April ‘26 Update
50+ Clevelanders connect, learn, and celebrate in Hough at Park Advocate Night:
Over 50 Clevelanders show up last Wednesday to celebrate parks and green space advocacy in Hough. Community leaders came from every corner of Cleveland: Buckeye, Hough, Slavic Village, Asia Town, Old Brooklyn, Collinwood, Lee-Miles-Seville, West Park, Detroit-Shoreway, Clark-Fulton,and more.
THANK YOU to Jamel Rahkeera (Village Family Farms), Ms. AkuSika Nkomomackey (Africa House International), and William Johnson who discussed neighborhood advocacy and the new park stewards: Friends of Thurgood Marshall Green.
Upcoming opportunities shared at Park Advocate Night:
See “Upcoming events and opportunities” below for more detail.
Ward 8 Action Grants
Grants for those who live, work, worship and spend time in Ward 8 are now available from Neighborhood Connections and Councilwoman Howse-Jones. Grants must be for the benefit of residents in Ward 8. Ward 8 covers Downtown, Asiatown, Hough/Midtown, St.Clair-Superior, and Glenville. Projects can focus on neighboring and safety, preserving neighborhood culture, and wealth building. Find more information including an information session video website here. For questions about the Ward 8 Action Grants, please contact Dasha Pernell.
Missed this Park Advocate Night? Stay tuned to our newsletter for another Park Advocate Night coming this summer!
Updates from Cleveland
Parks & Rec Director Alex Nichols:
Parks & Rec has hired two new leadership positions, both nationally-recognized for their work in aquatics and urban forestry:
Commissioner of Urban Forestry, Phil Jubert
Deputy Commissioner of Aquatics, James Clark
Parks & Rec will be launching website updates, digital permit applications (no more PDFs or only paper copies!), and better programming marketing materials over the next year.
There is funding to fix small park maintenance issues identified by residents - but they must be submitted via Cleveland’s new 311 program.
Parks & Rec is hiring for summer jobs right now! The #1 need: Lifeguards for the summer swim season. More info to apply here.
Spring is here! Upcoming Park Clean-ups
Hosting a clean-up? The Coalition has supplies to assist you, email with your event details and we will provide any assistance we can!
Warsaw Park (Slavic Village)
Slavic Village residents are hosting a clean-up at Warsawan gatering feedback on improvements to the park. Help them establish a friends of group for this park! You can email the Slavic Village Green Team to learn more and get involved: GreenTeam@slavicvillage.org.
Saturday, April 11th, 10am-12pm
Rockefeller Park Cultural Gardens (St. Clair Superior/Hough)
Various Cultural Gardens will be participating in the annual Earth Day clean up. Volunteers will gather at Centennial Plaza and assigned a Garden. Gloves and tools, water, and snacks provided. Visit www.clevelandculturalgardens.org for more information and to register.
Saturday, April 25th 10am-1pm
Arthur Johnston Park (Lee-Seville-Miles)
Friends of The Village of Miles Heights host clean-ups at Arthur Johnston Park throughout the summer and fall. No RSVP is needed, but you can learn more and get involved by visiting their social meda: @mileshtsvillage.
Saturday, May 23rd, 10am-12pm
More events and opportunities:
Birding to Change the World Webinar, Weds. Apr 8th, 7pm on Zoom:
Join an engaging conversation hosted by Kirtland Bird Club and WRLC with human rights journalist Trish O'Kane on what birds can teach us about how to build human flocks and advocate for parks in our communities. Register here.
Tree March w/ Cleveland Nonviolence Network, Sat. Apr 11th, 10am-12pm: Join CNVN on a march to “plant trees, not war” from the Langston Hughes Library to Brookdale Orchard, followed by a tree planting. Activities scheduled for before and after the march. Contact Maria Smith to register ahead of the event: clevelandnonviolence@gmail.com or (216) 978-7391.
Village Family Farms S.T.E.A.M. Agricultural Summer Camp: Register for the accredited S.T.E.A.M. summer camp where kids will learn gardening, hydroponics, food nutrition, yoga, and wellness practices. Ages 6-14, camp running from June 15th to August 7th. Register here.
FIRST Ward 8 Neighbor Night: Tues. Apr 14th, 6pm-8pm: Hosted by Neighborhood Connections, this event will feature a teach-in, followed by a discussion on current state legislation and real-time advocacy action items. All attendees will enter a raffle for a Swag Bag. Register here.
Metroparks Summer Camp Scholarships, Due Weds. Apr 15th: Cuyahoga County residents are eligible for Cleveland Metroparks camp scholarships for each of their camps this summer. You can learn more and apply here.
Slavic Village Parks Meeting, Fri. Apr 17th, 8:30am-9:30am: Are you a Slavic Village resident? Join Slavic Village Development for their monthly community parks and garden advocacy meeting to discuss your work, opportunities, and updates. Email Krystal Sierra to learn more.
Free Tree Giveaway at BARRiO BOY Garden, Sat. Apr 18th, 10am-12pm: Jean-Paul Hernandez at BARRiO BOY Community Garden is partnering with Cuyahoga Soil & Water District to give away 30 free trees to residents who pledge to plant! Join them at Jean-Paul’s garden to pick up a tree: 3333 W. 33rd St., Cleveland, OH 44109.
Parks & Rec Summer Jobs Hiring Event, Sat. Apr 18th, 12pm-3pm: The City of Cleveland is hiring for several opportunities to work in parks and recreation this summer! Bring a form of ID and your Social Security Card or birth certificate to be eligible for various positions. At Cudell Rec Center, more info here.
Want your resident-focused parks and greenspace event featured here?
Email us: ParksCoalitionCle@gmail.com
Register for the City’s NEW 311 service request portal! Submit broken park amenities, playground needs, garbage in parks, tree maintenance needs and more:
