traffic triangle at northern part of Lowville NY, overlooked by First Presbyterian Church of Lowville
ADOPT A SPOT FOR NATURE or ADOPT A SPOT FOR NATURE’S SAKE by Carolyn M Johnson in NATURE PLACE JOURNAL, May 2023
Imagine ways to contribute to your community, causing it to be attractive, while helping nature too. Many people would be eager to live in such a nice place or be nearby to visit.
A Watertown, New York resident knows a way. She’s a vital part of it. She chose to adopt- a-spot’ in the city and beautify it. She has dedicated herself to doing it, for years now. Her main spot is in Watertown’s Clinton Park, at South Massey and Holcomb Streets.
A City Council Member started spearheading Watertown’s adopt-a-spot program after she noticed the city resident doing her project. She commented “This is an awesome opportunity for people to get involved and take pride in their city; help beautify it not only for today but for future generations.”
Wondering what an adopt-a-spot program actually is? It’s a program sponsored by a city, town or village government. It invites individual citizens to sign commitment papers for particular spots the government or people suggest. They commit to cleaning up a spot by raking, weeding, removing trash, then planting flowers and adding a garden feature too, as the resident did when she planted flowers and added a fountain to her adopted spot. She actually brought history to life, recreating an old postcard scene. The goal is to make a place an attractive space and keep doing it. Individual people, pairs, families, small or big groups, including scouts and school clubs, can volunteer, to make spaces great.
The spots can be, as the resident’s is, by two streets, or in traffic circles, ovals or islands. They can be at a public square, or an entrance to a city, town, or village. Some can be along walkways by waters’ edges, scenic walking areas, parts of public parks, or even cemetery spots. More can be in fairground areas, historic or memorial spaces; and even vague places called green spaces.
Above all, as the resident notes, it’s important to continue a spot’s up-keep. People shouldn’t a one-time activity then neglect it.
Adopt-a-spot programs are taking root in many U.S. States and in other nations, ranging from Australia to Ireland to Port Coquitlam in British Columbia, Canada.
Unofficially in my nearby village, Lowville, NY, there’re green spaces that may be called adopt-a-spot projects. Green areas, actual and potential, are found here and there. They include a corner among the four corners of main street at the village center. There are also spaces on the county fair-grounds, and areas of a town park where a local band performs concerts. A space in a corner of the shopping center’s parking lot could be a green space because a drive-thru fast-food place was vacated and torn down.
Moreover there’s Lowville’s large traffic oval at the picturesque north part of town. It features a lawn and a flowing fountain. Nearby a church on a hill overlooks the space. Members worked to transfer the fountain from a cemetery. Other church people help keep the spot attractive, like a living postcard.
(c) May 2023, reproduced by permission of editor of Nature Place Journal
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clynjohnson 