A big city might not seem like the best place to learn about nature and the environment. But one group in Washington, D. C. is trying to change that. City Blossoms is a non - profit organization, with the aim to bring nature to children who might not otherwise have green spaces. The organization has assisted in creating green spaces at seven elementary schools.
City Blossoms assists schools in creating and caring for the garden. But the gardens are mainly operated by the schools. McNerney partners with schools that already understand the importance of an outdoor education. "It's a school - run program that City Blossoms is supporting," McNerney said. "We don't want it to be a 'plop and drop' where it's seen as a City Blossoms garden and it's not fully embraced by the community, because that won't really lead to a sustainable garden program."
"At the end of the day, we're not designing these sites," said Isa Zambrano, who oversees the community gardens for City Blossoms. She helps maintain the community spaces for City Blossoms. "The community designs it. Every garden takes the shape of the community and the culture that exists there. Young children and older adults have gotten involved with the community green spaces," said Isa. During cooking lessons, for example, people will talk about meals that are special to their culture.
While City Blossoms' main goal is to teach children, many older families and adults have also gotten involved. The organization holds gardening lessons for all ages. Isa said the pandemic had made people want to spend more time outside experiencing nature. "People have really woken up to the fact that green spaces are really important in our communities," she added. "They have realized the good that comes from being outdoors and being disconnected from technology," she explained.
