A Picture's Worth

Kiwi Vine Visible Again

Friends of Bidwell Park, modest group that they are, let their ten- year anniversary pass-by without recognition. So I want to publicly acknowledge and thank them for all the good work they’ve done, especially their work of removing invasive, non-native plants in Bidwell Park. Almost daily, one can see Susan Mason, volunteer coordinator for FOBP, busy at this essential task.

Susan Mason

Look at what Susan and her volunteers have done, uncovering this beautiful old Kiwi vine at One-Mile from beneath a smothering layer of 19 invasive plants such as mock orange, privet, ivy and hackberry. An older park visitor, seeing the newly exposed Kiwi vine, remembers picking Kiwi from it when he was just a boy.

If you appreciate the work that Friends of Bidwell Park do to preserve our park’s natural resources, please thank them with a donation in their name to the annual “Annie B” fundraiser sponsored by the North Valley Community Foundation this August and September.

friendsofbidwellpark.org

North Valley Community Foundation: nvcf.org

Bidwell Park Kiwi Vine fruit

Bidwell Park Kiwi Vine has beautiful leaves

Old Bidwell Park Kiwi Vine trunk

(Click on image to view larger)

Bob Speer’s fine article in this week’s News and Review reminded me of my own chronicles of “Sisko’s” adventures. On a cold and rainy day-before-Valentine’s-Day, 2009, artist David Sisk, the creator of Sisko, and a few of his “volunteers” met at the same vacant lot in Bob’s article, next to the used bookstore, to post David’s whimsical idea of a Valentine’s Day greeting to the Chico community.

David Sisk at Upper Crust planning his Valentine's Day caper.

David Sisk at Upper Crust plotting his Valentine’s Day caper.

Good work guys!

This is a photo of an original painting by David that some of my dear friends gave me for my birthday. The painting was done in support of NEFR, the acronym for Neighbors for Environmental and Fiscal Responsibility. Several years ago, the NEFRs, a small group of south Chico citizens, successfully saved their neighborhood and Comanche Creek from environmental degradation and saved the people of Chico from having to pay for a private entrance to an industrial park development. David’s contribution to the cause depicts Sisko dancing happily in Comanche Creek along with the wildlife whose home was preserved by the NEFRs.

“NEFR Forget!” by David Sisk

Lin Jensen contemplates David Sisk’s “Mayfly Convention” billboard on Broadway in Chico.

“Mayfly Convention”

Recently, I ran into David at One Mile in Bidwell Park with his latest idea for a billboard. I like it a lot. Go for it Sisko!