2011-2012 Progress for Roanoke Park

Download a four page handout of 2011-2012 progress toward the Master Plan (855kb pdf)

2012 Recap of Roanoke Park activities and achievements

• Native grasses and wildflowers planted in three areas in the park November 10. "Volker Bluff" across from the community center, "Valentine Slope" backing up to SW Trafficway, and "Roanoke Drive Glade" at the East / West Roanoke Dr hairpin turn. 
• Discussion begun with MDC and KCMO Parks to improve the permanant spring area below Coleman Highlands by pushing back the invasive species (wintercreeper), planting more natives and enhancing its value to native birds and animals using the park (and people).
• Jazz Concert in the Park is held June 27th, with the UMKC Conservatory Jazz Band.
• Phase Two of Roanoke Park’s hiking / biking / nature trail "The Layover" is completed and opened June 18th. Work begins on the "Bindle Byway" section of trail below Coleman Highlands.
• May Day Walk in the Park brings neighbors together to learn about park improvement efforts and enjoy the park. 
• Roanoke Park Conservancy Park Conservancy 501(c)3 status approved - donations are now TAX DEDUCTIBLE
• MARC matching grant awarded to create a vegetated bio swale in the vicinity of the Community Center parking lot to address storm water runoff and erosion concerns and to provide education about its purpose and design. It's planted June 16th with lots of volunteer help.
• Missouri Department of Conservation T.R.I.M. grant applied for and WON, to do an extensive tree inventory throughout the park.
• Tree Inventory completed, finding a great diversity of trees in Roanoke Park, despite a great number of non-native ailanthus trees.
• Missouri Department of Conservation donates 237 native trees and shrubs to the park. Volunteers plant them March 24th through 31st.
• Generous neighbors donate tree seedlings from the Arbor Day Foundation.
• The Missouri Park and Recreation Association awards the Roanoke Park Conservancy a 2012 “Organizations Citation” thanks to a nomination from the Kansas City Parks Department.
• The Roanoke Park Conservancy's facebook page is created at www.facebook/RoanokeParkKC to give anyone interested in the Park a venue for discussion and sharing.
• Phase One of Roanoke Park’s hiking / biking / nature trail "Devil's Dip" is completed and opened March 10th with the park’s best attended volunteer day yet: over 80 volunteers!
• Continued eradication efforts directed at shrub honeysuckle, garlic mustard and euonymus wintercreeper with well attended work days March 10th and April 21st.
• Lilac bushes replaced along E. Roanoke Drive thanks to KCMO Parks.

2011 Recap of Roanoke Park activities and achievements

• Two all-neighborhood clean up days with coffee & pastries provided by Miles Krivena and Dave Foster. Results include less honeysuckle and being able to see not only into the woods but through the woods to man made environments and natural outcroppings.
• Nine weeks of focused efforts led by Scott Burnett, Randy Moore, Frank Messer, Manny Lopez and Curt Watkins cleared all along the wall/fence line from the Westport Roanoke Community Center east to 36th to prepare for repair of erosion damage and fall seeding led by the Parks Department’s David Burke.
• Earth Riders Trails Association members led by Brett Schoffner and Brian Duff begin survey of park and marking of preliminary singletrack trail routes around the bluffs. Look for the red tape tied to trees back in the woods.
• Volunteers from as far as Liberty and Lawrence come to begin trail blazing as trail volunteers join honeysuckle cutting to make way for proposed trails with the first section of trail projected to open in April, 2012.
• Park Volunteers ask for benches to be installed in select areas. Parks and Rec acquires and installs benches in places to pause and, as many have commented, make the park begin to look like, well, “a park”.
• Pitch magazine awards “Best Comeback” award to Roanoke Park, citing changes caused by volunteers working together with the parks department to improve the park.
• A generous donation from Roanoke Homes Association matched by private giving led by Pete Browne gets funding off to a $10,000 start to fund a landing/sitting area at the top of proposed stair steps: A new park amenity and better access to the park from "Lookout Point" along Valentine Road.
• Alice Kitchen’s essay about park project to Historic Kansas City Foundation contest wins the “Community Catalyst” award for 2011 for the all of the volunteers in Roanoke Park Conservancy project.
• Sunday family picnic in the Park with Live music from BluesberryJam sponsored by Roanoke Homes Association and Pete Browne and Kissick Construction Co.
• KCTV5’s Bonyen Lee does second feature on the Park. This time about the $10,000 private donations to help fund a sitting area at Lookout Point.
• Roanoke Park’s’ volunteer naturalist and web designer Chris DeLong reseeds selected areas of the park with locally collected native grasses and wildflowers. More seeding and tree seedling plantings are envisioned.
• Year ends with filing of articles of incorporation by Bill Koenigsdorg to create the Roanoke Park Conservancy, as a 501(c) 3 corporation. Incorporators are Kite Singleton and Randy Moore. First Board consists of Scott Burnett, Glenda Goodman, Pete Browne, Randy Moore, Kay Johnson and Curt Watkins.
• The Surrogate Volunteer’s program proves to be a popular and easy holiday gift selection to honor friends and family with a donation to the Roanoke Park Conservancy.

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