Description
Start Date-End Date: 09/29/2022-09/29/2022
Land Manager Office: Grow Local Colorado
Land Manager Contact: Barbara Masoner
Funding Partner: Grow Local Colorado
Programmatic Partner: Grow Local Colorado
Summary: Harvest a vegetable garden with Grow Local Colorado!
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, high school Cairn students will spend the evening harvesting a vegetable garden in Denver's Harvard Gulch Park. Grow Local maintained the gardens throughout the summer and VOC is returning to help harvest the vegetables, which will be donated to local residents in need.
About the Overall Impact
The vegetables that volunteers harvest will be 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.
Latitude/Longitude: 39.6730 N, -104.9795 W
Additional Information:
Camping Available: No
Physical Difficulty: Easy
High Altitude Project: No
Desired Number of Volunteers: 24
Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 3
Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 17
Total Volunteer Days: 20
Total Unique Volunteers: 20
Total Volunteer Hours: 64.5
Staff Hours: 7
Stipend Hours: 0
Project Summary: 18 Cairn students and 2 mentors made quick work of putting the 800 sq. foot garden to bed. Phil, our volunteer Photographer, took great photos including a time lapse of student's work (Sharepoint Online, Marketing Outreach Videos > Videos > .On Project Videos).
Their work resulted in a harvest of 64 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: Successes:
-All students attended with the exception of one student who was sick; 2/3 mentors attended
-Justin McBride, Cairn mentor, stepped up to lead an team-building/ice breaker game that had students laughing and feeling more comfortable with each other quickly
-All work was completely on time and thoroughly; students worked well as a team
-2 students drove with VOC staff, Cairn mentors, and the volunteer Photographer to drop off the food at Metro Caring; we received a behind-the-scenes tour as a group
Challenges:
-Students finished taking down the garden quickly and might have enjoyed more work to do
-Not all students were able to participate in taking the produce to Metro Caring (optional activity) since most parents/guardians were picking them up right after the required portion of the event at Harvard Gulch was over
Lessons Learned:
Special Notes:
Stewardship Education:
Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers:
Description of Accidents/Incidents:
Description of Work Completed:
Details
| 6 and older |
