1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Mobile (FUA) Region Northern America Short description of the intervention The Taylor Park Community Garden is part of the After School Tutorial Program and is managed by the Methodist Inner City Mission. Located in the Maysville and Oakdale areas of Mobile, Alabama, the garden primarily serves children from these communities. After receiving homework assistance, students from elementary and middle schools participate in the Gardening Program, where volunteers teach various gardening concepts and engage the children in hands-on activities. Taylor Park Community Garden is part of a network of community gardeners and urban farmers across the city called Mobile Urban Growers, which aims to increase access to fresh produce for everyone to contribute to tackling the high rate of diabetes (Mobile has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the United States) and food desert in Mobile (over 25% of Mobilians live in a food desert as defined by the USDA without access to fresh fruits or vegetables) (Ref 2). Taylor Park became part of the Mobile Urban Growers (MUG) after it began its operations around 2016 (Ref 2). The garden is open to the entire community, with Mobile Urban Growers and Mobile County Master Gardeners (a volunteer recruitment program) providing support and guidance. The produce harvested is shared among gardeners, participating children, local residents, and the Food Pantry at Central Presbyterian Church. (Ref 1) Website of the intervention https://www.mobileurbangrowers.org/new-page Principal problems Land use and Socio-economic change Agriculture/ crop production Resource Scarcity and Competition Food insecurity due to disruptions in food production and distribution Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Agricultural Address 1050 Baltimore St Mobile, AL, 36605 United States Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image Google maps https://www.google.com/maps/place/Taylor+Park,+Mobile,+AL+36605,+%C3%89tats-Unis/@30.6674795,-88.0630228,646m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x889a4e459524e487:0x19f725fd2e0cd19a!8m2!3d30.6677884!4d-88.0616731!16s%2Fg%2F11cknflwdy?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDgyMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D accessed on 29/08/2024 Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Public Greenspace Area Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2012 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2016 End date of the intervention ongoing Present stage of the intervention Ongoing 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention - Providing homework assistance to children from elementary and middle schools in the communities (Ref 1). - Teaching to the children various gardening concepts and activities (Ref 1). - Increasing access to fresh produce for the local community contributes to tackling the high rate of diabetes and food deserts in Mobile (Ref 2). Key Priorities Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Improving physical health Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Environmental education Sense of community and community engagement Economic development and employment (SDG 8) Economic development: agriculture Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12) Sustainable consumption Sustainable production Food scarcity / security Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities The project includes the following activities: - picking up children from school to take them to the garden (Ref 1) - Homework assistance (Ref 1) - Organization of gardening teaching and activities for children (Ref 1) - Distribution of the harvests among gardeners, participating children, local residents, and the Food Pantry at Central Presbyterian Church (Ref 1). - Members the NGO Mobile Urban Grower gather to maintain the garden on Saturdays (Ref 1) Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments) Knowledge creation and awareness raising Educational and awareness raising programs 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Community gardens and allotments Community gardens Amenities offered by the NBS Playgrounds Sports areas and equipment Swimming areas Educational or biodiversity trails Educational and research amenities (nature protection centre, monitoring stations) Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café) Design elements for well-being None of the above Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Provisioning services Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables) Cultural services Recreation Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational) Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings) Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area "The garden is located within Taylor Park in the Maysville and Oakdale areas of Mobile and serves children mainly from that area" (Ref 1) Demographics in Maysville in 2022: - population: 1,430 (Ref 4) - Median Age: 37.1 (Ref 4) - Average People Per Household: 2 (Ref 4) - Median Household Income: $50,748 (Ref 4) - Ethnicity : Black 67.6% ; Some other race 18.6% ; American Indian 5.2%; White 4.6% ; Hispanic or Latino 2.4% ; Asian 1.1% ; Two or more races 0.3% ; Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.2% (Ref 5) Demographics in Oakdale in 2022: - Population: 8,562 (Ref 6) - Median Age: 38.3 (Ref 6) - Average People Per Household: 2 (Ref 6) - Median Household Income: $24,612 (Ref 6) - Ethicity : Black 79.91% ; White 20.09% (Ref 7) Socio-economic profile of the area Low-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Non-government actors Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches Citizens or community groups Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Young people and children Specify primary beneficiaries - the children from the primary and middle schools from Maysville and Oakdale neighbourhoods (Ref 1) - the gardeners, children in the Garden Program, area residents and the Food Pantry at Central Presbyterian Church who benefit from the distribution of the harvests (Ref 1) Marginalized groups Children, young people or youth groups Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups Homework assistance, gardening education and recreational activities are offered to the children Other beneficiaries Unknown 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Led by non-government actors Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative - the Methodist Inner City Mission (religious NGO): manages the After School Tutorial Program (Ref 1) - Garden volunteers (citizens): manage the Gardening Program (Ref 1) - Mobile Urban Growers (NGO): manage the garden (Ref 1) - Mobile County Master Gardeners (NGO): assist and offer advice for the garden (Ref 1) Key actors - initiating organization Non-government organisation/civil society Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Non-government organisation/civil society Citizens or community group Stages of citizen and community engagement On-the-ground implementation Level of citizen and community engagement Moderate Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Implementation of educational programs, workshops or trainings Formation of community-led groups responsible for the the implementation, maintenace or monitoring of the project Establishment of mentorship programs or partnerships with local institutions (e.g. schools, kinder gardens, hospitals, nursing homes) Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Dissemination of information and education Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Community & Social Groups Churches and other religious organisations or faith communities Public Services Schools Land owners Public space owned by the city Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Unknown Mandatory or voluntary intervention Voluntary (spontaneous) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Unknown Governace and decison-making instruments Educational and knowledge sharing instruments (e.g. science/ living labs, awareness raising campaigns, specific educational programs, green hubs) Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers unknown Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) unknown What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? unknown Source(s) of funding Unknown Type of fund(s) used Unknown Non-financial contribution Yes Who provided the non-financial contribution? Citizens (e.g. volunteering) Type of non-financial contribution Provision of labour Co-finance for NBS Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Green health model Green education model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation) Citizens / local communities 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Green space and habitat Increased green space area Expected increased green space area Description of environmental benefits -Increased green space area : "the garden is open all in the community" (Ref 1), "growing and maintain garden in and around Mobile" (Ref 2) Environmental impact indicators Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced unknown Green space area created (in ha) unknown Economic impacts Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation) Expected generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation) Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not) Achieved increase in agricultural production (for profit or not) Description of economic benefits - Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation): "A group of garden volunteers teach" (Ref 1) -Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not): "Produce harvested each season is shared with the gardeners, children in the Garden Program, area residents and the Food Pantry at Central Presbyterian Church." (Ref 1) Economic impact indicators Number of jobs created (e.g. park maintenance, landscaping, ecotourism) unknown Increase in agricultural production (kg or %) unknown Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved access to urban green space Achieved improved access to urban green space Increased opportunities for social interaction Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Increased access to healthy/affordable food Achieved increased access to healthy/affordable food Health and wellbeing Gain in activities for recreation and exercise Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise Improved physical health Expected improved physical health Education Increased support for education and scientific research Achieved increased support for education and scientific research Social and cultural impact indicators Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha) unknown Total area of recreational green space created or restored (in ha) unknown Number of participants in outdoor activities or exercise programs in green spaces unknown Number of community events, gatherings, or volunteer activities organized in green spaces unknown Number of environmental education programs, workshops, outreach activities (eg. in schools, community centers, public spaces) 2 ( After School Tutorial Program and Gardening Program) Number of species of locally produced food harvested (in urban gardens, community orchards, or agroforestry plots) unknown Area allocated for sustainable food production (ha) unknown Description of social and cultural benefits -Improved access to urban green space: "the garden is open all in the community" (Ref 1), "the gardening program is one of the activities that the children are able to participate each week" (Ref 1) - Increased opportunities for social interaction: "time for the children to work and play in the Community Garden" (Ref 1) - Improved physical health: "Mobile has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the United States, and over 25% of Mobilians live in a food desert as defined by the USDA without access to fresh fruits or vegetables. MUG combats this hardship by providing tools and support for local gardeners and by making fresh produce available and free for the community at large." (Ref 2) -Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces: "the garden is open all in the community" (Ref 1) -Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: "time for children to work and play in the community garden" (Ref 1) - Increased access to healthy/affordable food: "making fresh produce available and free for the community at large." (Ref 2) -Increased support for education and scientific research: "The youth receive homework assistance" (Ref 1) " group of garden volunteers teach a curriculum that covers a variety of gardening concepts" (Ref 1); 2 educational programs were created ( After School Tutorial Program and Gardening Program) Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting No evidence in public records Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Unknown Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Description of locals satisfaction with the project unknown Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement Unknown High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas. Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project Transformative capacity Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them) Magnitude of change Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Mobile Urban Growers (n.d.). Taylor Park official webpage. Mobile, AL: Mobile Urban Growers, p. 1 Accessed on August 14, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Mobile Urban Growers (n.d.). Mobile Urban Growers website homepage. Mobile, AL: Mobile Urban Growers, p. 2 Accessed on August 14, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. City of Mobile (n.d.). City of Mobile website - Taylor Park webpage. Mobile, AL: City of Mobile, p. 1 Accessed on August 14, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. point2homes.com (n.d.). Maysville Demographics - point2homes.com. Mobile, AL: point2homes.com, Accessed on August 14, 2024, [Download]; 5. City-Data.com (n.d.). Maysville demographics 2 - City-Data.com. Mobile, AL: City-Data.com, Accessed on August 14, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. point2homes.com (n.d.). Oakdale demographics 1 - point2homes.com. Mobile, AL: point2homes.com, Accessed on August 14, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. Areavibe.com (n.d.). Oakdale demographics 2 - Areavibe.com. Mobile, AL: Areavibe.com, Accessed on August 14, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image Gardening Program involving children from the neighborhood ar Taylor Park Community Garden Mobile Urban growers website, accessed on 15/08/2024
Image Gardening Program involving children from the neighborhood ar Taylor Park Community Garden Mobile Urban growers website, accessed on 15/08/2024
