Transforming empty plots and abandoned parks into thriving wild spaces for the community
In this three-part series, Rosalind Allen, Education and Families Development Officer for the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the U.K.’s largest nature conservation charity), shares her experiences during her recent sabbatical to the U.S. Rosalind embarked on the sabbatical to learn about the different approaches that organizations take to connect families with nature, with a focus on families who face multiple barriers to equitable access to nature.
This is the first installment of the series.
As I settled into my seat on the aeroplane to Newark Liberty Airport, I finally allowed myself to believe that this sabbatical project was actually happening and prepared for take-off on my first ever transatlantic flight! I had planned the trip thanks to the opportunity to travel to Maryland as part of the UK Community Creative Fellows program (led by NAS – National Arts Strategies), and I applied to take a four week sabbatical from my usual work in order to make the most of this time in the northeast United States. The restrictions and uncertainty due to COVID-19 meant that I had uncharacteristically only begun planning this extended trip in June, when the Children & Nature Network agreed to partner with me.
My sense of excitement and anticipation on the cool September morning of my flight was the culmination of three months of research and discovery, assisted by the Children & Nature Network and the additional people and organisations that were part of my itinerary. I had never travelled alone outside the UK, nor even journeyed out of Europe, so I was already feeling a sense of achievement for making it this far! The inspiring and welcoming people that I’d already met via video call or communicated with by email meant I was well prepared and eager to begin my adventure, incorporating train travel through six US states.
In New Jersey, I met up with Kristy Omelianuk, Network Engagement Manager for the Children & Nature Network. Kristy had helped me plan my sabbatical and connect with local organisations for my trip. Our first stops were two conservancy projects that are helping city residents connect with nature. Both conservancies also seek to combat food deserts, the term for areas in which people need to travel more than one mile to access fresh food.
We began our journey at Greater Newark Conservancy, an organisation that fosters community collaboration at the intersection of environmental, food, and racial justice. We had the pleasure of meeting their Executive Director, Natasha Dyer, who introduced us to Malcolm McClain, Director of Urban Agriculture & Food Initiatives. Malcolm is himself a graduate of the Conservancy’s Newark Youth Leadership Project, a paid internship programme for 14- to 18-year-olds.
Malcolm’s experience with the Conservancy made him a great host as he provided an informative tour of the Hawthorne Avenue Farm, describing the range of ways the site helps to bring nature and food justice to the area’s residents. The Conservancy has run the 3-acre farm since 2012, when soil was imported to enable food growing on this formerly residential plot. The Conservancy’s staff and volunteers manage approximately 90 rows of produce, plus an orchard, with produce being sold through the regular farmers markets that they hold onsite. Attractions such as a DJ, music, open mic and family-focused activities draw in local residents, who buy the fresh fruit and vegetables and may also access other health and social services provided.
The 269 raised beds at the Hawthorne Avenue Farm provide households with a safe, sociable space to grow their own food for only 15 dollars per year; the Conservancy provides soil, water, seeds and seedlings. There is also a ‘practise garden’ for people to do a gardening course prior to managing their own patch. Malcolm and I discussed how gardening can help to deepen people’s connection with nature as they spend time outside appreciating the seasons, growing plants, enjoying the sounds of nature and discovering the invertebrates that help keep soil healthy and control pests.
The Conservancy’s hub is on Prince Street close to the centre of Newark, New Jersey, where the Judith L. Shipley Urban Environmental Center campus features the Prudential Outdoor Learning Center, the Main Education Building, and the Conservancy’s administrative offices. The garden at the Prince Street site is an oasis of calm in the busy city centre. Consisting of 10 thematic pocket gardens with interpretation boards, it offers families and other community members an opportunity to explore a range of natural habitats, enjoy and learn about nature, and gain inspiration to create something on a smaller scale if they have a little outdoor space. The Conservancy’s historic Main Building served as a synagogue in the 1800s, then a Baptist church in the 1900s. Today, it provides valuable indoor space for learning and packing food boxes, including a classroom and a kitchen.
Our second conservancy stop brought us to nearby Elizabeth, New Jersey, where we met Elizabeth Conservancy President & Founder Cindy Coppa and Board Member Haydee Villacis. The Elizabeth Conservancy’s first project will be to transform a half-acre plot (previously four city lots) into a centre for families to play in nature and grow food. The project is taking shape, with nonprofit status secured, a board of trustees, a plan for the outdoor learning gardens and eco-centre (drawn up by Cindy), and local families already involved in clean-up activities for the project site.
Cindy explained that the neighbourhood is a higher density area, with many of the houses in the area occupied by up to four families. This means that many local children lack access to gardens and safe places to play in nature. As well as meeting this need, it is hoped that the Conservancy will become a focal point for the community, bringing people together and providing a reason for people to stay in the neighbourhood.
Next was a four-night stay in Baltimore, Maryland, during which I joined the biweekly tour and volunteer event at BLISS Meadows, a project of the nonprofit Backyard Basecamp. During the tour, staff member Jasmine Wilbourne described how founder Atiya Wells initiated this project which is helping to (re)connect people of colour with land and nature. The 10-acre site of BLISS Meadows is being regenerated from an abandoned 7-acre park and a 3-acre vacant lot to a community garden, farm, natural woodland and meadow habitat, helping the whole community to enjoy access to nature and fresh food. Once renovated, an empty house on the site will allow them to further extend their services, which already include summer camps.
Following an overnight train journey from Washington D.C., I spent two nights in Detroit, Michigan, where I discovered the city’s dramatic empty housing lot situation. Large areas of the city’s abandoned places are returning to nature through the work of various nonprofits, community initiatives and individual ventures including arboretums, natural play/community spaces and private gardens. Gretchen Abrams, Executive Director of Detroit Audubon, gave me a tour of some of the plots that have been transformed from abandoned parks into native wildflower meadows through the Detroit Bird City project.
A partnership among Detroit Audubon, the Detroit Parks and Recreation Department, and the Detroit General Services Department, Detroit Bird City has planted six native wildflower meadows totaling 13 acres, with 37 more acres scheduled for future development. The meadows require less maintenance than turf, beautify previously neglected public spaces, attract birds and other pollinators, and provide ecological services such as stormwater capture and pollution mitigation.
Gretchen explained to me the importance of taking the time to get the community on board — finding out what they want, providing resources to achieve their goals, and allowing for a ‘slow build.’ Additionally, she noted that ‘being intentional’ by adding features such as paths, benches and signage to help local residents to enjoy the wildlife helps residents to value these new spaces that form part of the patchwork of nature across Detroit.
After visiting four organisations across three states, I reflected on what I’d learned from my journey thus far. Whilst the projects that I’d visited varied in their focus and were at different stages of their journey, I noted that when community members initiate and take action for the benefit of their own community, the uptake and acceptance of the project is likely to be smoother. External organisations may bring advice, resources and expert guidance to communities, but if they begin a course of action, more lead-in time is often required to build relationships — which are crucial for a project’s success. Ultimately, the impact and longevity of initiatives depends on support from within the community that the project is aiming to serve.
Organizations that Rosalind visited:
For a deeper dive into the topics explored in this piece:
Learn more about BLISS Meadows founder Atiya Wells in this Finding Nature News feature
Balm in Gilead: Racism as an environmental Issue, nature as a healing force, to learn about the healing power of nature through birding and the ways that nature experience can vary due to race and ethnicity
Natural Detroit: Developing youth through the magic of nature, for more on the lesser-known bounty of wildlife and verdant outdoor spaces in Detroit, Michigan
Urban green space and its impact on human health, a summary of a scientific study finding links between urban green space and improved human health
Vitamin N in the city: Rekindling a relationship with nature in the city, to reconnect with nature in urban environs
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