July 19 2016 INC PARC Notes

The meeting opened at 6:10 with Maggie Price presiding.

Attendees: Marlene Johnson, Kimberly Rickards, Joyce Kennedy, Joan Gregerson, Maggie Price, Katie Fisher, Steve Fisher, Ray Ehrehstein, Ronnie Crawford, Nancy Francis, James T. Sample, Sona John, Derek Cocovinis

TOPIC 1

This months presentation was from Kimberly Rickards, a Master’s candidate at Miami University and who has developed a Pilot Project of Pollinator Highways, http://pollinatorhighway.com/ and how they connect neighborhoods. Presently she is working with the Denver Zoo and Congress Park Neighbors Green Team to promote sustainability. Her ultimate mission is to connect neighborhood to neighborhood

Neighborhoods can play a huge role in contributing and connecting to large openspaces of Parks and their management.  Congress Park has created a mapping program of their pollinating resources and pollinators

What are pollinators? Bees, wasps, lady bugs, spiders, .. Pollinator habitats are flowering and start in the spring and continue into fall. Pollinator gardens are gardens that provide a food source, squash, . Gardener must be chemical free to be considered a pollinator garden. Not necessary to have true gardens or balconies to be part of the highway. Potted Plants can also provide pollination to connect the highway.

Important to be mindful of pesticides and that there is increasing documentation to show that they can be harmful to ecosystem.  Herbicides can also play part .  Fertilizers can also play part in pollination.

Kimberly demonstrated a pollinator hotel that can easily be built and can provide shelter for different kinds of pollinators.  One of the main ways to work with City parks is to have the City pass a resolution saying that they will not use chemicals on the parks and parkways. Questions rose about the increasing density that we have in Denver and the amount of paving that is going on, and how to preserve pollinators.  More Cities are increasingly passing resolutions to protect pollinators by setting aside areas that can be protected.

PLEASE SEE INC PARK and REC.kimberly_rickard_presentation

TOPIC 2

The discussion included the parcel designation of Red Rocks Park and the process for developing the proposed Historic District.

Nancy read aloud the Webb letter & Susan Baird’s letter, from packet of information included with INC PARC reminder. A map of the land in question was also passed around. Full designation of all the purchased land was discussed and agreed upon.

The members present agreed that a letter from INC PARC urging designation of the remaining parcels and echoing FORR’s requests for a public & transparent process for pursuing the Historic District. This letter will tie these issues to our existing INC park platform and therefore will come directly from PARC.

Katie Fisher reported on PRAB meeting and the general consensus of many of the PRAB members present that Arts and Venues is largely in charge of Red Rocks. Katie brought a handout from Down Town Denver presented to the PRAB.

The outdoor downtown

Meeting adjourned at 7:45