Et cetera : AmeriCorps NCCC Team Comes to Toledo, Ohio

By Yazmeen Green and Joy Holleman

The AmeriCorps NCCC team Cedar Two has arrived in Toledo to begin working with Toledo Botanical Gardens. The team is in the area until June 27, and is also working with ToledoGROWs, which is a community outreach program ran by the Gardens.

ToledoGROWs’ focus is on urban gardening and beautification projects that are located primarily within the inner-city neighborhoods of Toledo. It also strives to educate youth and lower-income residents about how including fresh fruits and vegetables in their diets can improve their lifestyles.

Toledo Botanical Gardens was established in 1964 and has grown to sixty acres. It is the only botanical garden in the region and is visited by more than 120,000 people each year. The purpose of the Toledo Botanical Garden is to educate the community in sustainability, horticulture practices, and proper nutrition. The Garden’s vision is to serve the community by providing a center for gardening and the arts, where people can visit and enhance their understanding. The Garden hosts environmental education classes, performing and visual arts classes and concerts, native plant programs, and annual wildflower rescues, as well as showcasing areas such as the rain garden and the hosta collection.

So far, the team has planted several thousand plants and assisted at the annual spring plant sale. They have also volunteered at Magee Marsh, where they helped remove invasive species. They have been enjoying learning more about nature and the importance and benefits of taking care of it.