone Parks News - January Edition

History of Blackstone Boulevard and Park: Collection of photographs, documents and oral histories

The Conservancy is hoping the community can assist us with creating a memoir of the boulevard and park. We’re looking for old photographs of both areas, including those of the trolley when it ran along the boulevard, old documents, including letters referencing the areas (which we could copy and return to you) and personal remembrances. Our ultimate goal is to print the collection for our members and friends. Please call Gale Aronson at 383-0060 or email at aronson.gale530.com.

Volunteer Recruitment

Winter program to recruit volunteers. We are in great need of volunteers who could help us maintain the gardens on the Boulevard and work on a variety of projects in the conservation district along the river. Please contact the Conservancy through our website: www.blackstoneparksconservancy.org. Thank you.

Blackstone Boulevard

2011 was an exciting and productive year on the boulevard. We’ve completed a number of projects and have several on the drawing board. The northern end at the turn-around has been substantially improved to include a lovely surround for the tree and a new platform for the award plaque honoring Peggy Sharpe for her contributions to the tree canopy in the City of Providence. The pruning of the north section is about 90% complete; the finished project will include the removal of yews and the pruning of the traffic triangle, which has become a hazard for both drivers and pedestrians. More trees have been planted, with more to come in the spring. By the time you read this, we hope there will be a new roof on the small shelter at the intersection of Brookway St. This will complement the lovely new garden that was installed earlier this summer. We’ve begun work on the south garden to create a border and enhance the overall beauty that is getting lost in weeds and over-growth and the garden at the Witherby Statue has been improved and a new stone patio installed. Finally, we are about to install a natural stone bench at the trolley shelter; our goal is to eventually extend the patio and also use the same natural stones to put down a floor in the trolley shelter itself.

Blackstone Park Conservation District

We encourage everyone to visit this 45-acre natural landscape bordering the Seekonk River. Winter is the time we can clearly see the terrain and beyond to the river. This park is where the bounty and challenges of the environment all become apparent. We worked spring and summer well into fall ever mindful of our vision: “Healthy urban green space for all.” This meant steady progress uprooting invasive plant species and replacing them with native plants. We also made headway in checking erosion and narrowing and marking trails.

You can enter the Park at Loring, down Irving, at Parkside, Angell, South Angell or Paterson. So pull on your boots and explore!