Our two July gatherings were a great opportunity to (finally!!!) meet in person, talk about important questions of creating projects to build community and also share stories of challenges we’ve faced, solutions we’ve found and what it all meant.
I know that it’s often not deemed polite to talk about politics, but I think that is by design and intended to stop people from questioning and taking action in the face of injustice or inequity. So how is that related to gardening?
We will each be reaching out to and working with others to donate our collective plants to projects that build community, enrich the lives of our neighbors, create awareness about the importance of native plants, supporting urban wildlife, and help build equity. Not all projects do everything but the project you propose should try to address some aspects and maybe even additional ones.
Sometimes it’s good to also mention what our projects should not do:
Our projects should not be a means of undercutting existing native plant nurseries. These businesses serve a purpose and provide a valuable resource, so we are NOT trying to undermine their important role by giving free plants to those who can afford to buy them, but instead, we are introducing people who may not have previous exposure to the value of native plants.
Our plant should not be aimed at generating revenue for another cause. If we want to collectively go down that route for a worthy cause, it’s something we all decide in advance. We started this year’s journey with a goal of building community so our plants are intended as free donations to provide support to others who may not have access to it. We have each spent time, resources and put in quite a bit of work so it’s important that we direct the plants to those who need our support.
Any maybe the most important part of what we do is empower each other realize that the ability to create a better community and a more just society lies within each of us, and we can be compassionate and caring to others through gardening.
Every week I will post about one of our 2023 project so we can all celebrate their achievements but also get a better idea of what we can collectively accomplish. When you are ready, please contact me with a bit of information about your project so it too can be featured in a blog post.
