Native Plant Identification Guiide

Idea:

Imagine you’re walking to school…or work…or you’re out for adventure! You stumble across a really cool tree, and you’d like to know what kind it is WITHOUT taking out your phone and disturbing your tranquility. Pocket Guide!

Benefit:

Knowing the plant life in your ecosystem is an important part of being on the planet.

Location:

Citywide.

Merrimack Street Rotating Cultural Exhibit!

Idea:

Work with the Adult Ed center across from the Library to install an outdoor “rotating cultural exhibit.” This would include a couple of structures that could be chained to the fence that would hold items behind plexiglass, frames to be attached to the fence that could hold informational panels, and perhaps some planters for small [Read more…]

Benefit:

This would be a low-cost way to celebrate Lowell’s diversity and create some visual interest and excitement connecting downtown with “Upper Merrimack Street” walking toward UMass Lowell. If the materials are high enough quality and draw a lot of attention, perhaps it would also contribute to interest in redeveloping abandoned [Read more…]

Location:

Acre.

Temporary Canalwalk Art Brick Trail

Idea:

Working with Lowell National Historical Park and other partners, place 300 bricks or stones painted by 300 community members every few feet along the side of the Canalway walking path behind the Leo Roy garage as a temporary, pop-up art installation. Diverse folks and artists would be invited to paint at various events or pop-up [Read more…]

Benefit:

This Canalwalk is underutilized, and the bricks might pique interest for residents to take the path and discover the beauty of the “Industrial Canyon.” They may come downtown just to see the special path and stop in shops at either end of it. It might inspire a permanent artistic intervention [Read more…]

Location:

Downtown / JAM.

No Bullying Festival

Idea:

Kids dance teams, including “No Bully Zone” team, perform and explain their stories of bullying.

Benefit:

Kids can try to be more kind and nice and respect other people because the words you say can affect people. So Lowell youth, kids, adults can learn about bullying and how to prevent it.

Location:

Don't Know.

Trash Can Canvas Project

Idea:

Take a metal trash can and paint it white to make a blank canvas. Then a group of people make a painting on the trash can canvas. When it’s dry you can plant something or just put it in a public place where it would really stand out. Could paint multiple trash cans.

Benefit:

It’s something to just see and appreciate. They’re meant to be put in areas that might be less clean or not as vibrant. It’s very eye-catching and it shows that you can take something so simple and dirty and make it beautiful.

Location:

Citywide.

Community Rain Garden

Idea:

Rain gardens capture storm runoff with lush vegetation. People coming together to execute the idea of making a pretty rain garden together as a team.

Benefit:

The rain garden will benefit the rivers and waterways and helps decrease runoff, decrease flooding and reabsorb groundwater. Great for the environment and good for Lowell.

Location:

Don't Know.

Opening Awareness Day: Event to Come Together for Homelessness, Veterans, Cleanups, and More

Idea:

At Boarding House Park hold a community gathering with roundtables and representatives from different organizations so people can learn more about important causes/issues in Lowell. Some examples: trash awareness, homelessness. Activities like games and making care packages for the homeless, veterans, active duty military, or just families who need it. We can do a treasure [Read more…]

Benefit:

This idea would provide a way to get people who may not usually go to town hall meetings to learn about issues in Lowell while surrounded with fellow neighbors. Encourages intergenerational participation.

Location:

Downtown / JAM.