2018-Evening Gardening @ Denver's Harvard Gulch Park

Start Date-End Date: 05/31/2018-05/31/2018 Land Manager Office: Grow Local Colorado Land Manager Contact: Barbara Masoner Funding Partner: Grow Local Colorado Programmatic Partner: Grow Local Colorado Summary: WAITLISTED: Plant vegetable gardens with Grow Local Colorado! For volunteers 8+. Description: About the Stewardship Site: Located in the south Denver neighborhood of Platt Park, Harvard Gulch Park spans multiple blocks and is popular with residents for running and volleyball. The park is also home to the Harvard Gulch Recreation Center, which includes an outdoor pool and 9-hole golf course. About the Volunteer Experience: Looking for an easy way to get outside and give back to your community? Look no further! Through our long-standing partnership with Grow Local Colorado, volunteers ages 8+ will spend the evening preparing and planting vegetable gardens in Denver's Harvard Gulch Park. While Grow Local will maintain the gardens throughout the summer, VOC will return in the fall to help harvest the vegetables, which will be donated to local residents in need. Check out our Evening Gardening @ Denver's Observatory Park on May 22 and stay tuned for our fall harvest dates! About the Overall Impact The vegetables that volunteers plant will be harvested in the fall and donated to local food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need. This partnership with Grow Local Colorado creates a more connected community; demonstrates the beauty and efficacy of edible gardens; inspires residents to plant their own vegetable gardens; and contributes to a more sustainable food chain by reducing our carbon footprint. Need-to-Know Details: Minors:All youth under 16mustbe accompanied by an adult 21 years or older on single-day projects. Cancellation:Our land partners rely on VOC volunteers to accomplish critical stewardship needs, and our projects often have wait lists. If you need to cancel, pleasecontact Emily Schaeferat 303-715-1010 ext. 116 as soon as possible so we can free your spot for another volunteer and have a full workforce. Latitude/Longitude: 39.6730 N, -104.9795 W Additional Information: Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Easy High Altitude Project: Yes Desired Number of Volunteers: 15 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 12 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0 Total Volunteer Days: 12 Total Unique Volunteers: 12 Total Volunteer Hours: 23 Staff Hours: 4 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: On Thursday May 31st 12 volunteers came out to Harvard Gulch Park with VOC, Grow Local Colorado and CSU-Extension Office's Master Gardeners to help plant seeds and starter plants for the growing season.The volunteers worked with the Master Gardeners to plant the 800 sq. foot garden. They planted a variety of veggies including (but not limited to) basil, kale, collards, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots and peppers, that will all be donated to a nearby food pantry. This garden is estimated to produce over 1000 of food this season. After the work was complete, Chipotle donated delicious burritos for dinner! Successes and Challenges: Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: