The Wild Place
Existing from the highway where the Peter Pan bus station and Collyer Park is located; to the left one can see a half standing fence and a semi-cleared lot. Upon closer inspection the area captures the imagination. The Wild Place is a fascinating collage of meaningful contributions from many people.
Diana explained: “I am a walker. I walk all over the city. I frequently walked by this area and kept thinking it was such a waste. It looked like a dumping
ground. The lot was filled with all kinds of trash.”
On the day I met Diana Jackson…the sun was gleaming. From my peripheral vision, I saw a women moving about in a cleared lot. I did a U-turn and got out of the car. In approaching it became obvious that the woman was in the process of creating beauty. Hands on my hips, I stood and called out to her, “hay are you out here doing all of this work alone?” She looked over and stood tall as she mimicked my body language, “why yes I am! I like being alone.”
One day Diana decided to do something about the unsightly lot and she began removing what she could a little at a time. Over a year’s time Diana would meet countless people who would drive by and stop to offer assistance. What began to happen is extraordinary “people starting leaving inspirational notes.” This seemed to keep the twinkle in Diana’s eyes as she was being interviewed. There was a lot of work involved to clear the area and many people contributed over the year period. Diana would eventually gain support from the city and other groups. However it seemed the most significant
aspect of the process was the relationships built among the neighboring community. Diana has gotten to know the teams that play in the adjacent park, the RIPTA bus drivers and people who ride the bus on route past the area, those working in the cemetery across the
street and many more.
The Wild Place is embellished with beautiful stone patterns, signs and flowers. It is breathe taking! Most inspirational are the notes people leave in a jar.
The day of the interview, Diana had just returned from a week stay out of town. She returned to discover some wood boards created by children left at the location. This meant the interview would need to wait a few minutes as she bentdown to touch the artistic expression of gratitude left by children.
Diana Jackson is an inspiration and The Wild Place is a shining example of what can happen when even one person takes action. The creation of beautiful green spaces can profoundly impact and lift the spirit of a community. There are many other parks and gardens located throughout Providence and many, many more areas WE have yet to transform. To help Diana or to get involved in your area visit Partnership for Providence Parks website at http://providenceparks.org/groups/ .
Existing from the highway where the Peter Pan bus station and Collyer Park is located; to the left one can see a half standing fence and a semi-cleared lot. Upon closer inspection the area captures the imagination. The Wild Place is a fascinating collage of meaningful contributions from many people.
Diana explained: “I am a walker. I walk all over the city. I frequently walked by this area and kept thinking it was such a waste. It looked like a dumping
ground. The lot was filled with all kinds of trash.”
On the day I met Diana Jackson…the sun was gleaming. From my peripheral vision, I saw a women moving about in a cleared lot. I did a U-turn and got out of the car. In approaching it became obvious that the woman was in the process of creating beauty. Hands on my hips, I stood and called out to her, “hay are you out here doing all of this work alone?” She looked over and stood tall as she mimicked my body language, “why yes I am! I like being alone.”
One day Diana decided to do something about the unsightly lot and she began removing what she could a little at a time. Over a year’s time Diana would meet countless people who would drive by and stop to offer assistance. What began to happen is extraordinary “people starting leaving inspirational notes.” This seemed to keep the twinkle in Diana’s eyes as she was being interviewed. There was a lot of work involved to clear the area and many people contributed over the year period. Diana would eventually gain support from the city and other groups. However it seemed the most significant
aspect of the process was the relationships built among the neighboring community. Diana has gotten to know the teams that play in the adjacent park, the RIPTA bus drivers and people who ride the bus on route past the area, those working in the cemetery across the
street and many more.
The Wild Place is embellished with beautiful stone patterns, signs and flowers. It is breathe taking! Most inspirational are the notes people leave in a jar.
The day of the interview, Diana had just returned from a week stay out of town. She returned to discover some wood boards created by children left at the location. This meant the interview would need to wait a few minutes as she bentdown to touch the artistic expression of gratitude left by children.
Diana Jackson is an inspiration and The Wild Place is a shining example of what can happen when even one person takes action. The creation of beautiful green spaces can profoundly impact and lift the spirit of a community. There are many other parks and gardens located throughout Providence and many, many more areas WE have yet to transform. To help Diana or to get involved in your area visit Partnership for Providence Parks website at http://providenceparks.org/groups/ .