Adopt-a-Park 2017
Adopt a park, help your community and raisemoney for a favorite non-profit!
In 2017 the City of Columbus Junction and the Parks and Recreation Commission will try a new approach for keeping our parks beautiful, to make it work we need your help.The City has over 30 acres of parks and green spaces. When these areas are well kept and flourishing they complement homeowners’ and businesses’ efforts to Keep Columbus Beautiful and they provide nice recreation areas for residents as well as visitors. An ideal way for landscaping, trails, playgrounds,shelters, and benches to always be at their best is for each park to have its own caretaker to help Todd and Jeff with the upkeep. It’s a group effort and we would like your group to join in!The City will offer organizations $200 each to adopt a park. The specific needs of each park are outlined below but it is basically litter control, weeding, planting and review. We provide the supplies—mulch, plants, paint and litter bags; you provide the labor. If your group is more ambitious and wants to take on some improvements or install new landscaping the City would be happy to work with you to develop a plan.
Columbus Junctionhas many parks and they all have different maintenance needs. Choose one that is close to where your group meets or where members live or work, and help Keep Columbus Beautiful.
Swinging Bridge Park
Currently under expansion, this area is home to the city’s famous Historic Swinging Bridge and includes parking areas, perennial plantings and sitting areas.
Seeking a group:
to control litter,
to weed, mulch and prune,
to help put up lights in December and to remove in February,
to report problems.
Weekly review in warm weather, bi-weekly otherwise. Optional ideas: annual flowerbeds, west side sitting area, east side parking and welcome area.
Walkway from the Civic Center to Downtown
A nice area at an entrance to downtown with benches, trees, bushes and perennial flowers. A great place to showcase artwork and the city’s Christmas tree.
Seeking a group:
to control litter,
to weed, mulch and prune,
to report problems.
Weekly review in warm weather, bi-weekly otherwise. Optional ideas: annual flower bed, container plantings, artwork, signage, and benches.
Downtown Corner Park
A nice area at the entrance to downtown with benches, trees, bushes and perennial flowers. A great place to showcase artwork and the city’s Christmas tree!
Seeking a group:
to control litter,
to weed, mulch and prune,
to decorate for holidays,
to report problems.
Weekly review in warm weather, bi-weekly otherwise. Optional ideas: annual flowerbed, container plantings, develop artwork and signage.
Monkey Run Park
A newly expanded neighborhood park with two shelters, a trail and footbridge, playing field, giant cattail sculpture, and Monkey Run Creek. The park includes 84 recently planted trees and shrubs,a pollinator garden and a small pond.
Seeking a group:
to control litter,
to weed, mulch and prune,
to care for newly planted trees and shrubs,
to develop pollinator garden,
to paint sculpture,
to report problems.
Weekly review in warm weather, bi-weekly otherwise. Optional ideas: annual flower beds, playground equipment.
Chautauqua Park
This large city park features an open playing field, a WPA-built cabin, shelters, bathrooms (seasonally), parking lot, drinking fountains, swings and other playground equipment, a trail with two foot bridges, and fire pits and grills. It has a wide variety of trees and some perennial plantings. The park was renovated in 2012 with grant money and lots of volunteer help from the community.
Seeking a group:
to control litter,
to weed and mulch perennial plantings,
to prune along the trail,
to paint playground equipment,
to report problems.
Weekly review in warm weather, bi-weekly otherwise. Optional ideas: annual flower beds, expand trail, tree inventory and develop tree plan.