Community Education Programs
Lewes Community Garden presented three free programs to the public in 2024: home composing and recycling, pollinator gardening, and no-till gardening and seed saving. Participants left armed with information, ideas, and examples of what they can do to make a difference. See background about the 2024 program below. We plan to offer similar programs in 2025.
Saturday, May 18: Home Composting and Recycling
Did you know that 25 percent of what Delawareans send to the landfill is food waste? Or that food waste in landfills produces methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide? Instead of throwing away your food scraps, compost them and make nutrient-rich, organic, and free fertilizer for your plants and yard.
Join us for an engaging talk about composting with Brigid Gregory from the Delaware Community Composting Initiative (DCCI). Brigid will provide a beginner’s guide to backyard composting as well as share about vermicomposting (aka worm composting) and the DCCI’s community composting program. She will share tips and tricks for managing your compost pile to prevent any pests or odors, as well as tips for explaining the benefits of composting to neighbors and HOAs. Brigid will also discuss Plastic Free Delaware's other programs and how Delawareans can reduce their overall waste and dependence on plastic.
Brigid Gregory is the Program Director for the Delaware Community Composting Initiative (DCCI), a program of the nonprofit Plastic Free Delaware. In her role, she provides food waste reduction and composting outreach and technical assistance to Delawareans. She has a long history of implementing sustainability projects and was most recently the Waste Reduction and Recycling Senior Coordinator for Johns Hopkins University where she focused on helping the university move towards being zero waste. Brigid is a proud alumnus of Penn State and University of Delaware. She lives in Wilmington with her husband and two children.
Saturday, August 17: Pollinator Gardening
Sussex County Master Gardeners will present a program on supporting pollinators. Pollinators are extremely important to us and help support a healthy ecosystem. We depend on pollinators for a large portion of our food crop and most flowering plants. Birds and other creatures depend on pollinator larva for food. Studies show the numbers of native pollinators are declining due to habitat loss, disease, and use of pesticides. Creating pollinator friendly habitats is very important and is easy to do with native plants. Find out more by attending this session and while you are there, take time to explore the new pollinator garden at Lewes Community Gardens.
Saturday, October 19: No-Till Gardening and Seed Saving
Sussex County Master Gardeners will provide information on seed collecting/saving as well as basic strategies for “no-till” gardening. Collecting seeds is a fun and inexpensive way to prepare for next year’s garden. What you think might be the seed could be part of the flower. Knowing which plant and which part of the plant to select seeds from will result in more successful germination. Learn which seeds need cold weather to germinate, and which do not. Find out more by attending this session. Tilling of garden soil disturbs and destroys beneficial microorganisms that help produce strong healthy crops. Learn ways to reduce or eliminate the need for tilling to maximize soil health.
Email lewescommunitygarden@gmail.com with questions and suggestions.