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The Herald-Sun, Durham, N.C., In Your Neighborhood Column

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 March 2006, 18:00 CST

By John McCann, The Herald-Sun, Durham, N.C.

Mar. 6--DUKE POWER DONATES LAND FOR PRESERVE: Gas prices being what they are, the power company's the last thing you'd consider community-friendly.

But Duke Power, a Duke Energy company, has shown itself to be a good neighbor, donating 3 acres to the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association. The new addition -- an undeveloped patch between Urban and Green streets on the west side of the creek -- is the ECWA's third urban nature preserve in Durham. The nonprofit organization owns and maintains more than 100 acres of Bull City greenspace.

"The donation is proof of Duke Power's role as a good corporate citizen of Durham and the company's recognition of EWCA as one of our community's leading environmental stewards," City Councilman Mike Woodard said in a news release. "My family and I look forward to spending time at the preserve."

So do families living near the new nature preserve. These residents bent the ear of the ECWA at a recent meeting, and they expressed their desire to have, among other things, some extensive pruning, a few flowers added and a kiosk built so greenway news could be posted in both English and Spanish. A good number of Hispanic people live in the area immediately surrounding the preserve.

"ECWA's initial plan for the land is to restore the native plant ecology and to make a nature trail for the community," said ECWA board member and Trinity Park resident Kim Curtis. "We want this to become a destination of sorts, a place for the community to find nature in the city."

The preserve is near the Old North Durham, Duke Park and Trinity Park neighborhoods.

ECWA organized a recent workday at the South Ellerbe Creek site that entailed a Sunday of chopping and whacking the bad foliage to reveal more of the good. Like the power company, the ECWA was just trying to be a good neighbor to those who live around Green Street and West Markham Avenue in this mix of older apartments, duplexes and single-family homes. And good weather last week brought out some children for a good dose of frolicking just off the greenway.

"In Your Neighborhood" appears every Monday. If you know of someone or something interesting in your neighborhood, call (919) 419-6630 or e-mail news @heraldsun.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Herald-Sun, Durham, N.C.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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DUK,

Source: The Herald-Sun

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