Photo by Sasha Paris.

Flowing through forested gorges and farmland, winding through the City of Ithaca to Cayuga Lake, Six Mile Creek is the city’s water supply and a part of home for people in diverse communities. Titus Triangle Park in Ithaca’s Southside now hosts an observation board celebrating the creek and those who live along it, created as a collaborative project led by Southside resident Adrianna Hirtler and supported by a Neighborhood Mini-Grant from Sustainable Tompkins.

Along with new materials purchased with the grant, the board and its supporting structure are largely built from donated and repurposed materials, including a border of stones gathered along the length of the creek from headwaters to mouth.  Anyone may contribute to its ever-changing collage featuring observations and photos of plants and animals, stories and kind messages to the community, and more.

The board was presented to the public in a gathering on August 28, 2021, attended by roughly 30 people. Adrianna thanked the many neighbors and community members who contributed materials and time to its creation, and Gayogohó:nǫˀ (Cayuga) Faith Keeper Stephen Henhawk gave opening words.

Visit this website for more information about the board and a growing gallery of photos.

The Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program provides seed money to diverse initiatives to build environmental, economic, and social resilience and well-being in Tompkins County. The program is sponsored by the Park Foundation, Beck Equipment, Craig Riecke, Natural Investments, Fingerlakes Wealth Management, and local donors. Please donate today and help us support more wonderful citizen-driven projects to improve life in our community.