The first half of 2025 has been a productive time for the Friends of Avondale Park. The year began with successful volunteer days that helped “push back the brush” along the tree-line behind Miss Fancy, where we uncovered a long-buried stone path that leads toward Avondale School. We hope to continue unearthing historic stone paths and other relics of Avondale Park’s past in the coming months.

As winter turned to spring, our volunteers devoted to the Rose Garden weeded and pruned, and the results of have been glorious. Meanwhile, our long-anticipated native plant gardens began taking shape, thanks to support from multiple partners and volunteers from Regions Bank. Volunteers also responded to an emergency callout when the city suddenly decided that hundreds of native plants they were growing for us needed to be moved out of their facilities. In just one day, more than 1,000 plants were placed in the new native plant beds. Those not immediately planted were moved to Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve for safekeeping till the fall. The project also included installing decorative boulders, and erosion-control devices and plants along the south side of the pond. Combined with the new plant beds, this project is already reducing runoff into the pond and is expected over time to help improve the pond’s water quality.

Our annual picnic was rained out in May, but was replaced with a well-attended board meeting and cocktail party at Parkside, where our newly-elected board members were introduced and those rolling off the board were toasted for their service. Thank you to outgoing board members Shannon Carden, Elizabeth Lasseter, Fred Shepherd, and especially John Forney, who served two years as Board President. You can thank John for the new, branded wastebaskets you see around the park. They were his idea and he shepherded the project to approval by the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board. John also led the campaign to address the pond flooding that took place earlier this year—another of his many initiatives during his tenure as president.

We are pleased to have joining the board for the next three years: Axel Barron (a former board member returning to service), Julie Gilliom, Daniel Neumann, and Carla Jean Whitley. Continuing to serve in 2025-26 are Allison Abney, Abra Barnes, Chris Hooks, Patrick McGuire, Brigette Scott, and Annette Vazquez with Michael Sznajderman serving as President this year.

Most important: THANK YOU to all our members! It is your financial and volunteer support that help make Avondale Park and our community better.