As one of the only (if not the only) community garden in Inwood with a school
educational program, RING serves to provide a unique educational opportunity for the youth of this inner city neighborhood with a sense of respect for plants, wildlife (pond and butterfly ecosystems, and nesting robins), and the natural environment.
Since 1985, RING has had a fruitful relationship with Our Lady Queen of Martyrs school on nearby Arden Street. Each year science classes from grades 6 – 8 help maintain the garden, start annual plants indoors, plant spring bulbs, remove organic materials for composting at the school, care for pond fish (both during the winter when they are housed at the school, and in the warmer months, by assisting in pond cleaning), and assist RING with major garden projects and fundraising events.
RING‘s objectives are:
- to educate neighborhood adults and children in the arts and science of horticulture, aquaculture, butterfly habitat, and composting, and enhance their appreciation of the environment with hands-on experience,
- to increase our role as a focus for community involvement by including more members of the community. Enjoyment of the garden, care and cultivation of plants by volunteers, both in the garden and elsewhere in the community are some of the vehicles for achieving this.
- to improve the quality of life for neighborhood residents and businesses by maintaining and enhancing the garden and its immediate surroundings.
Community volunteers of all ages and interests participate in a variety of gardening and non-gardening activities. Visit our VOLUNTEER‘s page to read about these activities and to find out how you can help.
