Raised Bed Education Garden + Community Event Kickoff

This project transformed a long closed, city owned site in Lancaster’s SoWe neighborhood into an emerging, community centered environmental education hub. Building on an existing rain barrel and compost bin, the first phase added a raised bed education garden and launched the space through a Fall Earth Day event. While the project will be completed in two phases, with expansion planned for spring 2026, the initial stage already exceeded goals for participation, partnerships, and neighborhood engagement.

The Fall Earth Day event served as the official garden launch and drew strong community involvement. Residents helped build and plant the raised bed, learned about watershed friendly practices such as composting, rainwater capture, native plants, and stormwater management, and connected with a wide range of local environmental organizations. The event attracted 350 attendees, engaged 45 volunteers, and brought together 16 partner organizations, including eight new partnerships formed through the project. Educational activities and hands on demonstrations increased awareness of how everyday actions can improve local water quality.

Beyond the event, the raised bed garden now demonstrates a visible closed loop food and compost system using on site compost and shared stewardship. The space has become a recognizable neighborhood destination for learning, gathering, and growing food, with ongoing plans for shared maintenance, monthly garden tours, and produce harvesting. The second phase will significantly expand the garden, add pollinator plantings and storage, and deepen education opportunities. Together, these efforts establish a replicable model for turning underused urban spaces into lasting centers for community led environmental stewardship.