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Nearly $5K Raised for Natural Turf Care at Klode Park

The entire park will be aerated and treated with compost, fertilizer and gypsum.

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Jeff Rumage, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge

Whitefish Bay residents have chipped in nearly $5,000 to implement natural turf practices in lieu of pesticides at Klode Park .

As part of the Village of Whitefish Bay’s 2013 turf management plan, Healthy Communities Project partnered with the Village of Whitefish Bay and the Whitefish Bay Garden Club to implement a Pesticide-free, Sustainable Turf Project for Klode Park this season.  The goal has been to both eliminate pesticide exposures and build the health, durability and appearance of public green space. 

Healthy Communities Project's Co-Founder/Co-Director, Amy Joyce, led a fundraising effort this summer to raise funds for a series of sustainable turf maintenance projects to be completed this month.  

With a total of $4,651 in financial contributions, free Milorganite from MMSD, Earthcare's labor donation, and the Village of Whitefish Bay's $1,000 budget allocation, Klode Park will receive the following turf maintenance: 

  • Aeration of entire park (250,000 square feet) to alleviate severe soil compaction
  • Application of Purple Cow Organics activated compost, Milorganite organic fertilizer, and gypsum (to permanently correct soil mineral deficiency) to entire park
  • Over-seeding of western athletic field area
The Klode Park Sustainable Turf Project Fundraiser received support from the following community members:
  • Joe Joyce
  • Renee and John Vandlik
  • Eric and Lucy Korbitz
  • Lauri and Joel Rollings
  • Ian Nelson and Alecia Altstaetter
  • Nikki and Andrew DeGuire
  • Sandra Hellman and Tim Gerend
  • Jennifer Lovitt Riggs
  • Brett and Linda Hawkins
  • Dr. Brian and Julia Rose
  • Anne and John O'Connor
  • Carl Fuda
  • Dr. David Moss
  • John Janssen and Dr. Audrey Whang
  • Debby and Dr. George Hughes
  • Laura Nankin
  • Josh and Theresa Levy
  • Chris and Pam Casper
  • Sandra and Robert Kattman
  • Mark and Julie Polzin
  • Kathleen Rogers and David Pritchard
  • Jay Miller and Donna Faw
  • Jane Hampden Daley and Kelley Daley
  • Sandra Strye
  • Nancy and Santo Sturino
  • Brenda Szumski
  • Julie Harding
The Whitefish Bay Garden Club also contributed to the project's success by maintaining Klode's western flower beds all season without the use of toxic chemical applications, and HCP volunteers Karlene Fox, Anne O'Connor, Alecia Nelson and Joe Joyce applied 1.5 tons of Milorganite to Klode Park in June. Darrell Smith of Earthcare Natural Lawns and Landscapes has also donated the labor time required to over-seed Klode's large western athletic field area.  

"Whether financial or volunteer, all of these contributions reflect a willingness to be counted among those who want our public green spaces to be managed in a way that both improves the turf and positively impacts public and environmental health," Amy Joyce said. 

For more information on the project and Healthy Communities Project's efforts, email hcpwhitefishbay@gmail.com.

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