The accessible pathway project at the Rockland Community Garden will create a safe, inclusive route connecting the garden directly to the nearest street entrance and our designated parking lot, which is quite a distance across the park. At present, visitors must walk across uneven grassy areas, which can be challenging for seniors, people with mobility limitations, families with strollers, and volunteers transporting tools or materials. The new gravel pathway will provide a stable, accessible surface that improves safety and makes the garden easier to reach.
This pathway will not only benefit garden members, volunteers, and program participants, but also local residents who use the surrounding public park daily for walking, recreation, and community activities. By improving connectivity within the park, the project will create a more welcoming and accessible space for the broader community.
We believe that accessibility should be built into all new public projects, as a standard. The community garden was built for the members of the Rockland community and it needs to be a welcoming and comfortable space for everyone, regardless of mobility limitations.
The garden is also Rockland’s first community garden and provides new opportunities for many of its urban dwellers to get outside, garden, grow their own food, and make new social connections. To make it a success, it’s important that we do not perpetuate existing barriers found in many community gardens and public spaces and that we focus on finding ways to enable participation in this new community-focused initiative.
We view this project as more than just a garden. It's a positivity movement - one that hopefully sets a precedent for inclusivity and thoughtfulness at the onset of all public projects. We’re creating a unique community space where everyone can feel empowered to join, learn, make friendships, and lead a healthy, positive lifestyle. The ability to actively participate in what communities have to offer is so important to overall individual and community wellness.
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Removing systemic barriers to create equity at this community garden would mean an opportunity for all to participate and benefit.
The community garden is a special place that is free and almost 100% accessible to everyone in Rockland. The only thing left to upgrade is this path.
The Rockland Community volunteers continue to amaze me with their dedication to creating welcoming, accessible garden spaces and experiences for all to enjoy.
The community garden is a wonderful place for families to gather and share a common goal and form great friendships.
The Rockland Community Garden is where I fell in love with gardening. It helped me gain a hobby that benefitted my personal mental wellbeing and I got to enjoy nature. Everyone should have equal opportunity to reap the benefits of being in the Community garden! The Community Garden is a place of peace, prosperity, and friendship!!
The Rockland Community Garden is an inspiration for all rural communities. Adding the Accessible Pathways will make it more manageable for both young and old.