“A beautiful and strenuous, fatiguing experience.” That’s how Zuri California, an agroecology and global and community health double major, and co-lead intern for the People of Color Sustainability Collective (PoCSC) described restoring the beloved Stevenson Community Garden.
After many years, the Stevenson Community Garden is making its return. But reopening this garden goes beyond additional opportunities for harvesting vegetables and fruits: it’s about returning spaces back to marginalized groups.
The Stevenson Community Garden shut down pre-pandemic due to a loss of student workers and a supervisor, leading to decreased student engagement and little funding to maintain the functionality of the space. Students began restoration this past winter quarter, after PoCSC received an email from Julie Phillips, college student life interim director, searching for students interested in stewarding the garden. California jumped on the opportunity.
“I hadn’t really been in the Stevenson Garden since coming here,” California said. “It’s only my second year, but I feel like we all saw really big potential in the space.”
Since winter quarter, PoCSC has dedicated countless hours into repurposing the Stevenson Community Garden into a space where students can form connections while caring for produce. At the forefront of this project are two PoCSC interns: California and Cyra Bybee, a second-year plant science and agroecology double major.
Reviving the garden has been the result of dedication, teamwork and cooperation. The space had been taken over by many overgrown plants and invasive species. Students worked hard to restore the garden as the soil needed to be tended, paths repaved, beds weeded and trees pruned.
Student volunteers pull weeds to prevent the emergence of invasive species and provide space for new plants to grow.
“I really love the Garden Coalition and how it’s bridging all of the campus gardens together,” said Lele Quinteros, a third-year environmental studies major. “I hope that Stevenson Garden is a space for everybody who’s learning, [for] all beginners to feel welcome in this space. We’re all newcomers to this garden.”
Both California and Bybee emphasize a horizontal work structure, placing equal value on all perspectives. Bybee incentivizes these values through her efforts in bringing liveliness and familiarity into workdays.
“It’s a really good vibe,” Bybee said. “We have music playing and people are laughing. We just see what needs to be done and then everyone gravitates to the role that they want to do.”
PoCSC as a whole aims to amplify the experiences of students of color interested in environmental justice and sustainability, which is further reiterated through the Stevenson Community Garden.
“In general, gardens are very powerful places for community growth,” Bybee said. “I think especially in these current times, it is increasingly important to have community spaces that are there for the people. Our main goal in this is to create a space where BIPOC students can get back into gardening and feel comfortable in these spaces because they have been largely excluded from environmental spaces in history.”
PoCSC has six interns along with a handful of volunteers who are in charge of regularly maintaining the garden.
Students built this altar in the Stevenson Community Garden as a place to commemorate lost lives or ancestors alongside providing comfort, solace and spiritual connection. Anyone is able to contribute to the shrine and add their own memorabilia such as flowers, photos, trinkets or other items that hold sentimental value.
California and Bybee are working to implement a paid stewardship position, create more dedicated hours at the garden and host more events. Even though the garden hasn’t fully reopened yet, PoCSC has already catalyzed their purpose through dedicating a portion of the Stevenson Community Garden toward Palestinian solidarity.
Through these measures, California and Bybee anticipate Stevenson Community Garden will formally reopen on May 1.
“To neglect any piece of land on this campus would be a shame,” said volunteer Min Phillips, a critical race and ethnic studies major. “There’s so much beauty, there’s so much nature on this campus that I think everyone would benefit from engaging with the campus.”
The Stevenson Community Garden offers a space of tranquility and community, allowing students to expand their skills and give back.