|
VOLUNTEERS HELP OUT IN THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY GARDEN
Volunteers
took time out of their Sunday afternoon for a little gardening
therapy in the university�s campus community garden. On February
19, fifteen volunteers from Beta Kappa Gamma, Triangle,
Metropolitan Volunteer Program and a local church group planted
oregano, carrots, beets and cherry tomatoes in the two-year old
garden on the corner of Wheeler and Cullen.
The group also weeded, transplanted some plants and added new
soil to the beds. The Green UH student team manages the
day-to-day care of the garden and encourages volunteers to
participate during group events such as this or whenever they
are available from Monday through Friday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or
Saturday-Sunday (2 p.m. to 4 p.m.). Volunteer Quyen Phan, an
accounting major, said volunteering in the garden provides
students with a learning opportunity plus a chance to mix and
mingle with new people.
�It reminds us where the food is coming from, and it�s a great
place to nurture our sustainable minds and bring students
together,� Phan said.
Sarah Clouse of the Green UH student team said they try to work
their schedule around the volunteers so all those interested can
have a chance to experience the garden.
�I think the garden is an amazing hands-on, educational tool for
our fellow community, faculty and students. It also helps people
who want to start their own garden. The garden can give them
ideas of what to plant, how to plant them and tips of what
fertilizer to use or the best place to buy seeds. The garden
provides people with support, education and social events where
people can come together, get back to their roots of planting
healthy produce and having fun with nature, which is so rare in
our modern society,� Clouse said.
Aside from being a learning tool, the garden also benefits the
surrounding community. The team and volunteers harvest the
produce and donate it to local food pantries such as the Manna
House.
�I think donating our produce to a local food bank is very
rewarding. It�s so nice to go up there and give them our
produce. The people tell us how great our vegetables taste, and
it makes it all worth it when you see their happy faces,� Clouse
said.
Although some beds were removed to accommodate construction
nearby, they will be replaced once construction is completed and
the garden will be a natural accent to the green spaces around
the new dining hall.
Students, faculty and staff who are interested in volunteering
can follow the
Campus Community Garden Facebook page
or send an email to
volunteer.greenuh@gmail.com.
|
|