Community Gardening Opportunity for Local Teens

Local Teens Needed to Help Manage a Community Garden

at the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless - Kingston, MA

**Please share this post with anyone who may be interested in participating.**

Thank you!

  

We are seeking 10 volunteers between the ages of 15 and 18 years to participate in the second season of our Young Organic Gardeners (Y.O.G.) program. The teens will help manage Bridie’s Garden, the 1050 square foot organic vegetable and rain garden located at the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless in Kingston, MA. The vegetables grown in the garden are donated to the Coalition’s food pantry to help them meet their fresh food needs.

Y.O.G. will meet from 9:30am to 10:45am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from July 10 through August 16. Program participants will gain first-hand experience with organic gardening, in addition to learning about resource conservation, and the greater environment. This is a great opportunity for those looking to complete community service hours or interested in pursuing an education or career in any agricultural, environmental, or sustainability field.  Routine Y.O.G. tasks will include weeding, watering, composting, identifying and implementing ways to improve the garden, and sharing the knowledge they gain with the larger community. No prior experience is necessary.

Volunteers are expected to attend at least 8 of the 12 sessions. The program is free of charge; however space is limited to the first 10 volunteers who register with Sarah Kugel, the garden coordinator and AmeriCorps MassLIFT volunteer serving with Wildlands Trust.

Sarah can be reached at skugel@wildlandstrust.org or 781 934 9018.

From Berries to Beans: Urban Gardening in Lawrence, MA

On Monday, June 11, the 20 AmeriCorps MassLIFT (Massachusetts Land Initiative for Tomorrow) Volunteers serving with various conservation agencies and watershed associations across the state of MA met for a training at Groundwork Lawrence. This non-profit organization, located in a restored mill building reminiscent of the city's industrial days, is dedicated to building a healthy community and helping Lawrence residents improve their quality of life.


The mission of the organization is “to bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships which empower people, businesses and organizations to promote environmental, economic and social well-being.”


Included in the training was a tour of nearby community gardens, a skate park, and a school garden.

Picking strawberries from Abby's community garden plot.

Abby and Josh, the 2 AmeriCorps MassLIFT Volunteers serving at Groundwork Lawrence, led the tour, letting us taste fresh strawberries while teaching us about the challenges and benefits of urban gardening. The challenges include issues such as soil contamination and produce theft, while the benefits range from opportunities for community building and increased access to nutritious food.

A field of beans growing in the middle of the city.

The Merrimack River, flowing through Lawrence.

Groundwork Lawrence is part of the larger Groundwork USA and Groundwork UK programs. To learn how Groundwork is making change around the world, visit: http://groundworkusa.org/