All hands on deck for restoring Horwood’s Farm glory

Friends of Horwood’s Farm are back to revitalise the park and ensure it is maintained and pristine.

Returning with a strong passion to lend a hand and ensure the park is inviting for community members, the organisation has called on those who have an interest in the well-being of their community, their park and improving their greenspaces to get involved.

Founded in 2011 by the late Sharon Lendrum-Frittelli, the group’s goal was to beautify the popular park by planting, pruning and tidying up certain areas.

Assisting the parks department, the group picks up litter, garbage, and broken bottles, removes graffiti, sweeps up leaves, and removes unkept vegetation as well as invasive plants.

ALSO READ: Calls for more security made following vandalism at Horwood’s Farm

Presently the group is led by Lisa Atkins, Ward 18’s environmental portfolio ward committee member, and Ward 18 Ald Heather Hart.

Lisa explained that while she and Hart will be involved it will be so from a position of oversight and guidance.

She said with the involvement of the community, the plan is to establish portfolios, such as security, infrastructure, horticulture, fundraising and others among the group.

Lisa explained that in the future the group intends to call on the community for cuttings and seedlings, and it hopes to install owl as well as bat boxes in the park.

“We want to bring nature back into the park,” said Lisa.

Lisa said with the influx of invasive plants such as bugweed and the tree of heaven in the park, the group will seek the opinions of horticulturalists on how best to deal with the plants.

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Besides maintaining and ensuring that the park is well-kept, Friends of Horwood’s Farm will also conduct special projects.

One such idea includes creating a one-way grate for the stormwater servitude that flows under Homestead Road.

Another idea for the park is the involvement of local gardening businesses and nurseries to adopt a portion of the park which they maintain.

“Not only will the companies be assisting us, but they will be assisting the community and getting exposure,” said Lisa.

She said already a portion in the southwestern corner of the park near the substation has been earmarked as an area for composting and to grow seedlings.

Through fundraising Friends of Horwood’s Farm intends to improve security at the park by hosting community events such as picnics, and carols in the park.

Lisa said once a committee is established and portfolios are in place the group will announce when it will host its clean-ups.

Lisa said for now clean-ups will most likely be done in the morning on a Saturday.

“We should not let the upgrades that were made to this park go to waste. As a community, we need to make sure this park flourishes. Each person who has joined and shown interest has done so for a different reason,” said Lisa.

Parkgoers are reminded to respect the park and use it responsibly.

Contact Lisa on 082 9000 8847 for more information.

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