Lots of meetings and talk going on in our community regarding Wikiup Commons. Let me start by first giving you some important dates.
There will be a garden potluck at the Larkfield Community Garden, on Lavell Road on Saturday, Dec. 1, 1 p.m. This is in Maddux Ranch Regional Park on Lavell Road. It was scheduled for earlier this month but postponed due to the smoke. This is a public affair and all are invited.
It is also the last Saturday of the monthly Stewardship Volunteer Days for this year. The program is all about protecting native habitats and public health by improving soil and water quality. Meet at the Larkfield Community Garden at 10 a.m. You will get to see the five-acre oak woodland project taking shape and get an idea how the model of the community garden could be followed in the Wikiup Commons area; supplying a learning garden for other Mark West Schools.
These two events are being combined into one. The Volunteer Day will end at 1:00 so the potluck can begin. Please bring a snack to share, if you can.
In addition, there will be an update on initial concepts for the potential park plan in Wikiup Commons. You will learn so much more being there than I can share with you in the confines of this column.
For details, go to Facebook, Community Soil Foundation or http://www.communitysoil.org or kr*****@co***********.org.
Kristin also presented the Community Soil Foundation and some of its current programs to the Mark West Citizens Advisory Council, explaining some of their involvement with the fire recovery process and Wikiup Commons.
This is their fourth year growing in Larkfield and they supplied many trees to the people whose lots and homes burned. They also served the families, helping with contamination and erosion control and started a program called Healthy Habitats.
The most recent project is at Wikiup Commons, working with the Banke/Jackson family and some interested community members to give a conceptual design for the 16-acre park site, balancing the health of the land and need of the community.
There is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the community to have access to this land, being donated by the Banke/Jackson family, as a park for all of Mark West to use. Many organizations and community members are working together, exploring possibilities of a few different entities, one of which could, hopefully, take possession of this 16-acre parcel.
They are also all working together to acquire large scale funding for the restoration of Mark West Creek. Clean up and restoration would be a major part of this project and many organizations would be involved in it.
Along with the restoration project, they are exploring funding sources to build a pedestrian bridge, creating an egress and safer walking to schools, etc. for the children in Wikiup and possible additional emergency services access.
Community Soils is working with the community, Sonoma County Parks, creek restoration organizations and inviting the Mark West Citizens Advisory Council to participate, hoping to put the community stamp on the project.
Aggie Maggio is a local Realtor and member of the Mark West Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at Ag*********@ic****.com
