When did the Youth GreenCorps begin? (click photo for slide show)

The Youth GreenCorps began meeting in early 2007 on Saturday mornings working together until the end of May. Spring indoor activities included: creating bird houses and bird feeders from recycled material, building and painting raised beds, painting and distributing garbage cans, participating in design charettes for the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden, co-sponsoring Trash Cantina on Earth Day at Woodland Park, establishing a community garden on
    Nelson avenue, and participating in the Health Fair at Lexington Traditional Magnet School.

 

   

    Birdhouses and birdfeeders

We built birdhouses from the model designed by retired University of Kentucky professor Wayne Davis who is a YGC friend. Each youth participant built and took home a birdhouse and a bird feeder made from recycled plastic liter bottles.

 
   

    Trash Cans  (click photo for slideshow)
Painting metal trash cans was a favorite fun activity. The youth were allowed to paint whatever they wanted although we encouraged themes that connected with the legacy of African American jockeys at the Kentucky Association racetrack and ecological themes.  We also recognized the need to do something practical to help keep trash off the streets and remind us of our recycling efforts.  About ten garbage cans were distributed around northeast Lexington on Race St., 3rd
    and Chestnut, 5th & Chestnut, N. Lime, Nelson Ave. and two requested by the Martin Luther King
    neighborhood association.

 
   

    Raised beds (click photo for slideshow)

We constructed and painted raised beds for backyard gardening. Several families took these home and used them to plant vegetables and flowers. The Nelson Avenue garden has several painted raised beds and others containers that were completed by the Youth GreenCorps

 
   

    Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden (IMMAG) (click photo for slideshow)


The design committee of IMMAG held three community design charettes in February and one of those meetings was specifically geared towards the youth in the community. The Youth GreenCorps hosted this design gathering and created wonderful drawings from very creative ideas.

 
   

    Other projects: (click photo to view slideshow of other projects)

 

At Covehaven Cemetery the Youth GreenCorps cleaned gravestones and the cemetery grounds.

 
   

Living Arts and Science Center Arts Program

 
   

At WECEP (the West End Community Empowerment Project) we worked with 70 youth. We built a bench using straw bale construction, painted murals and found objects, and established small garden plots for vegetables and flowers.

 
   

At the Nelson Avenue Community Garden we built raised beds and painted art objects. We placed a bike art sculpture and other metal sculpture pieces, planted perennial flower gardens, and interacted with 15-20 neighborhood youth and adults who look after this community garden.