1. ~ Arlington Heights ~ Community Garden Not actual photo of Arlington Heights Community Garden @Thomas Place Community Center

2. Community gardens are publicly functioning in terms of ownership, access, and management. They provide access to fresh produce and plants as well as access to satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, sense of community and connection to the environment. A community garden brings a community closer. A community garden can be as diverse as its communities of gardeners. Some gardens choose to solely grow flowers, others are nurtured communally and their bounty shared, some have individual plots for personal use, while others are equipped with raised beds. AHNA’s Community Garden will incorporate ALL of these attributes. Community gardens allow citizens to grow their own food or donate what they have grown. The gardens also combat two forms of alienation that plague modern urban life, by bringing urban gardeners closer in touch with the source of their food, and by breaking down isolation by creating a social community. It has also been found that active garden communities experience less crime and vandalism. What is a Community Garden? A single piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people Data on this slide sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_garden

3. Starting from the ground up… …that means we need lots of things to get going! Volunteers Interest, time, knowledge Tools & Materials To build and maintain Plants By donation or from seeds

4. Volunteers Build plots Fill dirt / compost Plant / Seed drive “Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.” ~Lou Erickson First steps In process Starts April 10 th May June

5. Veggie / plant swap (or sale!) Fencing Tool drive Classes through the center Establish larger Communal Garden Drip irrigation system; rain barrels Next Steps / Future Ideas

6. Take pride in your neighborhood, the results of your hard work, and the contributions of those who worked alongside you. To learn more, share an idea, or volunteer… CONTACT: Tatiana Wicke Director, AHNA Community Garden twicke@gmail.com Volunteer for the Community Garden!