Gianna Venturi
The Broadside
On Oct. 10, 2010 over 170 countries celebrated local solutions to global climate change and for the first time Bend participated.
It was called the 10/10/10 Global Work Party and organizers stressed that there is an “emphasis on both work and party.”
Children and organizers all pitched in to create a community garden that they hope will provide inspiration for Bend. The whole point was to do something that will help prevent global warming in the city or community.
In Kampala, Uganda, volunteers planted thousands of trees. In Bolivia, participants installed solar stoves for a massive carbon picnic and in the Maldives solar panels were placed on the president’s office.
The Environmental Center, located downtown on Kansas Avenue held the event. The center is renting a 5,000 square foot vacant lot right next door which when completed will become a community-learning garden.
This helps climate change by having locally grown food and beneficial compost said organizers.
Everybody is welcome to be involved in the garden as a community.
Children from Bend Boys & Girls Club along with Amity Creek Elementary students will collaborate to prepare the garden in the fall and plant vegetables and flowers during the spring.
“By growing fresh vegetables, the kids will learn good food habits,” said Sarah Edwards, the fine arts coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club. “It will be nice to be part of the neighborhood.”
The work on Sunday was the start of Phase I of the project. People built workbenches, raised beds and rock pathways.
“We are very excited for the 10/10/10 Global Work Party, there are multiple things to plug in on,” said Denise Rowcroft, the sustainability educator at the Bend Environmental Center. “No experience needed-just help.”
The work began at 10 a.m. at the Kansas Avenue Learning Garden on 10/10/10.
Organizers encourage community participation.
“This is about so much more than just climate change,” said Rowcroft.
You may contact Gianna Venturi at [email protected]