The McCoy’s Creek team spent last weekend in Jacksonville, Florida with Groundwork Jacksonville and Wood Engineering showcasing recent design progress for a new nature based greenway along the creek as part of Jacksonville’s Emerald Necklace trail. The McCoy’s Creek Restoration Plan aims to reduce flooding, restore ecosystem health, expand recreational opportunities along the creek, and connect creek-side neighborhoods to the water. The plan proposes to use natural channel design to transform the creek from an environmental concern into a community asset, building a functional ecosystem that can adapt and sustain itself overtime.
The team participated in a community meeting on Thursday, stakeholder meetings on Friday, and the trip concluded on Saturday with McCoy’s Creek Fest which included educational activities including identification and discussion on native plant and wildlife by Jackonville Zoo’s W.I.L.D. Program; local historians speaking about Northeast Florida and North Riverside culture and on family histories and memories of living near McCoy’s Creek; children’s games revolved around native habitat with the help of the St. John’s River Keeper; special activities like yoga and martial arts. In addition SCAPE, WOOD Engineering and Groundwork Jacksonville revealed the design proposal for the creek. For more photos from the Creek Fest, check out our Facebook page.