Groundwork Bridgeport: Botanical Learning Garden and Community Green Space

PaperSeed worked with Groundwork Bridgeport to provide a much-needed learning garden and accessible natural space for the community. This garden will also act as an attractive habitat for pollinators (bees and other insects, as well as hummingbirds, bats, and other small mammals). As an urban setting, there are few spaces within the city of Bridgeport to support these pollinators, which are vital to all life on earth.  

A before-shot of the learning garden.

While Connecticut is overall considered to be an affluent state, the Bridgeport community suffers from high unemployment and other societal ills that often plague urban areas, and Bridgeport is one of the top ten most dangerous cities in the country. People in urban settings often miss out on the myriad benefits natural settings can provide and, while there are two major parks in Bridgeport, CT, there is a dearth of small, neighborhood natural spaces.

Groundwork Bridgeport provides local students with both classroom and hands-on learning about botany, horticulture, and arboriculture. These positive after school activities are vital to the area’s youth, and provide them with tangible life-skills while helping to beautify and revitalize the city.

CellMark volunteers get out and volunteer with Groundwork Bridgeport

Work on the community garden is nearing completion, thanks in part to help from 151 volunteers (some of whom were from CellMark’s Norwalk, Shelton, and Bridgeport offices!) working over 11 community service days, installing a whopping 400 native plants. Sixty youth from Groundwork Bridgeport’s after-school and summer programs joined in as well, which truly enhanced their hands-on learning:

“The best part of the program was going outside to actually see and interact with what we were learning about in class rather than just sitting down and jotting down notes the whole time.”-Yanella M., High School Junior and Groundwork Bridgeport participant.

Youth participants found working in the botanical learning garden to be enjoyable, memorable, and rewarding. Youth also developed a stronger appreciation for the environment.

“After being a part of this program, my view of nature and the environment is that it is very significant and should not be taken for granted and we should all learn to preserve and take care of it.”- Paula C., High School Sophomore and Groundwork Bridgeport participant.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about the botanical learning garden is that its true impact is really just beginning. Residents walking by the space as Groundwork worked on it expressed interest, and they were excited to learn that the garden benefitted the area’s youth. For their part, the Groundwork team intends to use the garden to further engage the community, not only by making it available to passively enjoy, but by educating locals about healthy eating. Groundwork also intends to expand on the model started by their pollinator gardens by making plants available to residents, so that they may plant mini pollinator gardens at home.

We truly look forward to seeing the impact Groundwork’s learning garden will continue to make on Groundwork students and the Bridgeport community at large.