Archive for the ‘CA Native Plants’ Category

18 Jul

Volunteers Spruce up Native Plant Islands

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in CA Native Plants, Jeffrey Fontana Park, MFPA, Park Maintenance, PRNS. Tagged: , , .

Island A

On June 6th, 2021, a hard working group of 18 volunteers signed up with the San Jose Parks  Recreation & Neighborhood Services Dept. to help the Martin-Fontana Parks Association prepare the Jeffrey Fontana Park’s two largest native plant islands ready for the long hot summer.

Wearing face masks and after passing COVID temperature checks, the volunteers went to work on the two islands to pull out dead native plants, prune back the spreading plants. To help conserve water over the summer, they hauled several buckets of mulch to cover the bare ground around the plants. The unused mulch from the ten cubic feet delivered by South Bay Materials will be added later in the summer. MFPA member donations funded the mulch purchase and will fund needed replacement plants in the late fall.

11 Apr

It’s that time of the year to enjoy the Native Plants at Five Islands

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in CA Native Plants, Going Native Garden Tour, Jeffrey Fontana Park, Patrick Pizzo. Tagged: , .

Take a walk with the video provided by our MFPA photographer, Wayne Opp below:

  • The entrance
  • The pathway
  • DCIM\101MEDIA\DJI_0083.JPG
  • After your walk a bench to rest on dedicated to Antje Hirt

Here are some plant close ups:

Thanks to our MFPA Photographer, Wayne Opp for these great photos. We hope to be on this year’s Going Native Garden Tour.

14 Jan

Not to worry

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in CA Native Plants, Jeffrey Fontana Park, Our City Forest, Patrick Pizzo, TJ Martin Park. Tagged: , , .

This weekend, some good folks from Our City Forest will come out to visit some of the beautiful California native plant landscaping projects that Pat Pizzo designed and led volunteers to build including along Capitancillos Dr. in the Oak Canyon neighborhood and the 5 Islands Project in Jeffrey Fontana Park. Don’t be alarmed if you see them snipping away at the plants. They will be collecting cuttings to root and grow in their 501(c)3 non-profit nursery for the benefit of all!

5 Islands Project in Jeffrey Fontana Park

5 Nov

The Five Islands in Fontana Park are Ready for Winter!

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in CA Native Plants, Jeffrey Fontana Park, MFPA, Park Maintenance. Tagged: , , .

No, they’re not Zombies emerging from the woods, they’re volunteers.

Halloween Day saw several masked Martin-Fontana Parks Association volunteers meet at the Five Islands in Jeffrey Fontana Park with rakes in hand.  Forty bags of mulch were spread among the islands by the hard working volunteers, assuring that the Islands were tucked in and ready for the winter rains.  To help keep the weeds at bay, the MFPA volunteers spread Preen (a weed preventer that stops weeds from germinating) around the islands.  After running short on mulch, Stacey Winters made a run to Outdoor Supply Hardware to return with enough mulch to finish the job!

Many thanks to Pieter Noordam, Dan and Michelle Judd with son Jared, Stacey Winters, Dave Poeschel, Rich Grialou, Kelly Shepherd and husband, Dave Gonzales, Star Taylor, organizer Linda Wilson, and MFPA Photographer Wayne Opp.  Additional thanks to Pat Burrow who also contributed pictures of the hard working masked team.

A  bench dedicated to Antje Hirt, a former MFPA member who spent many mornings walking her little dog in the park, has provided a quiet place to sit and contemplate for several park walkers since its installation last summer.  Plans are being made to compliment the bench with a Manzanita plant on each side.

HATS OFF TO OUR MFPA VOLUNTEERS!!!

24 Aug

What’s the only tree in our parks with a name? Find out in our August Newsletter.

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in CA Native Plants, City of San Jose, Gophers, Jeffrey Fontana Park, MFPA, Park Maintenance, Patrick Pizzo, PRNS, TJ Martin Park. Tagged: , , , , , .

For the complete 4 page newsletter go to:  https://saveourparktrees.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/newsletter-august-2020.pdf or just click on the image above.

17 Aug

Thanks for helping out on Volunteer Day

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in CA Native Plants, Friends of Gaudalupe Oak Grove Park, Guadalupe Oak Grove Park. Tagged: .

Wow! Thank you Laurie and your high school young men and our usual “Stars” — a lot of ground covered. We may have finished watering our trees for the year and many will now be able to make it on their own for the next couple hundred years. Stay tuned for this fall’s planting events — more oaks and natives shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers.

14 Aug

GOGP Volunteer Day

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in CA Native Plants, Friends of Gaudalupe Oak Grove Park, Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, Park Maintenance. Tagged: .

FOGOGPARK@gmail.com

8 Jan

We have lost Pat Pizzo

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Butterflys, CA Native Plants, History, Jeffrey Fontana Park, MFPA, Our City Forest, Park Maintenance, PRNS, SCCAOR. Tagged: , , , , , , .

SCCAOR Sept 2014 work-party

Patrick Pizzo, a long time member and guiding light of the Martin-Fontana Parks Association passed away on the 2nd of January 2020 at the age of 75.  If you look around our two parks, you will see many examples of his handy work.  Pat was the brains & brawn behind all the native plant islands located in Jeffrey Fontana Park.  His most extensive creation was the 5 Islands Project near Meridian Ave.

Here is a link to a 2017 article on Pat and his many accomplishments by Our City Forest:  http://www.ourcityforest.org/blog/2017/1/4/the-remarkable-pat-pizzo?fbclid=IwAR0FxrzleTYiHR_K8EacOjotqX71Vqwz0FL73QNzDkcOXa7bj6GjCKz1pU8

To view a larger image please click on any photo below:

 

Island A Oct 2011
Native Plant Island C Construction Oct 2011
Restoration Committee Jan 2012
Bench Dedication Aug 2012
Earthday April 2013
Island A fence installation June 2013
Beautiful Day – May 17, 2014
Heart of the Park Sept 2014
Butterfly Garden planting Dec 2015
Island C fence installation Dec 2015
On Feb. 8th 2018, Patrick was awarded the status of “Park Heroes” at the State of the City address.
5 Islands Dedication May 2018
SCCAOR Jan 2019
SCCAOR May 2019

3 Jul

An Aerial Overview of some of Jeffrey Fontana Park’s Native Plant Islands

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in CA Native Plants, Jeffrey Fontana Park, MFPA, PG&E, PRNS. Tagged: , , , , .

Rich Grialou, Pat Pizzo, David Poeschel, Lee Pauser, Vince Piazzisi, and Sunny Wagstaff

Thanks to Patrick Pizzo, shown above second from the left, for providing us with this “Bumble Bee” view of several of the islands located in Jeffrey Fontana Park.

Please enjoy as you buzz along

25 May

A Soggy Day in May

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in CA Native Plants, City of San Jose, Dog Parade, Dogs, Events, Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, Heart of the Park, Jeffrey Fontana Park, Johnny Khamis, MFPA, PRNS, SJPD, TJ Martin Park. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

A hearty round of applause and a big thanks to all the volunteers who braved the drizzle and rain to put on our ninth

Heart of the Park Celebration!

 

Thanks to the morning set up crew of:  Robert Braunstein, Theresa Wellman, Dennis Abad, Rich Grialou, Kent Wilson, Chris Chen, Tami Demayo, Paul Dornell, Michelle, Dan and Grace Judd, Brandon Koehne, Sunny Wagstaff, Rosy Bowring, Stacey and Mike Winters, Patrick Pizzo, Kelly Shepherd, and Wayne and Linda Opp.

They set up the 21 canopies while waiting in the rain for the delivery of 21 tables and 130 chairs.

Linda Opp, District 10 Councilmember Johnny Khamis, Jean LaMarca, and Tami Demayo

Thank you to Linda Opp, Jean LaMarca, and Tami Demayo, who signed in new memberships at the Membership Booth.

The MFPA raffle items collected by our board members were labeled, arranged and readied for the raffle by Michelle Judd, Christine Noordam, Praneetha Vukkadala, Kathy Mulholland, Pat Burrow, and Rosy Bowing, with Kari Wilson once again announcing the winning draws.

Richard Grialou kept winning & winning
Kathy Mujlholland wins prize
Announcer Kari Wilson and another Raffle winner
Some more happy winners

The ever-popular “Strut Your Mutt” dogs paraded in the rain with a small but enthusiastic crowd, under the management of Stacey Winters, Dick and Joy Stevens, and the help of Sophia Snyder and Vince Piazzisi registering the playful pups.  Councilmember Khamis let the judging team and prizes were awarded the winners.

1st & 2nd place winners
Vince Piazzisi, Dick Stevens, Johnny Khamis, and Stacy Winters
First place winner

 

Kathy Krenn and her daughter Hannah, braved the rain to take care of the refreshment booth, while free ice cream was given away at SJPD’s Operation Frozen Treats Patrol ice cream truck during the afternoon.

Starting the day off, for the second year in a row, Lisa Myers of Los Gatos Bird Watchers, led another successful birding tour of Guadalupe Oak Grove Park with 15 intrepid bird watchers. 

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Our photographer for the event was Wayne Opp, who captured the activities on film and preserved the rainy memories!  Also providing photos were Johnny Khamis and Dave Poeschel.

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