Welcome!
Founded in 2017, Westfield Green Together promotes and educates about sustainable practices in the city of Westfield, Indiana. To receive our newsletter, subscribe on our website at Westfield Green Together. Also check out our Facebook page at Facebook.
What’s Happening?
WGT is the official park steward of Raymond Worth Park. We will be working throughout the winter and spring months to remove invasives every Friday at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. The park is located at 16301 Little Creek Avenue. Watch our Facebook page for weather updates and cancellations.
Join us for an upcoming Weed Wrangle (bring gloves, eye protection and water; tools are provided):
- March 8th at Osbourne Park, 17001 Ditch Road, from noon to 3:00 p.m. Sign up here
- March 15th at Asa Bales Park, 205 W. Hoover Street, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Sign up here
- April 26th at Macgregor Park, on Hwy. 38 off of U.S. 31, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Sign up here
WGT will be participating in the Westfield “Green Day” event on April 26th from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Grand Junction Plaza, 225 S. Union Street, to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day. Come by and say “hi!”
Easy Ways to Reduce Your Impact on the Earth
Looking for a place to recycle that pesky Styrofoam packaging (along with anything with a cord or that requires any type of power source to operate)? Check out RecycleForce here. They are located at 816 N. Sherman Drive in Indianapolis. Be sure to check the website for drop off hours and instructions.
Grace Church at 5504 E. 146th Street in Noblesville is a great place to drop off your kitchen scraps for composting. See photo for acceptable items.
Fun Green Resources
The Guardian has launched a series called “detox your kitchen.” the most recent article mentions that the best way to avoid pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, etc. in meat and produce is to buy organic whenever possible. Here are some links to purchasing safe, organic produce:
- The Cornucopia Institute, a watchdog within the organic food industry, has a scorecard for eggs, dairy, beef, poultry, yogurt, plant-based beverages, snack bars, cottage cheese, cereal, soy food, and grains at Cornucopia
- Consumer Reports has information about food labels and seals at Consumer Reports
- The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has a guide to help consumers find local produce at NSAC
Your Westfield Parks
The Westfield Parks Department held a meeting for the community on February 20th to discuss the 5 Year Comprehensive Plan. The Plan is a culmination of local advisory committee meetings, stakeholder meetings and a community survey that went out in late 2024. According to Chris McConnell, Parks Department Director, Westfield is “critically deficient” in the number of parks based on our growing population. Westfield currently has 12 parks but is below the national average which is double that amount.
The recent survey listed property acquisition and nature trails as top issues. Now that the city has an approved comprehensive plan, the Parks Department will be able to access grant funds to improve most of the current parks.
Simon Moon Park phase 1 (pond reconfiguration, boardwalks, sledding hill, parking) is complete with phase 2 (fish stock, kayak rental, shelter, playground equipment) due to be completed by the end of the year. The Newby property (next to Simon Moon Park) will include an agri-park, garden plots for rent, a permanent farmers market facility and trails.
Several people attending the meeting asked about pickleball courts. There is the possibility of courts being developed at Osbourne Park. Studies show that pickleball is rated #1 (based on all outdoor sports activities) when it comes to noise pollution.
The Westfield Parks Board recently authorized the parks department to enter into a service agreement with Noblesville Creates, Inc. to develop a strategic arts master plan. The $45,000 agreement includes 3 phases: 1) identify in a list of stakeholders for early stage development, 2) community engagement and survey, 3) a review of feedback and draft plan. The plan is expected to be completed by October 2025.
You can find meeting dates, times and agendas for the Westfield Parks and Recreation Board at Park Board
Green Book Club
WGT had its first successful book club discussion on February 17. Our next discussion will take place on April 28th at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. We will be discussing the book “The Nature Fix” by Florence Williams.
Other
Our electric energy provider, Duke Energy, recently received approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to increase our rates. To learn how your home uses energy and how you can save on your monthly bills, consider taking advantage of Duke’s FREE “Home Energy House Call” program at Home Energy House Call or by calling 844-346-4366.
Looking Back at 2024
WGT logged over 1,000 volunteer hours in 2024:
- 459 hours on school gardens and the sharing garden
- Assisted Washington Woods Elementary, Monon Trail Elementary and Maple Glen Elementary in maintaining their vegetable gardens
- 425 hours on invasive species removal in parks and public spaces
- Honeysuckle and Calery Pear removal from Asa Bales Park, Macgregor Park, Raymond Worth Park, Osbourne Park and the Midland Trace Trail
- 93 hours planting native trees, shrubs and perennials in parks and public spaces
- Planted a new pollinator garden along the Monon Trail just north of St. Rd. 32
- 53 hours providing education and public engagement
- Students from Shamrock Connections at Westfield High School came to the sharing garden to learn about growing their own food
- Bobby Kimball provided a presentation on “Gardening for Butterflies”
- Randy Tatum led a nature walk at Raymond Worth Park called “Birds, Bark and Berries”
- Julia Grimmer developed videos showcasing native plant gardens by local citizens
Westfield Green Together 