Cook St. Park Community Garden -

Cook St. Park Community Garden

In 2012 the Park was a no-mans land. Gangs gathered there, burned equipment and intimidated people. Girls from English High School fought while others watched and videoed. Gunshots were heard. Drug users shot up. Drinking alcohol was normal behavior. Families would not send their children to the Park.

In 2013, supported by the Parks Commission, neighbors, churches, Councilor Trahant and DPW, we built the first community garden in a City park since the Victory Gardens of World War II. Calvin Anderson transplanted Gateway Park and held a 9/11 service there.

After two summers of gardening, gangs no longer frequent the Park. Alcohol and drug use dropped. Families are returning.

City Council set aside $60,000 for play equipment, converting the tennis court into a play area, fencing off the soccer area, planting trees.

From the success of the garden and Park revival, and through the initiative of Food and Fitness coordinator Kristina Pechulis, the Parks Commission created Rules and Regulations for community gardens and allowed three more gardens to be built in Lynn.

Help us restore the Park for the families, especially the children.

Cook St. Community Garden and Park

Click above to learn more about this Highlands’ success story, how we engaged the neighborhood, put out a call to action, and built and manage the garden.

Some of the Plants We Grow

We don’t only grow veggies, we teach their origins and their nutrient value. As do we, plants have a history. They were wild plants that evolved through natural selection or that farmers changed to make them edible. For example corn or maize (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maize) was a wild Mexican grain no bigger than our finger called teosinte!

BU Students Learning and Helping

First Year Student Outreach Project: Boston University

These students came a week early before classes to do community service in the city of Boston and it’s neighboring areas. These students came representing the Human rights focus areas, in hopes of learning about different perspectives of life here in Boston.