PATHWAYS PROFILE Community Ecology Institute... ...continued from page 33
To date, Nourishing Gardens installations have served more than 84,000 residents and families in Howard County that have new access to pollinator and food growing gardens. One of the teachers associated with a school installation shared, “Aside from the educational oppor- tunities, our garden is first and foremost a source of school pride! Kids love that THEIR school has a garden. Many students have never had the opportunity to garden and they love being involved...others who have been exposed to a garden are sharing and showing what they know with their classmates.” Community Impact and Partnerships All told, in 2022, CEI nourished the community’s health, skills, land, and relationships. During the year, CEI had direct and substan - tial engagement in ways that enhanced mental and physical health, sense of connection with the community, and awareness of the impor- tance of environmental stewardship. For instance, we grew more than 26,000 plants in our greenhouse, half of which were sold directly to community members so they could grow their own food. The other half was either planted at Freetown Farm or throughout the community as a part of our Nourishing Gar- dens program. More than 5,000 pounds of fresh produce was grown at Freetown Farm and donated or sold to food banks and other orga- nizations in the area. Strong partnerships and collaborations are not only critical to CEI’s work, but core to our mission. Mutually supportive relationships are foundational to community health and illustrated everywhere in nat- ural systems. The NAACP, HopeWorks, and the Third all have a ro- bust presence at Freetown Farm, stewarding dedicated plots of land that benefit their memberships and missions. Columbia Community Care, Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, and Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services are all direct beneficiaries of the food grown at Freetown Farm. Students from the Howard County Public School Sys- tem, Howard Community College, Towson and Georgetown regularly participate in our internship program. We offer a safe and welcom - ing place to gather and collaborate for participants in Ohana, Volun- TEENS, the Indian Origin Network, and other community groups. We partner with Howard EcoWorks, BikeHoco, Master Gardeners, and the Watershed Stewards Academy on environmental stewardship initiatives. And the list goes on. We also have robust collaborations with numerous schools, community centers, and businesses, many of which benefit from our programs and/or have provided in-kind dona - tions to CEI, and with local grant funding organizations. To date, all of the community members we have served at Freetown Farm have had to accommodate our lack of any indoor amenities — but all of that is about to change. We recently began a significant reno - vation of the 4,000 square foot “barn” at Freetown Farm, which we are transforming into a Community Engagement Center . Originally built in 2009 by the previous farm owner, the structure embraced a number of green-building features; but it lacked electricity, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and all the needed interior fin - ishes and permits. A team of experienced architects and sustainable building practitioners have worked with CEI to design and implement a comprehensive, integrated building system and envelope strategy that renovates the barn into an operational space for CEI’s staff and program uses — a structure that demonstrates ecological building principles and practices. Completion of the first phase of the project this spring provides CEI with a use-and-occupancy permit with a fully functional, deeply continued on page 39
Loving Nature, Healing the Earth
At The Earth & I , we understand that everything and everyone come from the same sacred source and recognize that we are on a shared path of healing ourselves and the planet. Therefore, we can’t help but take a global perspective on the environmental issues of today and account for the needs of all people.
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theearthandi.org Environmental Online Magazine
34—PATHWAYS—Spring 23
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