Park news - June 15

WHITTIER PARK WORK
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is asking community members to weigh in on two concepts for improvements in and around Whittier Park’s play areas.
The concepts are based community input collected at summer camps, events, pop-ups, onsite visits and more - as well as the Whittier Park master plan, approved in 2020. Both concept plans prioritize playground improvements, seating areas, a multi-purpose sport court area for all ages, stormwater management, improved circulation and tree preservation. Check out the plans in detail online. Comments will help to guide the design process as the project moves forward.

Twin Lake SHORELINE RESTORATION
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is planning a project that will restore the southeast shoreline of Twin Lake in Theodore Wirth Regional Park.
This fall, native vegetation will be planted along the damaged shoreline and eroded slope leading to it. Boulders will also be placed to help prevent further erosion along the slope.
Areas with new plants will be fenced off for up to three years beginning in spring 2024 to help the plants establish and grow in. These changes will provide better wildlife habitat, reduce erosion and help improve water quality and public safety at Twin Lake. When work is complete, a trail down to the lake will be maintained, along with a lake access point about 20 feet wide in place of the unauthorized beach currently at the site.
The project manager is Cliff Swenson: 612-230-6473, | cswenson@minneapolisparks.org

PEOPLE FOR PARKS
Listen carefully this summer, and you’ll almost certainly hear the sounds of joyful splashing or tiny gasps of youthful awe. Or, you’ll surely see the whizz of a newly confident cyclist taking to the trails, or discover the bright taste of a freshly picked sugar snap pea. These are some of the experiences enjoyed by people of all ages in Minneapolis parks, made more accessible in 2023 thanks to 11 grants totaling $57,570 through the Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s People for Parks Fund. Eight organizations were selected from a pool of 44 applicants to receive support this year: Baztec Outdoors, Folwell Neighborhood Association, Huellas Latinas, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Minneapolis Sailing Club, Minneapolis Southwest High School Performing Arts, Mississippi Park Connection, and Urban Strategies.
The People for Parks Fund was created through the Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s 2020 consolidation with People for Parks, a nonprofit that for 42 years provided grass-roots support for activities in Minneapolis parks. This is the third year that grants have been made; in 2021 and 2022 combined, the Fund distributed more than $83,000 to 12 organizations for 15 programs.

MINNEAPOLIS CLIMBS BACK TO 3RD
Trust for Public Land has announced that Saint Paul repeated its second-place finish on the annual ParkScore index. Minneapolis climbed to third, two spots ahead of 2022’s fifth place ranking. Minneapolis’ rise was based largely on improvements to park amenities.
Both cities finished just behind defending ParkScore champion Washington, DC, which retains the ParkScore title for the third consecutive year. The ParkScore index evaluates park systems in the 100 most populous U.S. cities.
Minneapolis and Saint Paul are among the national leaders working to promote community health at local parks. For example, Minneapolis waived youth fees at 17 recreation centers and increased investment in youth programming and services by $2.6 million last year.