The city of South Portland Sustainability Department is excited to announce the launch of its 2024 Resilient Yards program. The goal of the program is to provide technical expertise and resources to promote the transformation of South Portland properties into organic, resilient landscapes. The city has partnered with Maine Audubon, Garbage to Garden, Wild Seed Project, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Friends of Casco Bay and UMaine Cooperative Extension to bring this program forward.
Last year, South Portland launched an inaugural 100 Resilient Yards program, and there was astounding interest from residents to participate, with over 430 applications. After choosing 100 sites, we provided technical expertise and resources to help residents begin to transform their properties into organic landscapes founded on healthy soils. By the end of the program, with the help of eight partner organizations and 25 amazing volunteers, we had established 30 new vegetable gardens, sowed nearly 250 native plants and helped connect community members.
This year, the 2024 Resilient Yards program will build on that success and continue transforming properties with a spotlight on building resilience in our community and ecosystems. The program will focus on replacing lawn areas with native habitat gardens and vegetable gardens.
We are seeking volunteers to help us implement the program. This is a great opportunity for master gardeners, but you do not have to be an expert; the opportunity to help is open to all. Volunteer applications are now open until Friday, May 3.
The application to participate in the program will be open May 6-24. Participants will receive volunteer assistance, a resource package and educational materials to start the new garden. Preliminary site visits will take place in June and July, and volunteers will conduct installations in August and September.
For more information and to apply as a volunteer, please visit southportland.gov/resilientyards.
Jenna d’Arcy is an AmeriCorps/GPCOG Resilience Corps Fellow serving in South Portland’s Office of Sustainability through September 2024. She can be reached at jdarcy@southportland.org. Our Sustainable City is a monthly column in the Sentry intended to provide residents with news and information about sustainability initiatives in South Portland. Follow the Sustainability Office on Instagram @soposustainability.
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