A Community Garden in Burien
In the city of Seattle, community gardens are not a new topic. There are currently over 75 p-patches or neighborhood community gardens totaling 23 acres-but even then, there are residents demanding an expansion of the program with waiting lists extending to over 2 years.
In a city a little southwest of Seattle, the story is a little different. Burien has only one community garden currently - and it started with the prompting of Sustainable Burien, when a group of dedicated volunteers partnered with a local art group to construct a community garden on an empty plot of land downtown.
A few years ago, the city government decided to assemble 10 acres of property in the central part of the city to support revitalizing the area. Then the city sold this land to a privately be developed within the city guidelines.
When all was said and done, two parcels remained unused. Working with the developer, an art group used the plot for free, taking on the insurance liability. Because the art group did not use the entire space, Sustainable Burien saw an opportunity for a garden.
After negotiating a one-year contract to use the property and the water supply, the volunteers brought in raised beds and then started getting the word out about the community garden.
Lucy Krakowiak, an active member of Sustainable Burien and a City Council member, would always point out the garden to those going in and out of City Hall. With this increased awareness, the city became interested in taking it over.
Over the next year, Sustainable Burien worked with the city to identify a piece of city-owned property that could be utilized for a long-term community garden space. Now city managed, the garden has 30 plots for community-members to rent and cultivate.
Though the city had a long-term plan to develop a community garden, Krakowiak says it took the prompting of Sustainable Burien to really get it started. This garden was the first big project that the volunteer-run organization completed since it was formed in 2008.
Now, the volunteers have taken a step-back from the community garden project because the city is managing the property. An important aspect of the project was the relationship that Sustainable Burien built with the city. Though members of the organization are still a part of the garden, they trust the city to manage it and expand it as needed.
With that handed off, Sustainable Burien can focus on other areas. To ensure that the organization does not get over stretched, an interest group needs to have three individuals willing to manage it from the beginning. In the case of the community garden, it really took the dedication of one volunteer champion to ensure the project was completed.
The central focus of Sustainable Burien is monthly educational gatherings, where anyone interested, including volunteers and the organization's chord (similar to the board of other organizations) rotate between listening to featured speakers and doing hands-on projects each month. The subjects develop organically based on the interest of the groups, ranging from a bird count to visiting a sustainable garden to learning about the issues around surface water and storm water management. Recently, they worked with a local food bank to support thier efforts to develop a garden. As Krakowiak says, the goal of the organization is to have things happen "with ease."
In their efforts - as seen in the community garden-Sustainable Burien often takes a partnership approach. This Sunday, the organization and its partner, the Environmental Science Center, will be focusing on rain gardens. Along with their monthly gathering, they will hold a free workshop entitled "Your Sustainable Yard: Rain Gardens, Native Plants, and More" featuring speakers from Stewardship Partners and People for Puget Sound. Learn more about the workshop.
While one of their largest challenges is finding a consistent location, Sustainable Burien is also always looking for more people to get involved and get excited about educating themselves and others about sustainability. Learn more about their organization on their website and contact Lucy Krakowiak if you want to get involved.
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