Join us on Saturday, November 7, to plant South Park's first Native Pollinator Corridor along 11th Street! If you haven't signed up to volunteer yet, we'd love to have you join us for a morning of gardening, meeting neighbors, and making South Park a little greener.
Sign up to volunteer for our Community Planting Day!
Saturday, November 7 | 9 AM – 1 PM
11th Street, between Flower Street and Broadway
If you've been following our last few newsletters, you've probably heard about our plans to bring more Southern California native plants into South Park. We first explored the idea in Could South Park Become an Urban Oasis? and followed up with the announcement of our 11th Street Native Pollinator Corridor.
Now it's time to start planting!
SPNA is partnering with the Social District BID to transform 36 planters along 11th Street, replacing struggling roses with a beautiful mix of native plants that support butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. Once established, these plants should also require significantly less water than traditional landscaping.
We're excited to announce that Council District 14, Councilmember Ysabel Jurado's office, has signed on to support the project! CD 14 is helping coordinate city-donated mulch, tools, and supplies for our planting day.
What Will We Be Planting?
At September's A Taste of South Park, we invited neighbors to vote for their favorite native flowers. The common sunflower was the crowd favorite, followed by baby blue eyes, hummingbird sage, and foothill penstemon. We loved seeing how much interest there was in the different plants, and we've been using that feedback to help shape the project.
We are working with Katherine Pakradouni of Seed to Landscape, whose work focuses on helping communities create ecologically beneficial landscapes, including projects just like ours. Katherine has taken the community's favorite plants into consideration while developing a detailed planting palette for each of the 36 planters.
That's no small task! Some of our planters receive eight hours of summer sun, while others only an hour or two (or less!) because of the surrounding buildings and trees. Katherine is helping us select combinations of plants suited to each location, with different blooming seasons, year-round greenery, and plenty of habitat value for pollinators.
We've also been learning from people who have already undertaken similar projects around Los Angeles, including Marie Massa, who has generously shared her experience creating a native plant corridor on Avenue 20 in Lincoln Heights (thanks Marie!).
Come Plant with Us!
On November 7, we will be working in small teams along 11th Street, planting native perennials, adding soil and mulch, and sowing wildflower seeds. No gardening experience is necessary! We will provide the plants, tools, and guidance. You just need to show up ready to get your hands dirty.
Bring a friend, meet some new neighbors, and enjoy a Saturday morning outdoors. It's an opportunity to help create something beautiful that we can all watch grow over the coming months and years.
We've already had neighbors sign up after reading about the project in our last newsletter, and we'd love to see more of you join us!
Sign up to volunteer on November 7!
Want to help spread the word?
We would love it if you’d send this article to your friends and neighbors! If you're interested in posting flyers in your building or would like the digital flyer to share via email, fill out the volunteer signup form and tell us in the comments box. We will send you the materials to share!
A big thank you to the Social District BID, Council District 14, Katherine, Marie, and everyone who has helped bring this project together. We can't wait to see you on 11th Street!
By Michelle Morehead
