Discover the New Faces of Sustainability: ReWild Long Island’s 2024 Community Garden and Free Plants Recipients!
written by Samantha Jo
ReWild Long Island is thrilled to announce the launch of 21 new sustainable gardens, building on the success of the 13 gardens established in 2023. These gardens are the result of collaborations with community groups across Long Island and are accessible to the public. ReWild encourages these initiatives by providing consulting services, plants, and materials at no cost.
2024 Goals: Enhancing Local Ecosystems
The 2024 ReWild Gardens initiative focuses on enriching local ecosystems primarily using native plants. This effort continues the positive outcomes achieved with last year's gardens, which significantly benefited local environments and communities.
Promoting Biodiversity and Sustainability
The program aims to increase the presence of native plants in community spaces, enhancing biodiversity, supporting native wildlife, and improving soil health. The new gardens will be maintained by the local community groups.
Varied Approaches to Garden Development
Our partners employ diverse strategies in developing these gardens. Some focus on educational programs and community outreach, while others enhance public access to sustainable gardening practices. These gardens are designed to be low-maintenance and environmentally friendly.
Introducing the Youth-Design Pilot Program
We are excited to launch the Youth-Design Pilot Program with five schools. This initiative educates students about native plants and sustainable practices through a hands-on curriculum. As part of the program, students design a garden for their school and bring it to life by planting it in the fall.
ReWild Long Island looks forward to the continued growth and success of the Community Gardens Program, fostering a sustainable future for our Long Island community.
Our Free Plants Grant
We are thrilled to announce an additional reward program to support rewilding projects in local communities. In addition to the Community Gardens Program, we conducted a soft launch of the Free Plants Grants program. This program offers a $300 credit towards our Spring Native Plant Sale, which will enable local communities to further their rewilding efforts.
Discover the New Faces of Sustainability:
Image to the left: River and Roots Community Garden recipients (taken in March 2024).
Image to the right: Port Washington Water District Community Garden recipients. (taken in March 2024).
Check out the map view of the 2024 Grant Recipients:
Quote by Nancy DePas Reinertsen:
“As a recipient of the Community garden grant in 2023 and now a Board member of ReWild, I can’t express how happy I am to welcome all these new partners on Long Island... My experience has been quite life-changing, informative, rewarding, and positive in so many ways. Your lives, your thoughts, and your green spaces will be transformed for the better. Btw, native plants are an addiction, the best kind I know.”
Congratulations to our 2024 Garden Program recipients:
City of Glen Cove
The City of Glen Cove integrates a youth program into its community garden, extending vegetable beds beyond their fences for public enjoyment. More details can be found at the City of Glen Cove.
Great Neck Synagogue
This synagogue is converting a large section of its front yard into a ReWild garden to educate the community about rewilding. Learn more at Great Neck Synagogue.
Manorhaven Elementary School
Manorhaven School is expanding its Native Habitat Garden with ReWild plants, integrating the garden into its educational curriculum. Additional information is available at Manorhaven Elementary School.
Port Washington Water District
The water district aims to demonstrate sustainable gardening with minimal watering and maintenance, inviting community members for tours. Visit Port Washington Water District for more details.
Harborfields Public Library
Led by the Assistant Director and librarians, the library's “Green Team” is expanding its native plant garden to support local garden clubs and community plant sales. More information can be found at Harborfields Public Library.
Sweetbriar Nature Center
The nature center provides natural science education and wildlife rehabilitation, supported by a garden maintained by volunteer gardeners. Visit Sweetbriar Nature Center for more details.
Johanna’s Hope
This organization creates accessible environments for exploring arts and nature, educating participants about the benefits of native plants. Learn more at Johanna’s Hope.
River and Roots Community Garden
River and Roots Community Garden’s purpose is to promote, create, and sustain community gardening in downtown Riverhead, NY. In addition to having raised beds available each growing season we are working towards the betterment of the community while growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and to share the joys of gardening. The goal is to convert one space to a sustainable and pollinator-friendly native garden outside the fence as well as revitalise and expand another garden space for the public to enjoy. Visit River and Roots Community Garden for more details.
Peconic Community School
An independent school that aims to have a robust gardening program centered around a native garden. More details can be found at Peconic Community School.
Weldon E. Howitt Middle School
The school's Garden Club manages a native plant garden that provides habitat for local wildlife, with plans for expansion. Visit Weldon E. Howitt Middle School for more information.
Three Village Historical Society
The historical society aims to educate the public through its native garden located at their historical homestead museum. Learn more at Three Village Historical Society.
Oldfield Middle School
This school uses its rewild project to educate students in science and English about native plants and pollinators. Additional details are available at Oldfield Middle School.
North Fork Audubon Society
Focusing on native berries for migrating birds, the audubon's garden will be an educational space within a deer fence. Visit North Fork Audubon Society for more information.
First Universalist Church
The church is reducing water usage and dependence on non-native species through its new native garden. Learn more at First Universalist Church.
The Vine Church
Committed to ecological sensitivity, the church is transforming its lawn into a native meadow. Additional details can be found at The Vine Church.
Half Hollow Hills High School East
We are partnering with Half Hollow Hills High School East students to educate them about native plants, community science implementation, and design principles to enable them to design their school garden. Learn more at Half Hollow Hills High School East.
Queens Metropolitan High School
We are partnering with Queens Metropolitan High School students to educate them about native plants, community science implementation, and design principles to enable them to design their school garden. Learn more at Queens Metropolitan High School.
Patchogue-Medford High School
We are partnering with Patchogue-Medford High School students to educate them about native plants, community science implementation, and design principles to enable them to design their school garden. Learn more at Patchogue-Medford High School.
Dodge Garden
We are partnering with the Summer Youth Organizers to expand the ReWild Garden with a new rain garden this year, following our youth-design program along with the other high school partnerships. Learn more at Dodge Garden.
Bridgehampton School
We are partnering with Bridgehampton School students to educate them about native plants, community science implementation, and design principles to enable them to design their school garden. Learn more at Bridgehampton School.
Third House Nature Center
An environmental education organization using a ReWild Garden to educate the public about native planting benefits. Visit Third House Nature Center for more information.
Congratulations to our 2024 Garden Program recipients:
3 Village Community Trust
This historical house project aims to slow rainwater runoff and retain it before it reaches the waterway.
Copiague Memorial Public Library
Their native plant gardens replace a 1200 square feet lawn, require less water and fertilizer, and eliminate mowing. The native garden continues to expand and flourish over the years.
Eagle Elementary School- “Grow to Learn” Club
This elementary school garden club teaches students the importance of appreciating nature, from its beauty to its role in the environment. Native plants are being planted on school grounds for all students and faculty to enjoy.
Farmingdale State College's Pollinator Garden
This college’s Office for Sustainability aims to showcase a variety of native plants and foster biodiversity, while also raising awareness about the importance of pollinators.
Girl Scouts of Nassau County
The garden will be primarily planted with perennials and native plants, aimed at boosting pollinator diversity and population increase, functioning as a rain garden.
Long Island Children's Museum
This museum aims to incorporate native Long Island plants into the outdoor classroom and play area, with a focus on serving families and children in the area.
Monarchs Matter
A nonprofit organization supporting monarch butterflies and biodiversity plans to distribute milkweed plants to ReWild Long Island Summer Program volunteers and interns. They will plant the milkweed in their own yards to learn about the butterfly's life cycle and support monarchs.
Nesaquake Middle School, National Junior Honor Society
The school club plans to create a beautiful native garden in front of the school to welcome students, visitors, and passersby.
Wheeler Avenue School Retirees and Faculty Garden Committee
This school's pollinator garden, which has been in the works for over a decade, has become a thriving outdoor study area and is now planning to make further improvements with the awarded native plants.
A Special Thank you to our funders
We are proud to receive support for this project from the Peter & Jeri Dejana Foundation, Community Chest of Port Washington, Greentree Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), and Long Island Community Foundation (LICF). We would like to thank these organizations for their contributions and for enabling us to make this happen.
ABOUT THE Writer
Samantha Jo graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Queens College, and carries an entrepreneurial spirit embedded by her immigrant parents. After working for a few years in the finance industry, she leaned into her interest in health & wellness and found a passion for sustainability. Now an accredited Master Composter and Permaculturist, she is the full-time ReWild Gardens Project Manager.