Planting Hope
Habitat Garden Benefits Richmond Community
By Femke Oldham
Overalls and a pitchfork are fashionable in Richmond these days. The community is out in full force transforming a stretch of previously abandoned railroad property into a three-mile pathway and nearly thirty two acres of open green space. Called the Richmond Greenway, this project began in 1997 and is an impressive example of community collaboration to improve the environment.
City and government officials, private companies, nonprofit organizations and community groups are working side by side to provide pedestrian and bicycle access to regional trails, public transportation, and other resources. They have created room to breathe fresh air in the densely populated neighborhoods at the heart of urban Richmond.
The Watershed Project is playing an active role in the Richmond Greenway project. Last month, we completed the Richmond Greenway Habitat Garden there. The Habitat Garden is part of a collection of gardens that are designed to restore wildlife habitat and promote environmental and social justice. It is a source of fresh, healthy, and organic fruits and vegetables, and also helps local watersheds by reducing urban runoff and increasing rain percolation. Surrounding the Habitat Garden are a set of edible gardens and orchards coordinated by Urban Tilth, a local nonprofit working to help our community build a more sustainable, healthy, and just food system.
To build the Habitat Garden, we brought hundreds of youth and adult volunteers to the Richmond Greenway to learn about the benefits of providing native plants and trees for wildlife, gardening without toxic chemicals, and conserving water. Local foster youth designed the original garden plan. Students from Kappa High School researched California native and drought-tolerant plants that provide habitat for beneficial insects and used the information to finalize the planting plan.
Families and community groups dug, hoed, and planted with The Watershed Project staff during monthly work days and at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. After more than 450 hours of volunteer time, the garden features 3,600 square feet of planted beds that stretch along 120 linear feet of the Greenway.
The Richmond Greenway Habitat Garden is part of The Watershed Project's Hope Gardens program. Inspired by Barack Obama's presidency, the Victory Garden movement, and the call to eat locally grown food, the Hope Gardens program encourages residents around the Bay to plant a garden in the name of Hope.
The Hope Garden philosophy is that gardens are a way to grow our own food, restore damaged landscapes and ecosystems, build our homes and communities, and simply enjoy the beauty of nature. We can reconnect to our local watersheds and the environment through a garden. Growing our own fruit, vegetables and herbs can help reduce pressure on the public food supply, avoid negative environmental impacts associated with large scale food production, and save money for our families and communities. A blooming garden promotes nourished bodies and optimistic minds.
Anyone can create a Hope Garden. A fruit tree orchard, community vegetable garden, backyard herb garden, and a planter box of flowers are all examples of Hope Gardens. From the Habitat Garden at the Richmond Greenway to a single tomato plant in your windowsill, there is a way for every person, regardless of the size of your home or bank account, to join the Hope Garden movement. So grab a pair of overalls and start planting!
