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Sustainability of Ganesha Park

Pomona, California

Professor Terry Young

Parks and Protected Areas

GEO 435

Tues/ Thurs @ 3pm-4:50pm

By: Christopher Edmunson

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Introduction

The term sustainability is relatively unknown to the city of Pomona and only until

recently there has been a myriad of new studies and information that are beginning to surface.

Currently, there is very little information and data on the topic of sustainability at Ganesha Park.

Many college students, scientists and geographers are having a difficult time conducting

experiments and compiling data in order to

generate an accurate study or report on the

subject. We will begin to explore the relationship

between sustainability and Ganesha Park in

Pomona, California as well as how these two are

intertwined with each other. The goal of this research paper is to indentify whether or not

Ganesha Park is a sustainable public park. When it comes to a sustainable area or region, there

are three aspects that need to be taken into account. The three aspects of sustainability are

environmental, social and economic. In addition, this research paper will potentially fill the gap

between the lack of available information on sustainability and the people in need of this

material.

Background of Sustainability

The term sustainability can be defined as a variety of things to different people because

depending on where one lives sustainability can mean different things. Over the past 30 years,

the concept of sustainability has evolved to reflect both the public and private sectors. In the case

of sustainability the definition often begins with the environment, however it can be defined

using the social and economical aspects as well. When trying to define sustainability as a concept

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it can be a difficult task and needs to be explained in a

multitude of ways. One possible definition is that

sustainability is a series of policies and procedures that

meet society’s present needs without compromising

the ability of future generations to meet their own

needs (EPA.gov, 2011). This definition can be

explained as a set of rules that can be implemented in

order to meet the public’s current needs without damaging future generations’ ability to meet

their own needs. Another possible definition of sustainability is exploring all three aspects of

sustainability. The term sustainability extends far past the environmental aspect and eventually

encompasses the social and economic aspects as well. While the discussion and debate of

sustainability often begins with the environment, we also need to include the social and

economic considerations (Byler, 2008).

In order to provide a comprehensive study on the sustainability of Ganesha Park one must

properly define what the term sustainability really means. In this study, we will explore the three

aspects of sustainability. Sustainability contains three aspects which include the environmental,

social and economic aspects (Byler, 2008). However simple this one definition may seem there

are many sub-categories that are involved within these three aspects that need to be addressed.

Sustainable parks are often categorized by their use of green techniques such as solar power

systems and rain water reuse for irrigation purposes. In addition, sustainable parks employ the

best techniques and management practices to ensure the healthiest ecosystem; they do not waste

limited resources, recycle various products as much as possible and enhancing the environment

while not degrading it at the same time (Cranz, 2011). The best explanation of sustainability

http://www.townofeagle.org/images/pages/N254//

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would optimally include both possible definitions. To this day however, the ambiguous term

commonly known as sustainability is extremely flexible and has been debated for many years

and may never be truly defined as a whole but can possibly be defined by the individual.

History of Ganesha Park

Ganesha Park is a public park located in sunny southern California in the beautiful city of

Pomona. The first settlers were Mexican Pioneers that originally stayed on the lands that

eventually became Ganesha Park. Originally, the Pomona valley was inhabited by Gabrielenos

Indians and in the 1700s where it was commonly referred to as Rancho San Jose. There used to

be a Native American Rancheria in place where the current picnic tables are located. A year later

the Rancho became part of the San Gabriel Mission system and was used for pasture and grazing

lands. Fifty years later the lands were eventually sold to two Mexican solders, Palomares and

Vejar. In 1875, Vejar sold a portion of his land grant to a group of speculators and these

speculators renamed the area Pomona after the Roman goddess of fruit and fruit trees (Bitter,

2011). Eventually the land was inhabited by farmers and various agricultural industries and it

forever reshaped the region. Many people such as farmers, carpenters, contractors and plasterers

were influential in the construction and establishment of

Ganesha Park. These included a variety of men the

comprised of. The first of many men was named Moses

Petty who was from the Midwest and moved to Pomona

in 1887 to help lay out the grounds for the current

Ganesha Park. The second man was named Ernest D. Ferree who was the head of contracting

business of plastering in Pomona and became an expert at exterior plastering. Ferree came to

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Pomona in 1911 and due to his experience at exterior construction and plastering, he played an

important role in the construction of Ganesha Park Greek Theatre (Brackett, 1920). In addition to

Ferree, a man by the name of G.H. Waters, who was an avid city developer, contributed to the

construction of the community theatre as well. Chairmen Joseph Morgan Page was the chairman

of the Parks, Roads and Improvement Committee of the Chamber of Commerce in Pomona and

he too helped conceive the idea for the Ganesha Park Greek Theatre in 1909 (Brackett, 1920).

Morgan Page was not only responsible for Ganesha Park but the popular sister parks of Lincoln

Park and Garfield Park not far away. Eventually the part of the area currently known as Ganesha

Public Park was developed into the Ganesha Park Tract by real estate developer Fredrick W.

Ritter (Brackett, 1920).

Although agriculture played a pivotal role in the economy of Pomona for many years

other vigorous enterprises businesses grew and prospered. These other enterprises include

community centers, public pools, youth centers and public parks. In the city of Pomona there are

over 2,000 acres of public land used for recreation facilities and within these 2,000 acres there

are 23 public parks (Bitter, 2011). At 60 acres, Ganesha Public Park is the largest public park in

Pomona only behind Washington Park. The park contains many drinking fountains, 103 picnic

tables, tennis courts, a public pool and 7 barbeque grills. It has the title of being Pomona’s oldest

park with the only 120 year old Eucalyptus and 250 year old redwood tree grove in southern

California (Villageprofile.com, 2009). Even to this day, Ganesha Park is constantly developing

and adapting to accommodate future generations by updating facilities, uses and purposes.

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Methods

In order to provide an accurate conclusion on the thesis whether or not Ganesha Park is a

sustainable public park community, I will implement many forms of analysis and deciphering

techniques. When approaching the topic of sustainability, one must use with caution and be sure

not to discredit any factor small or large that otherwise might hinder the experiment void or

inaccurate. In this research project I will conduct the following tests, experiments and visual

evidence taking techniques in order to convey my point.

Since there is relatively no information or data on sustainability at Ganesha Park, a more

hands on approach was necessary to collect data and

information. While collecting data I had to keep in mind the

three aspects of sustainability. The three aspects are

environmental, social and economical. A sustainable

community or ecosystem has to contain a synergy of all

three aspects in order to be classified as a sustainable region

(Sauri, 2009). To commence my study at Ganesha Park, I

visited the park with a camera and a notebook and

wandered the grounds while keeping in mind the aspects of

sustainability. In addition to doing my own data collecting,

I discussed with Professor Young about the possible ways

to gauge the types of fountains at the park without any bias in the choice of fountains. There are

many drinking fountains on the park grounds so I had to pick 10 at random by assigning numbers

to them and choose 5 using a random number generator from the internet. My goal was to see

which fountains were implementing “low-flow” faucet heads as well as the bathroom facilities.

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In addition to the water at the drinking fountains I observed the irrigation systems and irrigation

timing as well. I wanted to observe the time at which the sprinkler system was irrigating the large

amounts of grass because night time is the most efficient time to water any type of vegetation.

While visiting the park I noticed there was a public pool that had very large pool pumps so I

wanted to see when and how the pumps functioned. I also walked around the park to see what

kind of waste receptacles the park was using whether it is trash or recycling bins, because

recycling and reusing is a key part of sustainability. While walking around the park I saw that

there is a child playground there which could be a possible source of sustainability by using

certain materials and techniques.

In addition to all the physical aspects of sustainability I wanted to investigate the other

two aspects of sustainability, which include the social and economical aspects. At Ganesha Park

the social aspect is very apparent simply due to it being a public park. I wanted to investigate

how the park implements the social side of sustainability by seeing how the park was being used

for the public good. In order for a park to be sustainable in the social aspect of sustainability, it

needs to have a certain level of multi-functionality. The more functions an ecosystem or region

offers the more sustainable that particular region can be. When it comes to the economic aspect,

Ganesha Park does make it difficult for one attain data, so I will be going to the park and to see

what income the park attains and in addition, what costs the park has towards the community and

the city of Pomona.

Results

After completing my gathering of the data and necessary information in order to prove

whether or not Ganesha Park is sustainable, my findings were not very surprising. When I first

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visited Ganesha Park, I had some pretty low expectations as a result of my first impressions of

the park. After doing the research and data gathering, my expectations and first impressions were

not far off from the results of my research. Initially, the first thing that I saw at the park was the

exuberant amount of vegetation and the large tracts of grass. The reason why the large amount of

grass and vegetation are a negative trait park design is because they require large amounts of

water. After a careful observation, the vegetation, grass and plants in the park are not plants

native to California. In order for

Ganesha Park to be considered a

sustainable ecosystem, the park

needs to use California native

plants which in turn use small

amounts water and are drought

resistant (Byler, 2008). In addition

to not using native California plants, the timing of irrigation of said plants is also crucial. I

visited Ganesha Park at the peak of the daily temperature around mid-day and to my surprise I

witnessed the grass being irrigated. A common technique of watering plants in the evening is the

most efficient technique to get the most from your water supply (West, 2006). Another thing that

I researched at the park was to see if the park was implementing the use of recycling receptacles

in addition to their current trash cans. To my astonishment the park had zero recycling bins and

only had trash cans for the patrons to use. Recycling is yet another aspect of sustainability that

needs to be addressed in order for a region to be considered sustainable (Cranz, 2011). On the

topic of irrigation and water usage, Ganesha Park is one of the two public parks in Pomona that

has a public pool, the other is Washington Park (Villageprofile.com, 2009). I visited the park in

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the months of March and April, and in California these months are not optimal swimming

months. The temperature on the day of one of my visits was quite chilly and it was almost

raining. Not to my disappointment, the public pool facilities were closed and the pool was not in

use. However, even though the pool was not in use, the pool pump cleaning system was running.

Based on what I have learned about sustainability and park design, the pool pumps being on year

around, even though no citizens are using the

facilities, are in violation of sustainable

characteristics.

When it comes to the playground

equipment at public parks, people often

overlook this small fact; small factors such as play ground material are very important to the

sustainability of a public park. What I noticed about the play ground at Ganesha Park is that the

park utilizes sand instead of recycled material for ground cover underneath the jungle gym and

monkey bars. Sand needs to be either taken from another natural source or more commonly

needs to be manufactured using processes heavy on power and energy usage. In the same area of

the play ground and also around the picnic and tennis areas, there are many light poles with

incandescent light bulbs. In eco-friendly and sustainable park design, these lights need to be

converted to compact fluorescent light bulbs or light emitting diodes (LED’s). Compact

fluorescent light bulbs use 75% less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs and LED’s are

even more efficient (EnergyStar.com, 2011).

The other aspects of sustainability and park design that need to be addressed are the

economical and social aspects. Since Ganesha Park is a public park, it is used by the public at no

costs to the citizens of Pomona. Due to this characteristic, the park has very limited income and

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has more expenses from what I observed. After many failed attempts at contacting city officials

and various financial and park offices, I found myself having to visually inspect possible costs

toward the city. One of the major things that I found was that the public park section of Ganesha

Park was well maintained and manicured. I witnessed one public maintenance truck that I

assumed was a grounds keeper of some type. The city has to pay for upkeep on the truck as well

as equipment and salary for the worker. Another aspect of costs toward the city was the lighting

of the park. As stated earlier, the compact fluorescent bulbs save energy as well as money.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs and L.E.D.s can save the city of Pomona around $40 per bulb

over the life time of the bulb (EnergyStar.com, 2011). If the park chose to implement these

changes and convert their current bulbs, the city could save a substantial amount of money in the

years to come.

Additionally, for a region or ecosystem to be socially sustainable, the park needs to be

multi-functional and serve as form of social cohesion or a source for gathering. Ganesha Park

excels at this trait in various forms of

public attractions, large amounts of

space and many utilities for public

use. While visiting the park I

recorded a couple of public

institutions that could possibility

improve social interactions and cohesion; these institutions include a public pool, a play ground

and in the past a city festival. A public pool can improve community education levels by

teaching children and adults to swim safely as well as friendly swimming meets and competition.

A playground can teach children how to interact with each other and help increase the cognitive

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abilities and puzzle solving of youths. Finally, Pomona used to host a yearly festival at Ganesha

Park where hundreds of citizens would gather to interact and form important relationships.

Ganesha Park implements this last trait of sustainability very well and much room for

improvement can happen in the environmental and economical aspects.

Conclusion

Sustainability is a relatively modern term in today’s world and only until recently, the

concept has become more mainstream. When it comes to Pomona’s largest and most popular

public park, Ganesha Park is just brushing the surface on its potential to be a true sustainable

environment. Many characteristics of Ganesha Park are not sustainable; however there is much

room for improvements in this sector. The aspects that need improvements and that are lacking

in abundance are the economical and environmental aspects. The city of Pomona and Ganesha

Park has massive potential for improvement in two of the three aspects of sustainability. I feel

that one of the major reasons why Ganesha Park is not fulfilling its massive potential at being

sustainable is that of economics and government funding. Many problems that need to be

addressed to fulfill the requirements of sustainability are quite expensive and require large

amounts of capital and investors. However, small corrections can be made in order to fulfill these

needs; these small corrections can simply be the installation of energy efficient lights bulbs, low

flow water faucets in the sinks and drinking fountains, the maximizing of the irrigation output for

native, drought resistant vegetation and the installation of recycling receptacles around the park.

With the collaborative efforts from Pomona’s city officials and the common citizen, Ganesha

Park can exceed expectations while being the leading pioneer in the field of sustainability. These

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tools to create a sustainable environment may seem small and insignificant but they can have

huge and positive repercussions that guide the way to a sustainable ecosystem.

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Works Cited

1) "Basic Information | Sustainability | US EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency. US

Government, 2 Mar. 2011. Web. 21 May 2011. http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm.

2) Bitter, Darleen. “California Historic Route 66 Association.” A Brief History of Pomona, CA. 2011.

Web. 22 May 2011. http://www.route66ca.org/traveler/towns/25pomona/history.html.

3) Brackett, Frank Parkhurst. "History of Pomona Valley, California ... - Google Books."Google Books.

Version 1. Historic Record Company, 1920. Web. 21 May 2011.

http://books.google.com/books?id=3W4UAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA95&l.

4) Byler, Tara. "Sustainable Park Design." Designing In the Green: An Approach to Sustainable Park

Design 64.2 (2008): 32. CPRS.org. Spring 2008. Web. 21 May 2011.

http://www.cprs.org/membersonly/Spring08_GreenDesign.htm.

5) Cranz, Galen. “Sustainable Parks.” What is a Sustainable Park? 2011. 22 May 2011.

http://www.horseshoefarm.org/sustainable_parks.htm.

6) “Light Bulbs (CFLs), Did You Know?” Energystar.gov. 2011. Web. 1 June 2011.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=L

B.

7) "Pomona Park District, Pomona Recreation, Pomona Fairplex, Pomona Golf." VillageProfile.com.

Community Network Profile, 2009. Web. 22 May 2011.

http://www.villageprofile.com/california/pomona/07/topic.html.

8) Sauri, David, Marc Pares, and Elena Domene. "CHANGING CONCEPTIONS OF

SUSTAINABILITY IN BARCELONA'S PUBLIC PARKS." Cal Poly Pomona University Library

Catalog. Jan. 2009. Web. 30 May 2011. http://0-

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web.hwwilsonweb.com.opac.library.csupomona.edu/hww/results/external_link_maincontentframe.jh

tml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.44.

9) West, Dawn. "When Is It the Best Time to Water Your Lawn?" Allaboutlawns.com. 21 Aug. 2006.

Web. 1 June 2011. http://www.allaboutlawns.com/lawn-maintenance-care/watering/when-is-the-

best-time-to-water.php.

10) Photographs taken by Christopher Edmunson unless otherwise noted