Oasis in the Desert: The UNLV Campus Community Garden
In the middle of Las Vegas, behind the university, the UNLV Campus Community Garden offers much to the community. Its mission is to help create a sense of community, learning, and sustainability among students, faculty, and staff through the common goal of producing 100% organic, natural harvests.
Andie Davis, the garden manager at the UNLV Campus Community Garden, took the time to talk about the garden in more detail. She also expressed her admiration for working in the garden and having the opportunity to meet many people there.
“The garden was built in 2015 on a piece of the property secured for the Rebel Recycling Center, both of which were founded and created by the UNLV Sustainability Coordinator, Tara Pike,” Davis said.
In April, Andie Davis received the first-ever CSUN Award of Excellence at the 2022 Rebel Awards ceremony.
Activities at the Garden
Although there aren’t any special events planned at the garden right now, Davis says they recently held the largest event to occur at the community garden during Earth Week to celebrate Earth Day, sponsored by their student government CSUN. April was also Garden Month, pairing perfectly with the Earth Day celebrations.
“We had over 50 people come to enjoy workshops led by different organizations: The Master Gardeners of Southern Nevada, Student Sustainability Council, UNLV Audubon, The UNLV Chapter of the Wildlife Foundation, Sundown Mushrooms, and Mohave Mushrooms,” she said. “We planted four fruit trees that Nevada Plants provided.” Since this event took almost two months of planning, they foresaw a more open schedule now that summer break is coming up.
“The garden will continue operating over the summer, but student involvement will be reduced since most of our members will be on vacation or [otherwise]. I want to plan an event in the future to occur later in the evening so we can avoid the hot summer temperatures, maybe a movie night in the garden,” Davis said. “Over the summer, the garden focus on infrastructure developments as well, including repairs and maintenance.”
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The Importance of Gardening
During this interview in April during National Garden Month, Davis shared why gardening and Garden Month are important to her.
“I believe it’s a perfect opportunity to educate people on how to grow their own food and show others the importance of finding the time to be out in nature and appreciate the little things,” she said. “That’s what gardening means to me, and that’s what I try to show to others.”
Working in a community garden is an excellent opportunity to meet new people and develop a newfound love of nature. That’s just what happened with Davis. “My favorite part about working in the garden is meeting and connecting with so many people!” she said. “I have the opportunity to talk to folks at the UNLV Community and in the larger Las Vegas community that I probably wouldn’t have got the chance to meet if it weren’t for the garden.”
Davis also explained how she also learned more about plants from others too.
“I’ve had the opportunity to learn from people who’ve been involved with plants and gardening for their whole lives, and also those that don’t know anything about gardening at all,” she said. “A love of plants and community bridges all else and connects people in a way that few other things can.”
#GetinMotion with the UNLV Community Garden and Other Local Gardens
Even in Las Vegas, there are opportunities to garden and get outside! Though it might be more difficult in the summer, there are ways to manage a successful garden in the desert. Check out the UNLV Campus Community Garden’s website for more information, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for news and resources.
Keep an eye out for future events where the garden invites the community out!
People associated with the school, like students, staff, and on-campus organizations, can also apply for plots in the garden.
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.”
Alfred Austin
