2020 Environmental Grant
Photo: Patricia Andersen
Native Plant Gardens for Pollinators and Birds
by Roots to Grow, NFL, Neola Street Community Garden (Park Forest)
Neola Street Garden was founded four years ago as a cooperation among Park Forest residents and participants in the South Suburban Recreation Association (SSRA) summer garden program for individuals with disabilities. At the center of this project is Roots to Grow, a volunteer non-profit group that has sustained the garden each year. The majority of the garden space is used as a cooperative community garden, providing fresh produce to the community and an attractive neighborhood garden area.
The 2020 TCAS Environmental Grant is being used to support the expansion of the garden with groupings of native plants that can sustain a diverse population of insects and birds. The addition will feature strategically placed beds and borders of annuals and perennials that are bird- and insect pollinator-friendly along with educational information about the plantings with QR code labels.
