SWIMGA had planned a 2020 Leadership Conference on Cultivating Our Diversity that was cancelled due to COVID-19. Leaders did not want their efforts to go to waste, so they developed five questions and named focus groups and mem­bers to develop recommendations.  The five focus group questions were these:

1. How can SWIMGA increase ethnic diversity and what community groups would we partner with to develop projects?
2. How can SWIMGA increase age diversity in the group (especially younger MG)?
3. How can SWIMGA provide more gardening opportunities for people with mo­bility and accessibility barriers?
4. How can we increase the diversity of educational experiences offered by SWIM­GA and what topics would be of interest in the Promised Zone or downtown?
5. At what specific locations can we conduct education projects and co­ordinate in the development of gardening projects, what ones can we use in existing SWIMGA gardens; and what pilot projects would need to be developed?

35+ Master Gardeners contributed to the focus groups on diversity. They were able to put together a plan that not only combined the 2017 Strategic Plan, but also, the recommendations from the focus group questions.  Projects began in 2021.

2024 UPDATE: The YE&D Committee has been busy this growing season and have already laid the groundwork for next year’s projects.

YE&D activities fall under four categories: Youth Education, Community Garden Sites, Events/Giveaways, and the Diversity Advisory Board. Summer Youth Education events included Earth Day at Wesselman Woods and Hebron Elementary School Carnival.

Three educational events were completed at Easter Seals Early Learning Center.  Go HERE.

Butterfly education was held at Patchwork Central. The students learned about the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly and how they can help this threatened species. Students observed Monarch and Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars and chrysalides. After the program, the Patchwork kids learned about winter sowing, then planted Milkweed seeds in cups and left them to overwinter in the garden.

Albion Bacon Center community garden was established this year and by late summer the residents were enjoying the produce from the garden. Work at this garden will continue in the next growing season.

Harper Elementary School requested help in establishing a pollinator garden around a tree which had been planted in memory of Mrs. Kubecka’s son. In early June committee members helped her 3rd grade class prep the site with cardboard and mulch, and a few weeks later the nectar plants were installed. This special garden serves dual purposes as a pollinator garden for butterflies and a memory garden for Harper staff and students. Students painted memory stones in honor of lost family members to add to the garden. Volunteers monitored and watered the garden all season to ensure that the plants thrived. In August, Rita and I returned to the garden to release Eastern Swallowtail Butterflies and teach the students about their life cycle, as seen in the photo to the right.

YE&D participated in several community events this summer. Volunteers participated in the monthly plant and produce giveaway at All Saints Parish through October. In early August, volunteers handed out flyers and plants at the Emancipation Celebration hosted by Evansville African American Museum. In spite of the rain, they attended “EVs for EVVeryone” hosted by Tri-State Creation Care in September. And finally, in late October, volunteers quickly gave away hundreds of plants to eager attendees at Fiesta Evansville.

The Diversity Advisory Board met in July. The DAB consists of members from the community and collaborates on ways to facilitate diversity and inclusion in future YE&D projects. New members of the DAB for 2024 are include representatives from EPD and Wesselman Woods. The board suggested increasing community engagement by recognizing “Best Backyard Garden” in the downtown area. This would give SWIMGA an opportunity to connect with some of the 12 neighborhood associations and community gardens in downtown Evansville. YE&D plans to form a subcommittee to explore ideas such as criteria for recognition and awarding signage or gift cards to the winners.

The YE&D committee met in mid-September to review progress and discuss community projects for next year. Community projects at Melrose Assisted Living, Vogel Elementary School, and a City Park near Liberty Baptist Church were discussed.

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