To date, we helped to foster the development of 2 community gardens, Kawana Community Organic Garden and South Park Community Garden in southeast Santa Rosa, CA, documented on the website, KawanaFriends.org. We are currently researching and refining methods to create a self-governing and sustainable structure and educational component for this project. We will share our ideas and progress on both websites.

 Community gardens have existed for centuries in many parts of the world, often worked by families for many years and producing a rich patchwork of produce throughout the year. Community gardens are gaining in popularity in the U.S. as a means of providing fresh and healthy vegetables to urban families and garden space for those who otherwise might not have that opportunity. Besides the obvious benefits of exercise and being in the outdoors, such endeavors also help build community by neighbors working together and beside each other. Desolate weed patches strewn with garbage are beautified with flowers and made productive to supply healthy food, and nature's abundance quickly reasserts itself with a little encouragement. Neighborhood pride improves with the efforts in these former wastelands and kids have a positive outlet for their energies.