Fall Cleanup at Jackson Woods

Kathy Buchan, of Friends of Jackson Woods, is requesting help on October 26, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., for a Fall Cleanup.

Students at a recent Jackson Woods Park cleanup.

“Will Johnson from Monmouth County Clean Communities, and Stan Dziuba’s DPW workers are both available that day as well as students from Monmouth University. Please mark your calendars to join us in planting daffodils at the Atlantic Ave. entrance to the park, cleaning up the sensory garden and Tom Booth garden, and adding additional daffodils around the gazebo, as well as in the butterfly garden area,” Buchan said.

For those who can’t do the physical work or have a conflict that day, Buchan said they could contribute by donating a bag of daffodils or making a tax deductible donation in the name of Jackson Woods to the Monmouth Conservation Foundation. PO Box 4150, Middletown , NJ 07748.

Buchan also reported on some of the recent progress, and future goals, for the park.

It had two cleanups this summer, one in June and an impromptu one in August, requested by students looking to earn honor society credit.

They’re not the only ones interested in beautifying it. “Senator Vin Gopal has been to Jackson Woods and offered his support and introduced me to a grant writer who will offer suggestions and ways to secure funds to continue to restore and revitalize this wetlands ecosystem,” she said.

There is a grant for trail work already in the hands of an engineering firm. However, there have been some hold ups with the Department of Environmental Protection, and work won’t start until spring.

“The toad abodes and ladybug houses are on hold for now due to the delay in the trails grant. However , please continue to save your old broken clay pots, bamboo sticks, corks , birch logs, and pine cones. Hoping we can do installations by early summer,” she said.

She also reported that Gold Coast Gardens has developed plans to enhance the Ocean Ave. park entrance with a four seasons garden. “All we need now are funds to move forward,” she said.