Service at Buena Vista’s Community Garden
By James Baldwin, Katie Russell, Bryce Gardner and Lacy Rodriguez
On April 5, 2021, students from Southern Virginia University’s environmental science class decided to serve the community while completing their class project. One of these students, Hayden Mortenson (‘22), led his group in completing all of the work needed to get the Community Garden prepared for the growing season.
Located at 1704 Magnolia Ave. Buena Vista, Va., the Buena Vista Community Garden is a place where members of the community can reserve garden boxes for personal growing, or share with others in need. There is no fee to participate in the community garden, but it is asked that those using it follow through with growing the flowers or vegetables of their choice.
Sam Roberts, who took over the management of the Community Garden several years ago, says that her goal with the garden is to “make it a space that is welcoming,” and is “inviting the public to come and enjoy the beauty of the garden.” However, she has a hard time maintaining the entire garden by herself.
That is when Mortenson and his environmental science group learned there was an opportunity to serve the community. Together they rounded up members from the Southern Virginia University Service Club, Southern Virginia University swim team, and the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Young Women’s group to assist in the project.
The students and volunteers cleaned and painted base coats on the garden boxes for designs to be painted on them later, while also helping clear the grounds of debris and trash.
Joshua Licona (‘24), a member of the University’s swim team, says, “[We] had a great time being able to paint the garden and make it look cleaner for the community while having fun serving with friends!” Another swimmer, Sally Osterman (’24) says, “Painting the boxes made the garden shine just a bit more, now all it needs is some plants!”
Mortenson says it was fun being able to get out and serve again, and that it inspired him “to buy some seeds of his own” to start his own personal garden. He hopes that more service opportunities will arise as the weather gets warmer. Mortenson also states that “it felt good to help” the community while completing a project for school.
Roberts adds that she was very grateful for the service they provided, stating that “they went through and wiped out, in a few hours, a project that would have taken me at least a week to complete.”
You can sign up to reserve your own garden boxes on Facebook @BVCommunityGarden. Signups close on May 10 and planting can begin once you have signed up.
