Category: Environment and Beautification

On Saturday, June 25, six Environment and Beautification (E&B) members, two spouses, and 6-7 Progress House residents had a successful day planting 48 shrubs and perennials around a gazebo at Progress House, an all-male residence for those overcoming alcohol and drug addictions, located at 201 S. Shelby Street in Indianapolis.

Build several weeks prior, the gazebo was funded by Rotary through the E&B committee, and the residents find it to be a perfect place for some solitude. Most of the shrubs and plants were funded by a Civic Entrepreneurship grant submitted by Rotarian, Marie Koenig.

After only three hours, the area around the gazebo was transformed from a plain site to a beautiful one! Thanks also to Mainscape (courtesy of Chris Gonzalez) for donating a lot of mulch and to Norm Melzer for his rototiller and Greg Gerke for his auger.

E & B members included: Anne Gioe, Norm Melzer, Jennifer and Vern Hobbs, Marie and Gary Koenig, Chris Gonzalez and Greg Gerke. Plans continue to beautify this space by adding about 20 trees. Yet another project!

I heard about this project through an email exchange and decided to find out more about it. It’s a great project that truly benefits the community! Jeff Mader of Mader Design LLC, chair of the Environment and Beautification committee, answered a few of my questions in the interview below.

Me: Jeff, how does this project impact the community?

Jeff: Green Acres Urban Farm has 2 gardens this year with strawberries, garden vegetables, and a salsa garden with tomatoes, peppers, and onions, which provide fresh produce for neighbors in the area, whom are welcome to harvest whenever they have the need or desire. Volunteers and interns also harvest throughout the summer and deliver food to neighbors in need as well as local shelters and food pantries. It also helps the community by providing good uses for empty lots throughout the neighborhood, which help improve community and neighborhood morale as well as property values.

Me: How much time and effort goes into helping out at the Green Acres Farm?

Jeff: The E&B Committee has been working with Green Acres for nearly 3 years, providing assistance with planning, funding, and hands on planting and harvesting. Jim Weaver has provided assistance last fall and this spring with clean-up and tilling operations as well. Several E&B volunteers have helped at the gardens throughout the years, and many more have provided behind the scenes assistance.

Me: How/Why did we get involved in the first place?

Jeff: The E&B Committee has been involved with the Concord/Sacred Heart neighborhood for more than 5 years with tree plantings and beautification projects. The relationship with Green Acres has grown out of that involvement, as we strive to work with neighborhoods to better the community. This relationship is a natural for us, as it provides neighborhood beauty, as well as locally grown food and produce. Our funding also goes to help support lower income high school and college interns that help organize and maintain the gardens throughout the summer, providing opportunities for learning, growth, and connection with their neighbors.

Me: How can more Rotarians help out?

Jeff: This Saturday from 9am-12pm we will be working… this will be our last Saturday till fall, 5-19 at 9am. Meet at the Salsa Garden at 1704 S Delaware St. We will be done by 12. We will be watering, weeding, replanting, and picking Strawberries. Strawberries are available daily now, please stop by and help yourself. Starting Tuesday, May 22, we will be working every Tuesday at 530pm. What an exciting project!

If you’re interested in helping out with future Environment and Beautification projects, please get in touch with Jeff Mader (jeff@maderdesignllc.com)

Thanks to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) and volunteers from downtown Rotary Club, AIT, and FIDO (Friends of Indianapolis Dogs Outside), the grounds at Indianapolis Animal Care and Control (IACC), 2600 S. Harding St., are much prettier! Marie Koenig, from Rotary and FIDO’s treasurer, was recently awarded a Neighborwoods grant from KIB for 34 native trees to be planted on several acres at IACC.

This tree-planting event took place on Saturday, Sept. 18 but was no easy task – not only is Indianapolis suffering from a drought, but IACC’s property was formerly a landfill and the holes needed to be dug with a pick axe. Volunteers received careful instructions from KIB’s Andrew Hart and how to plant a tree and mulch around it. Species included eastern redbud, American plum, American elm, bur oak, red oak, cedar, paw paw, sweetgum, and blackgum. Volunteers will be responsible for watering – each tree must receive 15 gallons of water each week from May through November for 2 years.