Friends of Tugman – September 2023 Report
The Friends of Tugman (aka The Tuggers) typically meet every other Wednesday from 10:00 am – 12 noon somewhere in Tugman Park. Exact time and park location is dependent on weather conditions and current project.
- We held two volunteer work events in September: 9/6 & 9/20
- September 6th highlights: Weeding in the central park area (e.g. spray park area, beds and walkways, central lawn tree rings) in advance of the SEN Annual Picnic on Saturday, Sept. 9th; trash pick-up park-wide and general spruce up prior to the picnic; final Tugger input on picnic logistics (e.g. placement of exhibitors, vendors and SEN booths); removal of debris from Tugman Creek
- September 20th highlights: greeted one new volunteer (sign up from SEN Picnic) and hosted a park tour for this new volunteer and one returnee including discussion of our mission, past projects, current projects and future goals; weeded pathways and tree rings; removed invasive weeds from natural areas; pruned willow limbs from a troublesome illegal camping area near north bridge to provide more visibility; removed debris from Amazon Creek park-wide; trash pick-up park-wide
- The Tugger team was well represented at the SEN Annual Picnic @ Tugman Park on 9/9. The Tugger booth was decorated with very impressive promotional materials detailing our mission and project updates. The booth was well attended. We received (14) potential new volunteer sign ups at the picnic along with (3) other sign ups at other recent encounters. The Tugger team was instrumental in the picnic set up, take down and clean up.
- September 13th (outside of our two regular volunteer events detailed above) was spent irrigating the native plantings in the central park beds by several Tuggers and assisting Park Ambassadors with illegal camping clean up near the north bridge
- Efforts at engaging students from South Eugene High School (SEHS) to get involved with proposed upland prairie restoration test plots on Fawn Lily Rise as well as assisting in other volunteer activities at the park are continuing. New and additional contacts at SEHS will hopefully lead to partnership with students in the near future.
- The distressed Norway Maple trees adjacent to the former spray park area have been reported to Parks and Open Space (P&OS) staff, and they may have an expert arborist out to diagnose them if funding or in-house staff is available. If they are afflicted with blight or another disease, they may have to be removed and we can discuss re-planting. If they aren’t diagnosed or nothing is found, we will wait and see if they leaf out next season and watch them throughout the spring.
- Our tarping needs (fabric, posts, etc..) in order to enlarge our natural area (prairie/meadow) restoration endeavors in the park’s north end have been shared with P&OS staff.
- We’re still awaiting word on the availability of additional native plants from P&OS to fill in and replace plants in the north end restoration area that was planted last fall/winter.
- Replacing the garbage can in the north end of the park is, unfortunately, not supported by P&OS at this time.
- Developed Park staff (P&OS) are seriously discussing keeping the restroom open year-round. This probably will not happen this year, but hopefully Parks Planning can work out the details for how to make it happen next winter (2024-2025).
- Our regularly scheduled bi-weekly Wednesday volunteer work events for October 2023 are: 10/4 & 10/18 (10:00 am – 12 noon).