New trees bearing fruit at city playground|[06/18/08]

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, June 18, 2008

As Americans become more health-conscious, home- grown and organic foods have risen in popularity. Now, thanks to the steady efforts of one man, Vicksburg has joined the trend.

The city’s Ford Yates Playground on Wisteria Drive and Realty Street is now home to 18 blueberry bushes and 18 fruit trees, including apple, pear, fig and pomegranate.

“It warms my heart to see kids picking the fruit and putting it directly in their mouths,” said Akia Chabot, the driving force behind the planting of the bushes and trees. “It’s a win-win situation for everybody.”

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Chabot and his wife, the former Rebecca Habeeb, run a company called Green Footprints, which specializes in permaculture consultation.

Permaculture is defined by its co-founder, Bill Mollison, as the conscious design and maintenance of cultivated ecosystems that have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. The name is derived from the words permanent and culture.

In simpler terms, permaculture is the man-made establishment of ecosystems that are meant to last as though they happened naturally.

Green Footprints, 2525 Confederate Ave., offers consulting in edible landscape design, green home design and retrofits, rainwater harvesting advice and installation, grey water system design, solar panel installation and ecological restoration and regenerations as well as various courses including permaculture design certificate courses.

Now Chabot is moving beyond the boundaries of his company and taking his love for nature to the community.

“I walk to this park often with my daughter,” Chabot said. “It is the closest park to my house, and I wanted to do this for the neighborhood.”

Chabot, a native of Australia, began by going door to door in the neighborhood surrounding the park and handing out questionnaires to get feedback on the idea. The residents unanimously agreed they loved the idea, Chabot said.

After getting the go-ahead, Chabot went to City of Vicksburg officials with the idea. They approved, and last week, after several months of planning, the city landscaping department planted the bushes and trees according to the plans drawn by Chabot. The city paid about $200 for the trees, city landscaper Jeff Richardson said.

“The city bought the trees and planted them, and they will continue to water them as well,” Chabot said. “We picked plants that would be tough enough for Mississippi weather and as low-maintenance as possible.

“Also, with the cost of oil and the economy being bad, now is the time to plant an abundance of food. It is food security for the neighborhood. On top of that, it has social benefits – those in the area now have something in common, health benefits – the fruit is organic, and economic benefits – the fruit is free.”

Residents say they are thrilled with the results; especially the family of the late Ford Yates, the park’s namesake, many of whom still live across the street from the playground.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the playground designed and planned by Yates, who died just before the dedication of the playground in 1948.

“This is all very special and I know it would make my dad so happy that the park is still used so much,” said Yates’ daughter, Linda Bryant. “It has been through a lot of changes and this latest change will make it even more special.”

Bryant grew up playing at the playground and remembers it as the center of every child’s day.

“Every day during the summer we’d go to the playground,” Bryant said. “Somebody would be there to do arts and crafts projects and play games with us. On Fridays we would have competitions with other playgrounds in the area. It was the hub of activity. When we woke up in the morning we never thought, ‘What are we going to do today?’ We just knew – the playground.”

As an adult, Bryant introduced the playground to her own daughter. Years later, she had the opportunity to introduce the playground to her granddaughter, who she says has always loved the park.

Now after an absence from the neighborhood, Bryant has returned to care for her mother.

“She’ll be 92 this week,” said Bryant of her mother, Anne Yates. “She’s got Alzheimer’s now, and she doesn’t remember much but she remembers this park. We come over often.”

Chabot says he is pleased with the way the park turned out and plans to continue his work throughout the city.

“I’d love to see it happen all around Vicksburg,” he said. “And I’d love to be a part of it.”

For more information about Green Footprints call 601-636-4302 or visit gfootprints.com.