Volunteers work on restoring Shrewsbury’s Prospect Park gardens
By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Shrewsbury – The weather could not have been more perfect on Aug. 10 as significant progress was made when 20 to 25 volunteers gathered for to help restore the gardens at Prospect Park. The “Work Day” event, organized by the Friends of Prospect Park, aimed to make improvements in the once beautiful gardens of an estate built on this site in 1912. Known as Juniper Hall, the estate was the home of Matthew and Gertrude Whittall.
“I was extremely excited to see the volunteers and mainly the young people who showed interest in their community and this space,” remarked Brenda Goodwill, event coordinator. “That’s how we are going to be able to move forward. We need buy- in from the new generation to maintain. I think that’s where we have fallen short in the past.”
“I would like to see it maybe get a line item in the budget of Parks and Recreation [Department] and I’m going to go after some grant money. My biggest wish is that this park is sustainable for the future,” she added.
Fifteen-year-old Megan Scearbo saw the event on Facebook and she alerted her friend Anika Kruger who she knew was fond of the park. They included their friend Jason Williamson and all were keen to participate in cleaning up the gardens.
Volunteer Sandra Jacobsen Burgers noted that the primary goal for the day was to clear away all the overgrown vegetation and weeds from around the pergola. Much progress had been made in that regard midway through the morning.
Goodwill shared that there will be another Work Day session which is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 14, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Friends hope to continue holding Work Day sessions on the second Saturday of each month, as long as the weather holds, possibly through November. For more information visit Facebook.com and put in the search bar Prospect Park Work/Clean Up Day.
For more information, contact Brenda Goodwill at 412- 337- 0107 or goodwillgardeningservice@gmail.com.
Photos/Melanie Petrucci
(l to r) Brenda Goodwill and Megan Scearbo work to restore gardens at Prospect Park