The two Native Parks located at 3312 Park St. at Avondale Ave, are .36 acre of set aside green space. This park designation was part of the 1921 platting of the Avondale neighborhood in west Jacksonville.
The Avondale Garden Circle began planting the Parks with native species in 1923, to increase public awareness of plants indigenous to north Florida. These Parks were formally dedicated in 1932 and demonstrated that while exotic species often died during adversity, the Parks’ native plants prospered with little care through drought, freeze, and hurricane.
After some years of decline, the Parks were rejuvenated by the work of Dr. Robert Ragland, who devoted many years after his retirement in the early 1980’s, to planting native species and helping with the maintenance required. In recent years, the Parks have been supported by interested neighborhood residents who have taken an active interest in the Parks, even to the point of obtaining a grant and matching funds for landscaping.
