Bubbe’s Secret Garden
SUMMARY
Size: 1 Acre
Year conserved: 2023
ABOUT THE PARK
Thanks to the generous donation by Barbara Esrig, known to her granddaughter as “Bubbe,” this urban park opened in the Fall of 2024. This open greenspace serves as a valuable asset to area residents both as a community resource and a native pollinator garden located in an urban region in Gainesville, Florida
Barbara was a writer in residence at the UF Shands Arts in Medicine program, creating oral histories with patients as a way to honor them and to remind them of what a full important life they have had. Before Barbara was in Arts in Medicine, she was a traveler, a midwife and a psychiatric nurse for many years, received a degree in cultural anthropology, and a published writer. She was passionate about women’s writings, causes that served the LGBTQ+ community, and the arts. She believed her love and interest in people’s lives reached a joyful culmination, and she integrated all these parts in Arts in Medicine.
Gainesville and Alachua County were originally inhabited by the Potano peoples. The Potano tribe was one of the many tribes of the Timucua, all of which spoke dialects of the Timucua language. The land was later home to the Seminole Indians. We honor the past, present, and future Native residents and cultures of Florida.
PARK ADDRESS
The park and parking area is located at 1225 NW 4th St, Gainesville, FL 32601.
GENERAL RULES & GUIDELINES
Park Hours: Sunrise-Sunset
Pack out all trash.
Always stay on the trails.
Dogs are welcome, but dogs must be leashed at all times.
Motorized vehicles and drones are prohibited.
TRAIL MAP
Banner Photo by Alison Blakeslee