On October 12th Weekend Wildcat volunteers helped restore the Concow Community Garden. After the Camp Fire last November many common community areas were burned, including the Concow campground, which houses the Concow Community Garden.
Chico State students were led by Jenny Lowery, a member of the nonprofit organization From the Ground Up Farms. The Concow Rebuild was one of the biggest events that Lowery’s team has set up thus far and the turnout was greatly appreciated.
Our volunteers were up early that morning ready to transform the Concow campground and they left it rejuvenated after hours of work. They cleaned out the garden, cut down overgrown plants, cut down burnt trees and also removed weeds. The students were eager to help and in doing so they gained a sense of community by helping restore the garden. The Concow Rebuild event had 15 volunteers and they cleared a wide area of debris within six hours. Lowery’s team has a goal of trying to restore the garden to its pre-Camp Fire condition. With the help of CAVE's Weekend Wildcat volunteers, the garden will now be ready for Lowery and her team to begin planting.
Mackenzie Champion talks about how she enjoyed her experience giving back and how she feels it allowed her to step out of her comfort zone. “Everyone was so welcoming and excited to have us there,” said Champion, “I think that energy really resonated with us because it made us all work a lot harder.”
Concow is about an hour away from Chico and despite transportation issues, all the volunteers stayed and were more than willing to help. They handled the given tasks with ease and worked as a team.
“I also learned the joy of giving back,” added Champion, “It was a fun opportunity to give back, meet new people, and see what Butte County is all about.”
The Camp Fire has impacted all of Butte County, and with that CAVE’s programs and needs have shifted to help where we can. CAVE looks forward to future projects and volunteer opportunities like this one because it shows how a small initiative can create a large change for good. We thank Lowery and her team for allowing us to be a part of a great experience.