Fountain Park
Fountain Park is a one-acre site owned by the Town of Rocky
Ripple. The five-city-lot-sized park was donated to the Town
by Butler University in 2000 and named for then Acting President at
Butler, Gwen Fountain, who helped arrange the transfer. In
the first few years after the founding of the park, Town residents
cleared the area of invasive non-native Asian bush-honeysuckle and,
with grants from Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, planted some native
trees and shrubs in the park. In the intervening years,
honeysuckle reinvaded the park, although the signature of past
removal could still be seen in the presence of some native
wildflowers at the site. In 2009, with the help of an IPL
(Indianapolis Power and Light) Golden Eagle Environmental Award, we
entered into an a
greement for a
cooperative effort between the residents of the Town of Rocky
Ripple and Butler University staff and students to conduct
continued environmental stewardship and restoration in the park. We
removed the honeysuckle to encourage the native flora present, and
to provide habitat for desirable woodland animals. The park
was originally conceived as a "habitat park, a place where humans
and animals can come together." We want the park to be a
place where children and families can experience nature in a
natural setting.
Two of the plants identified in Fountain Park - At top,
Rudbeckia triloba (Browneyed Susan), and at bottom right,
Polygonatum biflorum (Smooth Solomon's seal).
List of Mammals of Fountain Park
Likely to see:
- Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
- Fox squirrel (S. niger)
- Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
- Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
- White-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
- House mouse (Mus musculus)
- Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
- Short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda)
- Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
- Eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus)
May see:
- Red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
- Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
- Striped skunk (Mephitus mephitis)
- Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
- Red bat (Lasiurus borealis)
- Woodchuck (Marmota monax)