Sacred Places
Beach 41st Street Gardens
Thirty plots washed away by Sandy, and reclaimed.
WHERE
Queens, NY
SETTING
Neighborhood
PARTNER INSTITUTION
Bon Secours Community Works – Coming Soon
Visit
Where it is
38-20 Beach Channel Drive, Queens, NY 11691
What happens here
The plots are reclaimed and thriving again. The garden doubles as a research site, where scientists have observed how community engagement in greening efforts aids social resilience following a disaster.
HOW IT CAME TO BE
Two years of weeds.
01
The Need
The garden had been a vital part of the community for more than two decades when Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012 and devastated much of Queens. The storm surge washed away all 30 plots. After the water receded, one year passed and then another, and weeds thrived where residents had once cultivated vegetables and flowers.
02
The Vision
In early 2015 a National Nature Sacred Awards grant brought together social scientists from the US Forest Service, researchers from Cornell University, community members and organizers, and landscape designers to restore and improve the garden.
03
The Transformation
The 30 plots were reclaimed. A pavilion and benches were added to the garden area to further encourage community building and individual reflection.
HEAR FROM THE VISITORS
From the Little Yellow Journal
We save the bees, we save our trees, we save ourselves!
– Jessica G.
