2021-Cairn Evening Harvesting at Civic Center Park with Grow Local Colorado

Start Date-End Date: 09/28/2021-09/28/2021 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: 8 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 2 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 6 Total Volunteer Days: 8 Total Unique Volunteers: 8 Total Volunteer Hours: 24 Staff Hours: 0 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Cairn students, mentors were able to tackle 1,500 sq. feet of garden to bed. Their work resulted in a harvest of 150 lbs of fresh produce that went to Metro Caring, one of Denver's frontline anti-hunger organizations, and straight into their Fresh Food Market. This market can be accessed by those in need at no-cost, providing them with a week's supply of groceries, including fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy and protein. Successes and Challenges: It got dark quickly! And the amount of compost produced was challenging to deal with alone the following day. Lessons Learned: Since Civic Center has so many beds (8) now, it makes sense to split it into two projects or one much bigger project. Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: