Building Engagement in Communally Based Gardens

Goals

This project aims to build community engagement in and expand leadership of the Methodist Community Garden.  In Winter 2025, Vanessa Manakova and Sequoia Marx launched the Methodist Community Garden Club. This concept has also been expanded to the St. Michael's Community Garden since. This project will work to continue to increase participation in the club and create new leadership opportunities for club members.

This project aims to increase sustainable food production and community engagement within the Methodist Community Garden in Isla Vista (IV). The project focuses on expanding participation and leadership opportunities while creating a sense of collective ownership among garden members. By doing so, it increases access to fresh produce and cultivates a welcoming environment where community members feel empowered to form meaningful relationships. Additionally, growing food locally helps reduce transportation-related emissions and pesticide use, alleviates food insecurity in IV,  and strengthens community bonds.

Methodist Community Garden is open to everyone and designed to be cared for collectively. As Garden Coordinators, Sequoia Marx and Gizelle Perezchica provide consistent care for the garden while actively engaging volunteers and community members. Their work includes talking with community members, engaging the Methodist congregation in the garden, gathering input on what crops people want to see, and helping residents feel confident in taking responsibility for the garden. They work to break down barriers that prevent people from entering or feeling comfortable in garden spaces. Many people feel unsure of their gardening skills or feel intimidated at the prospect of using the garden space, but the Garden Coordinators have mitigated these issues through the creation of the Garden Club. 

Garden Club is an effective way to promote leadership and empower community members into taking on roles in decision-making. It establishes a regular meeting time for community members to come together and discuss any garden-related issues while also influencing key decisions. Members are encouraged to take initiative within the garden through leading garden efforts independently, rather than relying on the Garden Coordinators for direction. Garden Club creates an intermediate step between being an occasional garden volunteer and committing to a full Edible Campus Program (ECP) internship. Because ECP offers a limited number of internship positions each year, Garden Club expands the number of available leadership roles. 

Last year Garden Club members repainted garden beds, choosing a light blue color for raised beds to align with the messaging the St. Michael’s Community Garden uses to communicate which of their beds are available for community harvesting. Since St. Michael’s is also managed by ECP and is located in the same neighborhood, this system helps create a consistent, unified message for local gardeners. Additionally, Garden Club members partnered with the Gaucho Graphics student club to create a mural and decorative design for the raised beds that incorporated leaves and fun images of local wildlife.