During this webinar, you will hear the story of how a team of guerrilla gardeners in Oxnard, California, USA, a low-income farming Latino community facing urban decay, changed the way urban green spaces and public landscaping were viewed. When MiniNature Reserve began their work in 2022, the city had a clear inequity between access to green spaces. In poorer areas of the city, the few parks that existed were full of trash, parkways were only dirt, and the few natural spaces on the fringes were restricted or toxic. Meanwhile, in more affluent neighbourhoods, manicured water-intensive landscapes predominated. The narrative was clear: access to nature and beauty came with a fee. But utilizing guerrilla gardening and community building, demand a change in the way folks viewed green spaces and parkways in cities. Blending direct action, fun events, and education, the group has been able to transform barren parkways into native habitats that sustain community with food and materials - all with minimal funding. All of this has even impacted local legislation – changing the city’s landscape standards which only allow grass in parkways.
Guerrilla gardening
Youth leadership
Leading people with intention
Changing strategies and adaptability over the course of an organization’s life
Environmental organizations looking to do things differently
Anyone who is interested in hearing stories about how to counter environmental racism
Anyone interested in environmental justice
Foundations/funders with environmental mandates
Chúk Odenigbo, Consulting Director of Evaluating Impact at Tamarack Institute
Diego Magaña, Co-Founder, MiniNature Reserve