The Rodney Reservoir in Wilmington has become a symbol for the resilience of community connections and how community advocacy can be used to secure a greener and safer future for those we care about. Green for the Greater Good is a group of concerned and engaged citizens who saw a space they held dear threatened by development when the city released plans to demolish the site. The Reservoir had long been a staple in the community, a beacon for those living nearby that held memories of summer concerts, ice skating, and childhoods long gone. In more recent years, though, the Reservoir has served as a community garden and gathering space that hosted free farm stand days offering neighbors free and fresh produce. Like most city parks, it also serves as green space to help offset the heat radiating from the roads and pavement surrounding it. These green spaces will become increasingly important as extreme heat events become more frequent and severe as the climate continues to change.
Green for the Greater Good has been working to envision a future for this space that honors its legacy and helps to bring folks together. They host community meetings often to discuss changes to the plans and community workshops to imagine how the space could be reborn after its demolition.
This Sunday, July 7th, they will be taking a field trip to Baltimore to explore other models of community gardens and urban forests to learn from the successes of other community organizers. This is a part of a larger Summer 2024 Community Garden Design Series aimed at gathering insights and ideas about what the Reservoir should look like in the future. Later in July, they will be hosting a Community Design Workshop on July 29 from 6-8pm at St. Francis Hospital next to the Rodney Reservoir. This workshop will focus on outdoor learning environments and food justice community projects, with community experts there to give insight.
In addition to these events, Green for the Greater Good will be hosting two more design events in August to develop a vision and influence the fate of the space. This is a great opportunity to learn about what it takes to create sustainable and community led spaces. What happens at the Rodney Reservoir has the potential to serve as a model for other communities throughout the state to protect their green and open space and transform it into something that helps combat climate change, food deserts, and a lack of safe gathering spaces for neighbors.
To learn more, visit the Green for the Greater Good website at https://www.greenforthegreatergood.org/community-garden-design