2017-Evening Harvesting at Civic Center Park with Grow Local Colorado

Start Date-End Date: 10/05/2017-10/05/2017 Land Manager Office: Grow Local Colorado Land Manager Contact: Barbara Masoner Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Harvest vegetables planted by VOC volunteers in this family-friendly project. Description: About the Stewardship Site: Bordered by the State Capitol, the City and County Building, and the Denver Art Museum, Civic Center Park is the centerpiece of Denver's green space. The park blooms with 25,000 square feet of flower beds each summer and serves as a popular event site. Civic Center Park also hosts two Grow Local Colorado gardens, both of which are maintained primarily by Return Peace Corps Volunteers. All harvest from these two gardens supports The Gathering Place, a drop-in center for women, children and transgender individuals experiencing poverty or homelessness. About the Volunteer Experience: VOC is excited to team up with our long-term partner, Grow Local Colorado, to harvest vegetable gardens that demonstrate the beauty of edible gardens, engage community participation, and inspire Denver residents to grow their own vegetable gardens. Volunteer work will be fun, easy, and child-friendly. Tasks will involveharvesting vegetables, weeding, and raking the soil.Dinner provided by Chipotle. About the Overall Impact: The produce that VOC volunteers planted in the spring are now mature and ready to be donated to local organizations including food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need. By growing food locally, we reduce our carbon footprint by reducing the distance food has to travel, minimize water use, decrease soil erosion, and help develop a sustainable community.This is a great opportunity for families and kids to earn their #GardenGuru digital badge! Learn more by downloading VOC's mobile app, YourCO, on iPhone or Android. NOTE:MINORS ON VOC PROJECTS Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult 12 years or older on single-day projects. Latitude/Longitude: 39.739240, -104.988833 Additional Information: Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Easy High Altitude Project: No Desired Number of Volunteers: 10 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 8 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0 Total Volunteer Days: 8 Total Unique Volunteers: 8 Total Volunteer Hours: 16 Staff Hours: 3.5 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: On Thursday, October 5th, 8 volunteers came out to Civic Center Park with VOC and Grow Local Colorado to help with the final vegetable harvest of the season and to prepare the garden for winter. The volunteers made quick work of the two gardens, removing all the plants for compost, and harvesting nearly 80pounds of veggies that went to a food pantry close to the park. After the work was complete, Chipotle donated delicious burritos for dinner. Successes and Challenges: 3 people no-showed and 1 person was stuck in traffic and called to cancel. Parking in this area can be more challenging that other garden locations. Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: