Community partners are teaming up for Global Youth Service Day on April 19 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Community Garden in efforts to clean it up and prepare it to open to the community again.
Chairperson for the Friends of the Winnemucca Community Garden Committee Megan Toala said “There’s plenty of cleaning and organizing that needs to get done before we can start using [the garden], but we are so hopeful that this event will be another big milestone for this community garden to thrive again and that we’ll be another step closer to our grand re-opening day!”
Members of Just Serve, Winnemucca Leos Club (a subsidiary of the Lions Club), Nevada Outdoor School, the Rotary Club, and various other volunteers have organized a special event to gather people to be a part of yet another revitalization day for the garden.
According to Tanner Aimes, Vice Chairperson for the Friends of the Winnemucca Community Garden Committee, volunteers will be weeding efforts, trimming trees and bushes, repairing tables, finding places for tools and supplies, and taking a pile of debris from last year’s clean up to the dump. The pavillion and other trash will also be cleaned up as well.
“This service day is an absolute blessing for the continuous volunteers. Revitalizing the garden is really difficult work, especially for one to five people to do at a time. The garden can be an absolutely vital resource to the community when it is cared for.” explained Aimes.
Volunteers ages five to 25 are encouraged to participate (11 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian) but everyone is welcome to participate and there will be water, snacks, and food for anyone volunteering that day, including a bbq at 6 p.m.
“We are also excited for our community youth service members to learn more about our community garden and what it takes to make one flourish. We hope that they love the garden as much as we do that they’ll want to come back to plant their own seeds to grow. In fact, we can’t wait for the day all of our friends in the community can come together to enjoy this beautiful space of land,” said Aimes.
Volunteers should remember to wear proper work clothes, wear sunscreen, eye-protection, closed-toed shoes, gloves, and bring any gardening tools that they may have.
Toala said “If you aren’t able to volunteer, but would still like to help the cause we will need extra gear and equipment for our volunteers! Please reach out to us either through Facebook/Messenger, email at friendsoftheWCgarden@gmail.com, or come visit the Humboldt County Library to speak to Tanner and I if you’d like to help the garden in any way.”
Toala and Aimes share a number of responsibilities on the Garden Committee until more members become involved, but the duo have seen quite the outpour of support and appreciation for their efforts since starting their Facebook group— Winnemucca Community Garden.
Aimes said “We appreciate the volunteers that have helped to make our garden beautiful again. Whether it is donations of supplies, time, or just through spreading the word, we have received priceless help throughout this last year. There is a lot of work to be done, but the garden provides countless opportunities for our community to grow together.”
From the beginning their goal has been to get the garden open to the public again, but there is still a considerable amount of work to be done in the meantime and the two are hoping to inspire others to join the Community Garden Committee.
“This cleanup will be a big step towards making the garden operational. If we are renting out plots like what has been done in the past, there is still work to be done as coordinating plot rentals, money transactions, and all of the various working parts will be difficult with two full time workers managing. If we are able to find people to join the board, we can make this happen quicker.
However, for now there are plots that are clean and ready to go and we would like to begin planting so that we can provide those education opportunities for the kids, and provide produce to bring to the farmers market or the soup kitchen, or to any of the people that are unable to provide fresh produce for themselves,” said Aimes.
“We want this garden to mean something to people, even if it’s just a nice way to get outdoors, maybe a place for teachers to bring students who are learning about the lifecycle of a plant, maybe the weather is nice enough that you’d like to have your club meeting outdoors instead of somewhere inside. The community garden we have in town is such a beautiful and peaceful place and we want nothing more than the community to be able to utilize it again,” said Toala.
Revitalizing the garden will open it up for various opportunities and groups that can use it for unique educational opportunities, as well as creative art approaches in the future.
“The space is beautiful and we have already begun making plans with organizations to utilize the space, such as the White Sage Theater who want to perform pieces from Shakespeare in an event they call “Bard in the Garden”. There are countless educational opportunities for youth and adults alike, and while it sounds like we have more ideas than we can provide for, we also have valuable community resources that we are excited to partner with,” explained Aimes.
According to Toala and Aimes, Haley Argyle with Just Serve contacted most of the organizations that will be helping on April 19, which has been a big help.
Toala said “We also want to give Haley Argyle with Just Serve as well as the other organizations that have offered a helping hand a huge thank you for all their efforts in not only making our community a better place, but also working with the youth in our community in understanding why it’s so important to take care of our environment!”